With expansion programs underway, Tanco-led STI Education Systems Holdings Inc. (STI) is targeting a student population growth of up to 100,000 in 2015 from the current 68,000.

In a disclosure to Philippine Stock Exchange, STI said that it is expecting to add 41,000 of students space and grow its student population to 100,000 by 2015 from its current figure of 68,000.

“STI is positioning itself for another banner year in 2013, banking on fresh capital that would roll out its ambitious expansion program,” the company said in the disclosure.

Also, STI Chairman Eusebio Tanco said the core of its investment strategy lies in the acquisition of new pieces of property where it could expand existing schools by building new and bigger campuses.

Just recently, STI announced the construction of a new STI Academic Center in a four-hectare property in Ortigas-Cainta area, housing a new campuses for 5,000 students and a new head office for the STI Education Services Group (STI ESG).

The 39,880-square meter property, the latest expansion being undertaken by STI ESG, is valued at P291.1 million.

STI also acquired a 15,000sqm property located at the corner of Samson and Caimito Roads, which will be the site of STI Academic Center Caloocan.

STI College Cebu, on the other hand, will also be put up in Ayala Center in Cebu City and will stand on a 2,000sqm lot. The company also plans to put up new academic centers in Las Piñas City, Cubao, Quezon City, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Calamba City, and Lucena City in the next three years.

Earlier in November, STI listed 2.627 billion shares during its initial public offering on, aiming to fund the upgrade for its nine campuses nationwide.

Tanco previously said in a briefing that they are already in the process of upgrading their nine STI campuses and three of them are actually upgraded.

“As of now, we’re starting new facilities and just a matter of moving the students in the new and much-improved schools,” he noted.

STI Chief Executive Officer Monico Jacob, on the other hand, said in a statement that the fresh capital from the sale will be used to finance, among others, plans to upgrade nine schools in different parts of the country to full-blown campuses and acquire new pieces of property for its expansion program.

The nine STI schools that will be improved are the ones located in Caloocan City, Cubao, Quezon City, Ortigas, Rizal, Calamba City, Lucena City, Cebu and Davao.