The Guide
Sat, 16 May 2026

Cities / Manila / Starland International School

Starland International School

A Filipino-medium private school chain that uses the international label rather than an expat-oriented international school.


Founded
2001

A Filipino-medium private school chain that uses the international label rather than an expat-oriented international school. The Quezon City original sits at #134 V. Luna Extension in Sikatuna Village, with a Cubao branch and sister campuses now spread across Mindanao and the Visayas.

Founded in 2001, Starland positions itself as affordable, English-medium, and service-oriented. The student body is overwhelmingly Filipino, fees are well below the Manila international tier, and the curriculum tracks the Philippine national programme rather than IB or Cambridge.

Families considering it should treat it as a value-priced local-private choice rather than a comparable to ISM, Brent, or Beacon. The catchment is Sikatuna Village and the immediate Quezon City neighbourhoods, with the school's nine-campus footprint mostly serving regional Filipino markets.


  • Quezon City school positioned as a value option, with parents repeatedly framing it as reasonably priced quality education.
  • Recurring positive themes are flexibility on time and learning pace, support for children with special educational needs, opportunities to grow confidence and a stated zero tolerance on bullying.
  • One parent describes the school as having unleashed the full potential of their daughter.
  • Critical reviews are equally specific. Parents flag tuition fees as not worth the service and report that the school is unresponsive to concerns, with contact numbers that do not connect.
  • No Reddit or expat-forum signal. Available reviews are concentrated in directory sites and the school's social pages.
  • Signal volume is small. Read the positive language as the work of a few engaged families rather than a representative sample.

Head of school

Jean Dumago-Descallar

Dr. Jean Dumago-Descallar, also known as Teacher Jean, was born in Magallanes, Agusan del Norte on August 19, 1966. She overcame poverty and financial hardship through determination and talent, earning a full scholarship to the University of Mindanao through her dancing abilities. After teaching at Holy Angels Montessori School in Manila, she founded what started as Starland Kiddie School with borrowed furniture and few students, expanding it into a respected network across multiple regions.


337 A. Mabini St, Maypajo, Caloocan, 1410 Metro Manila, Philippines

School website