ABOUT 150 Chinese volunteer and dispatched teachers assigned to Chinese-language schools nationwide are being withdrawn from the Philippines and returned to China, according to a Manila-based Chinese-language newspaper, amid heightened security scrutiny of Chinese-linked educational exchanges.
The Chinese Commercial News reported Friday that the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) and the Philippine Chinese Education Research Center (PCERC) had decided to withdraw the teachers, with groups reportedly leaving for China throughout Thursday, Oct. 1.
The newspaper attributed the move to concerns raised by the teachers’ families following scrutiny of Chinese-language education by SeaLight director Ray Powell and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
It said the families feared for the teachers’ safety and that FFCCCII, citing security considerations, agreed to arrange their immediate departure.
The report, however, did not identify any teacher or family member, nor did it cite a specific threat or security incident involving the teachers.
The newspaper also rejected reports that the teachers had been expelled by the Philippine government or recalled by the Chinese government, saying the decision was made by the “inviting side.”
It said the Chinese Embassy in Manila and relevant Chinese authorities were formally notified before Philippine Chinese schools were informed.
Separate notices from schools affected by the departures described the situation as an unexpected recall by the teachers’ sending organization.
Immaculate Conception Academy in Greenhills told parents that FFCCCII informed the school that its Chinese teachers “need to return to China immediately.”
Jubilee Christian Academy in Quezon City, meanwhile, said its Chinese volunteer teachers had been “unexpectedly recalled by their sending organization” and would be returning to China.
Neither school cited a reason for the recall in its notice to parents.
The schools have begun making temporary arrangements to continue Chinese-language instruction, including online classes and substitute teachers.
The reported withdrawal came days after Teodoro warned that educational and academic exchanges involving China could potentially be used to gather information and establish a foothold in the Philippines.
“We have seen, too, information regarding the use of these educational exchanges to gain a foothold in the Philippines for them to scope for information,” Teodoro said.
Teodoro also clarified that the government was referring to information about possible activities and not necessarily established evidence of wrongdoing. He warned against allowing security concerns to fuel discrimination against Chinese people or Filipino-Chinese communities.
“We don’t want to create an atmosphere of xenophobia in this country. We don’t want to create bigotry in this country,” Teodoro said.
The Chinese Commercial News report characterized Teodoro and Powell scrutiny as attacks on Chinese-language education.
Powell has defended scrutiny of Chinese-linked institutions while distinguishing such concerns from the Filipino-Chinese community, saying Chinese-Filipinos are “loyal and patriotic Filipinos” who have the right to take pride in their heritage.
The PCERC maintains a publicly accessible listing of Chinese teachers assigned to the Philippines for the 2026-27 school year, confirming that the organization maintains a formal teacher-placement network involving educators from China.
The reported scale of the withdrawal could not be immediately determined. The schools confirmed the departure of their Chinese teachers but did not state how many teachers nationwide were affected.
The development leaves Chinese-language schools affected by the departures facing teacher shortages while the reason for the nationwide withdrawal remains unclear.
