UST set to open first off-campus site in McKinley, Taguig City
Grounded toward the common goal of expanding avenues of quality higher education and molding the next generation of business leaders, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Graduate School forged a partnership with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), which will open UST’s first offcampus site in McKinley Hill, Taguig City.
“PCCI shares in UST’s mission of providing quality education to hone knowledgeable, competent, and compassionate nation-builders. This is our way of helping the future generations to be the best they could be,” PCCI President and former Ambassador Alfredo M. YaoYao said.
UST’s Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) program, a thesis track, will be offered starting in January 2016, the memorandum of agreement stated. It was signed by UST Rector Fr. Herminio V. Dagohoy, O.P. and Ambassador Yao last September 16 at the PCCI building, also known as Commerce and Industry Plaza.
“PCCI is the home of the largest business organization in the country and in four months—in time for the second term of Academic Year 2015-2016—it will also be the home of the UST,” Yao said. “PCCI considers it a great honor to be hosting Asia’s oldest-existing university and one of the topnotch academic institutions in the country.”
Classes will be held at the third floor of the Commerce and Industry Plaza, where at least two halls will be allocatedforthe MBA class composed of some 50 graduate students. Classes will be conducted every Tuesday to Friday, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“It is not only an opportunity for UST to get in touch and to be at the heart of commerce and industry but also, I believe that the quality of education that UST brings and offers to the country would be of great help to the people working here,” Fr. Dagohoy said.
UST will be the first academic institution to open at McKinley Hill in Taguig.
According to UST Graduate School Dean Prof. Marilu Madrunio, Ph.D., the MBA program in McKinley will only serve as an extension facility as classes for the same program will still be held at the Manila campus.
“The program will not be totally transferred. As we offer our education to young professionals employed here at the Bonifacio Global City, we will still have the regular MBA program in Manila because that will also serve the students coming from that area,” Madrunio said.
Conceptualized by PCCI Education Committee chair and Thomasian Dr. Eduardo Ong, the partnership—PCCI’s first with an academic institution—primarily aims at catering to the demands of budding entrepreneurs based in the heart of commerce and industry.
“There’s too much heavy traffic in the Metro. I have spoken to many employees here in McKinley and they have expressed their desire to go to a graduate school,” said Ong, who teaches at the UST Graduate School. “There are institutions existing at the Makati area but many prefer UST’s solid reputation.”
He added, “Many universities are eyeing on us but we decided to ‘get married’ with UST because we believe that through the Dominican ideals and aspirations, we can mold the next generation of business leaders.”
UST Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Prof. Clarita Carillo, PhD. and PCCI honorary chair and Chief Operating Officer Ambassador Donald Dee also served as signatories.
Present at the signing ceremony were PCCI Chairman Atty. Miguel Valera and UST Center for Continuing Professional Education and Development Director Assoc. Prof. Jocelyn Agcaoili. PCCI board directors and members and UST Graduate School faculty members also attended the event.