The Philippine Landmarks Today

Largest Islands in the Philippines

2012-02-25T19:35:00.002+08:00

1. Luzon

This MODIS true-color image of the northern
Philippines shows the island of Luzon. (Wikipedia)

Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is the economic and political center of the Philippines, being home to the country's capital city, Manila.

The island of Luzon, with an area of 104,688 square kilometers (km²), is the 17th largest island in the world and the world’s fourth most populated island.

In Luzon:

City of Manila: The country's capital and the center of government. / Quezon City: The most populous city and the former capital of the Philippines. / Makati City: known as the "Financial Capital of the Philippines." / Volcano: Mount Pinatubo, Mayon and Taal Volcano. / Manila Bay: the largest lake in the country. / Cagayan River: the country's longest river.

Next on the row - - - coming-up:

Mindanao. Negros. Samar. Palawan. Panay. Mindoro. Leyte. Cebu. Bohol.

Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU)

2012-01-21T18:47:00.000+08:00

To understand the soul of the Ateneo de Manila University -- what shaped it and where it came from, where it is going and where it can take you -- it is essential to understand its motto, Lux in Domino, or "Light in the Lord."

The Ateneo de Manila University Seal

From the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians (5:8), these words capture the spirit of a way of life which the Ateneo holds up to her sons and daughters as their best contribution to the work by which God transforms the world. To be "light in the Lord" in all fullness demands moving insistently and deliberately towards God as the center of a person's life, identifying the issues that such a centering poses, and then moving out to the world to find ever new ways of constructing the edifice, cultivating the garden, painting the masterpiece, that God is unfolding in one's life.

It is a call to BE that light of the Lord in the world.

The Ateneo de Manila University began in 1859 when Spanish Jesuits established the Escuela Municipal de Manila, a public primary school established in Intramuros for the city of Manila. However, the educational tradition of the Ateneo embraces the much older history of the Jesuits as a teaching order in the Philippines.

The first Spanish Jesuits arrived in the country in 1581. While primarily missionaries, they were also custodians of the ratio studiorum, the system of Jesuit education formulated about 1559. In 1590, they founded one of the first colleges in the Philippines, the Colegio de Manila (also known as the Colegio Seminario de San Ignacio) under the leadership of Antonio Sedeño, S.J. The school formally opened in 1595.

In 1621, Pope Gregory XV, through the archbishop of Manila, authorized the San Ignacio to confer degrees in theology and the arts. Two years later, King Philip IV of Spain confirmed this authorization, making the school a royal and a pontifical university, the very first university in the Philippines and in Asia.

However, by the mid-18th century, Catholic colonial powers, notably France, Portugal, and Spain, had grown hostile to the Society of Jesus. The colonial powers eventually expelled the Society, often quite brutally, from their realms.

The Jesuits had to relinquish the San Ignacio to Spanish civil authorities in 1768, upon their violent expulsion from all Spanish territories. Finally, under pressure from Catholic royalty, Pope Clement XIV formally declared the dissolution of the Society of Jesus in 1773.

Pope Pius VII reinstated the Society in 1814, after almost seven decades of persecution and over four decades of formal suppression. However, the Jesuits would not return to the Philippines until 1859, almost a century after their expulsion.

Authorized by a royal decree of 1852, ten Spanish Jesuits arrived in Manila on April 14, 1859. This Jesuit mission was sent mainly for missionary work in Mindanao and Jolo. However, despite almost a century away from the Philippines, the Jesuits’ reputation as educators remained entrenched in the minds of Manila’s leaders. On August 5, the ayuntamiento or city council requested the Governor-General for a Jesuit school financed by public money.

On October 1, 1859, the Governor-General authorized the Jesuits to take over the Escuela Municipal, then a small private school maintained for 30 children of Spanish residents. Partly subsidized by the ayuntamiento, it was the only primary school in Manila at the time. Under the Jesuits, the Escuela eventually became the Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1865 when it was elevated to an institution of secondary education. The Ateneo Municipal offered the bachillerato as well as technical courses leading to certificates in agriculture, surveying, and business.

When American colonial rule came in 1902, the Ateneo Municipal lost its government subsidy. In 1908, the colonial government recognized it as a college licensed to offer the bachelor’s degree and certificates in various disciplines, including electrical engineering. In 1909, years after the Ateneo became a private institution, the Jesuits finally removed the word “Municipal” from the Ateneo’s official name, and it has since been known as the Ateneo de Manila.

American Jesuits took over administration in 1921. In 1932, under Fr. Richard O’Brien, third American rector, the Ateneo transferred to Padre Faura after a fire destroyed the Intramuros campus.

Devastation hit the Ateneo campus once again during World War II. Only one structure remained standing – the statue of St. Joseph and the Child Jesus which now stands in front of the Jesuit Residence in the Loyola Heights campus. Ironwork and statuary salvaged from the Ateneo ruins have since been incorporated into various existing Ateneo buildings. Some examples are the Ateneo monograms on the gates of the Loyola Heights campus, the iron grillwork on the ground floor of Xavier Hall, and the statue of the Immaculate Conception displayed at the University archives.

But even if the Ateneo campus had been destroyed, the university survived. Following the American liberation, the Ateneo de Manila reopened temporarily in Plaza Guipit in Sampaloc. The Padre Faura campus reopened in 1946 with Quonset huts serving as buildings among the campus ruins.

In 1952, the university, led by Fr. William Masterson, S.J. moved most of its units to its present Loyola Heights campus. Controversy surrounded the decision. An Ateneo Jesuit supposedly said that only the ‘children of Tarzan’ would study in the new campus. But over the years, the Ateneo in Loyola Heights has become the center of a dynamic community. The Padre Faura campus continued to house the professional schools until 1976.

The first Filipino rector, Fr. Francisco Araneta, S.J. was appointed in 1958. And in 1959, its centennial year, the Ateneo became a university.

The Padre Faura campus was closed in 1976. A year after, the University opened a new campus for its professional schools in Salcedo Village, in the bustling business district of Makati. In October 1998, the University completed construction of a bigger site of the Ateneo Professional Schools at Rockwell, also in Makati.

1. Ateneo de Manila University Official Website

AMA Education System

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AMA Computer University

With 13 computers and 13 students in a rented tenement in Mandaluyong in 1980, the AMA Education System has now grown into the biggest network of campuses in Asia.

At present, it has more than 100 branches in the Philippines and abroad. It has an annual student population of 150,000. And it has produced almost 200,000 highly competent computer professionals employed by various companies worldwide.

The AMAES started as an Institute of Computer Studies. At that time, computers were expensive and microprocessors were very new. But its founder, Dr. Amable R. Aguiluz V, saw a vision of the Philippines as the world’s premier source of manpower through computer education. Dr. Aguiluz vigorously pursued his plan of setting up a center of computer learning in every corner of the Philippines.

A year later, a positive response from computer enthusiasts encouraged the Institute to offer a four-year course in Computer Science – the first in the Philippines then – and was thus renamed AMA Computer College. In 1983, the institution grew into a network of colleges in Metro Manila.

By 1989, the AMAES began its provincial expansion by putting up a college campus in Cebu. Currently, there are 40 AMA colleges scattered all over the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the advent of AMA Computer Learning Center in 1986, AMA International Institute of Technology (AIIT) in 1996 and ABE International College of Business and Economics in 1999 filled the need for quality training and education for Filipino youth who do not have the financial capability to clinch a four or five-year degree.

In 1996, the AMAES established the AMA Science School aimed at providing children with an early exposure to science and math concepts through the Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS), a curriculum developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science of the University of California at Berkeley.

In 1999, AMA Computer College made another breakthrough – it became the first computer school to be awarded the prestigious ISO 90001 Certification. This certification further attests to the world-class quality education that AMA offers.

Another highlight in AMA Education System’s history is the conferment of university status to AMA Computer College in Quezon City. Now named AMA Computer University, it is regarded as the pioneer and largest IT University in Asia.

As it grows in leaps and bounds, AMAES remains committed to its unending vision to become the leader and dominant provider of relevant and globally-recognized education and training in information and communications technology.

