About Us

May 31, 2020

Dear Pamilyang NTC,

I hope that all of you are healthy and safe, as we collectively grapple with the challenges of COVID-19.

The recently concluded semester brought us both trials and triumphs that strengthened our Bayanihan spirit, especially among our graduates. Congratulations to Batch 2020! May you be shining examples of the boldness of Tanglaw. Be proud you are NTCians!

We are organizing virtual recognition ceremonies for our graduates and honor awardees in July (Basic Education) and September (Higher Education, including those still completing their requirements) and will announce details soon. We are also still planning to hold our in-person graduation ceremonies on December 9, assuming these are allowed by the Government.

COVID-19 has created a “New Normal” that has caused much fear and frustration all over the world. I am sure that you are wondering: How will health and safety be ensured? What will schooling with social distancing look like? How deep will the economic impact of the prolonged lockdown be on our NTC families?

We have spent the past few months carefully considering these and other questions that have arisen in our extensive dialogue with our stakeholders. Now that the Government has recently announced the guidelines for Metro Manila’s transition into General Community Quarantine (GCQ), effective June 1, we would like to announce some key decisions we have made, and key actions we are taking.

Our Mission of “Enabling Access to Success for All” guides us in everything we do, as we seek to prioritize (a) everyone’s health and safety, (b) the continuity of quality learning, and (c) maintaining the affordability of an NTC education.

In light of the foregoing, I would now like to share with you the following:

1. Opening of Classes for SY 20-21

Based on the latest guidance of the Government, we will not be starting SY20-21 with any face to face classes.

Classes for SY 20-21 will open on the following dates:

College and Graduate School – August 24
Basic Education – September 1

Once the Government permits face to face classes, which might not be until 2021, we will carefully assess how and when to resume in person classes at NTC. Our plans will contain safety and health measures and protocols in accordance with the issuances and requirements set by the government, plus other initiatives inspired by best practices from around the world. Physical distancing, masks, sanitation, and frequent health monitoring of employees and students shall be strictly observed to keep NTC COVID-free, once face to face classes resume.

 We thank our student leaders and employees for participating in the surveys and consultative meetings on present health and work-related situations. When the new school year commences, distance learning for all students and work-from-home arrangements for most of our employees will be continued. We will also continue to automate school processes that cover the areas of admission, registration, accounting, registration, and academics, so that we can deliver our services efficiently, even if we remain in a GCQ mode for some time.

2. Learning in the New Normal

We were able to successfully continue learning in the second semester of SY 19-20, despite the sudden imposition of a lockdown, by developing our Enhanced Student Academic Engagement Arrangement (ESAEA). ESAEA was designed to be flexible and to enable learning for students with a wide range of circumstances, e.g. learning styles, connectivity, financial. We would like to thank our student leaders, student body and employees for all their inputs, and for their agility in adapting to our new flexible learning modes.

In SY 20-21, we will be transitioning to our Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services (ACCESS), which builds on the lessons learned from ESAEA, and takes advantage of the greater time we have had to prepare.

 True to our goal of enabling access to success for all, ACCESS shall provide affordable flexible learning opportunities that are not dependent on internet connectivity. Distance learning using self-paced learning modules shall be used across academic levels, except our Graduate Teacher Education Program, which is now fully online. These modules will be distributed and returned following a schedule, through the following options: (a) pick-up and drop off at NTC, (b) correspondence/courier, or (c) online. Our VP for Academic Affairs will be issuing an advisory shortly detailing our flexible learning modes for SY 20-21.

Our learning continuity plan is clear: stay safe at home and learn meaningfully with assistance from our responsive remote staff, either through calls, texts, social media messages or emails. Details of our learning continuity plan options will be sent to enrolled students, so  that they can decide on their preferred mode of engagement. Our enrollment period will begin on June 8, 2020.

We expect that government regulations will eventually permit the resumption of onsite and face-to-face instruction, once the threat from COVID-19 is eventually contained. When this happens, the school will assess the general safety, health, wellness, and readiness of students and employees before shifting to some form of gradual and modified face-to-face interaction. The necessary guidelines for this will be developed and issued after our careful study.

3. Postponement of Tuition Fee and Miscellaneous Fees Increase for SY 20-21

We are very aware that many of our students and their families have been deeply affected by the economic repercussions of COVID-19. Accordingly, we are postponing any increase in tuition fee and miscellaneous fees in the new school year. We will also be adjusting downwards several of our miscellaneous fees, depending on the delivery mode selected. In order to enable us adapt to the New Normal, a School Management System (SMS) Fee will be charged to facilitate online enrollment, which commenced this summer.

Postponing our tuition fee increase reflects our continued commitment to being one of the most accessible quality education institutions in the NCR. Please see below a comparison of our tuition and fees versus other schools in the NCR:

4. Option to Apply for Monthly Installment Plan for SY 19-20 Balances

In order to provide further support of our students and their families as they cope with the economic damage caused by COVID-19, we have decided to give all students the option to apply for a monthly installment plan to pay their balances from the 2^nd semester of SY 19-20.

Balances that were due on July 31 may now be paid as follows:

• • • 10% on or before August 31,
    • 10% on or before September 30,
    • 20% on or before October 31,
    • 30% on or before November 30, and
    • 30% on or before December 21.

Our Finance Department will make an announcement shortly, with further details on how students can apply for this monthly installment plan.

5. Monthly Installment Plan for SY 20-21

Students with an outstanding balance will be allowed to enroll for the 1^st semester of SY 20-21 with a down payment of only Php 500 in August.

Students will be given the option of paying on a monthly installment basis as follows:

• • • Php 500 on or before August 31, 2020
    • 10% on or before September 30, 2020
    • 10% on or before October 31, 2020
    • 20% on or before November 30, 2020
    • Balance on or before January 4, 2021

The above adjustments in #4 and #5 are being made to balance the needs of our students, our employees and the school.  By providing a longer timeline for payment, we hope to ease the burden on our students and yet be able to continue covering the ongoing costs of employee salaries and benefits, utilities, maintenance of facilities, and our urgent expenditures. We will also be able to make new investments to enable distance learning (e.g. improved connectivity for our teachers, enhanced faculty training), and to prepare for new health and safety measures and protocols when fact to face schooling resumes. The above will be partially funded by an increased drawdown on our bank loan facility.

6. Scholarships

As schooling was disrupted by the quarantine and a number of students are still in the process of completing their schoolyear, we have decided to defer selection of new scholars until 2^nd semester SY 20-21.  All NTC Institutional Scholarship Program grantees during the second semester shall maintain their scholarship status during the first semester of SY 20-21.

2nd semester 20-21 scholars will be selected based on the incoming 1^st semester results.

Meanwhile, our Scholarship Office continues to exert all efforts to secure additional partnerships with external entities to aid in our goal to provide more financial assistance to NTCians.

7. Telehealth Plan

On top of the online services provided by NTC clinic, all students are still going to be enrolled in a Free Health Plan with KonsultaMD. This will provide 24×7 access by phone to a licensed doctor, for unlimited consultations on any medical issues. The Free Tele-Health Plan will also allow students to avail of discounted membership rates at FamilyDoc, AC Health’s chain of 75 primary clinics around Metro Manila upon registration.

We shall provide additional advisories as new government announcements and guidelines are issued, and as we make progress in our planning for SY 20-21. In the meantime, we ask that you continue to share with us any concerns or suggestions that you may have. Please remain connected by reaching out to our offices through our published helplines and email addresses which can be found at https://bit.ly/ntchelpline.

We are keen to see you all soon at Tanglaw and we are exerting all efforts to provide you with the best possible learning experience, despite the many challenges posed by COVID-19.

The world may have changed drastically, but our commitment to providing accessible and quality education remains steadfast.

Thank you and stay safe!

Sincerely,

Fred Ayala
President, NTC