“Aquinas University of Legazpi” now “University of Santo Tomas – Legazpi”

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Philippines has approved the change of name of Aquinas University of Legazpi to University of Santo Tomas – Legazpi.

This member University of ICUSTA is a Catholic higher educational institution in Legazpi City (Albay province). Known as the Dominican university of Bicol (one of the 17 regions in Philippines, in Luzon island), it can trace her beginning on June 8, 1948 when Don Buenaventura de Erquiaga opened the portals of Legazpi Junior Colleges. On 1965, Legazpi College became a Dominican educational institution. On 1968, it would henceforth be known as Aquinas University, the first Catholic university in Southern Luzon. After six years of preparation, the integration of Aquinas University of Legazpi to the University of Santo Tomas campus system was made official.

Even though the university is now part of the UST Campus System, it retained its administrative and fiscal independence from the Main (España) Campus. The integration of Dominican schools into two campus systems began during the regular meeting of Capitular Fathers in 2012. The two campus systems are: UST and Letran. Aside from UST-Legazpi, Angelicum College in Quezon City and Iloilo is also part of the UST campus system. Meanwhile, the Letran campus integration is composed of Letran College in Calamba; Apukay, Bataan; and, Manila.

UST-Legazpi Rector and President Fr. Ernesto Arceo, stated that the extent of the UST integration would focus on the strengthening of the university’s academic programs, faculty and instruction, community extension services, and research. Furthermore, competitive accreditation and excellent licensure examination performances are also important objectives of the university.

The Rector stated: “UST-Legazpi will remain as an institution whose value is connected with the value of every Bicolano and the tradition that is inculcated herein. However, as part of the change, the intensity toward academic excellence will be highly expected”.

For the institutional website, the old domain www.aq.edu.ph will remain active until the new domain, www.ust-legazpi.edu.ph, becomes operational.

Source: University’s institutional web site.