AMA Education System

MISSION AND VISION

Provide a holistic, relevant, quality and globally-recognized IT-based education in all levels and disciplines. With this mission, it aims to produce professionals and leaders that will be responsive to the needs of science and the international community cognizant of the welfare and benefits of its men and women thereby realizing their potentials as productive members of society for the honor and glory of God Almighty.

To be the leader and dominant provider of relevant and globally recognized information technology-based education and related services in the global market.

1. AMA Computer University Website

Systems Technology Institute (STI) College

2011-12-30T23:06:00.000+08:00

Systems Technology Institute (STI) College

From its humble beginnings on August 21, 1983 as a computer training center with only two campuses, STI now has campuses all over the Philippines and has a diversified into ICT-enhanced programs in Information Technology, Healthcare, Business and Management, Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Engineering.

It all started when four visionaries conceptualized setting up a training center to fill very specific manpower needs.

It was in the early ‘80s when Augusto C. Lagman, Herman T. Gamboa, Benjamin A. Santos, and Edgar H. Sarte — four entrepreneurs came together to set up Systems Technology Institute (STI), a training center that delivers basic programming education to professionals and students who want to learn this new skill.

Systems Technology Institute’s name came from countless brainstorming sessions among the founders, perhaps from Sarte’s penchant for three-letter acronyms from the companies he managed at the time.

The first two schools were inaugurated in August 21, 1983 in Buendia, Makati and in España, Manila, and offered basic computer programming courses. With a unique and superior product on their hands, it was not difficult to expand the franchise through the founders’ business contacts. A year after the first two schools opened, the franchise grew to include STI Binondo, Cubao, and Taft.

A unique value proposition spelled the difference for the STI brand then: “First We’ll Teach You, Then We’ll Hire You.” Through its unique Guaranteed Hire Program (GHP), all qualified graduates were offered jobs by one of the founders’ companies, or through their contacts in the industry.

The schools’ 1st batch of graduates, all 11 of them, were hired by Systems Resources Incorporated. And through GHP, more qualified STI graduates found themselves working in their field of interest straight out of school.

No one among the four founders imagined that the Systems Technology Institute would become a college, or would grow to have over 100 schools across the country. But it did, all because of its unique value proposition, the synergy between the founders and their personnel, and the management’s faithfulness to quality.

A long way since its birth, STI’s thrust has permeated right into the core of the globally competitive market — it has transcended beyond ICT and beyond education, addressing the need for job-ready graduates.

Systems Technology Institute (STI) College

MISSION:

We are an institution committed to provide knowledge through the development and delivery of superior learning systems.

We strive to provide optimum value to all our stakeholders – our students, our faculty members, our employees, our partners, our shareholders, and our community.

We will pursue this mission with utmost integrity, dedication, transparency, and creativity.

VISION: To be the leader in innovative and relevant education that nurtures individuals to become competent and responsible members of society.

1. Systems Technology Institute (STI) College

2012 Philippine Holidays (Proclamation No. 295, s. 2011)

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2012 Philippine Regular Holidays, Special (Non-Working) Days and Special Holidays

A. Regular Holidays

New Year’s Day – January 1 (Sunday)
Maundy Thursday- April 5
Good Friday – April 6
Araw ng Kagitingan – April 9 (Monday)
Labor Day -May 1 (Tuesday)
Independence Day – June 12 (Tuesday)
National Heroes Day – August 27 (Last Monday of August)
Bonifacio Day – November 30 (Friday)
Christmas Day – December 25 (Tuesday)
Rizal Day – December 30 (Sunday)

B. Special (Non-Working) Days

Chinese New Year – January 23 (Monday)
Ninoy Aquino Day – August 21 (Tuesday)
All Saints Day – November 1 (Thursday)
Additional special (non-working) day – November 2 (Friday)
Last Day of the Year- December 31 (Monday)

C. Special Holiday (for all schools)

EDSA Revolution Anniversary – February 25 (Saturday)

Eid’l Fitr and Eid’l Adha

(Below are the tentative dates; official dates will be announced and determined based on the Islamic Calendar.)

Eid-al-Fitr – August 20 (Monday)
Eid-al-Adha – October 26 (Friday)

Long Weekends

January 21-23, 2012 (Chinese New Year)

April 5-9, 2012 (Holy Week and Araw ng Kagitingan)

April 28-29 (April 30) May 1, 2012 (Labor Day)

August 18-21, 2012 (Eid-al-Fitr and Ninoy Aquino Day)

August 25-27, 2012 (National Heroes Day)

October 26-28, 2012 (Eid-al-Adha)

November 1-4 (All Saints’ Day)

November 30-Dec 2 (Bonifacio Day)

December 29-Jan 1 (New Year)

PROCLAMATION NO. 295, s. 2011 - DECLARING THE REGULAR HOLIDAYS, SPECIAL (NON-WORKING) DAYS, AND SPECIAL HOLIDAY FOR THE YEAR 2012

Univesity of Santo Tomas (UST)

2011-12-24T13:44:00.000+08:00

Seal of University of Santo Tomas

The Univesity of Santo Tomas (UST) is the oldest existing university in Asia. In terms of student population, it is the largest Catholic university in the world in a single campus. The institution was established through the initiative of Bishop Miguel de Benavides, O.P., the third Archbishop of Manila. On July 24, 1605, he bequeathed the amount of P1,500 and his personal library for the establishment of a “seminary-college” to prepare young men for the priesthood. Those funds, and his personal library, became the nucleus for the start of UST and its library.

The founding of the University of Santo Tomas followed on April 28, 1611. The original campus was located in Intramuros, the Walled City of Manila. UST was first called Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario, and later renamed Colegio de Santo Tomas, in memory of the foremost Dominican Theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas.

On July 29, 1619 the Colegio was authorized to confer academic degrees in theology and philosophy. By November 20, 1645, Pope Innocent X elevated the college to a university. In 1680, it was subsequently placed under the royal patronage of the Spanish monarchy. In 1681, Pope Innocent XI declared it a Public University of General Studies allowing it to confer other degrees. In 1734 Pope Clement XII authorized the University to confer degrees in all existing faculties as well as all others that might be introduced in the future. The Pope also approved the curriculum in the entire field of jurisprudence.

During the British invasion of Manila in 1762, the University raised four companies of students and professors numbering 400 men each. These saw action in battles against the British until 1764.

The expulsion of the Society of Jesus from the Philippines in 1768 left the University of Santo Tomas as the only institution of higher learning in the islands.

In 1785 in recognition of the role of the students and faculty in resisting the British, King Charles III conferred the title of “loyal” to the university and formally granted it the status of a royal university.

On May 20, 1865, a royal order from Queen Isabella II gave the University the power to direct and supervise all the schools in the Philippines and the Rector of the University became the ex-officio head of the secondary and higher education in the Philippines. All diplomas issued by other schools were approved by the Rector of the University and examinations leading to the issuance of such diplomas were supervised by the Dominican professors of UST.

On September 17, 1902, Pope Leo XIII made the University of Santo Tomas a “Pontifical University”, and by 1947, Pope Pius XII bestowed upon it the title of “The Catholic University of the Philippines”. The University of Santo Tomas is the second university in the world after the Gregorian University in Vatican to be granted the formal title of Pontifical University. The Gregorian University was allowed to assume this title in 1873.

The continuing increase in enrolment prompted the administration, in 1927 to transfer the university campus from Intramuros to its present site in Sampaloc district, which covers a total of 21.5 hectares. The Intramuros campus continued to operate until its destruction during the Second World War.

Since its establishment in 1611, the university academic life was disrupted only twice: once, from 1898 to 1899, during the second phase of the Philippine Revolution and the Filipino-American War, and for the second time, from 1942 to 1945, when the Japanese Occupation Forces during the Second World War converted the UST campus into an internment camp where around 2,500 allied civilians were detained. Buildings such as the Main Building, the Gymnasium and an annex building behind the Main Building called the Domestic Arts building were used as living quarters. The internees were liberated by U.S. forces on February 3, 1945.

