Learning Systems for Poverty Takes Center Stage at Education@theMargins

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How do you tailor education to serve those who need it the most? To tackle this pressing global issue, multinational partnership Education@theMargins (E@TM): A Global Alliance invites aspiring and current educators, policymakers, and representatives of like-minded organizations to come together for a two-hour discussion on learning systems for poverty on October 28, 6 p.m., Philippine time.

PHINMA Education Chief of Corporate Affairs - Buen Bontigao

In its second year, this year’s conference, “Serving the Underserved: Learning Systems for Poverty,” seeks to discuss what makes teaching students in circumstances of poverty different, and what pedagogical shifts can be taken to serve their learning needs.

“We believe that education experts and industry stakeholders must come together to discuss hard questions and encourage others to take part in creating solutions,” said PHINMA Education Chief of Corporate Affairs, Buen L. Bontigao.

The conference, spearheaded by PHINMA Education, will feature panelists from around the world. These resource persons include Dr. Nene Guevara, President of Synergeia Foundation (Philippines); Sujatha Muthayya, Vice-President of Policy and Partnerships-Asia of Bridge International Academies (Kenya); Jessica Rees-Jones, Founder of AfricaX Academy; and Dr. Charles Prince, Chief Higher Education Officer of Global Education Executives, Inc.

“When we launched E@TM in 2021, we envisioned a world where underserved youth are given access to quality education at prices they can afford, using the resources they have access to,” Bontigao explained. He noted that the world is still very far from reducing learning poverty, and by 2030, 43% of children will be learning-poor. The E@TM: Global Alliance hopes to drastically change that.

“We’ve already forged meaningful partnerships which show that many organizations across the world share our advocacy,” he added. Last year's conference featured  Christopher Bernido and the late Ma. Victoria Bernido of Central Visayan Institute Foundation (CVIF), Rafael Oliveira de Ávila of Ânima Educação (Brazil), Amanda Kelleher of Luminus Education (Jordan), Sandeep Aneja of Kaizenvest (India), Edna Novak of Teach for All, and Aape Pohjavirta of mobile learning app Funzi.

“We believe that country experts, global thought leaders, and technology pioneers together can positively impact more youth across the world, towards a future that is sustainable for all. That is why we hope to welcome more people to our Global Alliance,” Bontigao concluded.

Want to attend E@TM: A Global Alliance? Register for FREE at tinyurl.com/EATM2022 or visit the website https://www.educationatthemargins.org/.

 

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About Education@theMargins (E@TM)

Education@theMargins (E@TM): A Global Alliance envisions a world where underserved youth are given access to quality education at prices they can afford, using the resources they have access to. We believe that education experts and industry stakeholders must come together to discuss hard questions and encourage others to take part in creating solutions. Country experts, global thought leaders, and technology pioneers, together, can positively impact more youth across the world, towards a future that is sustainable for all. PHINMA Education serves as the Secretariat. For more information, visit https://www.educationatthemargins.org/

 

 

Board topnotchers, 97% NLE passing rate, and high employability of graduates: Stellar Results Mark PHINMA Education’s 18 Years of Serving the Underserved

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More than a decade ago, Elbert Kay Serrano wanted to be a nurse. His parents, a farmer and a canteen helper, didn’t have the resources to help him finish college. Elbert worked any job he could get -- a caregiver, a service crew at a fast food chain, a clerk, a helper-while taking up nursing at PHINMA Araullo University.

Elbert is just one of the thousands of underserved Filipinos whose chances of getting into college and finishing their degree is hampered by their circumstances. “Getting into college and graduating can often be prohibitively expensive for poor families,” said Dr. Chito B. Salazar, PHINMA Education President and CEO. “This barrier to entry is one of the many challenges that we are tackling because we believe that every Filipino deserves to have quality education.”

Owing to its mission to serve the underserved, PHINMA Education schools do not have entrance tests to make it easy for students to enroll and get the quality education they deserve.

