University Of Santo Tomas, Manila

The University of Santo Tomas (UST; ), officially the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines or colloquially as ''Ustê'' (), is a private Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Miguel de Benavides, third Archbishop of Manila, it has the oldest extant university charter in Asia and is one of the world's largest Catholic universities in terms of enrollment found on one campus. It is the main campus of the University of Santo Tomas System that is run by the Order of Preachers.

UST was granted the title ''Royal'' by King Charles III of Spain in 1785. Pope Leo XIII made UST a pontifical university in 1902. Pope Pius XII bestowed the title of ''The Catholic University of the Philippines'' in 1947. The university houses the first and oldest engineering, law, medical, and pharmacy schools in the country. The main campus is the largest university in the city of Manila and is home to 22 degree-granting colleges, a parish church, and a teaching hospital. The National Museum of the Philippines declared four of the university's structures and the UST Baybayin Documents as National Cultural Treasures.

The university offers programs in over 180 undergraduate and graduate specializations. It has 26 programs recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as Centers of Excellence and Centers of Development. It is awarded institutional accreditation by the CHED through the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP). The university has the highest number of Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities' Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA)-accredited programs in the country, with 59.

UST alumni and faculty include 30 Catholic saints, four presidents of the Philippines, 17 senators, nine chief justices, 20 national artists, a national scientist, and five billionaires. The athletic teams are the Growling Tigers, who are members of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and have won the overall championships more than any other university.

History

The foundation of the university is attributed to the Spanish friar Miguel de Benavides. He came to the Philippines with the first Dominican mission in 1587. He went on to become bishop of Nueva Segovia and was promoted to become the third archbishop of Manila in 1602. Upon his death on July 26, 1605, Benavides bequeathed his library and personal property worth ₱1,500 to be used as the seed fund for the establishment of an institution of higher learning. Two days before, he made a testament in the presence of Dominican priests Domingo de Nieva and Bernardo de Santa Catalina, who were the executors of his last will. In June 1606, Nueva Segovia bishop Diego de Soria wrote a letter to King Philip III of Spain informing him of the plans of founding a colegio. He also added that the colegio be given authorization to grant academic degrees similar to those of the '' Colegio de Santo Tomas'' in Avila, Spain.

In 1609, permission to open the college was requested from King Philip III of Spain, which only reached Manila two years later. The university was founded on April 28, 1611. The act of foundation was signed by frays Baltasar Fort, Bernardo Navarro, and Francisco Minayo. Bernardo de Santa Catalina carried out the wishes of Benavides and was able to secure a building near the Dominican church and convent in the walled city of Intramuros in Manila for the college. The authorities took the example of universities in Spain, such as the University of Salamanca, and in Spanish America, such as the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico, to become a model for the university. UST was first called the College of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (), and in 1619, it was renamed ''Colegio de Santo Tomas'' in honor of the Dominican theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas. On November 20, 1645, Pope Innocent X issued the papal bull ''In Supereminenti'', which elevated the ''Colegio de Santo Tomas'' to a university and placed it under papal authority.

Following the royal decree of King Philip V of Spain in 1733 and bull ''Dudum emanarunt'' of Pope Clement XII in 1734, the Faculty of Canon Law () and the Faculty of Civil Law () were established.

The Royal Decree of May 20, 1865, from Queen Isabella II of Spain gave power to UST for the supervision of all secondary schools. Being the only institution of higher learning at that time, UST acted as the Department of Education of the country. After five years, the Minister of Overseas Colonies Segismundo Moret issued a decree that converted ''Real y Pontificia Universidad de Santo Tomas'' into ''Real y Pontificia Universidad de Filipinas''. In 1871, the ''Superior Gobierno de Filipinas'' issued a decree that established the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy (). UST was allowed to grant a licentiate degree in medicine. From 1877 to 1901, 329 students were granted the licentiate degree. José Rizal studied medicine at the university from 1878 to 1882, where he was granted the rare privilege of studying simultaneously the preparatory course of medicine and the first year of medicine. The university began granting the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1902 during the new American system.

The university was registered on January 13, 1908, as a non-stock, non-profit educational institution under Act 1459 with the corporate name of ''Real y Pontificia Universidad de Santo Tomas de Manila''. With the growing student population, the Dominicans were given a 21.5-hectare plot of land at the Sulucan Hills in Sampaloc, Manila and built its new campus. In 1924, it began accepting female enrollees. All courses and departments moved to the new campus, with the exception of medicine and civil law, both of which remained in Intramuros.