Throughout its almost 400 years of existence, The University has become the alma mater of four Filipino heroes who shaped the nation’s destiny like Jose Rizal, Emilio Jacinto, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Apolinario Mabini; Philippine Presidents such as Manuel Luis Quezon, Sergio Osmeña, Jose P. Laurel and Diosdado Macapagal; various Chief Justices of the Supreme Court, senators, congressmen, scientist, architects, engineers and writers, all outstanding in their chosen professions. It was visited by two popes, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II, and various heads of states and foreign dignitaries.

As it prepares for its 400th year by 2011, UST plans to establish campuses outside España Boulevard, Manila. A campus will rise in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, and another is forthcoming in General Santos City. Through these campuses, UST commits to continue to provide Filipinos with the characteristically high quality of Catholic education.

1. University of Santo Tomas Official Website

The Banaue Rice Terraces - Luzon

2011-11-16T07:58:00.001+08:00

Banaue Rice Terraces (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

The 2000-year old Banaue Rice Terraces (Hagdan-hagdang Palayan ng Banawe) are terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao by ancestors of the indigenous people using primitive tools such as woods and stones without the aid of machinery. The Rice Terraces are one of the Eighth Wonders of the World and has been declared a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site in 1995. It stands 1, 500 meters or about 5, 000 feet above sea level and covers 10, 630 square kilometers (about 4000 square miles) of mountainside. It is been said that if the rice terraces will be connected end to end, it measures 10 times longer than the Great Wall of China or half-way around the world.

They are fed by an irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. They extend over five provinces, Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga, Ifugao and Mountain Province with borders Benguet to the west, Mountain Province to the north, Isabela to the east, and Nueva Vizcaya to the south. This serves until now as agricultural site for rice, vegetables and other root-crops.

Tinuy-an Falls - Surigao del Sur

2011-11-11T07:32:00.001+08:00

Tinuy-an Falls at Surigao del Sur. Photo courtesy of bislig.go.ph

Tinuy-an Falls, the biggest fall in Mindanao and the widest falls in the Philippines, is a waterfall in Burboanan, Bislig City in the the fourth largest province in the country, Surigao del Sur, Mindanao.

This falls in the Booming city on the bay, Bislig City, is approximately 95 meters wide and 55 metres (180 ft) high from the top of the three tiered cascading waterfalls, noted by most people as "the Niagara Falls of the Philippines". Tinuy-an is a white water curtain that flows in three levels about 55 meters high. Its majestic and unique natural formation makes it one of the best waterfalls in the entire Philippines and was once appeared in the International Travel Magazine.

T'nalak Festival - Koronadal City, South Cotabato

2011-10-21T16:46:00.000+08:00

T'nalak Festival. Source: southcotabato.gov.ph

The prestigious annual event, T'nalak Festival (Tinalak) is a day of festivity to commemorate the foundation anniversary of South Cotabato. This is celebrated middle of July in the provincial capital of Koronadal City.

The festival is named after the festival icon t'nalak, a colorful abaca cloth created and woven by the women of the province's T'boli tribe which is considered to symbolize the blending of culture, strength and unity of the various ethnic groups living in the province.

It is a showcase of T'boli culture through the display of their tribal arts and crafts and ethnic costumes, a street dancing parade, trade fair and sports events. Usually, the celebration kicks off with the Dayana Civic Parade highlighted by a float and cheer dance competition. It closes with the T'nalak Parade or Madal Bel'. Dancers from around the province, dressed in native costumes of B'laan, T'boli and other tribal groups in Mindanao, perform on the streets of the city.

The T’nalak is an intricately woven tapestry of intense and striking colors. The hues of intertwined abaca fabric depict the vivid spirit of the people whom this unique and artistic weaving has invariably come to represent.

This symbol of woven dreams is a fundamental part of South Cotabato culture, a culture steeped in mystique. The T’nalak Festival is an annual celebration that commemorates the Foundation Anniversary of the dynamic South Cotabato province amidst the dual presence of tradition and progress.

Much like the choreographed contrast of this unique tapestry, the T’nalak Festival is a mix of varied events that likewise characterize the South Cotabato people and their vibrant spirit, a people, whose distinct culture and multi-ethnicity contribute to the image of this emerging province – a province that is steadfast in weaving its wealth towards advancement, and a province undoubtedly beyond compare. From colorful street dancing, pulsating street parties and innovative trade expos the T’nalak Festival has it all.

Sandurot Festival - Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental

2011-10-18T11:51:00.000+08:00

Photo courtesy of visitmyphilippines.com

Sandurot which means, "fellowship and reaching out," and is derived from the Visayan word “pakig-sandurot” for the offering and enjoyment of hospitality. It is a colorful, annual fiesta event to commemorate Dumaguete’s rich history dating the pre-Hispanic period where peoples of different and foreign cultures, including Chinese, Japanese and Spanish, came together to create a diverse community that is Dumaguete today.

Sandurot Festival is a joyful celebration of the people of Dumaguete, a “university-city” and a “City of Gentle People,” their innate hospitality, friendliness, and their propensity to live harmoniously with people of different race, religion, and cultural beliefs and is very significant in understanding the religious cultures of the people of Dumaguete. History tells how the Dumagueteños welcome strangers from different shores and countries, and live with them in complete peace and understanding.

This is also a celebration for the whole Roman Catholic for Dumaguete City's patroness, St. Catherine de Alexandria, the Patroness Saint of the Philosophers.

The event usually begins with a program at the Rizal Boulevard and a ceremony welcoming the various cultural stains that enriched the city’s character and followed by a merry street dance competitions and interesting field presentations to celebrate the “pakig-sandurot.” This event is participated by barangays in the city, schools and/or civic organizations.

Kastifun Festival – Columbio, Sultan Kudarat

2011-10-14T07:46:00.000+08:00

Kastifun connotes “gathering” in B’laan Ethnic dialect symbolizing Columbioans united stand to promote PEACE & DEVELOPMENT by way of bridging the gaps and redefining boundary of social biases.

Rooted from the deepest genre of the municipality, the KASTIFUN logo is drawn from 5 elements:

The BAMBOO being one of the major raw materials being used as craft and furniture in the municipality and as indispensable material for construction and equipment represents the flexibility and versatility of Columbiaon’s talent and skills as the main pillars of development. The bamboo shaped in triangle presents the tri-people residing in the municipality namely, Christians, Muslims and Lumads in different traditions and cultures bonded as one.

The GONG symbolizes the call for gathering and echoing the growth of endeavors and aspiration for peace in the municipality.

The SUN, shaped as flower-liked of different colors, describes the colorful festivity, aside from its being an emblem to enlighten and a guide beacon to the entire municipality.

The SIXTEEN RAYS represents the sixteen barangays of Columbio. The shining yellow rays in between, connote HOPE amongst the populace as they try to attain progress and development in a sustained manner.

The MOUNTAINOUS topographic view of Columbio, is more than just a landmark. It signifies the major livelihood of the inhabitants which is agriculture.

Source: The Official Website of The Provincial Government of Sultan Kudarat

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park - Palawan

2011-10-10T10:49:00.000+08:00

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP), formerly known as St. Paul's Subterranean River National Park or St. Paul Underground River, is found in the St. Paul Mountain Range about 76 kilometres northwest of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, approximately 365 nautical miles south of Manila, facing the West Philippine Sea with geographic coordinates 10′ 10 north, 118′ 55 south. It is bordered by St. Paul Bay to the north and the Babuyan River to the east. The topography varies from flat plains to rolling hinterlands and hills to mountain peaks. Over 90% of the park comprises sharp, karst limestone ridges around Mount St Paul, which is itself part of a series of rounded, limestone peaks aligned on a north-south axis, along the western coast of Palawan.

