ADOPTING a quality teaching strategy has been the inspiration of the Magdadaro family in growing their school business, Asian Learning Center (ALC).
Since the school was founded in 1991 by couple Louella and Gregorio Magdadaro, ALC now has three branches in Lapu-Lapu City and is opening a new branch in Cebu early this May.
Market demand
The family is investing some P1.5 million for the ALC-Cebu Raintree Mall branch, which will offer pre-elementary and kids’ playschool programs, said Hazel Maria Sanchez, ALC’s school administrator.
Sanchez said the family has long been planning an expansion but they put it on hold for three years. It was only this year that they finally decided to expand, driven by the market demand and the inquiries of their clients to open a facility in Cebu City.
The ALC Cebu branch will introduce a drop-in and daycare service to address the needs of working parents. They will also begin to offer similar services in their Lapu-Lapu branches by June this year.
“We saw the need of working parents looking for a place where they can leave their young kids while they go to work. We hope to extend the family-like feel to the young kids enrolled in our facility,” Sanchez said.
The ALC Cebu branch can accommodate up to 15 pupils.
Methods
Aside from responding to market demand, Hannah Louella Go, ALC’s assistant school directress, said the expansion is also meant to grow the business her parents started and extend the teaching method her mother Louella, a former pre-school teacher, once introduced.
“ALC grew this big because of the family’s concerted effort, particularly the dedication my mom poured in. Her innate passion to teach kids and her ability to handle their attitudes were significant in the growth of the school,” the youngest, Go said.
Small steps
When their father Gregorio decided to retire early as a medical-representative, they decided to open a school, her mother’s long-time dream. They initially had 107 pupils and offered nursery and kindergarten classes in a rented two-storey building.
At present, ALC has a population of around 900 pupils.
In their 23 years of operation, the school has already produced 22 batches of kinder 2 graduates and 12 batches of high school graduates.
“What helped me grow the school is that I opted for the eclectic-type of teaching method, which means you adopt your own style of teaching. I also put premium on the quality of the teaching strategy,” said Louella, adding that her background in psychology helped her come up with teaching strategies applicable for young children.
Louella recalled that during her teaching days, she made sure her pupils not only excel academically but she also puts premium in inculcating the right values and character.
“The only consolation for teachers is to see their students grow and become successful,” she said.
When asked about the family’s long-term plan for ALC, Sanchez said they hope to grow the business further through franchising in five years’ time.
She added they are also eyeing plans to put up facilities near communities, in response to the growing trend of schools being established near residential developments.