When experience becomes education: How USJ-R’s ETEEAP opens new doors for working professionals

For many working professionals, the dream of earning a college degree never disappeared. Life simply got in the way.

Financial limitations, family responsibilities, and the demands of building a career often meant putting education on hold. Years later, many have established successful professions, gained valuable industry experience, and built meaningful careers, yet the desire to complete a college degree remains.

We are not simply producing graduates—we are transforming lives.

— Dr. Marivic G. Diwa

ETEEAP Program Director

University of San Jose-Recoletos

Recognizing the need to make higher education more accessible to experienced professionals, the Philippine government institutionalized the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) through Republic Act No. 12124, signed into law in 2025. The law provides qualified Filipinos with a pathway to earn a college degree by recognizing the knowledge, skills, competencies, and prior learning gained through years of work experience, non-formal education, and relevant training, without compromising academic standards.

At the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), this national mandate becomes a meaningful opportunity for working professionals. Through ETEEAP, the University helps them turn years of professional experience into recognized academic qualifications while maintaining the same standards of academic rigor and excellence expected of every USJ-R graduate.

Professionals with at least five years of relevant work experience related to the degree they intend to pursue may qualify, subject to the eligibility requirements, competency assessment, and admission policies prescribed under ETEEAP and implemented by USJ-R.

What is USJ-R’s ETEEAP?

USJ-R’s approach begins with a simple belief: meaningful learning does not happen only inside the classroom.

According to Julit C. Jainar, Communications Officer of USJ-R and a faculty member in the School of Arts and Sciences Department of Communication, Languages, and Literature, ETEEAP recognizes the knowledge and competencies that professionals gain through years of work while providing them with a pathway to complete a college degree.

“ETEEAP is an important initiative for USJ-R because it recognizes that learning happens not only in the classroom but also through years of professional practice and life experience. The program supports lifelong learning while reinforcing USJ-R’s commitment to inclusive and transformative education.”

Rather than lowering academic standards, the program measures professional competencies against the University’s expected learning outcomes before learners complete the remaining academic requirements.

Jainar hopes professionals who once believed their opportunity had passed will see the program as a second chance.

“If you have years of valuable work experience but have not yet completed your college degree, ETEEAP is an opportunity to turn your experience into academic achievement. It is never too late to invest in yourself and earn the degree you deserve.”

Experience strengthened by education

While ETEEAP recognizes prior learning, academic standards remain uncompromised.

According to Dr. Marivic Diwa, Program Director of USJ-R’s ETEEAP, the program represents far more than an alternative route to a diploma.

“ETEEAP is a concrete expression of the University of San Jose–Recoletos’ commitment to making quality education inclusive and transformative.”

She notes that one misconception still persists within the program.

“One of the biggest misconceptions about ETEEAP is that it is an easier route to earning a college degree. It is not. The pathway is different, but the standards are exactly the same.”

Every applicant undergoes a competency assessment before admission. Once accepted, learners complete structured academic requirements, assessments, and a culminating Project Study under the guidance of qualified faculty members.

“Our goal is not simply to recognize work experience,” Dr. Diwa explained. “It is to ensure that experience is strengthened by academic knowledge, critical thinking, research, and ethical practice.”

Rather than validating experience alone, the University helps professionals understand the theories behind what they already practice, evaluate best practices, and develop innovative solutions to workplace challenges.

“Ultimately, we are not just validating what students already know. We are expanding their perspectives, sharpening their leadership abilities, and preparing them to become more effective professionals and lifelong learners.”

Three Professionals, One Second Chance

The impact of ETEEAP is clearest in the lives it has changed.

Romeo Herediano Jr.

For Romeo Herediano Jr., returning to school meant reclaiming a dream that financial hardship had forced him to postpone years earlier. After more than a decade in the business process outsourcing industry, he realized the knowledge and skills he had built deserved academic recognition.

“ETEEAP gave me a second chance to fulfill a dream that I had set aside for many years.”

Balancing work and studies demanded discipline, perseverance, and countless sleepless nights.

“ETEEAP changed me in ways beyond earning a diploma. It restored my confidence and reminded me that dreams do not have an expiration date.”

Carl Dave Black Ang

Unlike many ETEEAP learners, Carl Dave Black Ang already holds a bachelor’s degree.

His decision to return to school was driven by a desire to formally align years of professional experience in development communication with academic credentials and to open new opportunities for career growth.

“Learning alongside individuals with diverse experiences made the discussions more meaningful and enriching.”

Marichu I. Otizo

Age, too, proved no barrier to learning.

At 54, Marichu I. Otizo returned to the classroom to pursue a lifelong goal after spending more than a decade in the real estate industry.

“At 54 years old, I realized that learning has no age limit.”

Her experience reaffirmed that professional knowledge and formal education are not competing paths, but complementary ones.

“Experience and education complement each other. Through ETEEAP, I learned that the knowledge I gained from professional work has real academic value, while formal education strengthened that experience with theories, research, and critical thinking.”

Beyond the diploma

Degrees may be the most visible outcome of ETEEAP, but Dr. Diwa believes the program’s greatest achievement is less tangible.

“Many students begin the program wondering if they still have what it takes to succeed in college after being away from school for many years. But as they progress, they rediscover their confidence and realize that learning truly has no age limit.”

Graduates have gone on to receive promotions, earn professional licenses, pursue graduate studies, and inspire their own families and communities to continue learning.

“For me, these stories are the true measure of ETEEAP’s success. We are not simply producing graduates—we are transforming lives.”

The future of USJ-R’s ETEEAP

As industries continue to evolve, USJ-R believes higher education must evolve alongside them.

Dr. Diwa envisions ETEEAP becoming one of the country’s strongest platforms for lifelong learning by strengthening industry partnerships, expanding technology-enabled learning, broadening program offerings, and continuing to produce graduates who remain globally competitive while upholding the University’s tradition of academic excellence and ethical leadership.

Her message to professionals who have postponed their education remains simple:

“Your journey is not over. Your years of experience are valuable, your sacrifices matter, and your dream remains within reach.”

For Romeo, Carl, Marichu, and many other professionals, ETEEAP became more than an academic pathway.

It became proof that experience has value, that learning has no age limit, and that postponed dreams need not remain dreams forever.

Qualified professionals with at least five years of relevant work experience are encouraged to contact the University of San Jose–Recoletos ETEEAP Office at Magallanes Street, Cebu City, call (032) 253-7900 loc 287, email [email protected], or visit the University’s official channels to learn more about eligibility requirements, program offerings, and the application process.