Courtesy of puertoprincesa.ph

The PPSRNP was established on March 26, 1971, by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 835 issued by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos and the City Government of Puerto Princesa has managed the National Park since 1992. The park initially comprised of 3,901 hectares of terrestrial reservation. To ensure long-term viability, former President Joseph E. Estrada signed Proclamation No. 212 on November 16, 1999 expanding the area of the Park to 22,202 hectares that now includes the entire catchment for the Underground River and significant forest important for biodiversity conservation. The PPSRNP was also declared as a National Geological Monument on December 11, 2003 by the National Committee on Geological Sciences (NCGS).

The park has a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 kilometer navigable underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the West Philippine Sea. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers. The lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences.

The area also represents a habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site contains a full mountain-to-the-sea ecosystem and has some of the most important forests in Asia. It was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site on December 4, 1999.

Courtesy of puertoprincesa.ph

The Park has a range of forest formations representing eight of the thirteen forest types found in tropical Asia, namely forest over ultramafic soils, forest over limestone soils, montane forest, freshwater swamp forest, lowland evergreen tropical rainforest, riverine forest, beach forest, and mangrove forest. Researchers have identified more than 800 plant species from 300 genera and 100 families. These include at least 295 trees dominated by the dipterocarp type of species. In the lowland forest, large trees such as the Dao (Dracontomelon dao), Ipil (Intsia bijuga), Dita (Alstonia scholaris), Amugis (Koordersiodendrum pinnatum), and Apitong (Dipterocarpus gracilis) are common. Beach forest species include Bitaog (Calophyllum inophyllum), Pongamia pinnata, and Erynthia orientalis. Other notable plant species include Almaciga (Agathis philippinensis), Kamagong (Diospyros pulganensis) Pandan (Pandanus sp.) Anibong, and Rattan ('Calamus sp.)

To vote for Puerto Princesa Underground River for the New 7 Wonders of Nature, visit www.new7wonders.com, or text PPUR to 2861. Please support Puerto Princesa Underground River!

Saint Louis University (SLU) - Baguio City

2011-09-19T11:03:00.001+08:00

St. Louis University Seal

Saint Louis University is regarded as one of the Philippines' respected and leading educational institutions that has grown with the demands of the current and future environments for its students and faculty alike.

Around two hundred fifty kilometers north of Manila lies Baguio City, known to be the "Summer Capital of the Philippines" that enjoys temperate climate all year round. From a village resort established by the Americans, Baguio has become the Northern Philippines' center of business and commerce as well as the center of education. Saint Louis University has played a pivotal role in the evolution of the City into a center for learning in the North.

Today, SLU is the largest university north of Manila with more than 30,000 students from the elementary, high school and college levels. Its reputation for excellence attracts students and scholars not only from the Philippines but from other countries as well. It has sustained itself throughout the past ninety years to become one of the top centers of academic excellence in the Philippines that meet international standards in tertiary education. Most of its programs, from the elementary to the graduate level, have received the highest level of accreditation in the country.

SLU has four campuses: the main campus at A. Bonifacio Street, St. Aloysius de Gonzaga Campus (for Elementary, Teacher Education and Law) at General Luna Road, Navy Base Campus (for High School) in Pacdal and the Maryheights Campus (for Accountancy and Business management) in Bakakeng. It has become the venue for seminars, various fora, and other special events of the public and private sectors in the Cordillera, in addition to the everyday conduct of student life in the University. It has welcomed within its walls an eclectic mix of various cultures, traditions, beliefs and nationalities.

In 1907, the CICM Missionaries arrived in the Philippines, mandated by the Holy See to evangelize the northern part of the country. Pretty soon, it became apparent that Baguio, then a small mountain village resort in the province of Benguet, around two hundred and fifty kilometers north of Manila, will be pivotal for the region. With an elevation of at least 1,500 meters above sea level, Baguio is a natural gateway to and from the Cordillera mountain range, which traverses the Mountain Provinces (Montañosa), the home of numerous indigenous tribes.

Thus it was that in 1911, Rev Fr Séraphin Devesse, CICM, founded a one-room elementary school in Baguio for ten local boys. From these humble origins, Saint Louis School began .

In 1915, the intermediate grades and a trade school were started under the guidance of Florimond Carlu.

In 1921, the high school was inaugurated.

In 1952, college-level courses in the Liberal Arts and Commerce were offered, and Saint Louis College had its first Rector. Other courses and further developments soon followed, under the guidance of the following Rectors/Presidents-

1952-54 Gerard Decaestecker
1954-62 Albert Van Overbeke
1962-64 Gerard Linssen
1964-76 Paul Zwaenepoel
1976-83 Ghisleen De Vos
1983-96 Joseph Van den Daelen
1996-2005 Paul Van Parijs
2005-present Jessie M. Hechanova

In 1955, the graduate-level programs of Saint Louis College were granted recognition, but the real turning point came on 13 May 1963, when Saint Louis College was conferred University status by the Philippine Government.

From the one-room Saint Louis School for ten boys in 1911, Saint Louis University has grown to a four campus University with more than thirty buildings catering to more than thirty thousand students.

1. Saint Louis University Official Website

La Mesa Ecopark - Quezon City

2011-08-17T16:56:00.001+08:00

The La Mesa Watershed and Eco-Park, a dam and an ecological reservation site in East Fairview, Quezon City, Philippines, is part of the Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system, which supplies most of the water supply of Metro Manila and is adjacent to the Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges bounded by Caloocan, Quezon City and Rizal Province. The La Mesa Dam is an earth dam whose reservoir can hold up to 50.5 million cubic meters occupying an area of 27 square kilometers.

La Mesa Ecopark at Quezon City, Metro Manila

It is owned by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), a government water supply government agency and is jointly operated along with the Local Government of Quezon City, Bantay Kalikasan (ABS-CBN) and other private companies.

The La Mesa Ecopark, one of the oldest parks in Metro Manila, is a 33 hectare park located in the 2, 700-hectare La Mesa Watershed. The park was inaugurated on April 28, 2004 and is a product of the joint effort of the QC government, MWSS, and ABS-CBN’s Bantay Kalikasan Foundation, among other donors, to generate income to help with the reforestation of the area surrounding the watershed and to create funds for the watershed’s maintenance. The Ecopark sits on 2700 hectares, divided between 700 hectares of the reservoir and 2000 hectares of forest.

The Ecopark is a popular outdoor destination for school and corporate field trips and activities.. It has a public saltwater swimming pool complex, a 5 hectare Lopez Picnic Grounds, areas for camping, a Superferry Boating Lagoon, a Petron Fitness and Mountain Bike Trail with 17 exercise stations and 1.2 km mountain bike trail, 2 hectares of Shell Flower Terraces, amphitheater, orchidarium, adventure zone, and an eco museum.

It is accessible and can be reached in few minutes from Commonwealth Ave.via Winston St. (before Datamex College of St. Adeline, front of Metrobank and BPI Fairview), Pearl Drive or Camaro St. (near PLDT Fairview and Fairview General Hospital) where several tricycles are stationed.

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM)

2011-08-12T07:07:00.000+08:00

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) is a pioneer, a leader, and a model institution of higher learning in the Philippines.

The Philippines' Commission on Higher Education has cited PLM as a model for public institutions across the country. Further, it has cited several PLM programs and departments as Centers of Excellence. Studies show that PLM is among the top five schools nationwide in terms of board exam passing rate where it is one among three public universities in the top ten category.

PLM is a chartered institution created by the Congress of the Philippines by virtue of Republic Act No. 4196, now known as the University Charter. This national law was approved by the President of the Republic of the Philippines on 19 June 1965, coinciding with the day of birth of the National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, whose high regard for education as the most potent cure for virulent social ills has inspired the creation of the University.

With the distinction as the first tuition-free institution of higher learning in the Philippines and perhaps in Asia, PLM formally opened its doors on 17 July 1967 with an excellent idea of admitting five hundred fifty-six (556) freshman scholars, all coming from the top ten percent of the graduating class of Manila's then-twenty-nine public high schools, thus, making outstanding excellence an inalienable birthright of Pamantasan.

As the University Charter has provided for, the city government of Manila underwrites the cost of PLM's undergraduate education to maintain the close and direct aperture to high quality education by the city's intellectually-gifted but financially-disadvantaged youth.

