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 INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

“Education is the key to success=”, the most common quote in motivating the younger

generation to strive hard in making their dreams possible. In the Philippines, one of the most

important to the life of every Filipino is the education of every child in the family. Education is

one thing that cannot be gotten from us. It is a very important factor in life for them to succeed

and have a better future ahead. Every child has the opportunity to learn and be educated. It is an

advantage for a young individual to finish their education and be molded with knowledge, skills,

confidence, competency and structure (Eric A., 2005)

Philippines has an extensive and highly inclusive system of education, including higher

education. Based on a study country guide that describes the education system structure of the

Philippines, it states that Philippines education is offered through formal and non-formal

systems. Formal education typically spans 14 years and is structured in a 6+4+4 system: 6 years

of primary education, 4 years of secondary school education and 4 years of higher education,

leading to a bachelor’s degree (Enriquez, 2014).

In the Philippines, it is a great advantage for an individual to pursue higher education for a

bachelor’s degree. It means that you are able to compete with other people and as well as

develop your physical and intellectual skills (Go, 2013). However, there are a lot of things that

hinders a person to do so, such as - lack in finances, poverty, health problems etc. A Forbes

article by Jacquelyn Smith in 2014 states that many adults return to school to enhance their

career. The article cites author Laura Vanderkamp in saying that many believe “additional
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education will help them achieve their career goals, like making more money, advancing in their

current occupation, or starting in a different one.”

Higher education, also known as tertiary education for bachelor’s degree, is instrumental in

fostering growth, reducing poverty and boosting shared prosperity. It benefits not just the

individual, but society as well. Graduates of higher education for bachelor’s degree are more

environmentally conscious, have healthier habits, and have a higher level of civic participation.

In short, higher education for bachelor’s degree institutions prepares individuals not only by

providing them with adequate and relevant job skills, but also by preparing them to be active

members of their communities and societies (WBG report, 2017).

Attending a higher education for a bachelor's degree can be expensive especially for those areas

that have college tuition costs. In some countries, many of the students have to take student loans

to fund their education. However, there are also countries that offer no cost for attending a

bachelor's course. These countries are mostly democratic social states. Residents of these nations

can receive free education provided by the government. Bachelor courses are taught for free, but

are taught only in the country's native language. Some of these countries are Brazil, Czech

Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Kenya, Luxembourg, Norway, Panama,

Slovenia, and Sweden and so on (World Population Review, 2019). Residents from other

countries, especially from the United States, study abroad to take advantage of these

opportunities.

Moreover, here in the Philippines, tertiary education is highly recommended especially in

pursuing greater endeavors and acquiring prominent jobs. Therefore, for those individuals who

wish to pursue and acquire a higher education in just a short period of time, a government agency
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in the Philippines called Commission on Higher Education (CHED) imposed a program that

grants a bachelor degree. This program is called the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency

and Accreditation Program or ETEEAP.

According to CHED, ETEEAP is an educational assessment scheme that recognizes knowledge,

skills, and prior learning obtained by individuals from non-formal and informal education

experiences (University of the Visayas, 2017). By establishing equivalency competence

standards and a comprehensive assessment system employing written test, interview, skills

demonstration and other creative assessment methodologies, higher education institutions may

administer competency based evaluation. A panel of assessors is convened to determine the

candidate’s knowledge, skills and attitudes relevant to a particular discipline and the

administering higher education institution awards appropriate equivalency credit or academic

degree to the successful candidate.

The mandate to implement the program is embodied in Executive Order 330 issued by former

President Fidel V. Ramos on May 10, 1996 as an offshoot of the recommendation of the First

Employment Summit in September 1995 (Venasquez, 2016). Beneficiaries must be Filipinos

who are at least high school graduates. They must have worked for at least five years in the field

or industry related to the academic program they are obtaining an equivalency. They must also

be able to show proof of proficiency, capability and thorough knowledge in the field applied for

equivalency.

