Good morning, colleagues, partners, friends from the media, and guests watching via the livestream. I am happy to welcome you to this PHINMA Education press briefing aptly titled, “Our Continuing Mission.”

We at PHINMA have had a long history in many industries, among them, housing, energy, finance, and construction materials. But as we became more dedicated to providing the essentials of a dignified life for Filipino families, we knew that we needed to focus on education. And not just any education. We wanted to provide quality, accessible education that by intent and design caters to those who need it the most: the underserved youth of the country. And so, 18 years ago, PHINMA Education was born.

On the surface, our mission seems simple: to make lives better through education. To ensure that there are as few barriers as possible to entering college, even for those who come from the most humble backgrounds. To emphasize that they belong in school, even if they are the first in their families to reach college. To tailor their education to their chosen industry’s needs so that they are able to earn a living wage within a year of graduation. To empower them to dream of a better future, not just for themselves, but also for their families, their communities, and the country as a whole.

Working towards these ideals has, of course, been a far more arduous task. We have learned much in the past 18 years. Allow me to share some of these lessons with you.

First, even faced with the toughest challenges, students want to learn. No physical distance, lack of resources, or even a global pandemic has dampened their desire to pursue an education. In fact, their determination to learn, land their first job, and contribute to their communities is stronger than ever. There is nothing more inspiring to us than the strength of their spirit.

Second, it is only with an intimate understanding of the needs and aspirations of our underserved, first generation students can we make their lives better. As you will come to find out in today’s press briefing, our learning strategies, including FlexLearning and RaDLearning, have made all the difference in our results, whether it’s on our enrollment, board passing rates, employability of graduates, or financial returns across the network.

Third, the rapid pace of development in all industries necessitates the equally quick response of educators and educational institutions. We see the growing emphasis on soft skills like creativity, communication, and collaboration. Tech literacy is now a requirement, regardless of the industry. We see the rise in importance of qualifications that are not necessarily tied to degrees. We see the various, often non-linear, paths the youth can take towards their desired future.

Our continuing mission, therefore, is to serve our students better by providing quality education that goes beyond responding to their current needs. We are setting our sights on a system that innovates frequently and improves fearlessly. We aim to make lives better for every student who enters PHINMA Education, whether they graduate or not. And most importantly, we will empower them to make the lives of others better too, because in the end, that is what success is all about.

In today’s press briefing we will be sharing with you our progress on making lives better through education in the Philippines and Indonesia. We will talk about our academic strategies, sustainability initiatives, global alliance, and how we intend to reach more underserved youth in the next five years. In doing so, we hope that you and many others will join us as we work with students, colleagues, fellow educators, and partners towards a better future of dignified lives for all.

Maraming salamat and have a pleasant day ahead.

Welcome Remarks

Ramon R. del Rosario Jr., PHINMA Chairman and CEO

July 18, 2022 Press Briefing