PHINMA Education sets sights on Vietnam, aims for 2027 entry
Phinma Education President Chito B. Salazar
Phinma Education Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Del Rosario-led Phinma Corp., is aiming to venture into Vietnam in two years’ time while continuing to expand its footprint in Indonesia and the Philippines
In an interview, Phinma Education President Chito B. Salazar said “We’re hoping we can enter Vietnam around 2027. But we’re most excited in Indonesia, because we’re managing two schools there. And Indonesia is bigger than the Philippines, with twice the population. And we’re hoping we continue to expand there.”
He said he will be going to Indonesia this month to look for a property in a new location there since “We’re hoping to have at least a third school (in Indonesia) within the year.”
Phinma currently manages Horizon University Indonesia in Karawang, West Java and recently added Kalbis University in Jakarta, Indonesia. Together, these institutions serve over 2,700 enrolled students.
Phinma Education ventured into Indonesia in 2019 through a joint venture, PT Ind Phil Managemen (IPM), with Tripersada Global Manajemen to manage institutions for Yayasan Triputra Persada Horizon Education. PHINMA Education holds a 66 percent stake in IPM.
In Vietnam, he said the strategy is also to acquire an existing institution, as the company is not into establishing new ones.
In the Philippines, the company’s portfolio already includes 10 schools across 15 different campuses. Salazar said the company hopes to acquire one or two new schools in the coming months.
“We are looking. Just give us one or two months. We’re just waiting for the school year to start. I think we will grow this year,” he said.
Growing by 11 percent to 163,000 students this year from the 146,474 in the previous school year, Phinma Education is now Southeast Asia’s largest private education network focused on underserved communities.
Phinma Education is preparing to open additional campuses in San Pablo in Laguna, Roxas City, Bacolod City and Butuan City in the coming years.
Salazar said they have already acquired the property for these new facilities and were hoping to construct soon in time for the opening in either next year or 2027.