education in the Philippines

Financial woes due to pandemic force Kalayaan College to close

Bonz Magsambol

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Financial woes due to pandemic force Kalayaan College to close
Kalayaan College cites 'continuing financial losses' from a declining student population and challenges caused by the pandemic as reasons for its closure

MANILA, Philippines – Kalayaan College is the latest pandemic casualty in the education sector as it announced its closure on Monday, July 4, due to financial losses caused in part by the ongoing health crisis.

“With heartfelt feelings and faced with no other options, the Board of Directors of Kalayaan College Inc. has decided to end the operations of Kalayaan College due to continuing financial losses brought about by declining student population and exacerbated by challenges caused by the ongoing pandemic,” the college said in its advisory.

Kalayaan College was founded in 2000 by University of the Philippines (UP) professors, including former President Jose Abueva. It provided quality tertiary education to those who did not pass the UP admissions exams. A number of its professors were also from the country’s premier state university.

The college said that it has already informed the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) about its decision.

“With deepest regrets, Kalayaan College shall be signing off after 22 years of providing quality education to the public,” the college said.

For its transition period, Kalayaan College will still offer limited General Education (GE) courses and major courses that will “enable senior-level students with a few remaining courses to complete their respective degree programs. All classes will be conducted virtually and will start in August 2022.

Read their full advisory below:

In November 2020, the College of the Holy Spirit Manila (CHSM), which was founded more than a century ago, also announced closure in 2022. CHSM did not cite the reasons for its closure in the statement. But the education sector is one of the casualties of the coronavirus pandemic, with a number of private schools forced to halt operations.

CHSM was founded in 1913 by the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit, initially as an exclusive school for girls. It started accepting male students in 2005, according to its Facebook page.

CHSM is part of the Mendiola Consortium, an organization of educational institutions located along the street of Mendiola in Manila. Other schools in the consortium include Centro Escolar University, La Consolacion College Manila, San Beda University, and Saint Jude Catholic School. – Rappler.com

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Bonz Magsambol

Bonz Magsambol covers the Philippine Senate for Rappler.