ALC expands services to playschool segment

CEBU, Philippines - As modern families are putting education their prime priority, a family-owned school Asian Learning Center (ALC) is expanding its reach to take advantage of the promising early childhood education or playschool.

In an interview with ALC founder Louella Magdadaro, she said that the company expanded its conventional school by opening a branch in Cebu located at the Raintree Mall, as well as opening its expertise to the emerging playschool market, specifically in the subdivision areas.

ALC invested at least P1.5 million for its fourth branch located in Cebu City. This will start off the school’s plan to strengthen its entry into the early childhood education system or the playschool.

One of the areas of expansion that they're looking at is “drop-in daycare” centers within large gated communities like subdivisions or condominium units in Cebu.

“We are eyeing plans to put up facilities near communities because we are seeing a demand for such facilities in these areas with both parents going to work and wanting to get a place where they can leave their kids,” said Magdadaro.

Magdadaro, who was a pre-school teacher and a psychology degree holder before she set up the school in 1991, said that her school believes in “eclectic” technique of teaching especially in the pre-elementary level where kids have their own way of learning.

“I don't believe that there is a definite structure of teaching that will work for everyone. A teacher must be flexible enough and should have the passion for teaching to be able to effectively reach out to the children and teach them,” said Magdadaro.

Established in 1991, ALC has three branches all located in Lapu-Lapu City. The school has been known for its strength in science and math and free-style way of teaching.

“We have been planning to expand outside of Mactan for three years already and this year we thought it is the right time,” she said.

According to Magdadaro, they started with 107 pupils who enrolled in their nursery and kindergarten classes that they offered in a rented two-storey building in Lapu-Lapu City.

With the K+12 program now implemented, early child learning and introduction to school can be well facilitated through the “drop-in and daycare” program because little kids can start to socialize with other kids, said ALC school administration head Hazel Maria Sanchez.

She added that they will also be introducing the program in their three other branches by June this year.

“The opening of the ALC Cebu branch will also start to introduce our 'drop-in and daycare' program which is what most parents now are looking for since moms now are also working, and sometimes getting a nanny is very challenging,” said Sanchez.

“Over the years we just keep growing and adding more levels to our class offerings. Soon one branch was not enough and we added one then two. At present, our student population is about 900 in all three branches,” said.

Sanchez added that the school has already produced 12 batches of high school graduates and 22 batches of pre-elementary graduates.

According to her, they are already eyeing to offer the brand for franchising five years from now.

“That is the long term vision but that is still being discussed now. What's immediate though is expanding more branches in Cebu City where there is a huge demand for educational institutions like ours,” said Sanchez.

Maria Louella Go, assistant directress, said they maintain the same technique of teaching and always talk to their teachers on how they can be more effective in teaching.

“ALC became known for our methods of teaching particularly the dedication my mom poured in when she started and built a solid foundation for our brand. Her passion and love to teach kids and her effective ways to handle the kids and their different attitudes had huge impacts to how we are known now and we are committed to continuing and building on that,” Go said. —/JMD (FREEMAN)