An education network for the underserved

Recent data from the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) shows that only 33% of college-aged Filipinos are currently enrolled. PHINMA Education, by intent and design, has been addressing this issue for the past 18 years. The education network, which now operates 10 schools in the Philippines and Indonesia, prides itself on crafting programs and interventions that make it easy for underserved students to get the quality education they want and deserve.

To date, PHINMA Education has over 95,000 students across its ten campuses in the Philippines and Indonesia. Of this number, around 60% are benefiting from theHawak Kamay Scholarship program that provides discounts of up to 75% on enrollment fees. There are no entrance exams to make entry less prohibitive. It also monitors Students-at-Risk (StARs) and conducts home visits to help students return to school.

In 2021, PHINMA Education launched KANLUNGAN, a free individual therapy program for both employees and students. “We don’t stop at simply giving out scholarships. We make sure that their mental and emotional needs as first-generation college students are also taken care of,” Dr. Salazar said.

Beyond giving out scholarships to the majority of its student population, PHINMA Education also ensures that students are mentally and emotionally well through interventions, assistance, and therapy sessions.

Learning strategies that adapt to changing needs

“When the pandemic started, we resolved that nothing should stop our students from learning and

we prepared models that would provide them the flexibility they require in order to learn unhampered,” Dr. Salazar explained. “Our models proved to be so successful that we are now making them a permanent option for our schools.”

The two models, Flex Learning and Remote and Distance (RAD) Learning, relied on printed activity sheets combined with strong teacher and peer support through a mobile data allocation that renewed every month. At no additional cost, students were able to access Facebook Messenger

and G-suite tools to do their course work and attend webinars. FlexLearning students will have in-person classes once regulations allow, while RadLearning students will continue to be home-based.

While the pandemic brought difficulties, it also brought opportunities as PHINMA Education piloted two new learning models that allowed students flexibility. The success of these models made them permanent options across the education network

High board passing results across schools

Elbert Kay Serrano graduated in 2013 and is now a municipal representative for the Department of Health (DOH) in Nueva Ecija. He is also working on getting his doctorate. Those who want to follow in his footsteps are in good hands: PHINMA Education has a 79% board passing rate for first-time takers. Even better, in the recently concluded Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE), the five PHINMA Education schools with first-time takers averaged 97%.

PHINMA Education creates models that help students learn unhampered. These efforts have shown great results with schools under the network garnering 92.54% overall passing rate in the NLE and 79% passing rate for first-time takers in other board examinations.

“We are proud to have six topnotchers in the NLE with PHINMA University of Pangasinan (PHINMA UPang) students placing 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 10th, while a Southwestern University PHINMA (SWU PHINMA) student placed 9th,” shared Dr. Salazar. “PHINMA UPang was also cited as the second top performing school in the country for having a total of 62 passers, including second takers, and a 92.54% overall passing rate,” he added.

From 2004 to May 2022, the network has had 122 board exam topnotchers in the Philippines across courses such as Nursing, Education, Criminology, Electrical Engineering, Medical Technology, and Medicine.

Affordable education towards employability

More than 70% of PHINMA Education graduates are employed within a year after graduation, a percentage expected to increase as the economy bounces back from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We believe that the school’s responsibility does not stop the moment a student graduates. Rather, schools should keep supporting their students, including ensuring that they get the help they need to get employed after graduation,” Dr. Salazar stated. PHINMA Education partners with companies that provide training and internships to help students become work-ready.

PHINMA Education’s placement office, Alumni and Corporate Engagement (ACE), currently has 259 active companies in various industries that provide hiring, internship, and training for its students.Aside from online career fairs, graduating students go through mock interviews and feedback sessions with their teachers to prepare them for actual job interviews. Students also attend a series of webinars and career talks with industry partners.

For almost two decades, PHINMA Education has shown that quality, private education does not need to be expensive to be effective. Serving underserved students by tailoring its strategies to their needs, resources, and aspirations, has enabled it to make lives better through education. It’s a mission that the company is determined to pursue even more diligently in the years to come.