The  ETEEAP  was  envisioned  to  be  the  means  by  which  qualified individuals could

acquire formal higher education degrees through a system of assessment  that  accredits 

informal  learning  for  credit  units  toward  a  college degree. This program assumes that

learning is not bound by time nor place. It does not only occur inside the classroom but also in
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the workplace. A person can acquire knowledge and skills outside the school setting even if they

are feeling old. ETEEAP is a timely response to the growing number of individuals who have

inadequate tertiary education. This system of accreditation leads to continuous upgrading of

qualifications in the labor market. With ETEEAP, the basic concept is actually the same as the

traditional - the more units you can complete at a given time, the faster you are going to

graduate. It allows professionals to complete their degree in about a year or so by having their

professional experiences evaluated and exchanged for their academic credits. 

The researchers think that this program is very beneficial for those people, especially working

individuals, who have other priorities than being in school to earn a degree. First, it is 80% self-

paced education mode; it means that you have the control on how you would manage your time

in work and studies. However, it has limited timelines especially in deadlines of completing a

subject and university residency. Second, if you are proficient enough in a certain professional

field, it might depend on your evaluations. So, it is more advantageous to have more working

experiences and proof of proficiency. Lastly, most classes are through online so you don’t have

to be present in school more often (Teng, 2017). Knowledge and skills are clearly attainable

because other than having competencies acquired outside school, there are still a lot of technical

things that an individual must learn especially when working in a corporate industry. Best

opportunities are mostly offered to those people who are wiser may it be academically or in

actual working fields. Therefore, the researchers would like to conduct this study to encourage

other working individuals that it is not too late to pursue higher education and earn a bachelor’s

degree.

 
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Statement of the problem

This research aimed to determine the benefits of the expanded tertiary education equivalency and

accreditation program. Specifically, this research addressed the following questions:

1. What are the benefits of expanded tertiary education equivalency and accreditation

program when taken collectively and grouped and compared according to sex, civil

status, and years of employments in terms of knowledge, skills acquisition, opportunities,

and accessibility?

2. Is there a significant difference in the benefits of expanded tertiary education equivalency

and accreditation program when grouped according to sex, civil status & years of

employment in terms of knowledge, skills acquisition, opportunities, and accessibility?

Hypothesis

There is no significant difference in the benefits of expanded tertiary education equivalency and

accreditation program when grouped according to sex, civil status & years of employment in

terms of knowledge, skills acquisition, opportunities, and accessibility.

Theoretical Framework

This research is anchored on Constructivism Theory. Constructivism is the theory that suggests

that information is created by learners rather than only passively taking in details. They create

their own representations and integrate new evidence into their pre-existing information as

people encounter the world and draw on those experiences, specifically the schemas (Ayaz, M.

F., &Sekerci, H.,2015).According to Seel, 2012, in the experience of learning, constructivism

emphasizes on the value of human awareness, values, and talents. It says that a mixture of prior
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experience and new learning is the creation of comprehension. Fresh theories may be adopted by

people or blend into their existing conceptions of the universe. Constructivist learning is a

philosophy of how individuals learn. It notes that learning occurs when learners create meaning

in the sense of their own experiences through analyzing knowledge.

This study is also aligned with Skills Acquisition Theory. According to Dekeyser (2007), Skills

Acquisition Theory is that the learning of a wide variety of skills shows a remarkable similarity

in development from initial representation of knowledge through initial changes in behavior to

eventual fluent, spontaneous, largely effortless, and highly skilled behavior, and that this set of

phenomena can be accounted for by a set of basic principles common to acquisition of all skills.

According  to  Chapelle (2009),  this theory falls  under the  category of  general human learning,

i.e., it focuses "on language learning as a process of human learning". In other words, learning a

second language in view of such theories is considered to be like learning any other skill. 

In relation to the study, the benefits can affect one's perspective on how he/she can attain success

through his/her ability in relation to the ETEEAP that creates mastery experience, vicarious

awareness, words of affirmation and well-being of an individual.

Conceptual Framework

Benefit refers to an advantage or a profit you gained from something. This study aims to

determine the benefits of expanded tertiary education equivalency and accreditation program in

Bacolod City. The theories shown in the framework explain the difference between the profile of

the participants and the attributes of ETEEAP. In this study, the profile of the participants is

further specified as age, civil status and years of employment. Benefits can be determined in

terms of knowledge, skills acquisition, opportunities and accessibility. This was further linked
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with the enhancement program for flexible learning modes and proposed program for additional

courses to be offered.