PLM is the first institution of higher learning in the Philippines to have its official name in Filipino -- Pamantasan -- a name more contextually significant than its English equivalent in that it connotes wisdom, thereby giving immediate notice that the main goal of a true university is the creation of wisdom, which means nothing short of total understanding as well as the production not principally of mere professionals but wise men or "pantas."

PLM is also the first university funded solely by a municipal government in the country, thus, making it the first university in the country that is involved in the variegated and multifarious activities of a local community, which is the City of Manila, hence, the first multiversity. It is the first community university ("communiversity") as well as the first socially-conscious university in the country.

Its primary service is the provision of a completely free high-quality tertiary education to the financially less-privileged but exceptionally talented graduates of the City of Manila's public high schools. As such, PLM students hold the distinction as the scholars of the premier and capital city of the Republic of the Philippines.

As an expression of its social responsibility and in order to help democratize admission to quality higher education, Pamantasan opened its doors to other private and public high school graduates outside of Manila on a highly-subsidized scholarship program.

A few decades after PLM's establishment, many local governments followed the way and pursued the social vision shared by PLM. With some 30 other member-universities across the country, PLM serves as the national headquarters of the Association of Local Colleges and Universities since its establishment in 1996.

With twelve (12) colleges, two (2) professional schools, seven (7) graduate schools, revitalized distance learning programs, an integrated learning center for toddlers and a score of specialized centers, PLM is proud to be among the top universities in the country today with affiliations and recognitions of outstanding excellence from various national and international organizations and institutions.

So much of a distinction the PLM has achieved that it has been cited as among the best and topnotch institutions of higher learning in the country. Based on the reports of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC), PLM ranks among the top five schools and is one among only three public universities in the top ten category.

As a testament to this excellence, the CHED has publicly commended PLM for its unprecedented track record in scaling great heights yet unmeasured in the country which fittingly serves as a model university for all locally-funded institutions of higher learning to emulate -- citing further that "PLM's excellence is beyond doubt and a class of its own."

The late Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal, who himself was a poor young scholar, said when he visited the University in the late 1960s that PLM is "a unique university because it is the first community-oriented and socially-conscious university in the country." He added that, "it gives poor but deserving public high school graduates of the community the means to acquire higher education." Moreover, he recognized PLM's emerging status as "one of the top universities in the country." About four decades later, his daughter who followed his footsteps as President of the country, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, cited PLM in 2003 for exuding a "culture of excellence" and commended the university for what the national government believes as PLM's "impressive" accomplishments in various fields.

The country's leading newspaper, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, described PLM as a local university with a national character and reputation. US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney, in her speech during the 40th Commencement Exercises at the PLM Grandstand, praised PLM for building a "culture of commitment to public service in its students, faculty and alumni." In an article in the Business Mirror, PLM is considered as the "highest symbol of Manila’s public educational system which radiates another form of power and influence." Many websites, including that of the Manila Board, regard PLM as among the leading and prime public universities in the country today.

In accepting his nomination as the new PLM President, the national spokesperson of the Genuine Opposition, Atty. Adel Tamano, wrote in his column at the Manila Times that PLM is "a unique learning institution" and is "essentially an honors school where only the students from lower income families with excellent scholastic records are admitted."

Today, after 45 years of outstanding excellence, it serves as the training ground for a higher dimension of intellectual maturity for about 12,000 undergraduate scholars and 1,000 graduate students annually -- of about 13,000 great men and women envisioned to be the leaders of the future -- under whose able hands will spell and chart out a better future for our beloved city and our dear country.

1. Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila Official Website

University of St. La Salle (USLS)

2011-08-09T07:33:00.001+08:00

University of St. La Salle Logo

The University of St. La Salle, a non-stock and non-profit corporation, was established in 1952 by seven American Brothers under the umbrella of the Philippine Province of the Brothers of the Christian Schools which is an international institute of religious dedicated to the service of mankind with special concern for the poor, through education.

As a Catholic institution of learning offering to both men and women an educational program designed to develop their talents and abilities towards becoming truly contributing members of society, the University Of St. La Salle is committed to a curriculum that emphasizes person-development as an integrated and wholistic process of spiritual, social, intellectual and physical growth.

The institution was elevated to university status on July 5, 1988, with the College of Engineering, College of Education, College of Nursing, College of Law and the Graduate School.

The Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Accountancy and Education obtained PAASCU Level 3 accreditation.

The following programs have been designed as CHED Centers of Development: Business and Accountancy, Chemical Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, and Computer Engineering.

In SY 1993, the College of Law was opened in inauguration rites.

On March 2, 1996, a new campus was christened in ground breaking rites at Granada, the future site of a Science and Ecological Park.

In SY 2002, the University of St. La Salle opened the College of Medicine.

Throughout its existence, the University has produced topnotchers in board and bar examinations, and maintained superior passing rates.

The University has produced leaders in the field of business and industry, art and culture sports and education, the various professions, and public service.

In its 50 years of service, the University continues to keep faith with the with the vision and mission of St. John Baptist de La Salle, proclaimed by the Catholic Church as the Patron Saint of Teachers.

1. University of St. La Salle Official Website

Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes- San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan

2011-08-01T17:28:00.003+08:00

Replica of Our Lady of Lourdes Church

Our Lady of Lourdes Church and Grotto is located in Graceville, San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, just a few minutes from Quezon City. It is accessible by means of jeepney, bus and other public utility vehicles from major points in Bulacan and Metro Manila.

An exact replica of the Lourdes Grotto in France, it features a mock hill calvary where life-size statues depict the passion and death of Jesus Christ. This grotto attracts big crowds during the Lenten season. This was built by a Filipino who had cancer and was healed by his faith in Our Lady of Lourdes.

This religious place offers peace of mind and calmness of nature away from the noisy and busy streets of Bulacan, Metro Manila and neighboring provinces. A perfect place for reflections, prayers and recollection.

The replicas of Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in the Philippines are also found in Cotabato City, Mindanao and Baguio City, Benguet.

University of San Jose - Recoletos (USJR)

2011-07-27T07:45:00.000+08:00

University of San Jose - Recoletos

Founded in 1947 by the Order of Augustinian Recollects, then Colegio de San Jose-Recoletos developed from a small institution of learning to one of the excellent schools in the country. From classes held in an old building and a portion of the convent, the school built modern retaining classic features.

In 1965, the Recoletos Church was demolished, and in 1968, the six-storey edifice was built. In 1980, CSJ-R bought a new site in Basak Pardo, Cebu City, then built the new building for the grade and high schools, the Recoletos Coliseum, Open Gymnasium and the Pope John Paul II Retreat House. In 1996, the Talavera House of Prayer was built in the scenic hills of Quiot, Cebu City.

The years that followed gave the school opportunities to expand, all the time developing QUALITY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY-ORIENTED EDUCATION. On November 28, 1998, the 52nd General Chapter held in Granada, Spain, voted for the creation of a new Religious Province in the Philippines dedicated to ST. EZEKIEL MORENO, OAR. The Recollect Philippine Province, where USJ-R belongs, now stands as the eighth regional cluster of communities of the ORDER of AUGUSTINIAN RECOLLECT worldwide.

The curricular programs of USJ-R evolved from traditional to innovative course offerings. Arts and Sciences (started as liberal arts in 1947); Education (1947); Commerce (1948); Engineering (1961); Bachelor of Laws (1957); and the Graduate School (1962). In 2003, the College of Information, Computer and Communications Technology was created. The Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) followed in the same year. On April 1, 2004, the Vertical Alignment of the undergraduate and graduate schools took effect which established five graduate schools: Graduate School of Business and Management, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Information Technology and Computer Studies, Graduate School of Education and Graduate School of Engineering. In June 2004, the B.S. in Nursing started its first operation.

On September 21, 1984, then CSJ-R attained the UNIVERSITY STATUS. Spanning years of accreditation and re-accreditation, USJ-R, Level 3, PAASCU, was granted AUTONOMOUS STATUS by CHED in 2001.