PHINMA Education, through strategic partnerships with companies and industries, provides students with assistance and resources to help them land jobs after graduation.

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PHINMA Education Holdings, Inc. (PEHI) under the conglomerate PHINMA Corporation, started investing in the education services sector in 2004 through the acquisition of PHINMA Araullo University in Nueva Ecija. It has since expanded its presence across the country with its network of schools namely: PHINMA Cagayan de Oro College, PHINMA University of Pangasinan, PHINMA University of Iloilo, Southwestern University PHINMA in Cebu City, PHINMA Saint Jude College in Manila, PHINMA Republican College in Quezon City, PHINMA Rizal College of Laguna, and PHINMA Union College of Laguna. It also aims to expand across Southeast Asia beginning with Horizon Education in Indonesia. For more information, please visit: https://www.phinma.edu.ph

PHINMA Education fulfills Unbreakable Commitment to accessible education in the next normal

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PHINMA Education, a fast-growing network of schools in Southeast Asia, believes that access to quality education can make lives better for millions of underserved youth. Witnessing that many students are unable to complete their college degrees, the institution aims to make education accessible particularly in some key growth areas across the Philippines.

Christopher Tan, Chief Operations Officer of PHINMA Education

However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, their unbreakable commitment to delivering quality education towards gainful employment for their students and graduates was severely challenged.

“It was a very disruptive year for the educational sector. The pandemic made it very difficult for all types of schools, whether public or private to fulfill their mission of educating their students,” said Christopher A. Tan, Chief Operating Officer of PHINMA Education.

The institution, which operates nine tertiary schools in the country, recognized that flexible learning would be the way forward for students and teachers. While online education became common for most educational institutions in the country, PHINMA Education’s unique market needed a different solution.

“We serve students from lower-income households and many of them are not prepared well in their grade school and high school for college. They are more likely to drop out even under normal circumstances and the big problem with distance learning is not so much the quality of education, but it’s the ability to complete the program,” explained Tan.

The challenge for the institution is to generate creative and innovative approaches to manage these problems differently. They also need to make sure that the distance learning setup would be suited even for students from low-income families. Thus, they launched Flex and RaDLearning, which rely on printed courseware, strong teacher support, and constant interaction with peers. This made the infrastructure that would enable them to connect with their students and faculty the utmost importance.

They partnered with PLDT Enterprise and Smart for connectivity solutions that effectively support the digital learning needs of their students and faculty members. Smart provided tailor-made Giga Study plans that further boost PHINMA Education’s pledge to ease the learning experience of students in the new normal.

“Combining printed modules with remote coaching and the data plan from Smart helped us come up with an almost robust workable solution we can develop for these very difficult times. We appreciate PLDT Enterprise for understanding the underlying principles that we cared about and for coming up with a very flexible plan that gave access to our key programs,” said Tan.

“Giga Study Plan has the key features of stability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. PLDT Enterprise was very generous in developing a program that gave enough bandwidth and access to our students, at the same time, really kept the costs low,” he added.

“PLDT Enterprise heeds the call of the education sector for solutions that will enable students and educators to easily steer distance learning. We are committed to supporting the needs of our partners, such as the PHINMA Education, to empower them in maintaining their unbreakable commitment despite these most difficult times,” said Jojo Gendrano, FVP and Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise.

PLDT Enterprise recently introduced its Unbreakable Commitment campaign to highlight its partnerships with various organizations in the country to demonstrate how fostering partnerships could help companies thrive despite the obstacles they face and in turn, contribute to the lives of Filipinos.

The campaign also reinforces PLDT Enterprise’s unbreakable commitment to empowering organizations through the power of technology.

“Smart Giga Study Plans helped us promise our students that for this year, they do not have to worry about connecting to their teachers and classmates. That’s a very important message especially in times of uncertainty and suffering. We promised our students that they are not going to be alone in going through their classes this year, and PLDT Enterprise helped fulfill that promise,” Tan furthered.