               

Figure 1. The schematic diagram of Conceptual Framework

Scope of the study

This study was focused on the benefits of the expanded tertiary education equivalency and

accreditation program in Bacolod City. The participants of the study were the graduates of the

ETEEAP program in Bacolod City. The researchers chose only to study the socioeconomic

profile and the benefits of the expanded tertiary education equivalency and accreditation

program. 

METHODS
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Research design

This study is a quantitative type of research because the researchers have sought an answer

upheld by numerical evidence. The collection and analysis process of numerical data is

quantitative research. It can be used to find patterns and averages, to make predictions, to test

causal connections, and to generalize outcomes to broader populations. (Bhandari, Pritha, 2020)

The researchers utilized the descriptive quantitative study. According to Nassaji (2015), a

descriptive research method is describing a phenomenon and its features are the purpose of

descriptive study. This analysis is more concerned about what has happened rather than how or

why. Observation and survey techniques are therefore also used to collect results.

Participants of the study

The respondents of the study were the official graduates of the ETEEAP program in Bacolod

City. They are the individuals who were not able to pursue higher education on time and have

rendered work experiences for at least 5 years before entering the program and earning a degree. 

Sampling Technique

This study utilized a convenience sampling. The respondents of the study were the ETEEAP

graduates in Bacolod City. The researchers determined the number of their respondents through

the schools registrar’s office, which also offers ETEEAP in their institution. They were able to

have access from online or facebook messenger to reach their target respondents. They have

targeted 280 respondents. However, due to circumstances and the pandemic is still with us, the

researchers had a hard time to actually reach out to their respondents. They have only

accumulated for a limited number of responses. This sampling technique was also used due to
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the researcher's limited time and resources. According to IlkerEtikan, SulaimanAbubakar Musa

&RukayyaSunusiAlkassim, convenience sampling or also known as accidental sampling   is  a 

type  of  nonprobability  or nonrandom  sampling, where members of the target population that

meet certain  practical criteria,  such  as easy accessibility, geographical  proximity,  availability 

at  a  given  time,  or  the willingness  to participate  are  included  for  the purpose  of  the study.

It is also referred to the researching subjects of  the population  that  are  easily  accessible  to 

the  researcher.

 Data Gathering Procedure

First, the researchers asked permission and passed a letter to the school registrar to conduct a

research survey through them because they have the access for all the ETEEAP graduates. After

the approval of the letters, the researchers proceed in the presentation of the online questionnaire

to be distributed. An online orientation about the purpose of the research was conducted to the

respondents for their awareness about the study. After the online orientation, the researchers

distributed the survey questionnaires to the respondents by means of Google forms. Then, the

researchers gave final and concise instructions to the respondents for clarification before

answering. And lastly, after the data is gathered, the researchers have sent it to statisticians for

statistical treatment.

Data Gathering Instrument

The researchers made a questionnaire consisting of two (2) parts. The first part includes the

socio-demographic profile of the participants such as sex, civil status and years of employment.

The second part asks questions about the benefits of ETEEAP. The survey questionnaire utilized

a 4-point Likert scale as follows: Highly Beneficial, Beneficial, Slightly Beneficial and Not
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Beneficial. 4-point Likert scale is also called a forced Likert scale since the user is forced to form

an opinion. It can also measure other variations such as frequency, quality, importance, and

likelihood (MU, 2012).

Validity of Instrument

This study underwent a validity test using Content Validity Ratio by LawShe (1975). The CVR

(content validity ratio) is a linear transformation of a proportional level of agreement on how

many “experts” within a panel rate an item “essential” calculated in the following way where

CVR is the content validity ratio, ne is the number of panel members indicating an item

“essential,” and N is the number of panel members (Ayre&Scally, 2014). The instrument was

subjected to 3 experts to validate the survey questionnaire.

Reliability of the Instrument

This study underwent a reliability test and the reliability index was computed using Cronbach’s

alpha. Cronbach’s alpha is a convenient test used to estimate the reliability, or internal

consistency, of a composite score.Your score would be highly reliable (consistent) if it produces

the same or similar results when the same individual re-takes your survey, under the same

conditions (Statistics Solutions, 2017).

The survey questionnaire was forwarded to 30 non-actual respondents as a pilot test. 

Statistical Treatment
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The statistical tool used for the descriptive objective was mean. For inferential statistics,

ANOVA or Analysis on Variations was used to determine if there is a significant difference in n

the benefits of expanded tertiary education equivalency and accreditation program when grouped

according to sex, civil status & years of employment in terms of knowledge, skills acquisition,

opportunities, and accessibility. ANOVA is a statistical technique for determining the degree of

difference or similarity between two or more groups of data. It is based on the comparison of the

average value of a common component.

Data Interpretation

The researchers will use the following verbal interpretation to analyze the data that will be

collected:

Number Code Verbal Interpretation Verbal Interpretation

3.25 – 4.00 Strongly Agree Highly Beneficial

2.50 – 3.24 Agree Beneficial

1.75 – 2.49 Disagree Slightly Beneficial

1.00 – 1.74 Strongly Disagree Not Beneficial

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

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This section of the study includes all of the data gathered during the survey through an online

questionnaire. This part manifests the results of the benefits of extended tertiary education

equivalency and accreditation program when taken collectively and grouped and compared

according to sex, civil status and yesars of employment in terms of knowledge, skills acquisition,

opportunities and accessibility. 

In table 1, it shows that most of the participants in the study, who are the official

graduates of ETEEAP, say that the attributes of the program are all highly beneficial regardless

of their sexes. The mean score that comprises and illustrates the attributes of ETEEAP as highly

beneficial can be seen below. In this study, the majority of the participants are female which also

reflects on the table below that it has a higher response for this section. According to Madrigal

(2017), this program is open for all those who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree. It benefits

everyone who will undergo this program because you will have the opportunity to learn and be a

degree holder in the future at your own comfortable place and time. Benefits of the program may

not differ on sexes because it benefits the both. 

INDICATORS
Sex  

  Male Female Mean Verbal Interpretation

KNOWLEDGE 3.52 3.75 3.64 Highly Beneficial

SKILLS 3.30 3.43 3.39 Highly Beneficial

ACCESSIBILITY 3.37 3.69 3.53 Highly Beneficial

OPPORTUNITIES 3.44 3.54 3.49 Highly Beneficial

Table IA. Descriptive statistics of the extent of benefits of ETEEAP when taken as a whole,
grouped and compared to the Sex
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In table 2, it shows that most of the participants are aged from 25 years old - this is one of

the basic requirements in enrolling to the program - since it requires 5 years of employment

before you may proceed. In this study, it also implies that all the attributes that the program is

offering were all highly beneficial regardless of the age gaps. According to Mendez of UPLB

(2016), most of the enrollees for the ETEEAP were in the age of late 30’s because that’s where

they usually receive an opportunity to be promoted on their working fields, hence, they need to

earn a bachelor’s degree to be qualified. This statement was also supported in the table shown

below, because it says that it is more likely in the favor of the people who belong to the age

group of 39 years and above. As Mendez has also mentioned, technology is continuously

improving, so earlier generations must be able to keep up with the growing competencies of

millennials nowadays. Thus, this program is truly an opportunity for them to learn, especially for

those who really have not experienced anything of these at all. However, it is also shown that it

is more accessible to younger ages, because of the fact that these age groups are more familiar

with the online system of classes, which is also implemented by this program. 

INDICATORS
Age    

  25-38 Years Old 39 and above Mean Verbal Interpretation

KNOWLEDGE 3.57 3.73 3.60 Highly Beneficial

SKILLS 3.50 3.53 3.51 Highly Beneficial

ACCESSIBILITY 3.48 3.47 3.48 Highly Beneficial

OPPORTUNITIES 3.42 3.77 3.48 Highly Beneficial

Table IB. Descriptive statistics of the extent of benefits of ETEEAP when taken as a whole,
grouped and compared to the Age
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Table 3 indicates that the attributes of ETEEAP were highly beneficial and applicable

even if you are single, married, etc. However, in this study and as shown below, in terms of

acquiring knowledge through this program, separated/widowed people benefit the most.

According to Oya and Sender (2009), most separated/widowed women get depressed after being

left by their partners in a relationship, thus, they usually consider learning new things as one of

their coping mechanisms. They have also mentioned that in order for them to be financially

stable, they should be able to earn money on their own. Hence, it is one of the opportunities for

them to invest in something in order to keep up with the growing and continuous advancement in

the industry.  In terms of skills, it is shown in the table that married people can benefit more

among others, it is because marriage tends to make these people busy and have no time for new

learning or pursuing new endeavors, especially their education. Basically, they are maximizing

their time looking for extra income and for their families as well. According to Pascual (2010),

most Filipino married couples tend to prioritize their family’s well-being rather than their self-

interests. Therefore, this program is another opportunity for them to learn skills that include time,

financial and personal well-being management. 

INDICATORS   Civil Status     

  Single Married Separated/Widowed Mean Verbal Interpretation

KNOWLEDGE 3.54 3.67 3.73 3.60 Highly Beneficial

SKILLS 3.50 3.53 3.47 3.51 Highly Beneficial

ACCESSIBILITY 3.48 3.42 3.67 3.48 Highly Beneficial

OPPORTUNITIES 3.38 3.58 3.80 3.48 Highly Beneficial

Table IC. Descriptive statistics of the extent of benefits of ETEEAP when taken as a whole,
grouped and compared to the Civil Status
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The results reveal that this program is more beneficial to those who have worked or have

employment experience for more than 15 years. These are the people who are likely to give up

on education and focus more on their on-going career but because of the opportunities that came

their way, they should comply with the qualifications. In terms of knowledge, accessibility and

opportunities, people who have longer work experience find the attributes of this program more

effectively to them. As Greyon (2013) has mentioned in his study, long term employees tend to

seek new ventures for them to be more productive and motivation for work. Some find

themselves getting left behind because of these technologies that continue to exist one at a time.

Mendez has also mentioned that in the working industry, opportunities for promotion are never

ending especially for those with bachelor’s degree holders. Therefore, this program is really

helpful in making great chances for those people who dream big for themselves. However, in

terms of skills acquisition, younger people especially those who have a minimum of 5 years

work experience tend to crave more expertise in order for their self-improvement. This is also for

them to develop their competencies and to keep up with the worldwide competition. 

INDICATORS Number of Years Employed  

  5-14 Years 15 Years and above Mean Verbal Interpretation

KNOWLEDGE 3.59 3.65 3.60 Highly Beneficial

SKILLS 3.51 3.45 3.51 Highly Beneficial

ACCESSIBILITY 3.45 3.70 3.48 Highly Beneficial

OPPORTUNITIES 3.46 3.65 3.48 Highly Beneficial

Table ID. Descriptive statistics of the extent of benefits of ETEEAP when taken as a whole,
grouped and compared to the Number of Years Employed
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Hypothesis

Expanded tertiary education equivalency and accreditation program is defined by

Commision on higher education (CHED) as a comprehensive educational assessment program at

the tertiary level that recognizes, accredits and gives equivalencies to knowledge, skills, attitudes

and values gained by individuals from relevant work. It is implemented through deputized higher

education institutions that shall award the appropriate college degree. This is an opportunity

offered to those who want to become a bachelors’ degree holder even if they are not on time.

According to CHED, it is only qualified for those Filipinos who are at least 25 years old and

have 5 years work experience as basic requirements. This creates greater chances for most

Filipinos to achieve their dream of becoming a bachelors’ graduate and eventually open the

doors of so many opportunities for them. 

Table 5 illustrates the test on the significant difference of ETEEAP benefits when

grouped according to age. Each attribute has its own p-value result. Starting with the benefit of

knowledge and opportunities, the p-value resulted in .906 and 2.712, respectively, which means 

the researchers accept the null hypothesis that there are no significant differences. According to

Cruz and Montefalco (2010), acquiring knowledge and getting more opportunities does not

matter on how old or young an individual is, as long as a person is determined to do so, he/she is

capable of learning new ventures and eventually may be able to receive more chances in their

designated industries. ETEEAP offers a fair course to choose from in which an individual can be

able to indulge his/herself in a profession that fits their choices. In terms of skills and

accessibility, p-value outcomes are .032 and .002, respectively, which implies that there

are significant differences in skills acquisition and accessibility when grouped according to age.

According to some of the participants that the researchers have personally interviewed through
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online, age does really matter in acquiring skills and being accessible to modern classes. Due to

the fact that younger generations have more advantages especially in technical and technological

aspects now that most of the classes are held online Early generations tend to have more

difficulties in adapting to changes because of the gaps built between millennial and them.

However, people who are old enough and have a lot of experiences are more capable of applying

theoretical learnings into reality because they are hands-on working rather than just being techy. 

Age Sig. Status of Hypothesis

  23-38 years old (n=36) (0.05)
39 and above (n=6)
F value

Knowledge .906 Not Significant Accepted

Skills .032 Significant Rejected

Accessibility .002 Significant Rejected

Opportunities 2.712 Not Significant Accepted

  Table IIA. Significant difference of ETEEAP Benefits based on Knowledge, Skills, Accessibility,
and Opportunities. When they are grouped according to age.

In this table, results show that all attributes have no significant differences when grouped

according to sex. P-value outcomes are 3.476, 5.072, 5.185 and .330, which means that the

researchers accept the null hypothesis. In terms of knowledge, as the researchers have also

mentioned in the previous discussion, any individuals are incapable of earning an intellectual

investment regardless of their sexes. He/she may be able to obtain something that is helpful for

his/her intellectual well-being. According to Baldwin, M.W. (2004), knowledge and skills are

always joined together; you can never acquire a skill without knowing its theoretical processes.

Therefore, you cannot differ that this variable can affect in gaining knowledge and acquiring a
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skill. Furthermore, in terms of accessibility, an individual who is interested in investing in

something, he/she perseveres in order for him/her to achieve that goal. Thus, accessibility does

not vary in an individual’s sexes but rather on their preferences and interests. Meanwhile, in

opportunities, as what the researchers have also mentioned above, ETEEAP offers a chance to

each individual fairly. It does not come with biases, but rather depending on everyone’s choice

of courses to take. According to CHED, this program opens the doors for all ETEEAP students

to bigger and wider opportunities in the future. 

Sex Sig. Status of Hypothesis

  Male (n=27) (0.05)
Female (n=13)
F value

Knowledge 3.476 Not Significant Accepted

Skills 5.072 Not Significant Accepted

Accessibility 5.185 Not Significant Accepted

Opportunities .330 Not Significant Accepted

Table IIB. Significant difference of ETEEAP Benefits based on Knowledge, Skills, Accessibility,
and Opportunities. When they are grouped according to sex.

Using the statistical tool ANOVA, it shows in this table that all the benefits of ETEEAP

have no significant differences when grouped according to civil status except for skills

acquisition. P-value resulted in .606, .368 and 1.473, respectively, in which the researchers

accepted the null hypothesis in 3 attributes. While, in terms of skills, it resulted in .044, which

the researchers rejected the null hypothesis and also mean that there is a significant difference in

acquiring skills when grouped according to civil status. This result indicates that in obtaining

knowledge, having the accessibility to study and earning opportunities does not completely
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affect whatever relationship you have or had. These 3 attributes are more likely a mental

motivation, whether an individual is focused on achieving a goal, which is to have a bachelors’

degree, he/she will have a determination to do so. However, in terms of acquiring skills,

according to UNESCO, an individual’s skill changes rapidly through time. According to

Feshchuk (2018), skill acquisition is the significant factor for building a successful career. Acquiring

skills can happen in different ways – by personal experiments in a certain field, by creative search

and constant practicing, by repeating some actions automatically without implying any thinking

processes. Acquiring skills takes time as you go along the process. With time, skills just get more

complex. Therefore, your relationship status affects how you acquire skills. When you are single, you

can focus more on improving your skills. ETEEAP benefits in skills acquisition differs on how

capable you are on focusing on your developments. 

  Civil Status Sig. Status of Hypothesis

Single (n=25) (0.05)
Married (n=12)
Separated/Widowed (n=3)
Sig. value

Knowledge .606 Not Significant Accepted

Skills .044 Significant Rejected

Accessibility .378 Not Significant Accepted

Opportunities 1.473 Not Significant Accepted

Table IIC. Significant difference in the extent of ETEEAP Benefits based on Knowledge, Skills,
Accessibility, and Opportunities.When they grouped according to civil status.

