Since a big chunk of our market is in the class C and D level with a limited capacity to pay, STI has to optimize whatever resources are available.

Technology and content-driven applications such as Level-Up inspires STI to come up with programs that will be easier to sell to the students as long as there's something tangible that they see. Right now it's easier to sell the multimedia art- type of program rather than the broad IT.

CW: Moving towards 2006, what else do you plan to improve?

TUBONGBANUA: Right now it's our connectivity. Some of the STI schools are big while some are small, so not all of our students can afford to pay infrastructure. Others don't even have available infrastructure like our branches in rural Mindanao where telecommunications companies are not yet present. The current selling proposition of STI right now is distance learning or e-learning. We want to push the idea that there is no need to come to Manila to get Manila-type education. Every student can use the same materials and follow the same standardized course no matter where they are. It will also help cut down on costs. STI is looking to deploying something like a Web cam but not really as interactive. We'll have facilitators to ask questions on the local side. However, there are no concrete timetables but we're working on developing that.

CW: For Level-Up, what were the major IT projects that you implemented in 2005?