• Ayala acquires Nat’l Teachers College

Conglomerate Ayala Corp. (AC) is expanding its education portfolio with the acquisition of National Teachers College in Quiapo.

AC said yesterday its education arm, AC Education Inc. (AEI), emerged as the winning bidder for the sale of 96 percent interest in ATC.

The acquisition is expected to bring AEI’s student count to approximately 34,000 across its school network.

AC said the acquisition remains subject to certain closing conditions, including securing the necessary regulatory approvals.

“The Ayala Group is committed to investing in the education sector because we recognize that it is critical to building our nation. We believe that NTC can play an integral role in our efforts to contribute to a better education system in the Philippines, because of NTC’s long and successful track record in producing quality educators who go on to teach in both public and private schools,” AC chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said.

NTC, founded in 1928, is located on Nepomuceno St., Quiapo, Manila. It was the first school in the country to offer general education leading to a Bachelor of Science in Education.

The school has also established Colleges of Accountancy and Business, Arts and Science, Hospitality Management and Information Technology, and a School of Advanced Studies.

“In selecting the buyer who shall acquire the shares of NTC, it was important to look not only at the capability to expand the school’s horizons, but also at the alignment of values and vision for raising our Filipino youth to be excellent teachers, industry leaders, or capable, competent individuals, in whatever path they may choose. We look forward to working with AC Education in this transition process and in moving NTC closer to becoming the world-class institution it was intended to be. We are honored to pass on the torch to AC Educa- tion, which we are confident will remain committed to building on the ideals upon which NTC was founded,” NTC chairman of the board Rolando De Castro said.

AC started investing in the education sector in 2012 aiming to deliver affordable and quality education as well as significantly improve the employability of its high school and college graduates.

In basic education, AEI has built the largest chain of stand-alone, private high schools in the country through APEC (Affordable Private Education Center) Schools which has approximately 16,000 students in 23 sites in Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal and Batangas.