During World War II, the Imperial Japanese forces converted UST into an internment camp for enemy aliens, mostly Americans living in the Philippines. Their secret police division, known as ''Kenpeitai'', turned the original Intramuros campus into a garrison and torture chamber, destroying it by fire in 1944. Over 3,700 internees were freed, 2,870 of whom were Americans, and over 600 were either killed or died from sickness or starvation in the internment camp for 37 months from January 1942 until February 11, 1945, when the camp was liberated by General Douglas MacArthur.

UST was given the title "Royal" by King Charles III of Spain in 1785, in recognition of the university's loyalty in defending Manila against the British troops. In 1974, then prince King Juan Carlos I of Spain visited UST and was conferred doctor of laws honoris causa and the title Royal Patron, as a revival of the tradition dating back to 1680 when King Charles II of Spain was named the first patron. Queen Sofía of Spain, who visited with her husband in 1974, came back in 2012.

In 1902, UST was officially declared a pontifical university by the ''Quae Mari Sinico'', an apostolic constitution signed by Pope Leo XIII. As a pontifical university, UST has been visited by the pope four times since 1970, Pope Paul VI in 1970, Pope John Paul II in 1981 and 1995, and by Pope Francis in 2015. During the quadricentennial year in 2011, Pope Benedict XVI sent a special envoy and gave a video message. In 1947, Pope Pius XII bestowed the appellate name ''The Catholic University of the Philippines''.

UST's first Filipino rector was Leonardo Legaspi, who served UST from 1971 to 1977. At the onset of martial law in the Philippines in 1972, he issued guidelines from a Department Order about the Marcos martial law and sought the help of the faculty members for the maintenance of discipline imposed by the government. ''The Varsitarian'' continued to operate during martial law, even when several national newspapers were shut down. The UST administration cautioned ''The Varsitarian'' against publishing anti-government sentiments, but the publication still urged the students to resist the dictatorship. The student council from the Faculty of Arts and Letters became the first legitimate student government in the country since martial law was declared.

UST's recognition as the oldest extant university in the Philippines was disputed by the University of San Carlos. Since its establishment, the UST's academic life has been interrupted only twice; from 1898 to 1899, during the Philippine Revolution against Spain, and from 1942 to 1945, during the Japanese occupation of the country. On December 1, 2010, the House of Representatives passed Resolution No. 51, "Resolution Congratulating the University of Santo Tomas on the occasion of its Quadricentennial Anniversary in 2011," which read "founded on April 28, 1611, by Archbishop Miguel de Benavides" and "has the oldest extant university charter in the Philippines and Asia."

In the second term of 2023–2024, 33,407 students were enrolled in the university's undergraduate and graduate programs, while 7,250 were enrolled in basic education.

The university seal and colors

The oldest seal used by the university is first seen in an examination book ''Libros de piques'' that is found in the UST Archives.

The university seal from 1868 to 1983 is set in a cardioid shield. The globus cruciger and the Dominican hound carrying a flaming torch are perched atop the shield. Directly below is the sun of Thomas Aquinas, whose rays extend throughout the whole seal. The seal depicts three or four ovals bearing different coats of arms.

In the 1868–1935 seal, the left oval contains the Papal insignia symbolizing the apostolic concession by which the college was raised to be a university. The right oval contains the coat of arms similar to the coat of arms of Spain used in 1700-1868 and 1834–1930 to indicate the protection which Philip IV of Spain vouchsafed to the university. The center oval contains the cross of the Dominican order, which is surrounded by a rosary, crowned by the star of Saint Dominic, and flanked below by a palm branch (representing martyrdom) to its left and white lilies to the right.

The inner lower border of the seal is lined with the Latin name of the university ''Pontificia et Regalis S(ancti) Thomæ Aquinatis Universitas Manilana''. The upper half of the seal is flanked by laurel leaves on both sides and the lower half by a collar similar to the insignia used by the Order of the Golden Fleece.

The 1935–1938, 1937–1946, and 1957–1983 versions had changes depending on the government of the country. In the 1935–1938 seal, the coat of arms of the Commonwealth of the Philippines replaced the coat of arms of the Spanish East Indies. A fourth oval was added in the 1937–1946 seal to include the Spanish East Indies. The 1957–1983 seal replaced the coat of arms of the Commonwealth of the Philippines with the coat of arms of the Philippines.

