Chapter 1: The Future Direction of English Schools in Cebu, Philippines

(Written on November 6, 2025)

Looking back, our school faced serious challenges in student recruitment starting around the busy season of August 2023.
The reason was simple. Since reopening after COVID-19 in July 2022—especially after the summer of 2023—many new English schools launched across Cebu, intensifying competition within the local ESL industry.

Although our school had long been popular among Japanese students thanks to its affordable pricing, the proportion of Japanese students reached as high as 80–90% during the peak season.
We struggled particularly with international marketing. It was around this time that I began to seriously consider how our school should evolve moving forward.

Having managed businesses for more than 20 years (over 10 years in English education), I’ve learned that difficult times often bring greater opportunities than periods of success.
Internally, some staff expressed that dealing with students from other nationalities was “too difficult” or “too troublesome.”
However, as a business owner, I had to ask a more fundamental question:
“What should an English school truly be?”

This blog is intended to be translated and published first on our English website.
The Japanese version will be released after our relocation is completed next September.
The reason is strategic—by delaying the Japanese release, we can avoid imitation and establish a clear, leading market position within the next year.

1-1. What Should an English School in Cebu Be?

Should an English school in Cebu cater exclusively to Japanese students, or should it embrace a more diverse, multinational student body?
To me, the answer is clear.

English is a global language used as a bridge between people of different nationalities.
Therefore, an English school that provides opportunities for students to communicate with people from various cultural backgrounds offers far greater value as an educational institution.

In Cebu, successful schools such as CIA and EV are all Korean-owned.
The reason is simple: it is extremely difficult for a Japanese-run school to attract large numbers of Korean students.
Koreans, in general, have a stronger sense of national pride than Japanese, and since there are already many reputable Korean-owned schools, very few Koreans choose to study at a Japanese-run institution.

On the other hand, Japanese students often choose Korean schools with the goal of making Korean friends.
This makes Korean schools far more competitive when it comes to student recruitment.

In the past, we even went so far as to establish a corporation in Korea to tap into that market — but that attempt ended in failure.

Given these realities, our school must aim to become a truly multinational English academy.
The question then becomes: how can we attract students beyond the Japanese and Korean markets?

We began addressing this challenge in earnest around November 2023, and after nearly two years of continuous effort, we are finally beginning to see a breakthrough.
This blog is meant to chronicle that journey — how a school that once had 80–90% Japanese students is now transforming into an international English institution, step by step, in real time.

1-2. The Strengths of 3D ACADEMY

Before discussing our future direction, it is important to clearly define our competitive advantages.
While the quality of our teachers and the excellence of our education are essential, these are simply baseline expectations for any English school—they are not, by themselves, points of differentiation.

To truly identify what makes 3D ACADEMY stand out, we must look at what we can confidently claim as our strengths when compared to other schools.

Whenever I meet with agents or visiting clients, I always emphasize the following two core strengths of 3D ACADEMY:

1. Reasonable Tuition Fees

2. Excellent Location

① Reasonable Tuition Fees

It’s common to hear opinions such as, “We should raise tuition to attract higher-end clients.”
However, looking from another perspective, one could also say that “3D wouldn’t be 3D if it weren’t affordable.”

In fact, the brand image of “3D = Reasonable” has already been firmly established—and that, in itself, is a major achievement.

What truly matters, though, is being able to say with confidence that we are “affordable yet high quality.”
Much like how UNIQLO was once perceived as merely “cheap clothing” but has since built a solid brand image as “affordable, high-quality fashion,”
3D ACADEMY must also evolve beyond being just a low-cost option.

Our goal is to become a school recognized for quality in every aspect—our facilities, our teachers, and our educational programs—while maintaining our affordable pricing philosophy.

② Superior Location

Location is another critical factor, especially as we consider relocation in the future.
Our current campus in JY Square Mall is, without question, one of the best-located English schools in Cebu.

In hindsight, I realize that even I may have underestimated the true value of this advantage.
Being located inside a mall with a supermarket on the ground floor, and just steps away from two of the most iconic Filipino fast-food brands—Jollibee and McDonald’s—is a convenience unmatched by any other school in Cebu.

This kind of accessibility and comfort represents a unique value proposition that cannot be easily replicated.

Even if we relocate, these two brand elements—① Affordability and ② Prime Location—must be preserved and reestablished in the new environment.
As we are currently planning our move for the coming year, I wanted to take this opportunity to reaffirm these core strengths.

Conclusion: On the Eve of a New Campus

This blog is being written just before we finalize the contract for our new campus.
In summary, while our current JY Square location remains ideal in terms of ② Location, the rising rent associated with a long-term lease has made it increasingly difficult to sustain ① Affordability.

Furthermore, both the current campus and dormitory facilities have aged considerably, and most of the student complaints we receive today are related to infrastructure issues.

Given these circumstances, moving forward with the new campus contract next week is a natural and necessary step—one that will mark a significant milestone in 3D ACADEMY’s next stage of growth.