The University Belt is the name of a

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with '' de jure'' ("by l ...

subdistrict in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. It refers to the area where there is a high concentration of colleges and universities in the city. The districts of Quiapo, Sampaloc, and San Miguel are traditionally considered to be the University Belt, although other clusters of schools that lie along the southern bank of the Pasig River, mostly at the districts of

Intramuros Intramuros (Latin for "inside the walls") is the historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila. Present-day ...

and

Ermita Ermita is a district in Manila, Philippines. Located at the central part of the city, the district is a significant center of finance, education, culture, and commerce. Ermita serves as the civic center of the city, bearing the seat of city ...

, as well as the southernmost part of

Malate Malic acid is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a dicarboxylic acid that is made by all living organisms, contributes to the sour taste of fruits, and is used as a food additive. Malic acid has two stereoisomeric forms (L ...

near the city limits are also sometimes included. Each of the colleges and universities found in the district are a short walking distance of each other. The University Belt is near the Malacañang Palace, thus, protesters would often pass by the colleges and universities on their way to Mendiola Street and the Chino Roces Bridge, a frequent venue of rallies. There are also dorms, restaurants, and cafes around the University Belt.

History

Since the Spanish colonial period, Manila was the center of education in the country and

was home to various academic institutions. The first schools in the district were the Colegio de Santa Potenciana founded in 1589,Perez Dasmarinas, Luis. Letters from Luis Perez Dasmariñas to Felipe II. In The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898. Ohio: A.H. Clark Company, 1903-9. Vol. 9 Universidad de San Ignacio in 1590,The First Hundred Years of the Ateneo de Manila
''Ateneo de Manila University website'' May 1, 2012 San Jose Seminary in 1601, the

University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Migue ...

in 1611, the

Colegio de San Juan de Letran The Colegio de San Juan de Letran, (transl: College of San Juan de Letran) also referred to by its acronym CSJL, is a private Catholic coeducational basic and higher education institution owned and run by the friars of the Order of Preachers i ...

in 1620, the Santa Isabel College Manila in 1632, Universidad de San Felipe de Austria in 1640, and

Ateneo de Manila University , mottoeng = Light in the Lord , type = Private, research, non-profit, coeducational basic and higher education institution , established = December 10, 1859 , religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic ( Jesuits) , academic ...

in 1859. Today, only Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Santa Isabel College Manila, University of Santo Tomas, and the Ateneo de Manila University continue to operate. During the American period, the city planner,

Daniel Burnham Daniel Hudson Burnham (September 4, 1846 – June 1, 1912) was an American architect and urban designer. A proponent of the '' Beaux-Arts'' movement, he may have been, "the most successful power broker the American architectural profession has ...

, originally planned to make

Santa Mesa Santa Mesa is a district in Manila, Philippines. It is surrounded by Pasig River on the southwestern side, and by the San Juan River on its southern and eastern side. Land borders include the districts of San Miguel to the west and Sampaloc t ...

the city's education hub, although the Americans wanted institutions to be located near the national government center in

Rizal Park Rizal Park ( fil, Liwasang Rizal, es, link=no, Parque Rizal), also known as Luneta Park or simply Luneta, is a historic urban park located in Ermita, Manila. It is considered one of the largest urban parks in the Philippines, covering an are ...

, with several institutions opening in Calle Rizal (present-day

Taft Avenue Taft Avenue ( fil, Abenida Taft; es, Avenida Taft) is a major road in the south of Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippin ...

), among them the

University of the Philippines Manila The University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) is a state-funded medical and research university located in Ermita, Manila, Philippines. It is known for being the country's center of excellence in the health sciences, including health profess ...

, the oldest of the constituent universities of the

University of the Philippines System The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 2008) ...

, and

De La Salle University De La Salle University ( fil, Pamantasang De La Salle or Unibersidad ng De La Salle), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private university, private, Catholic Church, Catholic coeducational research university run by the I ...

. Nevertheless, the University Belt within Quiapo, Sampaloc, San Miguel, and Santa Cruz began growing organically. By the early 1900s, nine institutions were present in the area:

National University A national university is mainly a university created or managed by a government, but which may also at the same time operate autonomously without direct control by the state. Some national universities are associated with national cultural or po ...

, Manila Law College, University of Manila,

San Beda University es, Universidad de San Beda , image = San Beda University seal.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = University Seal , latin_name = Universitas Sancti Bedæ , former_names ...

, Saint Rita College,

La Consolacion College Manila La Consolación College Manila is a private Catholic basic and higher education institution run by the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation (ASOLC) in the City of Manila, Philippines. It was founded by the Augustinian Sisters in 1902 ...

, College of the Holy Spirit, and

Centro Escolar University Centro Escolar University ( tl, Pamantasang Centro Escolar) also referred to by its acronym CEU is a private non-sectarian higher education institution in San Miguel Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1907 by Librada Avelino and Carmen de Lu ...

, as well as the University of Santo Tomas, which moved from Intramuros to Sampaloc in 1927 although the older campus continued to host the College of Law.

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

devastated the city and several schools were forced to shut down during the war. In Intramuros, the University of Santo Tomas did not rebuild their campus in the district, while Ateneo de Manila University moved their institution to Sampaloc and eventually to Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Meanwhile, non-sectarian schools were built in the district after the war:

Mapúa University Mapúa University ( fil, Pamantasang Mapúa), also known simply as Mapúa or MU, is a private research-oriented non-sectarian university located in Metro Manila, Philippines. The university was founded in 1925 by the first registered Filipino ar ...

moved from its campus in Santa Cruz in 1956, while

Lyceum of the Philippines University Lyceum of the Philippines University ( fil, Pamantasang Liseo ng Pilipinas) also referred to by its acronym LPU is a private, non-sectarian, coeducational higher education institution located at intramuros in the City of Manila, Philippines. ...

and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila were established in 1952 and 1965 respectively. Outside Intramuros, new institutions were also founded, such as the Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology in 1945 and the

University of the East The University of the East ( fil, Pamantasan ng Silangan), also known as UE, is a leading private university located in Manila, Philippines. Founded in 1946, business tycoon Lucio Tan acquired the university in 1990. UE was once labeled as the ...

in 1946, among others.