In June 2011, a new seal was unveiled, but due to its typeface and color selections, it garnered critical reaction on social media. The sudden change for a new seal was made after the Roman Curia suggested uniformity in the titles and the name of UST. The university's Council of Regents decided to include UST's name in the new seal and drop the titles of Royal and Pontifical because they are not part of the official name of the university. The controversial seal was revised a month after. The Council of Regents reverted to the previous seal and included UST's honorific titles Pontifical and Royal, and the name of the university.

The current seal of the university is set in a modern French shield quartered by the Dominican Cross. The surrounding inscription reads the full name of UST: Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila, and the foundation year, 1611. The symbols are set on a field of Marian blue. The colors, as officially defined by the university's identity guidelines, define the gold and blue as Pantone 213 C and Pantone 298 C, respectively.

The Tongues of Fire is the logo of the UST Quadricentennial Celebration. It features the outline of the UST Main Building tower and four flames that spell out UST. The tongues of fire reference the future of the university and are reminiscent of the stripes of a tiger. It is designed by alumnus Francisco Doplon.

Campus

The UST main campus is the largest university in the city of Manila. Located on España Boulevard in the Sampaloc district, it is spread over an almost perfect square of 21.5 hectares. The university is part of the University Belt. In 1927, the university transferred to its present campus when the Dominicans deemed the Intramuros campus inadequate for the university's growing population.

The architectural style of buildings within the campus is influenced by the construction period, resulting in a significant variation. The designs of early structures are done by university priests and professors who used styles from the Renaissance Revival, Art Deco, Bauhaus, to International Style. The Sampaloc campus saw an extensive redevelopment at the turn of the century as 12 out of the 24 major buildings were constructed from 2002 to 2023. Several buildings, such as the Beato Angelico Building, the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex, and the hospital buildings, have adopted the capital and column of the UST Main Building, one of the university's iconic symbols. Seven buildings are also named after beatified Dominicans and Dominican saints.

The central axis of the campus comprises the Arch of the Centuries, the Plaza Benavides, the Benavides Monument, the Main Building, the Quadricentennial Square, the Miguel de Benavides Library, the Tan Yan Kee Student Center, and the upcoming Henry Sy Sr. Hall. Erected around 1680, the Arch of the Centuries served as the main entrance to the first campus in Intramuros. It transferred to its present site in 1954. The Main Building, designed by the priest and engineer Roque Ruaño, was built from 1924 to 1927. It is the first structure on the campus and once served as the Kilometer Zero of Manila. It houses the Faculty of Civil Law, the Faculty of Pharmacy, the College of Science, the Museum of Arts and Sciences, and the administrative offices.

The northeast quadrant of the campus includes the St. Raymund Penafort Building and the health and medical buildings. St. Raymund de Peñafort Building is built in International Style in 1955 and is home to the Faculty of Arts and Letters and the College of Commerce and Business Administration. Built in 1952, the Bauhaus-inspired San Martin de Porres Building houses the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, the College of Nursing, and the College of Rehabilitation Sciences. The UST Hospital complex comprises the main St. Vincent Building, the Benavides Cancer Institute, the St. John Paul II Building, and the UST Hospital Clinical Division. The St. John Paul II Building was inaugurated in 2019 and serves as the extension of the UST Hospital.

The northwest quadrant comprises the Central Seminary, the Botanical Garden, the Benavides Building, the Central Laboratory Building, and the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex (TARC). The Central Seminary, built in 1933, is designed by Fernando Ocampo in Art Deco style. It also houses the Santísimo Rosario Parish and the Ecclesiastical Faculties. The Botanical Garden was established in 1932 and continues to serve students in the research of Philippine flora and medicinal plants. TARC is home to the Graduate School.

The southwest quadrant includes the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building (BGPOP), the swimming pool, the UST Publishing House, the Beato Angelico Building, and the football field. BGPOP, also known as the Thomasian Alumni Center, sits on the site of the old UST Gymnasium. The Art Deco facade of the old gymnasium is preserved for its historical significance. The Beato Angelico Building occupies the site of the old UST Press, which was constructed in 1953. The College of Architecture and the College of Fine Arts and Design transferred from the Roque Ruano Building to the Beato Angelico Building in 2003.