The growth of USJ-R had been largely due to the Recoletos leadership n cooperation with the lay community. Rev. F. Martin Legarra, OAR (1947-1958), Rev. F. Federico Terradillos, OAR (1958-1961), Rev. Fr. Pedro Peña, OAR (1961-1964), Rev. Fr. Francisco Monasterio, OAR (1964-1970), Rev. Fr. Miguel Navarro, OAR (1970-1971), First Filipino Rector, Fr. Victor Lluch, OAR (1971-1973), Rev. Fr. Francisco Siquenza, OAR (1973-1976), Rev. Fr. Blas J. Montenegro, OAR (1976-1979), Rev. Fr. Hernando D. Coja, OAR (1979-1981), Rev. Fr. Rafael E. Cabarles, OAR (1982-1987), Rev. Fr. Emeterio D. Buñao, OAR (1988-1999), Rev. Fr. Walthrode Conde, OAR (2000-2003), Rev. Fr. Constantino Real, OAR (2003-2006). In 2003, Rev. Fr. Anthony A. Morillo, OAR, became the next president.

Through the years, USJ-R has been reaping awards in academic, community and co-curricular programs. It has continuously expanded its linkages and maximized services.

USJ-R’s administrators, faculty, alumni and students have continuously become pacesetters and created a difference. Always keeping the TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE, USJ-R is committed to the upliftment of the quality of life in the context of Christian living. ADELANTE!

1. University of San Jose - Recoletos (USJR)

University of the Visayas (UV)

2011-07-25T07:14:00.001+08:00

University of the Visayas

The University of the Visayas is a nine-campus, province-wide system of higher education and lower level laboratory schools.

There are two campuses in Cebu City: the main campus occupying almost one city block bounded by Colon, D. Jakosalem and Sanciangko Streets and a laboratory high school in Pardo. The main campus today has six multi-storey buildings including a gymnasium.

The Gullas Medical Center located at Banilad, Mandaue City, houses the Vicente Gullas Memorial Hospital, the Gullas College of Medicine, the UV College of Nursing, the Gullas College of Dentistry, the Tan Kim Ching Cancer Center and the up-coming Cosmetic Surgery Center, including other health-related courses.

Vicente Gullas Memorial Hospital is a 100-bed Tertiary Care Hospital accredited by PhilHealth.

UV has a port in Punta Engano, Lapulapu City for the Maritime College's students practical training at sea.

The other campuses are in the cities of Mandaue, Danao and Toledo and in the towns of Compostela, Minglanilla and Dalaguete in the province of Cebu.

The University of the Visayas was granted autonomous status by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for continuing exemplary performance in the trilogy of functions of higher education namely; instruction, research and public service, and in recognition of the outstanding performance of its graduates, which manifests its genuine commitment to quality, excellence and global competitiveness effective July 15, 2010 until July 14, 2013.

The benefits of the university’s autonomous status are:

Exemption from the issuance of Special Order (S.O.).
Free from the constant monitoring and evaluation activities of CHED.
Entitlement to grant of subsidies and other financial incentives or assistance from CHED.
Privilege to determine and prescribe their own curricular programs to achieve global competence.
Privilege to offer new programs without securing permit from CHED.
Privilege to offer extension classes and distance education programs or courses.
Authority to grant Honoris Causa to those deserving.

The University of the Visayas, was granted deregulated status by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for continuing exemplary performance in the trilogy of functions of higher education namely; instruction, research and public service, and in recognition of the outstanding performance of its graduates, which manifests its genuine commitment to quality, excellence and global competitiveness effective May 27, 2010 to May 26, 2013.

The University of the Visayas College of Business Administration was recognized as a Center of Development for providing quality instruction, research and extension services as per CEB Resolution No. 161-2010 by the Commission on Higher Education on the 5th day of November at CHED Auditorium, CP Garcia Ave., Diliman Quezon City

FOUNDING THE VISAYAN INSTITUTE

The University of the Visayas was founded by the late Don Vicente Gullas in 1919. His purpose was to provide young people from average-income families to acquire high school and tertiary education.

The first class of the Visayan Institute (the original name of the UV) consisted only of 37 high school students who occupied two rented rooms in the City Intermediate School (now the City Central School) in the Osmeña Avenue.

The following school year the enrollment increased to 87 students. To accommodate them Gullas rented a semi-concrete building owned by Mr. and Mrs. Candido Rubi in barangay Kamagayan at the corner of Juan Luna and P. del Rosario streets.

On the third year of operation, another building was rented, this time at the back of the main building. Situated beside the Cebu railroad station, two buildings had eleven rooms all of which had a capacity of the 45 to 50 students.

For physical education classes, the V.I. students were allowed to use the grounds of the Cebu Normal School and for a library they made use of the books at the public library near Fuente Osmeña.

In 1926, the Rubi and other buildings were completely burned down. As a result, classes had to be held in the twelve-room Tisa building at the corner of Colon and Norte America Streets (now D. Jakosalem Street). It was a Spanish-style builing with tiled roofs and bricks walling; however the rooms were small and could accommodate only about forty-five students.

The UV through the Years

The following year, the Visayan Institute again moved to another building in P. Gomez street near the Metropolitan Cathedral. (This building later was occupied by the little Flower Academy). For Home Economics classes, another building was rented in La Solidaridad street near the present site of the University of Southern Philippines.

Six years later the school transferred to still another location, this time at the former Sun Yat Sen School building, the place now occupied by the Cebu Eastern College at D. Jakosalem Street.

Sometime in 1935, Don Juan Rivera, the father-in-law of Vicente Gullas, purchased a lot which was formerly the site of the YMCA building in Colon street, the present site of the Don Juan Rivera Building (named in his honor). In 1936 they purchased the YMCA building itself and another one which they converted into classrooms. Remodeled the building contained 20 classrooms, ten on both sides of the U-shape office.

After the war in 1945, the Visayan Institute first opened classes in the poblacion of Argao. Then a year later it transferred to its present site in Colon street.

After post-war reopening, an upsurge of students made it imperative for the school to construct several structures made of light materials to house its various levels of program. Then starting in 1948 after it was granted a university status, Mr. and Mrs. Gullas embarked on a building construction program, which with the help of brothers Eduardo’ and Jose (Dodong) Gullas reached its peak in the 1960’s and 70’s with the construction of several five-storey concrete buildings.

Towards the next two decade, new courses such as master of education, engineering, maritime, criminology and nursing were opened. In the early 1994 the Gullas Medical Center and the College of Medicine were opened in Banilad.

In 1992 PACUCOA accreditations were granted to four of UV’s college programs, thereby signifying the University’s attainment of excellence in tertiary education.

1. University of the Visayas Official Website

National College of Business and Arts (NCBA)

2011-07-24T13:40:00.002+08:00

National College of Business & Arts

In 1968, at the corner of R. Papa and Lepanto streets, between the two giants in Philippine private education (University of the East with its mammoth population of 65,000 and Far Eastern University with its 47.000 enrollment), a small building was erected to house a small school - National College of Business and Arts.

Founder is the late Dr. Doroteo S. Pasion, a well-known educator (former Dean of Commerce of San Beda College, former CPA Review director of the University of the East, and former President of PSBA)., lawyer, accountant, author and civic leader. Dr. Pasion launched NCBA as a public service, together with four others who believed in the NCBA concept : Col. Rafael Q. Yap-Diangco, Atty. Jose R. Torres, Jr., Mrs. Gloria C. Menez, and Mrs. Lourdes L. Sarabia.

Keeping to its founder's vision, NCBA has opted to remain as a specialized school and its growth, measured and steady through the years. From that small edifice along R. Papa St., NCBA slowly expanded its academic programs and facilities with the single purpose of producing for the nation the type of educated manpower it needs for its development and well being.

When NCBA opened in 1968, its offering were limited to the following courses: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts, the Two-Year course in Secretarial Administration and its own CPA Review. Next, the NCBA High School was opened in school year 1973-74 followed by its additional offerings of short terminal courses in Cooperative, Salesmanship, Bookkeeping and Accounting, and Small Business Management in school year 1974-75.