“But one of the important values we see in this partnership is not just the technology but the strategic thinking that we can do together to solve complex social problems.”

Through fostering partnerships that would help them navigate uncertainties, PHINMA Education Network was able to stay true to its unbreakable commitment to providing access to education to students despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the help of the right partner who successfully attends to the needs of its stakeholders, the institution can carry on its mission to educate and guide its learners no matter how unique and tough the journey will be ahead of the next normal.

Watch PHINMA Education’s interview here: https://youtu.be/5lV7Ltxkzms

For more information, visit pldtenterprise.com. 

PHINMA Education, Globe enable flexible learning with mobile data for students

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PHINMA Education, a fast-growing network of schools in Southeast Asia, recently partnered with Globe Telecom to provide mobile data to selected schools in its system as part of its FlexLearning@PHINMAEd program. Students in PHINMA Araullo University in Nueva Ecija and PHINMA Cagayan de Oro College will benefit from the project.

“Education must continue regardless of the situation and challenges that lie ahead. We believe that every Filipino student, especially those who have the determination to learn but don’t have the financial resources to do so, should have access to quality education,” shared Dr. Raymundo P. Reyes, PHINMA Education Philippines Country Head. “We’re thankful to have the support of Globe in helping our students succeed, allowing them to remain safe, and ensuring they have the tools they need to take charge of their future.”

From left to right: Martin Perez (PHINMA Araullo University Chief Operating Officer), Ramon R. del Rosario, Jr. (PHINMA Corporation President & CEO and PHINMA Education Chairman), Dr. Raymundo P. Reyes (PHINMA Education Philippines Country Head), Nikka Abes (Globe Business Director for Marketing Activations), Christopher A. Tan (PHINMA Education Chief Operating Officer), Ryza Martinez (PHINMA Education Learning Manager), Dr. Chito B. Salazar (PHINMA Education President & CEO), Albert de Larrazabal (Globe Telecom Chief Commercial Officer), Mark Macaventa (PHINMA Cagayan de Oro Chief Operating Officer), Peter Maquera (Globe Business Senior Vice President), Meanne Quiambao (Globe Business Vice President for Corporate and International Sales), Ernest Cu (Globe Telecom President & CEO)

While e-learning is the more popular option for schools in the country, PHINMA Education opted for a flexible learning structure that maximizes mobile data, often the primary means for students from underserved communities to access the internet. Each student will be given mobile data to access apps designed to make remote learning more efficient such as Hangouts, Viber, WhatsApp, Zoom, GSuite, Office 365, Canva, Canvas, and Course Hero. 

“With where education is heading in the long run, now is the right time to put digital solutions to work, and sustain the advantages it has to offer,” said Peter Maquera, Senior Vice President for Globe Business. “Our collaboration with PHINMA Education will not only allow us to showcase the power of connectivity and digital technologies, but will also create an opportunity for us to serve the Filipino youth and their families as they figure out how to navigate the complexities caused by the pandemic.”

Aside from mobile data, Globe is set to help PHINMA equip its Nueva Ecija and Cagayan de Oro campuses with internet connectivity and digital payment facilities. Upon the resumption of face-to-face classes, PHINMA Education will have already established its iLearn Zones powered by Globe internet hotspots through GoWiFi. The presence of GCash Scan to Pay QR Codes, ECPay, and Touchpay terminals will also make it easier for both students and parents to seamlessly complete enrollment, putting digitalization in full swing.

PHINMA Education Holdings, Inc. is the education services subsidiary of PHINMA Corporation, a Filipino-owned conglomerate with investments in education, property development, hospitality, and construction materials. The former owns and operates seven schools across the Philippines and manages one in Karawang, West Java, Indonesia.

