MORE than 100 Chinese teachers and volunteers have left the Philippines amid growing concerns for their safety, a development that has further complicated already strained relations between Manila and Beijing against the backdrop of tensions in the South China Sea.
The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) confirmed that Chinese volunteer teachers assigned to Chinese-language schools in the Philippines were recalled following requests from their families in China.
‘The volunteer Chinese teachers were recalled to China upon the request of their respective parents and with approval of FFCCCII and the Chinese Embassy,’ the organization said in a statement sent to the BusinessMirror.
The FFCCCII, an umbrella organization representing more than 170 Filipino-Chinese business and trade associations nationwide, said parents became alarmed by reports and commentaries that cast suspicion on Chinese-language schools and teachers in the Philippines.
The concern was fueled in part by reports written by Ray Powell, executive director of the Stanford-affiliated SeaLight initiative, which monitors Chinese maritime and influence activities.
In a 2025 article published in The Diplomat, SeaLight examined links between some Chinese-language schools in the Philippines and institutions affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front system, raising concerns over possible influence operations.
SeaLight has stood by its findings, saying its research was ‘fact-based and exhaustively researched,’ drawing from the institutions’ own records.
The organization stressed that no one had refuted the facts it reported.
Powell has also repeatedly emphasized that most Chinese Filipinos are ‘loyal and patriotic Filipinos’ who have every right to celebrate their cultural heritage, while arguing that foreign government influence activities should not be shielded from public scrutiny.
The Philippine Chinese Education Research Center (PCERC), which coordinates more than 100 Chinese-language schools across the country, separately confirmed that it had decided to allow Mandarin teachers from China to return home after receiving numerous calls from worried relatives.
‘Many parents or relatives of teachers have been calling us. They said this is no longer a safe place for their relatives,’ PCERC Executive Director Liza Beth Wang told the BusinessMirror.
Following consultations with the teachers, PCERC decided to facilitate their return to China. The departures began on Sept. 30.
Wang estimated that a majority of the Chinese teachers deployed in member schools had already left the country.
She said the anxiety stemmed not only from concerns relayed by family members in China but also from Philippine news reports discussing Chinese schools and allegations that educational exchanges could be exploited for intelligence-gathering activities.
The departure of the teachers comes after Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. publicly raised concerns about the potential use of educational and academic exchange programs for intelligence collection and influence operations, remarks that drew strong criticism from the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
Chinese-language schools are expected to rely on locally based Mandarin instructors and temporary teaching arrangements to minimize disruptions to students. School administrators, however, acknowledged that replacing the departing teachers may prove challenging in the coming months.
BusinessMirror has sought comments from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Manila. As of press time, both had yet to respond.