Today, more than 40 years after its founding, NCBA boast of a complete package of academic offering - from preparatory school to an expanded tertiary education program and post graduate courses.Courses offered now include Bachelor in Elementary Education (BEEd), BSEd Engl, BSEd Biological Science, BS in Information System, AB English, BSHRM, BSIS, BSA, BSBA major in Financial Management (BSBA FM), BSBA major in Operation Management (BSBA OM), BSBA major in Marketing Management (BSBA MM), BSBA major in Hotel Resource Development Management(BS HRDM). Its Graduate Offers Master in Public Administration and Master in Business Administration major in Finance and Human Resources Management.

Since its founding, NCBA has endeavored continually to perpetuate its educational policy: to offer and provide, both in facilities and teaching force, a complete education to young men and women and equip them with the skills and training to become responsible citizens and future leaders of our country.

1. National College of Business and Arts Official Website

Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU)

2011-07-21T08:05:00.000+08:00

Lyceum of the Philippines Universi

Lyceum of the Philippines University prides itself with its long and rich tradition of Academic Excellence through the legacy of its founder, Dr. Jose P. Laurel. The only president to have served in all three branches of the Government, Dr. Laurel was a successful lawyer, legislator, constitutionalist, jurist, writer, scholar, statesman, philosopher, and above all things, an educator. Dr. Laurel’s concern for education was his most abiding passion. A graduate of top educational institutions such as University of the Philippines College of Law, Escuela de Derecho, University of Santo Tomas and Yale University, his credentials as an educator were unassailable. He wrote extensively on Education and managed to teach in several educational institutions on Manila, despite his numerous commitments.

During the Second World War, as the leader of the nation during its darkest period in its history, he introduced educational policies that emphasized and upheld national morale and character. As a senator after the war, he authored the law creating the National Education Board alongside Sen. Claro M. Recto.

The inspiration to establish a school came to him in the early 1920’s while a student at Yale. Three decades later, along with some of his close friends, he turned this dream into a reality. With the aim of becoming a center of academic excellence in the Philippines and the Far East, Lyceum of the Philippines University (then still a college) formally opened its doors to the public on July 7, 1952.

With his admiration for knowledge and his appreciation of classical thought, Dr. Laurel named the school Lyceum of the Philippines after Lykeios, the site in ancient Athens where the great philosopher Aristotle nurtured the minds of his protégées. The school’s motto, “Veritas et Fortitudo, Pro Deo et Patria”, reflects Dr. Laurel’s belief in the value of learning and character formation for God and country.

Unfortunately, Dr. Laurel unexpectedly died in 1959 while at work.

On his third son, Sotero, who was then in the practice of law, fell the mantle of responsibility of running the school. He was the natural choice as in years earlier it was Senator Sotero who helped his father organize Lyceum and acted as the first executive secretary to his father, the school President, before resuming his law practice.

For the next forty-three years, it was this chosen son, Sotero, who nurtured the school and made it grow beyond Manila into the provinces.

In 1966, he founded the Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas followed by Lyceum of the Philippines-Laguna in 2000. Both campuses are now headed by Senator Laurel’s fourth son, Peter, who was elected President in 2000.

In 2008, another campus in Cavite was established to bring the total number of LPU campuses to four with a grand total enrollment of approximately 25,000 students, about 10,000 of whom are enrolled in various hospitality courses.

Senator Laurel’s eldest son, Atty. Roberto Laurel, heads the Manila and Cavite Campuses as President.

1. Lyceum of the PhilippinesUniversity

New Era University (NEU)

2011-07-20T12:36:00.000+08:00

New Era University - Quezon City

Beginning as the New Era Educational Institute (NEEI) in June 1975, the school offered secondary education in a building purchased by the Iglesia Ni Cristo in Quiapo, Manila. Twenty-three teachers and 466 students pioneered the school’s operation.

On June 1977, NEEI was formally incorporated under Republic Act 1459 as a private non-stock, non- sectarian, non-profit educational institution aiming to develop academic excellence, professional responsibility, and social awareness founded on genuine Christian principles

During the school year 1977-1978, NEEI offered vocational and technical courses under the Non-Formal Education Program.

In 1978, the Collegiate Department opened in Diliman, Quezon City occupying the third and fourth floors of the Evangelical College building. The first and second levels served as the training center of the Church for would-be ministers. Twelve collegiate courses were initially offered: Bachelor of Arts (AB) major in Economics and in Mass Communications, Bachelor of Science (BS) major in Psychology, BS Industrial Education, BSBA Management, BSBA Banking & Finance, BSBA Marketing and the two-year Junior Secretarial Course. In the field of Engineering and Technology, BS Civil Engineering, BS Electrical Engineering, BS Electronics & Communications Engineering, BS Management & Industrial Engineering, and BS Mechanical Engineering were offered.

In 1981, NEEI assumed the name New Era College (NEC) after it was granted recognition by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports.

In 1982, NEC held its first commencement exercises and conferred the degrees of Bachelor of Science (major in Psychology), BS Industrial Education, and BS Business Administration on twelve graduates.

The Graduate School was established during the school year 1983-1984 offering the course Master of Arts in College Teaching. The program on Bachelor of Elementary Education and Bachelor of Secondary Education also started this year.

In 1984, NEC opened its Pre-school and Elementary Department.

On May 10, 1986, the new and permanent campus of New Era College along St. Joseph Street, Milton Hills, New Era, Quezon City was inaugurated. In view of the then peace and order situation surrounding the vicinity of the Manila Campus, the High School Department and Non-Formal Education unit transferred to the new campus in New Era, Quezon City. This brought together all the departments of the college under the roof of the new four-storey building.

In 1994, NEC established branches in City of San Fernando, Pampanga and in General Santos City. During the school year 1997-1998, these extensions started offering high school education as first year classes were opened initially. On June 5, 1998, the General Santos City branch inaugurated its very own campus in a half-hectare land area.

On June 30, 1995, the college was granted university status by the Commission on Higher Education. The school was officially named New Era University.

The New Era University started a year-long Silver Jubilee celebration with the inauguration of the NEU Lipa City campus on a sprawling four-hectare land in Brgy. Marawoy on May 5, 2000.

The Lipa City campus has four buildings, including two five-storey edifices, built on a total land area of 27, 687 sq. meters in Villa San Jose, Marawoy, Lipa City. It initially offered Pre-School and Elementary Education.

The New Era University College of Law opened in June 2000 after the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) granted it a permit to operate for the first year level of the course. The opening coincided with the 25th anniversary of NEU, which was established in 1975.

Inspired by the attainment of university status and motivated by the challenge of excellence in education, New Era University submitted itself to voluntary accreditation. In 1996, the Association of Christian Schools and Colleges Accrediting Agency, Inc. (ACSC-AAI) granted Level 1 accreditation to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS). On the same year, the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities - Commission on Accreditation (PACU-COA) awarded Level 1 accreditation to the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), College of Education (CEd), and College of Business Education and Administration (CBEA). SGS and CEd both attained level 2 accreditation in 1997. The Elementary, Pre-school and High School Departments were awarded Level 1 accreditation in 1998 while CAS and CBEA qualified for Level 2 accreditation in 1999.

After another accreditation visit, the Pre-school, Elementary and High School Departments were given Level 2 recognition.

The peacefulness, orderliness, brotherly love and reverence for the words of God that govern the day to day order of things in the school inspire the development and maximization of the students’ potentials in different fields. The Elementary Department and the High School Department have garnered laurels in creative and journalistic writing competitions in quiz bees, in the performing arts, and even in sports. A most notable achievement was when an NEU school grader won in the United Nations Population Fund International Poster Making Competition held in New York, U.S.A.

The College Department has also produced its own breed of achievers. The NEU varsity teams have contributed players to the Philippines’ national volleyball and basketball teams, as well as to the Philippine Amateur Basketball League. NEU engineering graduates have placed in the top ten list of engineering board examinations. NEU made news in the national scene when one of its graduates garnered the number one post in the 1992 Professional Board Examination for Teachers taken by 142, 133 examinees nationwide. The Accountancy program of the College of Business Education and Administration has also performed well in the CPA board examinations.

