UP Diliman warns of 'unofficial' ads about online courses

MANILA, Philippines — The University of the Philippines Diliman on Wednesday warned the public against the spread of advertisements claiming to offer online courses in the university's name.

"There are different advertisements/posts on various social media platforms about certain online courses offered by the UPD. Many of these are not officially associated with UPD," the university's information office said in a social media advisory.

The university advises the public to get their information from its official social media channels.

"To avoid being scammed, everyone is advised to visit UPD’s (or its colleges’/units’) official social media pages for activities facilitated by the University," the university said.

In January, the UP Open University announced that it was offering 24 free online courses covering a diverse range of topics that will grants completers training certificates.

The free massive open online courses (MOOCs) — which will run year-round — can help its enrollees “build credentials” and improve their expertise on a wide range of skills, the UPOU said.

Those who complete the MOOCs will be given e-certificates that can cited in resumes as a “16-hour training,” it added.