Sy family maps out NU nationwide expansion
The SM group is ready for the expansion of National University (NU), as its top official targets to build new campuses in areas with major malls.
In an interview with reporters on Monday, Hans Sy, SM Prime Holding and NU chair, expressed optimism about hitting 100,000 students by 2027.
Currently, NU serves more than 83,000 students across its 14 campuses.
In two years, the executive expects NU campuses to reach at least 16.
Sy also noted that NU initially had designed its campuses to accommodate about 8,000 students, but plans were now revised to cater to around 12,000 to 20,000 students per school.
Asked about target locations for NU, he said, “Wherever our malls are located, especially the major ones.”
“But next year, we will be opening in Davao, which is in Mindanao. And then, soon after, we’ll be in Iloilo and so many others,” he said on the sidelines of an event by the Management Association of the Philippines in Taguig.
A new campus in Cebu was also launched this year, where the group saw a number of students “beyond our projection,” Sy said.
Sy did not disclose the budget allocation for NU school rollout, but he said the group was careful not to overspend.
“We spend slowly but surely moving forward … Whether it’s in SM, you can see, we never put the SM into a certain risk,” he said, citing challenges and learnings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sy said he was “very happy” with the developments at NU. “The best is we still manage to keep it at the lowest tuition possible,” he said.
Sy was named the MAP Management Person of the Year 2025, given his commitment to environmental stewardship, social inclusion, good governance and resilience.
SM Prime recorded a robust performance in the January to September period, with its net income increasing by 10 percent to P37.2 billion.
The group is engaged in the development of malls, residences, offices, leisure resorts, hotels and convention centers.
