Edu was granted Filipino citizenship from a young age after difficulties in receiving a Cypriot passport, which made him eligible to play for the Philippines in FIBA competition. However, he still drew interest from the Nigeria, Cyprus and Great Britain. In 2017, Edu joined the Philippines at the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup in Chengdu, China. He debuted for the Philippines at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Asian Championship in Bangkok, Thailand. In 6 games, Edu averaged 14.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game, finishing with 4 double-doubles. He led his team to a fourth-place finish at the tournament, giving them a berth for the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. About two minutes into his first game at the Under-19 World Cup, Edu suffered a torn ACL and torn meniscus in his right knee, as well as a hairline fracture on his right femur. He missed the rest of the tournament with the injury.