The southeast quadrant comprises the Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy and Multi-Deck Carpark Building, the Albertus Magnus Building, the Roque Ruaño Building, and the Quadricentennial Pavilion complex. The Albertus Magnus Building houses the College of Education and the Conservatory of Music. The Roque Ruaño Building, which houses the Faculty of Engineering, is built in 1952 and designed by Julio Victor Rocha. It initiated the application of the Niemeyer-inspired brise soleil in local buildings. The Quadricentennial Pavilion was the venue of the CNN Philippines vice-presidential debates in 2016, senatorial debates in 2019, and vice-presidential and presidential debates in 2022.

The Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Building is located across the main campus and is connected by the UST Link Bridge. The Frassati Building houses the Senior High School, the College of Information and Computing Sciences, the DOST-TOMASInno Center, and several administrative offices. At its completion in 2019, it became the tallest educational building in the Philippines with 23 floors.

A stormwater drainage system that would help in mitigating UST's seasonal flood problem was completed in 2021. The underground system covers seven street zones that can hold 11.25 million liters of water.

As part of the celebration of the 2022 Thomasian Welcome Walk, the new UST block letters and the Bengal Tiger statue were unveiled at the Plaza Mayor.

The campus was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in 2011. Four of the university's structures were also declared National Cultural Treasures by the National Museum namely, the Arch of the Centuries, Main Building, the Central Seminary, and the university's open spaces.

Satellite campuses

The UST in Manila is the main campus of the University of Santo Tomas System, which comprises three other existing campuses and one upcoming UST campus in Santa Rosa, Laguna. UST Angelicum College in Quezon City and University of Santo Tomas–Legazpi in Legazpi, Albay integrated with the UST System in 2017.

UST Angelicum College is located in the Santo Domingo Church complex in Quezon City. It offers basic education programs, a home study program, and undergraduate programs. The campus was founded as the Angelicum School in 1972 by Rogelio Alarcon. The school changed its name to Angelicum College in 1996 after offering undergraduate courses in 1995. It offers programs in communication, entrepreneurship, human resource management, and information technology.

UST-Legazpi, formerly known as the Aquinas University of Legazpi, is located in Legazpi, Albay. It is the biggest catholic university in the Bicol Region, offering courses in the fields of law, medical, architecture, engineering, accountancy, teacher education, and arts and sciences. The university also has its own hospital.

UST General Santos is an 80-hectare campus in southern Philippines that will initially offer programs in agricultural and fishery research, arts and humanities, business and accountancy, engineering and technology, and pharmaceutical sciences. The university acquired the land of the new campus in 1997, but the construction was stalled by land classification problems and local politics. In 2013, the local city council approved the rezoning of the university site to institutional from agricultural. The consultation and public hearing for the first phase of the establishment of the new campus was conducted in 2017. The construction broke ground on April 20, 2018, and was headed by then university rector Herminio Dagohoy. The campus opened on April 11, 2024.

UST Santa Rosa is a 40-hectare campus in Laguna that will offer undergraduate programs in science and engineering. The campus first broke ground on April 19, 2006, which was led by then university rector Tamerlane Lana and attended by UST board member and tycoon Lucio Tan. The development of the campus was delayed for several years by changes in the administration, the Quadricentennial Celebration from 2009 to 2012, and prioritization of the construction projects in the main campus. On September 10, 2017, a second groundbreaking ceremony was held and led by then university rector Herminio Dagohoy. The construction of the first building in the campus, the UST–Dr. Tony Tan Caktiong Innovation Center, began in December 2020. The center is named after an alumnus and Jollibee Foods Corporation founder Tony Tan Caktiong, and it will be an annex of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-TOMASInno Center.

Administration and organization

UST operates under the Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church, the apostolic constitution '' Ex corde Ecclesiae'', the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines supplementary ordinances of the ''Ex corde Ecclesiae'', and laws of the Philippine government.

The executive authorities of the university are the chancellor, the vice-chancellor, the rector, and the vice-rector. The ''ex-officio'' chancellor is the Master of the Order of Preachers. He appoints the rector of the university upon the approval of the Holy See. Currently, Filipino-Dominican priest Gerard Timoner III holds the position. The ''ex-officio'' vice-chancellor of the university is the Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines. The rector serves as the university's chief executive officer. He is assisted by a council of regents, an academic senate and an economic council. A dean heads an academic unit while being assisted by a faculty council and a regent, who is a member of the Order of Preachers.

UST Manila has 19 civil colleges, three ecclesiastical

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases