AMA schools have valid permits

This has reference to the baseless and derogatory reports against AMA Computer College (AMACC)-Fairview, AMA Computer College (AMACC)-San Juan and ABE International College-Manila in your Jan. 30 and 31, 2008 issues of the Philippine STAR.

At the outset, we would like to stress that all schools under the AMA Education System have valid permits from all government regulatory agencies. In particular, AMA’s more than 200 schools, without exception, have valid permits from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and are operating strictly under its rules, regulations, policies and guidelines.

As confirmed by CHED’s NCR-Director, Dr. Amelia Biglete, AMACC-Fairview’s computer engineering and electronics and communications courses have valid permits and are, in fact, under CHED’s strict monitoring. AMACC-San Juan, although operating with valid CHED permits, was constrained to temporarily close solely due to the termination of its memorandum of agreement with the Municipality of San Juan for the use of the latter’s building, and the school is merely relocating to a more suitable place. Likewise, ABE-Manila’s courses have valid permits from the CHED.

The AMA Education System, the pioneer and largest network of colleges and university in the Philippines and Asia, strongly condemns the apparent attempts to tarnish its reputation in the education industry. AMA takes great offense for the unfounded and malicious imputation that it is operating colorum schools. We trust you agree that the thousands of AMA graduates who are well-entrenched in various local and international companies could not have been produced by colorum schools.

In view of the foregoing, we urge you to refrain from further issuing similar reports and to be more circumspect in coming up with unverified and malicious reports against AMA. Meantime, in order to protect its rights, AMA shall file the pertinent criminal, civil and administrative cases against those responsible for the highly derogatory reports. — PATRICK ALAIN T. AZANZA, Senior Vice-President, AMA Education System