He practices what he preaches, with firsthand knowledge of the corporate market.
More importantly, Dr. Chito Salazar, president and chief executive of Makati-based PHINMA Education set his sights on “serving the underserved.” In other words, he’s focused on equitable access to quality education.
When PHINMA Education began its corporate journey in 2004 with the acquisition of Araullo University in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, the company targeted low-income students as its primary clients.
A key element of this vision is a personalized approach—a commitment to close interaction with students and their families.
“We require staff at all levels, up to the executive level, to visit the homes of our students so they can truly understand the market. This firsthand knowledge allows us to design learning systems specifically for our students’ circumstances,” Salazar said.
PHINMA Education now operates nine schools nationwide, including Araullo University. The others are PHINMA Cagayan de Oro College, PHINMA University of Pangasinan, PHINMA University of Iloilo, Southwestern University PHINMA, PHINMA St. Jude College Manila, PHINMA Republican College, PHINMA Rizal College of Laguna,and PHINMA Union College of Laguna.
It also manages Horizon Karawang in West Java, Indonesia, through Horizon Education.
During his tenure at STI College, Salazar witnessed the inequity of education in the country. For students in the provinces, schools were often remote and tuition fees were prohibitive, particularly for higher education.
“Until recently, higher education was not typically accessible to low-income families unless they attended a state university,” he said.
He acknowledges that providing affordable, high-quality higher education to low-income students while maintaining a profitable business is a significant challenge.
Nevertheless, Salazar said they have achieved modest profits.
“Our model is unique in that we are evaluated on the same metrics as other businesses and apply business principles and discipline to delivering educational services. This includes cost-cutting measures, efficiency improvements, and enhanced service delivery,” he said.
“This, combined with the reputation and trust the PHINMA brand enjoys within the business community, has facilitated our growth, attracting willing investors,” he said.
Salazar also emphasized the success of PHINMA Education’s partnerships with key stakeholders.
“Our ultimate goal of providing quality education is to empower students to improve their lives through gainful employment. Education and employment are interconnected, so we’ve partnered with organizations that share our interests,” he said.
He cited PHINMA’s collaboration with Mount Grace Hospitals as an example. “We worked together to enhance nursing training, better preparing our graduates for their hospital system,” he said.
“Our partners understand the needs of employers, which we integrate into our curricula. For instance, we’re currently incorporating German language learning into our programs to meet the demand for nurses in Germany,” he said.
Salazar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management Engineering from the Ateneo de Manila University, a Doctorate in International Relations with a specialization in International Development and Development Management from the School of International Service at The American University in Washington, D.C. and a Master’s degree in International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University in New York.