After the Senate, Estrada went on to become vice president and then president of the country, becoming the only Philippine chief executive other than Emilio Aguinaldo without a university degree (Aguinaldo only reached "bachillerato" or college preparatory). Yet the lack of a university degree did not prove to be a major handicap in advancing beyond the Senate for Joseph Estrada, who was the lone non-college degree holder in the first batch of post-EDSA I senators.Įstrada dropped out of Mapua Institute of Technology, and went on to a highly successful movie career. Recto, Raul Manglapus, Jovito Salonga and Jose Diokno. The Senate has been known historically as the legislative chamber that has harbored intellectuals, such as Claro M. According to Oxford, a special diploma is not the same as a college degree. Imee Marcos, obtained a special diploma in social studies from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom in 1978. Osmeña, who also served in the 10th to 13th Congresses, studied different courses in four higher education institutions but did not complete an undergraduate degree. They were senators Revilla, Lapid, Sergio Osmeña III, and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The last time there were as many as four senators who did not have college degrees were in the 15th and 16th Congresses, or from 2010 to 2016. There have been non-college graduates in the Senate before, at least based on available profiles of senators since 1987. He took up business administration at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University in 2008. He earned his high school diploma by passing an accreditation and equivalency test, and was asked to be an ambassador for the Department of Education’s Alternative Learning System in 2007. But as a celebrity, boxing champion, and senator, he has apparently demonstrated a hunger for academic learning. Pacquiao had barely finished his elementary studies when he began carving a path out of poverty through boxing. Marcos attended Princeton University and the University of the Philippines’ College of Law, but both institutions have denied that they awarded her degrees. They both served in the Senate for two terms, from 2004 to 2016. Revilla and Lapid pursued showbiz careers after high school. GMA News Research reviewed all the senators’ claims of educational attainment as stated on their official websites or CVs, and fact-checked these by perusing documents or writing their schools. One senator, Nancy Binay, earned an undergraduate degree in tourism, while another, Joel Villanueva, completed a certificate course that enables him to practice as a “barista” (he had previously graduated with a BS degree in Commerce from University of Santo Tomas). Research by GMA News has shown that the Philippine Senate of the 18th Congress has a wide range of educational attainment, with the expected dominance of law degree holders. The just concluded 17th Congress did not have any PhDs among their ranks. Actors Revilla and Lapid and boxer Pacquiao have all had lucrative careers that began even before college age, while the claim of Marcos, the daughter of former president Ferdinand Marcos, that she graduated from the prestigious Princeton University has been shown to be false.Īt the same time, this Senate can boast of having a PhD holder: former PNP chief and first-time senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, who was awarded a doctorate in 2006 in Development Administration from the University of Southeastern Philippines, a regional state university in Davao City. Newly elected senators Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Lito Lapid, and Imee Marcos join incumbent senator Manny Pacquiao as the four members of the 24-person Senate who did not graduate from college. The 15th and 16th Congresses also had four. Indeed, the 18th Congress has the dubious distinction of having four non-college graduates, tied for the most in the modern era. In contrast, according to ad placements in, college degrees are being required for “sales clerk,” “receptionist,” “customer service representative,” and other positions that are often a fresh graduate’s first job. Unlike many entry-level office jobs where applicants must be college graduates, the President, Vice President, Senator, or member of the House of Representatives must only possess the barest minimum qualification when it comes to education – that he/she must be able to read and write. The 1987 Constitution does not require the country’s top elective officials to be college degree holders. One institution that does not: the Philippine Senate. There are so many college graduates in the Philippines today that even fast-food restaurants can require degrees for certain entry-level jobs.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |