Page 167 - Open and Distance Education In Asia : Good Practice From AAOU Members

Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) 147

“

UPOU can be considered as the first open university in
the Philippines and probably among the first in Asia to
become fully online and deliver its instruction through

distance elearning.

radio programs for farmers, rural home USA specifically addressed to the
makers, and the rural youth in 1964 and in International Correspondence Schools.
1967 formalized the format through the It was postmarked December 18, 1907
“Paaralang Panghimpapawid sa Pagatasan (Figure 1). It should be noted though
(School on the Air on Dairying). The “School that during that time, the Philippines was
on the Air” format was also adopted by the still under the United States governance,
Department of Agriculture in 1973 to support hence it cannot be conclusive whether
the Masagana 99 rice production program of this mail has anything to do with studying
the country. through the ICS. (https://www.ebay.
com/itm/133982577518?chn=ps&mkevt
Much earlier than the introduction of radio =1&mkcid=28)
to the Philippines in 1922 by the American 2. Two accounts of completing courses
businessman Henry Herma (ELCOMBLUS, through ICS can be found in the
2020) and at the same time that the Internet: Antonio “Tony Velasquez”,
correspondence school system was happening a Filipino illustrator and regarded as
in other countries, the International the Father of Tagalog comics has an
Correspondence School (ICS), was founded in entry of completing a course from the
1889 in Scranton, Pennsylvania and through International Correspondence School in
the years were able to make its presence in 1934 ([(https://wikimili.com/en/Tony_
so many countries, including the Philippines. Velasquez); and Tony Henson, another
The indicators of the presence of ICS in the comic artist, also recorded completing
country are as the following. a course “Commercial Arts” through ICS
1. Up for auction at eBay was a printed ((https://fil.wikipilipinas.org/view/Teny_
matter cover from the Commonwealth Henson).
of the Philippines to Scranton PA

University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU)