Insider Spotlight
That momentum was underscored after PHINMA Education president and CEO Dr. Chito Salazar was inducted into the Education Leaders Forum Fellowship 2026, a lifetime achievement honor conferred during a January 20 ceremony at The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn in London. The event brought together senior education executives and policymakers from around the world as part of the forum’s Annual CEO Retreat.
Why it matters
The fellowship places Philippine-led education reform alongside some of the most influential global education initiatives, reflecting growing international attention on scalable models that expand access while maintaining outcomes. Salazar is the sole Filipino inductee in the 2026 cohort.
“It is my great honour to induct Dr. Chito Salazar into the Education Leaders Forum Fellowship 2026 for his tremendous achievements in furthering education. Chito’s work has impacted over 170,000 underserved youth in the Philippines and Indonesia. Through his leadership, his passion, and his dedication to education, so many lives have been changed,” Education Leaders Forum executive chair Vikas Pota said.
“His example is an inspiration to us all. Education needs leaders like Chito if we are to meet our commitments to the next generation and to the young minds of the future,” he added.
The big picture
Over several decades, Salazar has worked across business, civil society, and policy reform, helping shape a more equitable and future-ready education system in the Philippines. His leadership spans PHINMA Education, Philippine Business for Education, and his role as a member of the Advisory Council of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II).
At PHINMA Education, he pioneered a “bare-bones, no-frills, brass-knuckles” higher education model designed to keep costs low without sacrificing learning quality. The approach serves students with limited financial capacity—many of them first-generation college learners—and emphasizes employability, licensure performance, and long-term career outcomes.
Salazar also led a turnaround and acquisition strategy that improved academic quality and operational efficiency in key education cities, allowing PHINMA Education to scale its operations while keeping higher education accessible to local communities, according to a statement from the firm.
PHINMA Education now operates 13 colleges and universities across 17 campuses in Southeast Asia, serving about 178,000 students. Since 2004, the network has produced more than 88,000 graduates, including 42,000 licensed professionals and 200 topnotchers.
“We are grateful to the Education Leaders Forum for this recognition, and for giving us a space to meet partners who share our belief that education can change lives for the better. We continue to grow and look for opportunities where we are most needed; constantly looking to our north star—the millions of underserved, low-income learners who need access to quality education to improve their lives. Our mission is ultimately to create more options and pathways to their success,” Salazar said.
The Education Leaders Forum Fellowship honors pioneers in education, with past inductees including leaders from major institutions in the United States, Pakistan and India. – Princess Daisy C. Ominga | Ed: Daxim L. Lucas
