Vibal Group Inc.

Vibal Publishing House, Inc., the Philippines' leading publisher of educational materials for basic education, was founded in 1953 by the late veteran newspaperman Hilarion Vibal, and his wife, Esther Asuncion-Vibal. The company's precursor, Insurance and Finance Publishing Co., initially published the Insurance and Finance Magazine, which helped jumpstart the growth of local businesses in the aftermath of World War II. Spurred by the rapid growth of the textbook publishing industry in the '50s and '60s, Mrs. Vibal sought entry into the field in 1961 with the launch of Science in Schools, a supplementary school magazine. The succeeding years saw Vibal's emergence as a key player in the textbook industry. From science to mathematics and well into English and social studies, Vibal made a lasting imprint in the minds of young students as it released several titles across major subject areas, bucking the prevailing trend in an industry dominated by American publishers.