Mainly using qualitative data, this paper analyzes whether and how cross-border student mobility contributes to enhanced Philippine tertiary education programs. The paper recognizes that the intake of international students results from cross-border and home-based internationalization initiatives that mutually reinforce the improvement of programs and learning outcomes. The intake of international students further enhances home-based internationalization initiatives, thus creating a virtuous cycle of effective initiatives, relevant educational products, and increased foreign student enrollment. However, this virtuous cycle has yet to materialize in the country due to its weak presence in the international student market. Currently, the country’s inbound students are limited to specific nationalities, fewer than those in other destination countries, and are largely facilitated by educational agencies. While the ultimate objective is to improve higher education programs and learning outcomes for the benefit of Filipino learners, a steadily increasing market share of international students seeking the country for its high-quality instruction and relevant fields of interest would validate that the country’s internationalization efforts have paid off. To realize this, the paper forwards recommendations within the broader context of sustaining a higher education institution ecosystem that is responsive to local and international standards.
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