NEW ZEALAND has welcomed the signing of the first memorandum of cooperation (MOC) in education with the Philippines, marking a significant milestone in the relationship between both countries and creating a framework for collaboration across all levels of education.
The MOC was announced during the official visit by Minister of Foreign Affairs Rt. Hon. Winston Peters of New Zealand, coinciding with the two countries’ 60 years of diplomatic relations.
The memorandum formalizes and reaffirms the commitment of the New Zealand Ministry of Education, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority to work in partnership with the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), as well as the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). This includes partnership in the full education spectrum: from early childhood to tertiary, technical and vocational education, and training.
ENZ Group General Manager for International and Sector Engagement Sahinde Pala said the MOC reflects the strength of an education partnership that has been steadily growing between the two countries.
‘This [MOC] is an important step forward in our education partnership,’ Pala said. ‘It builds on years of collaboration between our governments, education agencies and institutions, [while providing] a framework to deepen that cooperation for years to come.’
Improved understanding, recognition
THE embassy said the arrangement will promote: (1) greater student, educator and academic mobility; (2) stronger institutional and research partnerships; and (3) knowledge sharing in areas such as education policy, qualifications recognition, workforce development, lifelong learning and capacity building.
A key example is the partnership between the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and CHED, including qualifications referencing work that has improved understanding and recognition of bachelor’s degrees between the countries, as well as supported learner and labor mobility.
The relationship is also supported by regular ministerial engagement and education policy dialogue. In 2025, delegations from CHED and TESDA met with ministers, senior officials and government agencies.
The education relationship between the countries is built on genuine two-way exchange. While increasing numbers of Filipino students are choosing the Oceanic country for their studies, the two benefit from the flow of knowledge, skills, research and professional connections that education partnerships create. Education has become one of the strongest foundations of the broader New Zealand-Philippines relationship.
Growing education linkages
SINCE 2014, 335 Filipinos have received Manaaki Scholarships across tertiary study, short-term training and English language programs that help scholars build skills, gain global experience and create lasting links binding New Zealand and the Philippines.
Both countries also work together to strengthen education systems through regional and multilateral fora, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC forum and Asean-related education initiatives, where both countries advance shared priorities in quality education, skills development and workforce readiness.
The Philippines is one of New Zealand’s most important education partners in Southeast Asia. Filipino student enrolments have grown by 36 percent since 2023, as it reached 2,635 students in 2025, making the Philippines New Zealand’s ninth-largest international student market.
Building on this momentum, a delegation of 16 New Zealand education providers will return for the ‘Study with New Zealand Study Expos’ in Cebu on September 19, 2026 and Iloilo on September 22, 2026. They are expected to give Filipino students and families the opportunity to meet education providers directly and explore the range of study opportunities available in the Oceanic country.