Cagayan Gov. Mamba sees no threat from Chinese student ‘influx’

Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba does not believe that a supposed influx of thousands of Chinese students in the province poses a national threat, as at least two congressmen filed resolutions seeking an inquiry into the issue.

"I was also asked for several interviews already about the security presence of the foreigners here. I said, as far as I am concerned, I do not see any threat, but that is not for me to say because we have security agencies," Mamba said in a report by Oscar Oida on 24 Oras on Wednesday.

Mamba also said that a report given to him by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Region II shows only about 400 Chinese students enrolled in the province.

Cagayan 3rd District Representative Joseph "Jojo" Lara had voiced his concern, saying he has received reports of about 4,600 Chinese nationals enrolled at one university alone.

Both he and Isabela 6th District Representative Faustino "Inno" Dy filed separate resolutions citing possible threats to national security and the economy.

“It's not a question po na against po tayo sa mga foreign student. Ang iniisip lang po natin [ay] bakit all of a sudden 'yung mga influx nga po ng Chinese students dito, at isang pinapangamba po ng bawat isa sa amin dito, considering na merong issue tayo ngayon sa bansang China,” said Lara.

(It’s not a question of if we are against foreign students. What we are concerned about is why there is a sudden influx of Chinese students here, and that is one thing we are worried about since we have an issue with China at the moment.)

CHED representative Joven Jacinto said that the schools underwent the necessary processes and guidelines mandated by the agency to accept foreign students.

“We have this joint memorandum order No. 1, Series of 2017. This is entitled ‘Consolidated implementing guidelines on the entry and stay of foreign students in the Philippines’, pursuant to the Executive Order 285, Series of 2000. It is embedded in this guideline all the qualifications, eligibility of higher education institutions to become authorized to accept foreign students,” he said.

The legal entry of the students was also confirmed by the Bureau of Immigration, who said that there really was an increased number of foreign students in the country who had endorsements from both their schools and CHED.

“Nakita po natin na may bahagyang pagtaas talaga ng bilang ng mga estudyante not just in Cagayan area, but all over the Philippines after the pandemic. Marami po sa kanila ang itinuloy ang kanilang pag-aaral sa Pilipinas,” said BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval.

(We saw that there was an increase in the number of students not just in the Cagayan area, but all over the Philippines after the pandemic. A lot of them are continuing their studies in the Philippines.)

“We receive reports naman po from the school every time they renew their visa. Ang school po ang nagpapadala sa atin ng information, whether the student is still continuing with sa kanyang pagaaral o hindi na po. Kapag magwiwithdraw na po ang estudyante, we downgrade the visa and we send the student back pauwi sa kanila,” she added.

(We do receive reports from the school every time they renew their visa. The school sends us the information, whether the student is continuing their studies or not. If the student is withdrawing, we downgrade their visa and send the student back home to their country)

Despite this, the Armed Forces of the Philippines will be investigating the matter.

“We take all of these things seriously, so we are conducting our internal investigation on the veracity of this report, sa ano ba talaga yung pakay nila [what their purpose really is] towards this influx of numbers,” said AFP spokesperson Colonel Margareth Padilla.

One of the northernmost provinces, Cagayan faces Taiwan across the Luzon Strait. In 2023, the Philippine government announced that it was adding four new sites to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which gives US forces access to Philippine military facilities. Two of the new sites are in Cagayan: Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, and Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo.

Mamba objected to the sites' being added to EDCA, saying that they could become "magnets of attack" by adversaries of the US.

China claims the democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, and has vowed to take it one day, by force if necessary. — Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/BM, GMA Integrated News