Colegio de San Juan de Letran
| Colegio de San Juan de Letran San Juan de Letran College | |
|---|---|
| Kolehiyo ng San Juan de Letran | |
 | |
| Motto | Deus, Patria, Letran |
| Motto in English | "God, Country, Letran" |
| Established | 1620 |
| Type | Private, Roman Catholic, Dominican |
| Chancellor | Very Rev. Fr. Carlos Azpiroz Costa, OP, JCD |
| Rector | Rev. Fr. Tamerlane Lana, OP (Letran-Manila, Letran-Abucay); Rev. Fr. Honorato Castignador, OP (Letran-Calamba) |
| Staff | About 250 professors, 150 Non-Teaching |
| Location | Intramuros, Manila (Main campus),  Philippines |
| Campus | Intramuros, Manila; Calamba City, Laguna; Abucay, Bataan |
| Hymn | Himno del Colegio de Letran |
| Colors | Dark Blue, Red and White |
| Nickname | Letran Knights |
| Mascot |  Knights |
| Affiliations | NCAA (Philippines), CEAP, Intramuros Consortium |
| Website | www.letran.edu |
The Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Letran College, or simply Letran is a private Roman Catholic institution of learning located in Intramuros, Manila, in the Philippines. The college was founded in 1620. It is owned and administered by priests of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) of the Philippine Dominican Province. The school holds the distinction of having produced Philippine presidents, revolutionary heroes, poets, legislators, members of the clergy, jurists, and is the only Philippine school that has produced several Catholic Saints that actually lived and studied inside its campus. The campus contains two statues, representing the two foremost alumni in the fields of secular and religious service: former Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon and Vietnamese Saint Vicente Liem de la Paz. Also, Colegio de San Juan de Letran has the distinction of being the oldest college in the Philippines[1] and the oldest secondary institution in Asia.[2]
Letran has programs in Business, Management, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Information Technology, Digital Arts, Communication Arts, Accountancy etc. The colleges are divided into five departments : College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), College of Business Administration and Accountancy (CBAA), College of Education (CoE), Institute of Communication (iCOMM), and Institute of Information Technology (iIT). The Colegio has also successful athletic programs, particularly in basketball, football, volleyball, taekwondo, table tennis,and tennis. Through the years Letran has produced numerous athletes that have donned the national colors (especially in basketball) in international events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Southeast Asian Games, Jones Cup, and FIBA World Championship. Letran is also a long time member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
At present, Letran remains in its original campus in Intramuros, Manila and is a member of the Intramuros Consortium.
The School's Patron Saint is St. John the Baptist while its Patroness is The Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary.
The Colegio was given Level 3 accreditation by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities in the Elementary department[3] , and Level 2 in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), the College of Business Administration and Accountancy (CBAA) and the High School Department.[3]
History
| Presidents and Rectors of Colegio de San Juan de Letran |
1620-38 - Juan Alonso Jeronimo Guerrero |
The name San Juan de Letran is derived from the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, considered as the Mother Church of Christendom[4] This name, in turn, was taken from that of the palace known as Palazzo Laterano, beside which it stands at the Piazza San Giovanni or Saint John Square in that SE of Rome location, a former Imperial Palace given by Emperor Constantine to the Pope in the early 4th century, which later served as official papal residence for over a thousand years. Saint John the Baptist for whom the Basilica is named, is also the patron saint of the Colegio.
Originally founded by Don Juan Geromino Guerrero in 1620, a retired Spanish officer, in Intramuros as Colegio de Niños Huerfanos de San Juan de Letran. The school was designed to educate and mold orphans to be good Christian citizens.
Around the month of May in the year 1632, Fray Diego de Santa Maria, O.P. arrived at the Sto. Domingo Convent from Spain via Mexico. He was officially assigned to this same convent on April 23, 1633 and was given the task of conventual porter. He founded the Colegio de Niños Huerfanos de San Pedro y San Pablo. As Don Guerrero grew old, the two schools were fused together, and in 1706, the Provincial Chapter of the Dominicans in the Philippines decided to adopt officially the name Colegio de San Juan de Letran in memory of its first founder, Don Guerrero.
