MANILA — The Philippine government has deployed intelligence agents to look into reports that several Chinese nationals allegedly posing as students have been flocking to areas close to military bases that can be accessed by American troops, an official from the National Security Council said on Saturday.

This after some lawmakers filed a resolution to investigate the alleged influx of Chinese students in Cagayan, where 2 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) bases are located.

BI: 1,500 Chinese nationals got student visas in Cagayan after being 'legally processed' 

 “This is something that is currently being investigated now,” NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said in a news forum.

“Our intelligence units have been assigned to take a look at the situation there. Is this a case of a national security threat or is this just a case of people wanting to study in the Philippines?” he said.

The Bureau of Immigration earlier said that some 1,500 Chinese nationals received student visas in 2023 after endorsements from a university in Cagayan.

The Chinese nationals were “legally processed” and had “complete documentation,” the agency said.

Security analyst alarmed by influx of Chinese students in Cagayan 

Last year, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said that at least 10 Philippine universities signed an agreement with several Chinese universities to help Chinese students who are interested to pursue their studies in the Philippines.

The agreement was made after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit to China in 2023, where the importance of higher education was emphasized, CHEC chairperson Prospero De Vera earlier said.

Chinese nationals are interested to study in the Philippines because education here is high-quality and affordable, and teachers have good command of the English language, he said.