Iranians in the Philippines
Encyclopedia
There is a community of thousands of Iranians in the Philippines, including many international student
s drawn by the country's low-cost English education. According to the figures of the 2000 Philippines census
, they were the 11th-largest group of foreigners.
, Iranian students began studying in the Philippines as early as the 1960s. By the late 1970s there were between 2,500 and 3,500 Iranian students in the Philippines, largely in Manila
. Though they were given scholarships by the government of the Shah, many of them were supporters of Imam Khomeini
. After the success of the Iranian Revolution
in February 1979, seven hundred Iranian students broke into the Iranian embassy and hung a picture of Khomeini there. Iranian students also took an interest in political issues involving Islam in the Philippines
. They mixed with local Muslims and held joint protests with them, and arranged for the shipment and distribution of religious literature from Iran. This naturally aroused the suspicion of Ferdinand Marcos
' government, which ordered the Department of Education
to carefully examine all the files of the Iranian students. No Iranian students were admitted for study in 1980, and 30 were deported.
However unrest continued in the following years. Iranian students continued to arrange various political demonstrations. Pro-Khomeini and anti-Khomeini students engaged in violent clashes. The Khomeini supporters were known to be in contact with the Moro National Liberation Front
, sending them funds and arms; they also assassinated some anti-Khomeini students. In 1981, Philippine government charged another 200 Iranian students with committing acts "inimical to national interests" and violating their conditions of stay in the Philippines, and had them deported. However violent clashes continued to be reported as late as 1987.
As of 2010, Iran continued to send thousands of students to the Philippines. Iranians were the third-largest group of 9(f) student visa holders that year, amounting to 2,980 persons, behind Chinese and Koreans
. Among these are a number of Iranian medical students in Cebu, who in 2010 fell victim to the a tragic and widely-reported bus accident
which led to an inquiry by the Iranian embassy.
International student
According to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development , international students are those who travel to a country different from their own for the purpose of tertiary study. Despite that, the definition of international students varies in each country in accordance to their own national...
s drawn by the country's low-cost English education. According to the figures of the 2000 Philippines census
Philippines census
The Philippines census is a regularly occurring and official count of the human population of a certain local administrative unit in the Philippines...
, they were the 11th-largest group of foreigners.
Migration history
Drawn by low tuition fees and the use of English as the medium of instructionMedium of instruction
Medium of instruction is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the country or territory. Where the first language of students is different from the official language, it may be used as the medium of instruction for part or all of schooling. Bilingual or...
, Iranian students began studying in the Philippines as early as the 1960s. By the late 1970s there were between 2,500 and 3,500 Iranian students in the Philippines, largely in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. Though they were given scholarships by the government of the Shah, many of them were supporters of Imam Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini was an Iranian religious leader and politician, and leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran...
. After the success of the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
in February 1979, seven hundred Iranian students broke into the Iranian embassy and hung a picture of Khomeini there. Iranian students also took an interest in political issues involving Islam in the Philippines
Islam in the Philippines
Islam is the oldest recorded monotheistic religion in the Philippines. Islam reached the Philippines between the 12th and 14th century with the arrival of Muslim traders from Persian Gulf and the Malabar Coast in Southern India, and their followers from several sultanate governments in the Malay...
. They mixed with local Muslims and held joint protests with them, and arranged for the shipment and distribution of religious literature from Iran. This naturally aroused the suspicion of Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
' government, which ordered the Department of Education
Department of Education (Philippines)
The Department of Education , is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the management and governing of the Philippine system of basic education. It is the chief formulator of Philippine educational policy and is responsible for the Philippine primary and secondary...
to carefully examine all the files of the Iranian students. No Iranian students were admitted for study in 1980, and 30 were deported.
However unrest continued in the following years. Iranian students continued to arrange various political demonstrations. Pro-Khomeini and anti-Khomeini students engaged in violent clashes. The Khomeini supporters were known to be in contact with the Moro National Liberation Front
Moro National Liberation Front
The Moro National Liberation Front is a political organization that was founded by Nur Misuari in 1969. The MNLF struggles against the Philippine Government to achieve independence of the Bangsamoro Land...
, sending them funds and arms; they also assassinated some anti-Khomeini students. In 1981, Philippine government charged another 200 Iranian students with committing acts "inimical to national interests" and violating their conditions of stay in the Philippines, and had them deported. However violent clashes continued to be reported as late as 1987.
As of 2010, Iran continued to send thousands of students to the Philippines. Iranians were the third-largest group of 9(f) student visa holders that year, amounting to 2,980 persons, behind Chinese and Koreans
Koreans in the Philippines
Koreans in the Philippines, largely consisting of expatriates from South Korea, form the largest Korean diaspora community in Southeast Asia and the eighth-largest in the world, after Korean Australians and before Koreans in Kazakhstan; as of 2009, statistics of South Korea's Ministry of Foreign...
. Among these are a number of Iranian medical students in Cebu, who in 2010 fell victim to the a tragic and widely-reported bus accident
2010 Balamban, Cebu bus accident
The crash of a bus in Balamban, Cebu, Philippines, killed at least 21 people on 13 June 2010.-Overview:The bus was carrying around 50 passengers, mostly Iranian expatriates who were post-graduate students at Gullas College and Cebu Doctors Hospital. The bus had been travelling from Cebu City to...
which led to an inquiry by the Iranian embassy.