Tanco-led STI Education Systems Holdings Inc. (STI Holdings) expects enrollments to continue to slide amid the multiple impacts of the ongoing Middle East conflict on the Philippine economy.

“Enrollments have been slowing down. This slowdown could persist especially with this conflict because of less remittances,” said STI Holdings Chairman Eusebio H. Tanco in an interview.

He added that, “It all depends on the war, on how we move on. What I’m saying is that people will slide down the tuition ladder. In the meantime, if we start losing students that are funded by OFWs [overseas Filipino workers].”

However, Tanco noted that, “our tuition is at the level wherein we get a lot of transferees from other schools.” STI is the owner of one of the largest networks of private schools in the Philippines.

Amid the rising cost of fuel and resulting spike in fare rates, Tanco said it is still unlikely that they will revert to online classes as was done during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Maybe not pure online. Maybe hybrid. Normally, online is only for postgraduates. For college students, I don’t know whether students still prefer going to their schools,” he said, noting that affording transport is going to be a challenge for students.

Earlier this month, STI reported that it registered an 18-percent growth in net income to ₱1.08 billion in the first half of its fiscal year (FY) ending in June 2026, from the ₱912.2 million earned during the same period in the previous FY.

Gross revenues improved by eight percent to ₱2.83 billion in the first half of this FY, from ₱2.63 billion in the previous FY.

STI Holdings’ total enrollment for school year (SY) 2025-2026 reached 132,941, showing a slight decline from the previous SY’s 139,155 enrollees. The drop was attributed to the early start of classes in public junior and senior high schools on June 16, 2025.

STI Education Services Group (STI ESG), the company’s biggest subsidiary, and STI West Negros University (STI WNU) commenced classes on July 28, 2025.

Enrollment in tertiary programs climbed to 102,407 from 101,256 in the previous SY.

The number of students enrolled in Commission on Higher Education (CHED)-regulated programs who opted to remain in the group’s school network this SY increased to 73,421, 14 percent higher than the number of continuing students in SY 2024-2025 at 64,429.

STI WNU, located in Bacolod City, registered a three-percent increase in enrollment, bringing its student population to 14,890 in the current SY.

Philippine School of Business Administration (PSBA), whose schools are managed by STI ESG, posted a significant increase, surging 45 percent to 1,583 enrollees, compared with 1,095 in the previous SY.

With campuses in Makati City and Cebu City, iACADEMY, known for its highly specialized programs in computing, business, and design, recorded 1,899 enrollees for the current SY.