Students and trade sought from Philippines

MANILA - More agreements between New Zealand and Philippines educational institutions could massively boost the number of Filipino students coming to New Zealand, Prime Minister Helen Clark says.

Helen Clark yesterday oversaw the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Universal College of Learning's (UCOL) Wanganui design school and the Philippines' De La Salle College of St Benilde.

UCOL is seeking to encourage De La Salle students to take up full fee-paying post-graduate study in New Zealand. In return it will contribute towards teaching staff also completing post-graduate study at UCOL.

UCOL's director of international business, Bruce Osborne told NZPA New Zealand was an attractive market to many Asian students owing to the fact that once they finished their study, they were allowed to stay in the country if they found a job.

About 8000 Filipinos study overseas each year. Only about 10 per cent go to New Zealand. Helen Clark said she was keen on New Zealand institutions capturing a bigger chunk of that market by pursuing agreements similar to UCOL's.

"In the past the Filipino students that came here were the occasional one who was on a New Zealand aid scholarship, but these days I think we could expect to see a flood of young people through these collaborative relationships."

She said Filipinos traditionally looked to the United States for overseas education, but that was changing.

Helen Clark is hoping her three-day trip to the Philippines will give New Zealand's healthy trade relationship with the country an additional boost.

It is already New Zealand's largest export market in southeast Asia and new trade rankings show it is now our 8th largest market overall.

Tomorrow, the Prime Minister and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise officials with meet the Philippines' brewing and beverages company San Miguel.

Helen Clark said she was keen to encourage San Miguel, which already had an investment in New Zealand through its holding in Australian-based National Dairy Foods, to invest more in New Zealand.

The New Zealand delegation is also seeking to explore areas where there could be mutually beneficial partnerships with New Zealand companies.

Helen Clark's visit is the first dedicated bilateral visit to the Philippines by a New Zealand prime minister in 20 years. The trip coincides with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

On Tuesday she addressed the Asia-Pacific Interfaith Dialogue, before holding bilateral meetings with Philippines president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

- NZPA