Philippine Quality Assurance Mechanisms in Higher Education towards Internationalization

Measuring one’s capability to promote excellence is an enduring process to meet certain standards of evaluation wherein specific level of quality is determined to provide substantial information for the intended community and global market. This study on quality assurance of higher educational institutions explores the significance of local accreditations and certifications from government and private agencies to acquire international level of specialized accreditation and recognition from foreign regulation authorities. Any Quality Assurance mechanisms either locally or internationally recognized that is being utilized and adopted by the HEIs must reflect on the quality of their graduates which is one way of measuring the performance of an institution. HEIs of most developed countries are sustaining various program accreditations for strong collaboration among the academe and industries in their respective regions and to attract more foreign students as they adopted international standards and qualification frameworks for the graduates. It is nearly one (1) percent only of the market share of international students in the world chose to study in the Philippines. It is recommended that strengthening the degree program through QS World University Ranking by Subject must be the focus of the marketing strategy of the HEIs rather than promoting the institution as a whole. International recognition of the program by subject could somehow uplift the credibility of the institution in the world market. Introducing the degree programs in international arena is a little bit easier strategy to be recognized than bringing the entire university in the big picture which is quite difficult to assume good results. Achieving excellence is a never ending process of improving the quality of products and services which is bounded by measures of unobtainable goal of perfection.