As can be seen in the table below, p-values resulted in .088, .076, 1.163 and .583,

respective. Therefore, the researchers accepted the null hypothesis that there are no significant

differences in ETEEAP benefits in terms of knowledge, skills acquisition, accessibility and

opportunities when grouped according to years of employment. In this study, the researchers are
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also currently one of the ETEEAP students and they also have a different number of employment

years. They are all in the same course with different fields of job and some have enough work

experience already and some have not yet. However, despite the number of years they have, they

equally share the same benefits the ETEEAP is offering. One of the respondents said through an

online conversation that, “I thought I already have enough knowledge and skills to compete in

today’s employment industry, I just realized that I still lack something”, she quoted. ETEEAP

does not only provide opportunities for the graduates, but this program also helps them to be

more equipped to become an effective individual in this society.  Chua, an ETEEAP graduate at

LDCU said, "In a society that is driven by or needs formality in a form of paper or title (diploma,

masters, PHD, etc.), experience of 10, 20, 50 years without a paper is still useless unless you are

exceptionally excellent in your particular field of expertise”. ETEEAP opened a way for them to

reach their goals of self-fulfillment - getting a degree while also doing the things they love. 

  Number of Years Employed Sig. Status of Hypothesis

5-14 years (n=36) (0.05)
15 years and above (n=4)
Sig. value

Knowledge .088 Not Significant Accepted

Skills .076 Not Significant Accepted

Accessibility 1.163 Not Significant Accepted

Opportunities .583 Not Significant Accepted

Table IID. Significant difference of ETEEAP Benefits based on Knowledge, Skills, Accessibility,
and Opportunities. When they are grouped according to the number of years employed.

CONCLUSIONS
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In conducting this study, the researchers supposedly had 380 respondents to participate,

however, due to some considered factors, they only had 40 participants. Since all participants of

this study are ETEEAP graduates, most of them determined that all the attributes of ETEEAP,

that were considered as the benefits of the program, were all highly beneficial. Though, there are

some factors shown in the results of the study that affect when they are grouped according to the

specific demographic profile of the participants, it still passed the average mean that considers its

results. ETEEAP is a program that makes a way for people who didn’t reach their dreams of

having a bachelor’s degree on time. This is considered as one opportunity that helps other people

to open doors for bigger opportunities especially in the employment industry that needs formal

papers in order for them to get promoted and be paid well. As what other ETEEAP graduates

said, in this kind of society that needs proof of proficiency in a certain field, regardless of how

long you have been working in a certain industry, without a degree, your excellence will still be

useless. However, though this program is an opportunity for all to become a degree holder, most

of the participants in this study have also had challenges encountered along the way. Time

management has been their biggest rival. Most of the participants were full time employees.

They have to exert extra effort to balance their time for work and study. Nevertheless, this

program is beneficial for all who want to pursue their unfinished business or unstarted dreams at

all. 

RECOMMENDATIONS
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Based on the results that were shown in this study, the researchers would like to

recommend for the improvement of this program. For future ETEEAP students, the researchers

recommend that they should choose wisely for a course that fits not just their qualifications but

to consider their choice of interests as well, so they would not have a hard time weighing their

priorities between work and studies because both should be related on the course they will take

on this program. They should also take into consideration not just the opportunities but also the

expenses for this program, because you will be taking a bachelor’s course within just a year, so

they will be expecting a higher tuition fee for this matter. Moreover, if they are dedicated enough

to pursue this program, they should think that this is an investment because eventually they can

apply the benefits of this program on their future endeavors. For CHED, they should add more

deputized schools and institutions that offer this program for the accessibility of other

prospective students. Some of the people who want to pursue this program are not that accessible

to the given schools. They should also add more courses for equivalency because some courses

are not related to an individual’s field of work, but since some don't have any choice because

they wanted to have a bachelor's degree, they end up on a course that doesn’t suit them well. For

institutions that offer the program together with the CHED as well, they should be more

aggressive in promoting this program because only a few know that this kind of program exists.

Many are those who weren't able to graduate in college on time and some who weren't able to

enter college at all, are still dreaming to finish their education but since they are old enough to go

back in college, some were too shy already. This program is not that well-known to everyone.

Therefore, they should work out on how to encourage people who are interested to be bachelor’s

degree graduates to engage in this program because this will not just open the door of

opportunities to them but they will be trained and equipped in the future to become an effective
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and efficient individual. Lastly, for future researchers, for them to be able to see the larger

picture of the benefits of expanded tertiary education equivalency and accreditation programs for

the future students of this program, they must also study the challenges that the ETEEAP

graduates have encountered in pursuing this journey.