Just a few short years after the first SM mall opened its doors, its founder Henry Sy's vision extended beyond one establishment. The chain of malls would come later. When SM City North EDSA opened in 1985, the vision was clear: people's access to products is important but Filipinos' access to quality education is priceless. In 1991, Sy turned his vision into a reality through a partnership between SM Foundation and IBM Philippines. This collaboration led to the establishment of Asia Pacific College (APC), embodying the timeless adage: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." "Right from the start, the vision was very clear — it was inclusivity," said APC president Dr. Teresita 'Tata' Medado. "Quality education should be available to all and this was APC's way of helping the youth to be competitive IT professionals for the industry."