Trader dares business community to provide education

Trader dares business community to provide education
By Lydia C. Pendon
Sun.Star Iloilo
August 2, 2011

ONE of the country's top businessmen challenged the business community in Iloilo City to provide accessible and quality education to those who can barely afford to go to school.

Ramon R. del Rosario Jr., president and chief executive officer of Phinma Corporation and owner of Phinma-University of Iloilo, said private businesses in Manila and Iloilo could partner with the government in providing better education and in upgrading the National Achievement Test (NAT) mean percentage score in Science, Math and English in Iloilo City's elementary and secondary education.

Del Rosario said the country needs 120,000 new classrooms for public education and that the private sector could also help enhance and subsidize the training needs of teachers to improve teaching quality.

He lauded the efforts of city Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and assured that Phinma will be active with limitless business opportunities for the city.

"Phinma affirms commitment and access to quality education in a developing [the] city [that] seeks better quality of life for its people. Phinma offers no frills education but right facilities and learning materials that will expand higher education," del Rosario said.

Aside from several business corporations he headed, del Rosario is currently chairman of the National Museum of the Philippines, the Makati Business Club, Philippine Business for Education, Philippines-US Business Council, Philippine Educational Theater Association.

He also is the co-chairman of the National Mission Council of de la Salle Philippines, chairman of the Board of Advisers of the Ramon V. del Rosario Sr. Center for Corporate Social Responsibility at the Asian Institute of Management, vice chairman of Caritas (Manila), and member of the Board of Trustees of Philippine Business for Social Progress, Synergeia and PinoyME Foundation.