Colegio de San Juan de Letran

Archibasílica de San Juan de Letrán, Rome, Italy. Oldest major basilica in Rome. Called "the mother of all churches". Colegio de San Juan de Letran was named after this basilica.[7]

The name San Juan de Letran is derived from the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, considered as the Mother Church of Christendom.[8] Early in the history of Letran, its chapel was granted many of the privileges enjoyed by the major basilica. Saint John the Baptist, for whom the basilica is named, is the patron saint of Letran.[1]

The college was founded by Don Juan Geromino Guerrero in 1620, a retired Spanish officer and one of the Knights of Malta,[1] in Intramuros as Colegio de Niños Huerfanos de San Juan de Letran. The school was intended to educate and mold orphans to be good Christian citizens.[1]

Around the same time, Fray Diego de Santa Maria, O.P. founded the Colegio de Huerfanos de San Pedro y San Pablo. As Don Guerrero grew old, the two schools were fused together, and in 1630, it simply became known as Colegio de San Juan de Letran.[1][9]

In 1738, under the reign of King Philip V of Spain opened the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and University of Santo Tomas, and six scholarships were granted by the king for Chinese, Japanese, and Tonkinese students. Vicente Liem de la Paz, Letran's foremost alumnus, was among the students who enjoyed this scholarship taking up trivium and quadrivium along with four Tonkinese namely: Jose de Santo Tomas, Juan de Santo Domingo, Pedro Martir and Pedro de San Jacinto.[10]

In May 1865, Letran was graded as a College of the First Class by royal decree ordered by Queen Isabella II and, as a result, the school population rose considerably.[9]

In 1886, rector Fr. Bernardino Nozaleda re-organized the school's curriculum into the Lower, Middle, and Superior grades (Infima, Media y Superior) to conform to modern European and American teaching patterns.[9]

Further expansion took place in 1894 and adjustments were made with the arrival of the Americans in 1900.[10]

After celebrating its tricentennial, Letran was headed by the Rev. Fr. Martin Guillet O.P., who was tasked with replacing Letran's old infrastructure and constructing a new and modern building.

The new facilities were inaugurated and blessed by Rev. Fr. Martin Guillet O.P.. The new St. John the Baptist Building became the Colegio's main building and facade. These events were followed by the construction of the Elementary, High School and College buildings replacing the old structures respectively. The buildings were named after the Dominican founder and saints.

The growth of the Colegio was temporarily halted when the building was bombed in 1941 and turned into a garrison by the Japanese army in 1944. The Colegio was temporarily housed in the Dominican church and convent of San Juan del Monte. In school year 1942, classes were temporarily transferred to the Dominican Sanctuario of San Juan del Monte. After the war, Letran returned to its home in Intramuros and resumed operations in 1946. Several new construction projects were inaugurated to replace the old structures wrecked by the war.[9]

The first Filipino rector and president of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran was Fr. Isidro Katigbak O.P., who served for four straight years. Letran has served by the majority of Spanish rectors and presidents for over 400 years.

The school began accepting female students in its college department in the 1970s while the basic education department started accepting first-year female enrollees in June 2005.[11]

In April 2007, Fr. Tamerlane Lana O.P. was elected rector and president of Letran, of the Intramuros and Abucay campuses, by the Board of Trustees to serve a four-year term until April 2011. Fr. Lana became the 80th rector of the Manila campus.[12][13] Fr. Lana's administration has undertaken the task of changing and upgrading the Colegio's academic standards to meet those required to attain university status.[12] This work also includes the revision of the vision and mission, research development, community service, and the 12-year strategic plan for 2008 until 2020.[14]

Starting academic year 2007–08, Letran became a "wi-fi zone" to cater its students access to the internet.[15]

In October 2007, two former Letran administrators were among the 498 Spanish martyrs beatified by Pope Benedict XVI. They are Fr. Jesus Villaverde Andres, OP, a former rector; and Fr. Antonio Varona Ortega, OP, a former professor and moderator of the NCAA Philippines.[16]

On July 3, 2008, Fr. Lana formally launched the Letran Center for Intramuros Studies (LCIS).[17] The initiative to establish the center sprang from the 12-year development plan as the school hopes to become a leader in cultural and historical studies, particularly on the subject of Intramuros.[17] The day also marked the 435th anniversary of the signing of the royal decree by King Philip II in San Lorenzo, Spain on July 3, 1573, that prescribed the foundation of Hispanic colonial towns, which served as basis for the systematic layout for the establishment of Intramuros, which was known then as Spanish Manila.[17]

In June 2015, Fr. Clarence Victor C. Marquez, O.P. was elected 81st Rector and President of Letran Manila and Bataan.[18][19]

In July 2023, Fr. Raymund Fernando P. Jose, O.P. was elected 82nd Rector and President of Letran Manila and Bataan.

