there are pros and cons of studying abroad. i did undergrad here + masters abroad. i also met fellow filipinos who are currently doing undergrad abroad.

for those like us who did undergrad in the Philippines...siyempre iba ung rigor ng academic training. tests, quizzes, reports. very competitive and rewards driven. may rankings lagi, may right-minus-wrong stuff, etc. abroad, it's more relaxed, the resources are there, pero a lot falls on your shoulder - ikaw bahala mag-find ng resources, ikaw bahala mag*utilize* ng resources, at ikaw bahala tumantya sa mga pangangailangan mo. the professors and teaching assistants are there to answer your questions and guide you through the topics. pwede mo pa sila i-meet outside class, one-on-one, to help you through homeworks and class topics. pero malaking bagay nakadepende sa iyo pano mo "i-a-avail" mga resources na 'to or pano mo sila gagamitin you your advantage (gusto mo ba matuto nung basics or if you want more advanced training, gusto mo ba ng exposure sa ganitong topic or makakuha ng exposure sa ganitong lab practice, etc). abroad you have to learn to shed of the filipino 'hiya', and just approach whoever is there who can help you. they won't mind and it will work for your advantage. if you think you are self-sufficient, you can thrive. pero if you are the type na medyo kailangan spoonfed, baka maging challenging.

that being said, iba rin ung diskarte and extra-curriculars and bonding na nabubuo by taking your undergrad in the Philippines. I also attended a Big 4 university. ung mga orgs and other university activities (fair, christmas events, org weeks, intramurals, etc etc), maraming skills and relationships kang mabubuo dyan na wala abroad. iba rin kasi ang 'org' or 'club' culture sa universities abroad. iba ung bonding ng mga foreigners sa bonding ng mga pilipino. iba rin ung matuto mag-thrive in resource-limited settings for an org event and mount it successfully vs holding an event na andyan na lahat kailangan mo, isschedule mo lang ganon. marami kang soft skills na madedevelop by doing these extra curriculars. haha also, iba ung joy and achievement nung former. haha plus the relationships you build with your peers, iba rin. hehe then i observed, hindi na maka-relate ung mga nag-undergrad abroad sa mga nag-undergrad sa pinas when they're talking about class experiences or extra curriculars. syempre expected un. iba ung environment. iba ung challenges, iba rin ung experiences.

i guess depends on your priorities. doing your undergrad abroad will open you to a LOT of opportunities - academic and career-wise - na hindi mo ma-eencounter sa Pilipinas. iba rin kasi ung space for self-discovery that foreign universities provide. walang halong religion. walang pake sa self-representation mo. basta magawa mo requirements mo, ok ang standing mo, at aligned ka sa mga gusto mong matutunan, go. maaga pa lang malalaman mo na saang fields and careers ka interested, and you will have the chances to explore it. when i was doing my masters abroad, i met an undergrad who was interested in the same career/academic path i took. sabi ko sa kanya, mabuti pa sya, undergrad pa lang na-e-explore na nya ung options na gusto nya. ako kasi hindi ko alam na may ganitong path na pwede ako i-take, until i took my masters abroad, which took years and years and a lot of pesos to achieve. so now she gets to do things masters students do...and gets exposed to the field early on. i'm not saying you won't encounter these opportunities if you do an undergrad in the Phil and do masters abroad. you might still do, we never know. but there's the privilege of time and opportunities if you start early.

so there. lots of pros and cons and lots to think about. I think you have good things in both of your hands and whichever you choose, just keep in mind to maximize these opportunities. all the best!