In 1738, six scholarships were granted by the King of Spain for Chinese, Japanese, and Tongkinese (Vietnamese) students. Vicente Liem de la Paz, Letran's foremost alumnus saint, was among the students who enjoyed this scholarship.[5]
After 60 years, Letran was declared an ecclesiastical college. A royal decree on May 20, 1865 pronounced Letran as a "College of the First Class". Around this time, Letran was still a school exclusively for boys. The school’s curriculum was reviewed and revised according to European and American patterns in 1886. Further expansion took place in 1894 and adjustments were made with the arrival of the Americans in 1900.[5]
During World War II, Letran suspended classes, and the school was commandeered by the Japanese and changed into a garrison. In the school year of 1942, classes were temporarily transferred to the Dominican Sanctuario of San Juan del Monte. After the war, Letran resumed operations. Several new construction projects were inaugurated to replace the old structures wrecked by the war.
The First Filipino Rector and President of Colegio de San Juan de Letran was Fr. Isidro Katigbak O.P. who served the Colegio for four straight years. Letran has served by the majority of Spanish Rectors and Presidents for over 400 years of existence.
In the year of 1930's, after celebrating it's Tricentennial Celebration, Letran was headed by the late Rev. Fr. Martin Guillet O.P. to replace Letran's old structure hence to construct a new and modern building as its opens for modernization and expansion. It was also inagaurated and blessed by Rev. Fr. Martin Guillet O.P. to the newly St. John the Baptist Bldg. as the Colegio's Main Building and Facade, 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 school began accepting female students in its college department in the 1970s while the grade school and high school departments started accepting female enrollees in June 2005.
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.
Facilities
The Colegio de San Juan de Letran - Intramuros, Manila has also a ground breaking facilities for its students as well as faculty members. Each classroom has 2 aircondition units, overhead and LCD projectors and television sets and DVD players for Science classrooms.
The Colegio is composed of 7 Buildings namely:
- St. John the Baptist Building
Also known as the Administration Building which houses the Office of the Rector and President. It also 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, speech laboratory, and the College Chapel are also located in this building. The St. John Lateran convent of the Letran Dominican Fathers is also located here.
- St. Dominic de Guzman Building
The building who was named after the founder of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). This building houses the College classrooms, Science and Psychology Laboratory, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and The Institute of Communication.
- St. Thomas Aquinas Building
This building houses the Library and Media Center for Communication Arts students. Several facilities are the Apple Mac-Lab Editing Suite, TV Studio, Radio Mini Station and many more. While the Library is divided into sections namely :
- Filipiniana Section
- Circulation Section
- High School Library
- Graduate School Library
- Media Library
- Internet Section
- Periodical Section
- Archives Section
Also, St. Thomas Building has a Television for televiewing purposes.
- St. Raymond of Peñafort Building
This building is also known as the High School Building. St. Raymond of Peñafort houses the Office of the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs. It also includes the Accounting Stock Room, Lost and Found Office, Hospitality Management Facility, Office of the Religious Affairs, Letran Alumni Association Office, and the Center for Community Development Office. The school clinic is also located in this building.
- St. Albert the Great Building
This building is also known as the Student Center Building because it houses the Student Facilities such as the Canteens, Student Center Auditorium, Office of the Student and Cultural Affairs, Letran Student Council Office, The Graduate School, six SC classrooms, Thesis Section, The Lance Publication Office, and the Office of the Dean in Graduate School.
- St. Antoninus Building
It holds the Letran's several computer laboratories for the Information Technology students and also as the Philippines' first Microsoft IT Academy. It also houses the IQUAME Working Room for The Colegio's roots as the leader in academic excellence among the Letranites.
- St. Vincent Ferrer Building
It serves as the Elementary Building and it houses the Music rooms and the School Chaplain's Office.
- Letran Gymnasium
It serves as the Home of the Knights and Squires of the NCAA and other sports competitions. Letran Gym has a 3 Physical Education classrooms with a centralized air-condition units. It also houses the Letran Hall of Fame and The P.E. Faculty.