The historical facade of Letran

Also known as the Administration Building, it houses the office of the rector and president. It houses the Admission Office, Financial Affairs Office, The Letran Center for Intramuros Studies Office (LCIS), Guidance Counselor Office, the Information Technology Center, College of Business Administration and Accountancy, College of Education, and the Institute of Information Technology. The bookstore, lobby, and chapel are also in this building. The St. John Lateran convent of the Letran Dominican Fathers is located here.

The former St. Antoninus Building is dedicated in honor of Our Lady of Aranzazu, where the Arch-confraternity of Nuestra Senora de Aranzazu was solemnly established in Letran on December 16, 1772, by virtue of a pontifical brief issued by Benedict XIV on September 18, 1748. It holds the promenade and Salon de Actos (student lounge).[20]

The building who was named after the founder of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). This building houses classrooms, Science and Psychology Laboratory, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and The Institute of Communication.

This building houses the Library and Media Center for Communication Arts students. The Media Center has two sections: Instructional Media and Broadcast Media. It provides human and material resources for instructional and broadcast purposes. Among the facilities are an audio-video library, viewing rooms, instructional media resources for circulation. Services include lending of instructional materials, rendering the execution of art work, photo coverage and black-and-white photo developing and printing. For broadcast media facilities, the TV production studio, radio production and studio post-production. Services offered are audio and video production and editing, video coverage, etc. Several facilities are the Apple Mac-Lab Editing Suite, TV Studio, Radio Mini Station and many more. The library is divided into sections:

• Filipiniana Section
• Circulation Section
• High School Library
• Graduate School Library
• Media Library
• Internet Section
• Periodical Section
• Archives Section

The St. Thomas Building has a television for televiewing purposes.

The former High School Building, St. Raymond of Peñafort houses the Office of the Vice Rector for Religious Affairs. It includes the Accounting Stock Room, Lost and Found Office, Hospitality Management Facility, Auxiliary Services, Audit Services, Letran Alumni Association Office, and the Center for Community Development Office. The school clinic is in this building.

This building is also known as the Student Center Building because it houses student facilities such as the canteens, a modern 400-seat auditorium, Office of the Student Affairs, Letran Student Council Office, the Graduate School faculty room and student lounge, six SC classrooms, Thesis Section, The Lance Publication Office, and the Office of the Dean in Graduate School.

This building serves the basic education department, the College of Engineering, and it also houses the music room and speech laboratory.

Blessed Antonio Varona Gym

It serves as the headquarters of maintenance and housekeeping of the Colegio.

It is the home of the Knights and Squires, Letran's collegiate and high school varsity teams that play in the NCAA and other sports tournaments, located right across the Student Center Building along Beaterio Street in Intramuros. Letran Gym has three physical education classrooms with a centralized air-conditioned unit. It houses the Letran Hall of Fame and the P.E. faculty. The Letran Gym is named in honor of Blessed Antonio Varona, OP, former Letran Professor and Athletics Moderator.

The old gym was demolished in April 2019 and will be replaced by the Quadricentennial Building, a multi-purpose sports facility.[21][22]

The dormitory of Letran Manila located beside the Letran Gym.

The College of Business Administration and Accountancy offers a wide range of business courses especially in management. Letran's CBAA was known as the flagship college of the institution. The college produced many alumni and students who excelled in the field of business: one of these is the prominent Filipino businessman Enrique Zobel de Ayala — the first patriarch of the Zobel de Ayala family.

Same as the CBAA, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences or CLAS is the flagship college offering courses in the Colegio. Its Liberal Studies program offers required subjects in the Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Languages and Health, and Physical Education. It also offers majors in Communication Arts, Psychology, Political Science, AB Advertising, AB Public Relation, AB Journalism, and AB Broadcasting. It likewise offers subjects required in all courses such as Seminar Workshop and Practicum (SWP), Research Methods and Practicum (RMP) where students are required to undertake " on the job training" and come up with a research paper (thesis). Community Service is given a central place in all courses. The CLAS also offers as part of its core curriculum subjects such as theology and other supplemental activities like parish exposure, retreats and recollection, community outreach program to our adopted communities.