Globe continues to work with schools such as PHINMA Education in assisting the industry through low-cost data plans and digital solutions. Beyond the education sector, Globe has also started implementing network enhancements and capacity builds with its USD1.2 billion CAPEX investment earlier this year. With this, Globe envisions connectivity strengthened by ICT infrastructure growth, network upgrades, and deployment of cellular towers so that more Filipinos will one day be able to experience #1stWorldInternetPH.

Reach more possibilities with reliable connectivity solutions and digital services. Get in touch with your Globe Business Account Manager to learn more. Check out our website for the latest products and services to help you build your school’s digital future.

PHINMA Education and Quest Aim to Inspire Filipino Youth to Fulfill Their Dreams

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Manila, Philippines — PHINMA Education, a network of schools fast emerging as a leader in providing accessible quality education, has partnered with musician Jose Villanueva III, also known as Quest, for a campaign to inspire young Filipinos to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams.

PHINMA Education has launched the campaign with Quest’s new song “Sasamahan Kita,” which talks about keeping dreams alive in the face of challenges and counting on a support system to achieve a brighter future. This supports the company’s longstanding mission of “making lives better through education.”

In writing “Sasamahan Kita,” Quest took inspiration from his own childhood. Battling poverty, Quest found his first mentor in his grandmother, a teacher, who taught him the value of education and the importance of having a strong role model.

“My grandmother took care of us from the start. I placed myself in her—a teacher’s—shoes and wrote about the experience. I saw how much she dedicated her life to her profession. I saw her dedication and hard work,” shared Quest. “She inspired me to work hard and never give up.”

For Quest, his grandmother’s example led him to value education and seek people who would support him and his dreams.

“I’m a big advocate of getting an education and having the right mentors. I had to learn that I needed to surround myself with the right people,” he added. “The people in my life gave me the confidence I needed to dream and achieve, no matter how small.”

It was Quest’s passion for education and desire to pay it forward that inspired PHINMA Education to link up with the artist.

“When the opportunity to work with a passionate partner like PHINMA Education was presented, I gladly accepted. Through this anthem, we aim to raise the spirits of the Filipino youth, remind them of the value of education, and even pursue their educational opportunities with PHINMA Education,” said Quest.

“At PHINMA Education, we believe that education is key to creating a better, brighter future,” shared PHINMA Education President Chito Salazar. “We share Quest’s advocacy giving Filipino youth a strong support system. Working on ‘Sasamahan Kita’ has given us the chance to highlight how education haschanged the lives of our own students and those of young Filipinos from households with limited income across the country.”

Quest’s music video for “Sasamahan Kita” features PHINMA Education institution Araullo University (Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija) and the stories of three of its students: Harry Bibat, a BS Criminology student who moonlights as a tricycle driver; Aldrin Aquino, a BS Civil Engineering student who works as a student assistant; and Erika Balaoing, a BS Civil Engineering student who makes a living as a farmer to help support her family and her studies.

With PHINMA Education, students like Harry, Aldrin, and Erika have access to an education that focuses on active learning; provides an industry-relevant, skills-oriented curriculum; and encourages them to develop their soft skills and leverage their motivations to create tangible results. They also have access to scholarship programs without a grade retention component, making it easier for students to stay in school and complete their degree programs.

To date, PHINMA Education’s network covers Araullo University (Nueva Ecija), Cagayan de Oro College (Cagayan de Oro), Southwestern University (Cebu), University of Iloilo (Iloilo), University of Pangasinan (Pangasinan), and Saint Jude College (Manila).

PHINMA Education’s structured, gritty approach to education has already started to bear fruit. More than 80% of its graduates find employment within a year of their graduation. In addition, the PHINMA Education schools have recorded a 100% passing rate for first-time examinees in 40 different board examinations, including nursing, civil engineering, accountancy, criminology, and education.

For more info on PHINMA Education, visit www.phinma.edu.ph. Stream “Sasamahan Kita” on Quest’s official Spotify channel and watch the official music video on PHINMA Education’s official Facebook page (@phinmaeducation) and YouTube channel (PHINMA Education). ###