- San Vicente Liem dela Paz Dormitory
The dormitory of Letran Manila.
The Colegio has four halls, namely:
- Quezon Hall
- Mabini Hall
- Del Pilar Hall
- Liem de la Paz Hall
- St. Thomas Hall
The first three halls are used as a venue for gatherings, lectures, seminars, and some theatrical and viewing purposes. While the last one houses the Archives Section.
Letranite Life and Culture
Student Organizations
- Deans’ Listers Society of Letran
- Entrepreneur’s Society of Letran
- Hospitality Management Society
- Instituto Scientifico
- Letran Community Volunteers
- Letran Future Educators Society
- Letran Information Technology Society
- Letran Integrated Media Organization
- Letran Junior Financial Executives
- Letran Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants
- Letran Junior Marketing Association
- Letran Operations Management Society
- Letran Peer Facilitators Association
- Sandigang Organisasyon ng Sining at Yaman Angkin ng Letranista (SOSYAL)
- Teatro de Letran
Cultural Groups
- Letran Band
- Letran Cheering Squad
- Letran Jazz Endanza
- Letran Streat Beat
- Letran Squires' Dance Troupe
- Templar Chorus of Letran
- Letran Student Chinese Association
- Letran Filipiniana Dance Company
- Kyoushigen
- Letran POLITICVS
Academic Offerings - Colegio de San Juan de Letran - Manila
Basic Education
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The Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila has a Basic Education department that has been in existence for almost 400 years now. The Elementary Level caters a two-year start from pre-school and six years of elementary, The Elementary Department of Letran Manila is located at the St. Vincent Ferrer building While, the High School Department is also existing for almost four centuries, having the distinction as the oldest secondary School for boys in the Philippines. It offers the traditional four-year program. The High School Department is located at the St. Raymond of Penafort building.
College of Business Administration and Accountancy
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The College of Business Administration and Accountancy offers a wide range of business courses especially in management. Letran's CBAA was also 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, and many more who contributed to the business field and economics of the country.
Program Offerings
- Bachelor of Science in Accountancy
- Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management with specialization in:
- Hotel and Restaurant Management
- Tourism
- Cruise Line Management
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with majors in :
- Business Management / Operations Management
- Economics
- Entrepreneurship
- Financial Management
- Human Resources Development Management
- Marketing / Marketing Management
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
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Same as the CBAA, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences or CLAS is also the flagship college offering courses in the Colegio. Also, the College was known to house and educate the young minds of several heroes, clergy, government officials, etc., who passed the gateways of CLAS.
Program Offerings
- Bachelor of Arts in Legal Management
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
- Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations
- Bachelor of Science in Food Technology
- Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics
- Bachelor of Science in Psychology
College of Education
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The College of Education of Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila also serves courses for Secondary Education. The CoE of Letran Manila also got 100% Passing rates from the LET Licensure Examinations.
Program Offerings
- Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education Major in English
- Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education Major in Mathematics
- Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education Major in Physical Education
- Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education Major in Science
Institute of Communication
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The Institute of Communication offers a wide range of courses that is given as the flagship courses of the Colegio. Also, the students of the Institute of Communication yearly brings home awards from the Catholic Mass Media Awards for student categories for 8 consecutive years already. The iComm of Letran Manila was also given as the most awarded communication school. On the other side of events and contests, Letran iComm students also won the prominent Student Academy Awards, The IBDA'A Awards
Program Offerings
- Bachelor of Arts in Advertising
- Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting
- Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts
- Bachelor of Arts in Journalism
Institute of Information Technology
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The Institute of Information Technology of Letran Manila is the first recognized Microsoft IT Academy in the Philippines. It is the only academic institution that offers a degree in Information Technology mapped with the premier certification from Microsoft.
Program Offerings
- Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with specializations in:
- Database Management
- Software Development
- Systems Engineering
- Digital Arts (in partnership with Arena Multimedia)
- Associate in Computer Technology (Certificate Course)
Graduate School - Profesional School for Continuing Education in Business
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The Letran Graduate School is an academic arm of the institution that develops globally competitive Christo-centric industry and national leaders and professionals.As an academic arm, the Professional School for Continuing Education in Business offers various graduate programs designed to equip graduate students with analytical ability to become better managers and planners in the public and private sectors. The Letran graduate School is located at the St. Albert the Great building.
Program Offerings
- Master of Business Administration - Regular
- Master of Business Administration - Special Management Program
- Doctor of Business Administration
Vision 2020
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- Letran is underway to be a university with the inception of a San Juan de Letran University (SJLU) with one system under the aggregation of the three campuses.
- The Colegio already installed researchers in the field of Social and Political sciences, History, and Community Development.
- Also installed is the Letran Center for Intramuros Studies (LCIS). Letran is also the Center for Human Rights in Manila and Bataan (for Letran Bataan Campus).
- Focusing on its outreach programs and upgrading academic standard.
- Letran-Manila will offer new programs such as AB Legal Management (S.Y. 2010-2011) and BS Food Technology, BS Nutrition & Dietetics starting S.Y. 2011-2012.
- Letran-Manila is also planning to add new programs such as Engineering courses and Law.
Athletics
Letran is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association from 1928 to 1932, and since 1936.
The Colegio currently participates in basketball, volleyball, football (soccer), track and field, taekwondo, Lawn Tennis,and table tennis. The varsity teams are called Letran Knights (for seniors division), Squires (for juniors division) and Lady Knights (for women's division)
The seniors basketball team is the most successful team in the NCAA. Since joining in the 1928-29 season, the Knights have won a total of sixteen titles, the most in NCAA seniors basketball. The most recent championship came in the 2005 tournament, with a record of 13-1 in the eliminations and 3-1 in the playoffs (2-1 in the Finals) for an overall record of 16-2.
The staple cheer is Arriba Letran! (English: "Fly high Letran"). Several cheers of the Colegio were among of the first cheers to be used in the NCAA. Known cheers are the so called Signature Yell , and the Letter Cheer which was first executed on September 5, 1938[6]. The team supporters are known as Dugong Arriba (Arriba blooded).
Their most prominent rivals are the De La Salle Green Archers (before the Green Archers left the NCAA), San Sebastian Stags and the Mapua Cardinals, their neighbor in Intramuros.
Their newest rivals are the San Beda Red Lions which has been beefing up since season 82.
Letran was proclaimed as the Seniors' Overall Champion in the 85th season of NCAA.
Other campuses
Colegio de San Juan de Letran - Abucay, Bataan
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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. Bataan was chosen. Initially, two sites were presented: Hermosa and Balanga City. Abucay came into the picture later, after three years in the conceptualization stage. 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. A breathtaking view 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. Indeed, an ideal place for study. The site was chosen because of the natural character it projects- a plateau. Architect and environmental planner, Yolanda David Reyes incorporated this in the overall design and conceptual master planning of the campus.
Preparations for the establishment of the Letran-Abucay 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.
Colegio de San Juan de Letran - Calamba
When government declared its policy of decongesting Metro Manila, the Dominican Province of the Philippines, mainly in line with its program of expansion, responded to the call. A long-term plan which included the establishment of an extension school in Laguna was prepared by the Commission for the Planning of the Ministry of the Word. A 7-hectare tract of land along the foothills of the legendary Mt. Makiling in Bucal, Calamba, Laguna was chosen as the site - a choice made more significantly by the thematic link of Letran being the Alma mater of renowned men with Calamba being the birthplace of the national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Thus, the Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Calamba was born 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-storey main Building, the three-storey engineering/Elementary/High School Building and the Shop. Various offices and services were expanded to insure 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 has already produced graduates who brought laurels to the institution by passing the board examinations both in Mechanical Engineering and Certified Public Accountant with several of the Mechanical Engineering board passers landing on 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. Last March 2010 Electronics Engineering examination, 75% of those who took the licensure examination passed which edged up the 27% national passing rate. Official Publications
Notable Alumni (Letran Manila)
External links
References
For the Alumni list:
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