CLAS was accredited by the PAASCU in May 2005.

The CLAS also has programs that focus not only improving research in the Colegio, such as evaluation of the panel members, thesis advisers and even the defense proceedings to ensure quality research outputs by our students. The best theses awards program will be implemented this school year.

Foreign languages as electives such as Mandarin, French, Spanish and Japanese are also offered in the CLAS.

Members of the college's staff have been required to have master's degrees and are required to continuously improve themselves academically and professionally by attending seminars, workshops, conferences etc. and to participate in spiritual, social and cultural activities in and out of the Colegio. The annual Echo Seminar organized by the CLAS is an opportunity for all faculty who had attended various activities outside to share their experiences and insights and give impetus to stimulating academic interactions among the faculty. Likewise, the faculty of each area are required to come up with an action research output presented in a colloquium spearheaded by the RPOD. Moreover, the faculty and staff had been encouraged to use Technology as an educational tool in research; to facilitate effectiveness and efficiency in office operation and Instruction.

The Institute of Communication, called iComm, offers programs, several of which are considered as the flagship courses of the Colegio. For 10 consecutive years, students of the Institute of Communication brought home awards from the Catholic Mass Media Awards and Metro Manila Film Festival for student categories. Letran iComm students also won the prominent Student Academy Awards, the IBDA'A Awards. The institute was also awarded as 'School of the year' by the Philippine Quill Awards. And also, IComm has been producing multi-talented students that excels inside the Colegio.

The College of Education began as an area in the College of the Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education in 2002 with an initial enrollment of seventeen students and six teachers in its Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education program. In 2006, the education area separated to become an independent college.[23]

The Colegio started to offer engineering programs in 2012. With the transfer of the Institute of Information Technology, Letran established its youngest college, the College of Engineering and Information Technology (CEIT). The CEIT currently offers four engineering programs and three specialization on the information technology program.[24]

In 2003, Letran Manila was the first[25][26] school to partner with Microsoft for the Microsoft IT Academy program in the Philippines.[25][26] It is one of the academic institutions that offers a degree in Information Technology mapped with the premier certification from Microsoft. It began as an area in the College of the Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education. Starting A.Y. 2012–13, the Institute of Information Technology transferred to the College of Engineering.[24]

The Professional School for Continuing Education in Business of the Letran Graduate School is located at the St. Albert the Great building.

The Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila has a Basic Education department that has been in existence for almost 400 years.[27] Letran started as an all-boys school, then began accepting female enrollees in the first year during the academic year 2005–06 for its basic education program.[27]

The Elementary Level caters a two-year start from pre-school and six years of elementary, Now forming part of the Basic Education Department of the Colegio, the elementary level starts from the first two years of pre-school – Kindergarten and Preparatory – and six years of elementary education. The pupils in this Department are called Pages, the name given to those who are in the first stage of knighthood. Here, pupils are taught the basic rudiments not only of reading, writing, and arithmetic but also of other areas, which include character formation.The Elementary Department of Letran Manila is located at the St. Vincent Ferrer building.

The High School Department is located in the St. Raymond of Penafort building.

Rev. Fr. Rogelio Alarcon, O.P., former rector and president of Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Intramuros, Manila, and an alumnus proposed the idea of having another campus in the north. The province of Bataan was chosen. Initially, two sites in Bataan were presented: Hermosa and Balanga. After three years in the conceptualization stage, a third site, Abucay, was also considered. By what could be described as heavenly intercession and providential twists, Abucay was selected. The community of St. John Lateran, the Board of Colegio de San Juan de Letran and the Council of the Philippine Dominican Province approved the establishment of Letran-Abucay in 1998.

Construction started in 2000 in the fifteen-hectare area, donated by Mayor and Mrs. Liberato Santiago, Mr. and Mrs. Nicanor Soriano, and Gov. and Mrs. Leonardo Roman. Views of the Manila Bay and the surrounding mountains, including Mt. Samat, envelope the site. One of the main attractions of Letran-Abucay is its relatively undisturbed natural area and environment.

