MANILA, Philippines - They?re not coming in just for the beaches; they?re also here for some crash course in English.

Korea, the Philippines? largest single source of tourists, is now bringing in droves not just holidaymakers but also students who wish to learn the English language.

Students account for 15-17 percent of Korean tourists in the Philippines, according to the Philippine tourism attaché in Seoul, Maricon Basco-Ebron. As of April, 14,400 Korean visitors have arrived here to enroll in language institutions or universities around the country.

?They like the Philippines because everybody speaks English. It?s easier to learn; they get to practice everywhere,? Ebron, who also heads the Department of Team?s Team Korea, said at the recent Korea Student Fair held in Seoul, a biannual event that brings together schools all over the world to attract students who wish to study abroad. The event draws in over 500 exhibitors from the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe and neighboring Asian countries.
Cheaper cost

While the Philippines is not a native English-speaking country, the cheaper cost of English-based education here is a major come-on to Koreans, Ebron said.
?Sending a child to the US for one year is equivalent to sending a child for two years in the Philippines?plus the mom,? referring to the fact that Korean parents could easily come to the country to check on their children and enjoy the sights as well.

Hyunsook Oh, who works with the Philippine tourism office in Seoul, estimated the cost of Korean university education at $4,000 per semester, or roughly four times the tuition for the same period in a major university in Metro Manila.
She added: ?The Philippines is relatively cheaper than the US, Canada or England. And it?s only 3? hours away so parents can visit anytime. If they send the child to the US, the parents have to plan their visit.?

Most Koreans enroll in ?short-term? or two-month English as a Second Language (ESL) course or study for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) here as preparation for further education in another country.

Younger students come in for language camps, typically two-month courses during their summer or winter break. (Philippine travel agents also offer golf and dive camps, where young Korean athletes learn the sports? lingo in English before they compete abroad.)

New trend

A trend of late has been to put up groups of students in rented homes located in posh gated villages like Ayala Alabang, equipped with resort-like facilities such as a swimming pool. A two-month program of this type costs about $2,800 per, and designed to create a good impression of the Philippines, Ebron said.

Baguio City, she added, has also lately been playing host to Korean nurses who wish to undergo career training before they leave to work in the US or United Kingdom.
Ebron also noted the number of Koreans enrolled in top universities, mainly in MBA programs.

The Philippines has already posted a 6.6 percent share of the total number of Korean university and graduate students enrolled abroad as of April, or nearly 5,000 more students compared to the previous year.

Oh said education is highly valued among Koreans. Children as young as 5 years old are sent abroad, both ?to study the English language and to experience a different culture.? (The International School of Manila and Brent International School are among the top choice of Koreans here, Ebron noted.)

?It?s a fact that when you have English [language] skills, you?re more competitive, whether you work [in Seoul] or abroad,? Oh added. She herself earned two master?s degrees in a US university.

At the Korea Student Fair-Fall 2007 in Seoul, nine Philippine ESL schools participated, most of which are located in Cebu.

?You know, most of the parents were at first just visiting the resorts,? Ebron said, ?but that didn?t stop them from staying long-term for the education of their children? A Korean Airlines manager was stationed [in the Philippines] for four years. He was to be recalled after his posting, but he opted to retire and stay for the sake of his children?s education.?

The tourism department?s participation in the fair has been quite productive, Ebron said, that she?s confident her office would meet its target of 650,000 Korean tourist arrivals by yearend, 110,000 of which she hopes will be students on their winter break. For the first eight months of 2007, 439,000 Koreans visited the Philippines.

?When we participated in the fair for the first time in 2004, we only had two booths without any design, just a nice photo,? Ebron recalled.

?Then it became 10 booths. Last spring, we had 28 booths? Next we?re going on a road show in Korean schools.?