University of the Philippines & Ateneo de Manila University among best English-teaching universities in the WORLD

The University of the Philippines (UP) and the Ateneo de Manila University are among the top 50 best English-teaching universities in the world in this year's (2011) New Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject.

Among the universities teaching the English Language and Literature around the world, the University of the Philippines ranked 34th while Ateneo ranked 35th, according to the QS World University Rankings.

The two prestigious Philippine universities bested other universities around the world, including the University of Manchester (43rd) in the United Kingdom, and Georgetown University (49th), Dartmouth College (51-100) and Fordham University (151-200) in the United States.

Also on the list of best English-teaching universities worldwide are De La Salle University in the 50-100 bracket and University of Santo Tomas in the 101-150 bracket. QS did not provide specific ranks for universities outside the top 50.

UP and Ateneo are also the sixth and seventh best English-teaching university in Asia, respectively, after National University of Singapore, Peking University, University of Tokyo, University of Hong Kong, and Kyoto University.

The QS World University Rankings evaluates universities around the world based on indicators like academic peer review, citations per faculty member, number of international students and faculty, and student-faculty ratio.

QS also evaluates the universities' performance in teaching five key subject areas:

·        Arts and Humanities;

·        Engineering and IT;

·        Life Sciences and Biomedicine;

·        Natural Sciences; and

·        Social Sciences.

World rankings

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) topped all the subjects under the Engineering and Technology Rankings, including Computer Science & Information Systems, Civil & Structural Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing.

Meanwhile, Harvard University dominated the Life Sciences & Medicine and the Natural Sciences, ranking number one in the following subjects: Medicine, Biological Sciences, Psychology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Environmental and Earth Sciences.

Asian rankings

University of the Philippines (UP) and Ateneo de Manila University were also included in the list of the top Social Sciences-teaching universities in Asia, with UP taking the 27th spot and Ateneo de Manila University taking the 46th spot. National University of Singapore topped the list for Social Sciences.

The two schools also made a showing in the Arts and Humanities, with University of the Philippines (UP) 20th and Ateneo de Manila University ranking  29th and..

Earlier this year, QS announced the top 200 universities in Asia, which include four universities from the country. University of the Philippines was ranked 62 and Ateneo came in 65th, while University of Santo Tomas (UST) and De La Salle University (DLSU) were 104th and 107th, respectively.

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Fitch gives 'stable' outlook for Philippine banks

Fitch Ratings assigned a “stable” outlook for the Philippine banking sector, citing the favorable impact of a growing economy on the industry’s financial performance.

A “stable” outlook indicates security of credit ratings from being downgraded, at least within a year.

Fitch said an improving economy would drive demand for loans and other services provided by banks, in the process boosting their income.

“With a satisfactory economic backdrop, the agency expects banks’ lending and fee-based activities to expand in 2011, although treasury gains may ease amid rising interest rates,” Fitch said in its latest report on the Philippines.

The outlook on the banking sector was anchored on Fitch’s projection that the Philippine economy would grow between 5 and 6 percent this year, consistent with the government’s own forecast.

The credit rating firm also cited the comfortable level of liquidity of the country’s banking sector, and this would help protect it from a crisis similar to that experienced in industrialized countries.

“In Fitch’s view, capital and liquidity buffers are crucial in helping banks preserve their credit profiles in the event of a renewed global downturn, given the fragile economic recovery globally,” Fitch said.

However, Fitch said the country’s banking industry faces risks including the relatively low capital cover for foreclosed properties. It said improving provisioning for these assets is one area Philippine banks must focus on.

Still, Fitch recognized the country’s banking sector for being able to survive the latest global turmoil.

“All the rated Philippine banks have weathered the global economic turmoil in 2008/2009 rather well, with credit costs easily covered by earnings and capital intact,” Fitch said.

The “stable” outlook on the Philippine banking sector came amid continually rising resources of the banking sector and growing bank lending.

Latest documents from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed that outstanding loans by commercial banks amounted to P2.4 trillion as of end-April, up 14.2 percent year on year.

Fitch’s issuance of a “stable” outlook on the country’s banking sector came after it decided last month to raise the country’s credit rating on foreign debt from two notches to a notch below investment grade, or from BB to BB+.

The credit rating firm cited the Philippine government’s improving fiscal situation and the growing economy for the improved ratings.

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