Preparations for the establishment of the Letran-Abucay campus spanned over the terms of three Filipino Dominican provincials: Rev. Fr. Quirico Pedregosa, O.P., Rev. Fr. Ernesto Arceo, O.P. and Rev. Fr. Edmund Nantes, O.P., an alumnus. Rev. Fr. Edwin Lao, O.P., former rector and president of Letran-Intramuros spearheaded the over-all construction of the building and the formulation of the guiding principles of the institution. The blessing and inauguration on June 4, 2006, coincided with the gathering of the priors and superiors of the Philippine Dominican Province. Bishop Socrates Villegas, D.D., also an alumnus, officiated the Eucharistic celebration and blessing.

Letran Bataan produced its first batch of graduates in March 2010. Letran Bataan Science High School will open in June 2011.

When the government declared its policy of decongesting Metro Manila, the Dominican Province of the Philippines instituted long-term plans which included the establishment of an extension school in Laguna. This plan was prepared by the Commission for the Planning of the Ministry of the Word.

An 11-hectare tract of land along the foothills of the legendary Mount Makiling in Bucal, Calamba, Laguna, was chosen as the site.

The school was founded on March 11, 1979. Rev. Fr. Ramon Salinas, OP was the project director; Rev. Fr. Jesse Lorete, OP served as the Coordinator of Student/Personnel Services; and Mr. Jose Marcelino, Principal of the Elementary Department of Letran-Intramuros, was the academic provost. Being an extension campus, Letran-Calamba was placed under the supervision of Rev. Fr. Regino Cortez, OP, the rector of Letran-Intramuros.

On August 7, 1986, Letran-Calamba finally gained its autonomy from Letran-Intramuros with the installation of Rev. Fr. Tamerlane Lana, OP, as its first president and rector.

With the school buildings still under construction, the first semester of its first school year saw Letran's pioneer instructors (most of whom commuted from Letran-Manila) and students holding classes at the rented half-finished building of Laguna Poly medic Center, Inc. now known as the PAMANA.

To smoothen the school operations, Rev. Fr. Patricio Apa, O.P. was designated the First Director of Letran-Calamba in 1980. Assisting him as the Academic Provost was Mr. Constante Molina.

The year 1981 saw the blessing of the four-story main Building, the three-story engineering/Elementary/ High School Building, and the Shop. Various offices and services were expanded to ensure the implementation of the development plan and programs. The college departments had their first academic heads; Engr. Dominador Chua for Engineering and Commerce, and Rev. Fr. Enrico Gonzales, O.P. for Arts & Sciences.

Letran-Calamba graduates took the board examinations both in Mechanical Engineering and Certified Public Accountant licensing exam with several of the Mechanical Engineering board passers landing in the top positions. In 1987–1991, Letran placed 20th (average ranking by the Professional Regulation Commission) in the Overall National Passing Percentage of Mechanical Engineers, ranking second in Region IV in the 1987 ME Board Examination.

In the March 2010 Electronics Engineering examination, 75% of Letran graduates who took the licensure examination passed. The national passing rate was 27%.

The Holy Rosary Academy of Manaoag was founded in 1947 by Fr. Teodulo Cajigal, a Spanish Dominican priest.

In 1990, the Dominican Fathers requested the help of the Dominican sisters in Pangasinan to teach Christian Living subjects in the Holy Rosary Academy of Manaoag. In response, two sisters were assigned in San Manuel for this purpose. In 1992, the Fathers entrusted the management of the school to the sisters.  From then on, the sisters resided in the vicinity of the school. The sisters worked tirelessly to improve the school and in 2001 the school was granted permit to offer collegiate education. The school then operated under the name Our Lady of Manaoag College.[29]

On August 8, 2014, Our Lady of Manaoag College signed a MOA with Letran - Manila, Letran - Calamba, and Letran - Bataan for the integration of the college into the Letran System. A proposal of changing its name to Colegio de San Juan de Letran - Manaoag was unanimously approved by its Board of Trustees on September 6, 2014.[30]

It was on October 3 that Our Lady of Manaoag College was officially relaunched as the Pangasinan campus of the college, and many activities were held in celebration of the formal reopening under the banner of the Letran system.[30] The newest Letran campus is located in Manaoag, within meters from the Dominican-administered municipal church and the town hall.