Established on 23 February 1995, the University of the Philippines – Open University (UPOU) pioneered online teaching and learning in the Philippines and is the leader in the study and practice of open learning and distance education in the country. In keeping with its mission of equipping Filipinos everywhere with the knowledge and skills they need for life and work in the 21st century, UPOU is the Philippines’ most comprehensive distance education institution, offering three undergraduate programs, nine post-baccalaureate certificate and diploma programs, 11 Master’s programs, two doctoral programs, and nine non-formal courses. Recently, it has ventured into offering massive open online courses (MOOCs) to further expand access to quality higher education. UPOU has a network of eight learning centers and testing centers in more than 40 countries serving a global community of learners.

The Commission on Higher Education  (CHED)  was created on May 18, 1994 through the passage of Republic Act No. 7722, or the Higher Education Act of 1994. It is mandated to provide effective central direction and implement programs and mechanisms to ensure affordable and quality higher education in the country. The creation of CHED was part of a broad agenda of reforms on the country’s education system outlined by the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) in 1992.

Established through the initiative of UP alumni in Baguio and Benguet, the University of the Philippines in Baguio was inaugurated as a degree-granting unit of the University on 22 April 1961. A land grant worked out by alumni, the City Council, and by then UP President Vicente Cinco situated the College on its present location, a pine-clad hill offering a scenic view of Baguio. The College went on to make its presence felt as it served as the site of the National Arts Festivals in the coming years. Moves were made to strengthen its research capabilities, culminating in the institution of the Cordillera Studies Center in 1983. Directions towards autonomy began with strategic planning in 1996. The following years saw the College working assiduously in the reformulation and strengthening of its academic programs, primarily. Administration of the College likewise oversaw the development in infrastructure and improvement of services and facilities. Such growth led to the elevation of UP College Baguio to full autonomous status, granted by the Board of Regents in December 2002. UP Baguio is now the seventh constituent university of the UP System.

The history of Ifugao State University (IFSU) chronicles the triumphs of the Ifugao people amidst adversities since its early inception. The history further speaks of the extraordinary and unwavering contributions of its early pioneers that led to the unprecedented and progressive metamorphosis of the University. Today, IFSU continues to flourish and contributes in shaping and improving the socio-economic, cultural and political landscape of the province.

Benguet State University is nestled in the heart of La Trinidad, Benguet, the strawberry capital of the Philippines.

It started as the La Trinidad Farm School with 30 grade V pupils in 1916. The Farm School expanded its services and heightened its prominence in La Trinidad. According to earlier reports, the Farm School was “planned to develop into a large normal school where the best Igorot pupils will be trained to be teachers among their own people with emphasis on agriculture.”

In 1920, the farm school was elevated as the Trinidad Agricultural School with 188 students enrolled in first year high school. Re-opening after the war in 1946, the school became the La Trinidad Agricultural High School. Four years later, a provincial normal curriculum was abolished in 1953 and a two-year post-high school certificate in agricultural education was offered.

The school was renamed La Trinidad National Agricultural School (LTNAS). After four months, it was nationalized and named the Mountain National Agricultural School. (MNAS). It was soon converted into the Mountain National College (MNAC); Mountain Agricultural College (MAC); and eventually, the Mountain State Agricultural College (MSAC) in 1969 through RA 5923.

On January 12, 1986, the college was converted to a state university by virtue of Presidential Decree (PD) No. 2010 signed by President Ferdinand E. Marcos.

At present BSU is awarded SUC Level IV, the highest category in the SUC leveling classification of State Universities and Colleges by the Commission on Higher Education.

The University of the Philippines Open University Foundation, Inc. (UPOUFI) is a non-profit, non-stock corporation registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on 7 April 1998.  As the support arm of the UP Open University, it initiates, conducts and manages research and other projects in distance education and open learning; publishes and distributes information related to distance learning and the activities of UPOU; cooperates with government or public and private institutions in underwriting, conducting and/or sponsoring projects and/or programs dedicated to the promotion, propagation and enhancement of UPOU’s programs; and gives or administers grants and donations of cash, property, or service to programs and activities that will redound to the benefit and enhancement of UPOU.

The Philippine Society for Distance Learning, Inc. (PSDL) was formally organized on 25 September 2006 at the INNOTECH Center in Diliman, Quezon City by 15 academic s who were all working at various aspects of distance education.  It aims to promote the growth and development of distance learning through knowledge exchanges, policy formulation, and advocacy; promote professionalism in the practice of distance learning in the Philippines; stimulate collaboration among local and foreign professionals and practitioners of distance learning; sponsor scientific meeting and training programs in distance learning on its own or in collaboration with other institutions, including government; and publish and disseminate research results, policy papers, and other scientific materials on distance learning in the Philippines.

Sponsors

The COMPETEN-SEA project is a Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) project funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Commission.The main objective of the COMPETEN-SEA project is to enable best South-East Asian Universities to develop a new kind of accessible, affordable, high quality and effective educational services to various groups of population now excluded from traditional educational outreach. The MOOC technology was chosen as the tool most promising and suitable for the region with its particular characteristics (growing population dispersed across thousands islands and separated by thousands of kilometres, extremely high growth of ICT penetration enabling modern ICT-based education, world-class academic staff in best local Universities, etc.).

PLDT is the leading telecommunications and digital services provider in the Philippines. Through its principal business groups – fixed line, wireless and others – PLDT offers a wide range of telecommunications and digital services across the Philippines’ most extensive fiber optic backbone, and fixed line and cellular networks.