PSE hopes to teach securities in Cebu

AFTER establishing a satellite office in Cebu last year, the Philippine Stock Exchange also wants to begin offering their certified securities specialists course to selected universities here.

Leonardo G. Quinitio, who heads the PSE’s capital markets development division, said they have been active in pursuing market education initiatives and partnering with universities in offering a special course in capital markets for those who want to pursue a career as a trader or market analyst. It serves as continuing education for market participants.

The special course is already being offered in Manila universities and has yielded 200 graduates with a 50 percent passing rate.

He explained that the six-month course is intensive and is held three times a week at
three hours per session.

Quinitio said they are in talks with three Cebu universities to offer the same course.

For now, they want to offer it as a beginners’ course and to introduce webinars, which
is a cheaper option rather than flying in speakers from Manila. He explained that their speakers are practitioners who are also busy and have difficulty adjusting their schedules.

Quinitio assured that the course is in demand in Manila and that there is a waitlist because slots are limited. The sessions are held in the evenings to accommodate those who work during the day.

He admitted that those with majors in finance or have finished business administration courses are preferred, but such a degree is not a necessity. He suggested that those interested but lack the background take a bridge course to introduce them to the topics they will tackle.

In 2006, it was mandated that business administration courses include a capital markets subject. The PSE also signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Education to integrate capital markets in the curriculum, particularly in the senior year economics subject. Last year the PSE partnered with the Lyceum of the Philippines University and launched an MBA program with specialization in capital markets.

Quinitio said such efforts are made to encourage more investors and more companies to list with the PSE.

“We’ve seen some of our efforts already bear fruit, as seen in the total number of investor accounts in 2011. Of the total, online accounts comprised 10.4 percent at 52,750 accounts, a 48.4 percent rise from 2010’s 35,559 accounts,” he said.