Side by side with its academic functions, NEU also fulfills its socio-civic responsibility towards the larger community that lies beyond its walls. The students, faculty and staff members, and administrators all do their share in conducting community extension service. A very impressive project is the Balik-Aral program for out-of-school youth conducted by NEU in close coordination with the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) and the Iglesia Ni Cristo Social Services Department. This Program brings classes for the out-of-school youth right in their own vicinity using the local facilities of the Church, the expertise of NEU-trained teachers and the teaching-learning modules from the DECS.

1. New Era University (NEU) Official Website

Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU)

2011-07-17T13:37:00.001+08:00

Our Lady of Fatima University

41 years ago marked the auspicious beginnings of what is to become a premier educational institution in the country particularly in the field of medicine, nursing, and paramedical courses. It all started when Jose C. Olivares, a chemistry professor by vocation but with strong entrepreneurial spirit, and his son-in-law, Dr. Vicente M. Santos, an obstetrician, founded the Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in 1967. It soon became the primary provider of medical services to the residents of Valenzuela and its neighboring towns. With a vision of creating medical complex that will be a training center for competent health care providers, Mr. Olivares created the Fatima Medical Science Foundation Inc., and initially established the Our Lady of Fatima College of Nursing in 1973.

More curricular programs were added in the 1970’s including courses in Midwifery, Chemistry, and Veterinary Medicine. More buildings were erected to accommodate the rapidly growing student populace.

In June 1979, the Fatima College of Medicine welcomed its pioneer batch of medical students with Dean Filemon T. Gozum, M.D. at the helm of the academic program. Underscoring its civic and humanitarian calling, the Fatima Medical Science Foundation Inc., established the Leonora Juzgaya Scholarship Grant, which bestows free tuition, board and lodging and textbooks to financially challenged but academically gifted medical students.

Through the years, the Our Lady of Fatima University has responded to the rapid changes in medical science and technology and the social milieu through constant modernization of its facilities and continuing development of its faculty. From the 1980’s through the 1990’s the country witnessed the development of OLFU with the inclusion of other courses and programs such as Physical Therapy, Hotel & Restaurant Management, Computer Studies, Maritime Education and Criminology.

In 1996, OLFU opened a new campus in Hilltop Subdivision in Fairview, Quezon City that provided the same course offerings as that of OLFU-Valenzuela.

The unrelenting and concerted efforts to establish a center of excellence in the medical sciences and other disciplines by the administration, faculty and staff of the Our Lady of Fatima College have finally come to fruition. As an affirmation of the institution’s commitment to uphold the highest standard and quality of education, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) granted the College the University status in December 2, 2002 by virtue of Resolution No. 401, series of 2002. Dr. Vicente M. Santos, Sr. was installed as the first president of the University in solemn investiture rites held on December 18 at the main campus in Valenzuela City. After that, the university was granted “deregulated” status by the CHED, a privilege given only to selected private universities.

With the status of University, OLFU in 2003, offered Bachelor of Secondary Education and Bachelor of Elementary Education. It has since then produced teachers that mentor students in private and public schools throughout the country.

In 2007, in answer to the growing demand to establish more OLFU campuses, the administration purchased and developed a 4-hectare area that is now OLFU-Antipolo. The sprawling campus provides the same course offerings as in its sister campuses.

In 2009, the Commission on Higher Education awarded the University, Autonomous Status for its ‘accomplishments, adherence to quality assurance, and commitment to public responsibility and accountability as a higher education institution’. As an autonomous higher educational institution, OLFU has attained what several educational institutions strive for but few attain.

In the same year, OLFU’s College of Nursing was cited as a Center of Development by the Commission on Higher Education; and in 2010, the College of Nursing was awarded Level III by Philippine Association of Colleges, Universities Commission on Accreditation PACUCOA.

To date, the Our Lady of Fatima University has 3 campuses: Valenzuela City (Main Campus), Quezon City (Hilltop Campus), and Antipolo City.

1. Our Lady of Fatima University

Mapua Institute of Technology

2011-07-12T17:38:00.000+08:00

Mapua Institute of Technology

The Mapúa Institute of Technology, more widely known as Mapua, is an 80-year old technology-centered institution of higher education located in the heart of Manila. With approximately 15,000 students enrolled under its different programs, it is by far the biggest engineering school in the Philippines accounting for about 8% of the field’s graduates in the country every year. The Institute also runs a pre-engineering high school with roughly 1,800 students in the neighboring area of Pandacan. The name of the academe takes its origin from its founder, Don Tomas Mapúa, a graduate of Cornell University and indisputably one of the pillars of Philippine architecture. The Institute was fully owned by the Mapúa family from its conception until 1999 when it was acquired 100% by the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC) through a company now known as iPeople, Inc. At present, Ambassador Alfonso T. Yuchengco chairs the Mapúa Board of Trustees while Alfonso S. Yuchengco, III sits as Vice-Chairman.

The Institute prides itself with the notable quality of its architecture and engineering programs, which has been demonstrated time and again in the long history of topnotch performance by its graduates in the government-administered professional licensure examinations. Under the new YGC management, the quality of instruction is being enhanced even as new dimensions are being added to the Institute's mission. Aside from excellence in teaching, the Institute now aims to develop its research, as well as consultancy and community extension capabilities. To this end, it considers as its mission not only to transmit but also to generate and apply knowledge. The Institute thus commits itself to be at the frontlines of problem solving for the benefit of the Filipinos and humankind without forgetting that the core of its strength lies and shall continue to lie in its engineering and architecture educational programs that are well-balanced by the two-year general education curriculum in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

In recognition of the growing needs for IT professionals locally and worldwide, the Institute is establishing more programs in IT through regular degree and two-year associate degree programs, as well as short-term programs for specific and special competencies. The School of IT and the Center for Continuing Education and Special Competencies handle the latter curriculum.

To put its consultancy services on solid organizational footing, the Institute likewise very recently established a wholly-owned subsidiary, the Mapúa TechServ, Inc.

1. Mapúa Institute of Technology

Sandugo Festival - Bohol

2011-07-12T13:37:00.000+08:00

Photo Courtesy of gotouring.com

The month-long Sandugo Festival, tagged as the mother of all festivals, is an annual historical celebration in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, which commemorates the blood compact between Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legaspi and Datu Sikatuna, a chieftain in Bohol, to seal their friendship as part of the tribal tradition. This is considered as the first treaty of friendship between the Spaniards and Filipinos.

The festival used to be held in March until it was changed to July a few years ago to coincide with the annual Tigum Bol-anon Tibuok Kalibutan, a gathering of Boholanos from all around the world. The main highlight of the event is the street dancing competition held along the warm streets of Tagbilaran City.

This celebration re-enact the 16^th century peace treaty occurred on March 16, 1565 through a "sandugo" or blood compact.

“Sandugo” is Visayan word which means "one blood." The Sandugo began with the arrival of Miguel López de Legazpi in Bohol in 1565 and the establishment of allegiance by Datu Sikatuna to the king of Spain. They made a cut on their left arm with a dagger and poured their blood into a cup filled with wine, which they both drank in honor of their friendship.

By performing a blood compact, it preserves the bond of friendship between two tribes. This ceremony was the first treaty of friendship between the natives, and the Spaniards. In honor of this ceremony, the former President of the Philippines Elpidio Quirino established the Order of Sikatuna, a presidential decoration conferred upon politicians. Juan Luna, a Filipino painter, depicted this event in his painting entitled The Blood Compact (El Pacto de Sangre) in 1883. El Pacto de Sangre obtained the first prize in Paris in 1885 and at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of St. Louis in 1904. At that period, it was an important part for tribes to perform the sandugo as part of the peace process.

The Sandugo is depicted in both the provincial flag and the official seal of the government in Bohol. It also features the image of the blood compact. The top of the seal explains the history behind the Sandugo event that occurred in Bohol, the fleet and the location where the Spaniards anchored and the place where the treaty was conducted which was dated on March 16, 1565.