STI marks 50th year as listed company

MANILA, Philippines — STI Education Systems Holdings Inc., owner of one of the country’s largest networks of private schools, has marked a historic milestone with its 50th year as a publicly listed company in the Philippine Stock Exchange.

PSE president and CEO Ramon Monzon said five decades on the exchange represent far more than longevity.

“They reflect corporate resilience, bold transformation, disciplined stewardship and an enduring commitment to empowering Filipino youth through education,” he said.

While STI is recognized today as one of the country’s leading networks of private educational institutions, Monzon said its journey in the capital market began in a very different corporate era.

Monzon said the listed company traces its roots to Jardine Davies Inc., established in 1928 as the Philippine branch of the Hawaiian corporation Theo H. Davies & Co.

It was reincorporated in the Philippines in 1946 and was listed on the exchange on Oct. 12, 1976.

The company, which evolved from a distribution enterprise into a holding firm, was acquired by local investors in 2006, and became part of the Tanco Group in 2010, marking a decisive shift toward education.

Eusebio Tanco

“When (Eusebio) Tanco took over ownership and management of STI, he gathered his executives and asked one simple question: Are we a franchising organization, or are we an educational institution? The immediate and unanimous answer, obviously, was STI is an educational institution,” STI president and CEO Monico Jacob said.

Jacob said Tanco, STI chairman, then ordered that they “should act as one” by providing quality education and being student-centric.

“We focused our attention on promoting the welfare of our students, so that they become productive and responsible citizens,” Jacob said.

“This powerful vision led to very substantive changes in STI, from renting classrooms in commercial buildings to constructing state-of-the-art campuses, from one product — information technology — to a diverse course offering, ranging from hospitality, tourism, maritime, criminology, accountancy and a host of other relevant courses,” he added.

Monzon said STI’s growth has been remarkable since 2012, when a share swap gave the STI Group an 84 percent stake and the company adopted the name STI Education Systems Holdings Inc.

Since then, he said STI’s enrollment has nearly doubled from 66,740 students to almost 133,000 today, establishing itself as the leader among the PSE-listed education companies.

STI’s market capitalization has likewise surged by 421.8 percent to P12.78 billion as of Sept. 25, 2026 from P2.45 billion in 2012, creating substantial value for investors.

“STI has also consistently rewarded shareholders with regular dividends, despite changing economic cycles and sector-wide challenges. That record speaks clearly to the company’s sound management, operational resilience and financial strength,” Monzon said.

As STI’s long-standing partner in the capital market, Monzon said the PSE remains committed to providing a trusted platform for the company’s continued growth and supporting its mission.

“Together, we look forward to widening access to quality education, strengthening the country’s human capital and creating lasting value for students, shareholders and all stakeholders,” Monzon said.

“May this milestone honor all that STI has achieved and open an even more ambitious chapter of growth, innovation and service to the Filipino people. We at the PSE look forward to celebrating many more years of achievement with STI as a listed company,” he said.