A Brief History of St. Paul University Iloilo

Impelled by the love of CHRIST, and on the invitation and support of His Eminence Denis Cardinal Dougherty, Bishop of Jaro, The Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres began their apostolic activities in Iloilo by establishing St. Paul’s Hospital in 1911. Their primary aim was to care for the poor and the sick, However, the care of the poor and the sick was not the only apostolic mission of the Sisters of St. Paul; they have also been founded for the purpose of training and educating the young. So it was, with the great desire emboldened by the formative component of their mission, coupled with the pressing need of the hospital for trained competent Catholic nurses, the Sisters under the leadership of Mother Josephine de Jesus opened the School of Nursing in June, 1946. Seventy (70) students were admitted into the first Graduate Nurse Training Program, sixty-eight (68) females and two (2) males, and early sign of the openness and the universality which is a mark of St. Paul. Sr. Marie Louise Limbaga, spc became Dean from 1946-1947.

Sr. Marie Madeleine soon took the leadership of the new School of Nursing.

The beginnings were difficult, the struggles to grow arduous, but with God’s blessings and through hard work, the school, like the proverbial good seed, progressed and blossomed. Some high points of its developments can be chronicled.

1948 - Recognition of the School of Nursing was granted by the government for the 3-year diploma program leading to the title of Graduate Nurse under the leadership of Sister Marie Madeleine Denoga, SPC.

1950 - A 4-year basic collegiate course in Nursing was opened; this was closed in 1954 due to school’s financial difficulties.

1961 - The Marian Hall building was constructed, more facilities such as the Speech Laboratory, the Refectory, and the Auditorium with its “state of the art” sound, light and stage equipment were acquired through the efforts of Sr. Mary James Taguinod, spc .

1970 - Consortium with the University of San Agustin was forged to comply with the Department of Education’s requirement to professionalize all Nursing Schools with the able leadership of Sr. Mary Incarnacion de Manuel, spc as Superior-Administrator of SPH. This was discontinued for a more practical administration of the College.

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“Birth” of St. Paul College of Iloilo in 1975.

Under the leadership of Sister Carolina Agravante, SPC, the school was upgraded into a College with the opening of the Arts and Science courses, namely Bachelor of Art in Mass Communication, Bachelor of Science in Biology. Nutrition, Psychology and the 2-year Certificate Courses Diploma in Dietetic Technician, and Junior Secretarial. Nursing was offered as a 5-year BSN program. This period also saw the opening of the Social Laboratory Extension Program (SLEP) which served as the avenue for students’ Community Development Outreach Program.

St. Paul School of Nursing soon developed into a regular College worthy of the name. Her progress may be marked in the following events.

1977 - Sr. Emilienne Mendoza, SPC continued the work of providing leadership to the new College.

1981 - Bachelor of Science in Commerce (BSC) with four (4) major fields of concentration (Accounting, General Business Education, Management, and Marketing) was opened and recognized by the DECS in 1984 upon the initiation of Sr. Remy Angela Junio, SPC.

In 1983, the College of Nursing was chosen by the Board of Nursing Education as the pilot school for the new BSN Curriculum with Sr. Mary Damiana Jiloca, SPC as Director and College Dean and Sr. Remy Angela, SPC as Program Chair of Nursing.

50 Years of Christian Paulinian Education and Service

1985 - A decision to retrench was made: Bachelor of Science in Nutrition was frozen, Bachelor of Science in Biology was phased out.

1990 - Period of further retrenchment: Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Junior Secretarial were also phased out.

1993 - Opening-up to new life. Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Management and Business Administration was re-opened, fifty (50) first year BSC students sought entrance to St. Paul College of Iloilo.

1994 - BSBA major in Computer Information Technology was approved by CHED; forty-one (41) students enrolled to the new Course offering.

1995 - A temporary permit to offer Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy was given by CHED. One hundred two (102) students were admitted.

In 1996, Saint Paul College of Iloilo celebrated FIFTY (50) year of “Christian Paulinian Education and Service” during the term of Sr. Rosamond Marie Abadesco, spc.

Acclaimed by the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) as top seven in 1996 Nursing Licensure Examination Nationwide and by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as Number five among the Eight Best Nursing Colleges/Universities in the Philippines.

Center of Excellence in Nursing Education

The BSN Program was awarded recognition as Center of Excellence in Nursing Education (COENE) by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for three years: 1996-1999 with some funding for further development in human resources, facilities, library, and other areas.

The BSN Program underwent PAASCU Re-accreditation and the ABMC, the PAASCU Formal Preliminary Survey.

Saint Paul College of Iloilo with the new leadership of Sr. Ma. Felicina Gubuan, SPC was deputized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as COENE, the authority to conduct the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) among the nursing professionals.

1997 - Graduate School Programs in Master of Arts in Nursing (M.A.N.) and Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) were opened.

1998 - The two Graduate School offerings, M.A.N. and M.S.N., were granted Government Recognition (GR) by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) upon the recommendation of the of the Quality Assurance Team (QUAT) evaluation (GR no. 283, s. 1998).

1999 - SPCI was approved as a Regional Center for Career Development (CCD) in the Visayas in an International Education Project linkage with Red River College, Winnipeg, Manitoba via the Association of Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funding.. This is through the initiative of St. Paul College of Quezon City (SPCQC).

1999 - The Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy Program was granted Government Recognition (GR) by the CHED upon the recommendation of the Quality Assurance Team (QUAT) evaluation. (GR no. 201, s. 1999)

From SPC to St. Paul University Iloilo

In 2001, Sr. Carolina Agravante, spc; was re-assigned to SPCI as Director and Program Chair of Nursing.

Our Lady of Grace Building, a new construction undertaken by Sr. Ma. Felicina, SPC, was blessed and became functional housing the SLEP/CCD complex, PT office & laboratory, Library and Computer Internet Room, and more classrooms.

In 2002, Bachelor of Secondary Education opened as new course offering together with Associate in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

In 2003, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology was offered a permit to operate from the CHED.

The College of Hotel and Restaurant Management and Tourism was organized under the leadership of Sr. Catherine Guiuan, SPC putting all the courses on Food Service under it. Permit to establish the BSHRM was given and started in SY 2004-2005.

The year 2004 marks an important milestone in the life of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres, their 100th year in the Philippines. The first seven Sisters came from Saigon to Dumaguete in October 29, 1904 at the invitation of Bishop Frederick Z. Rooker, then Bishop of Jaro, saying: “I have asked you to come for the protection of the faith in this country. It is the good God who has chosen you for this work. Make religion loved and put into practice as it should be.” Thus their mission in education towards the Faith began. They spread through the archipelago speaking one language that every Paulinian today knows by heart: CARITAS CHRISTI URGET NOS.

This year, too, on March 10, 2004, The St. Paul University System was awarded by the Commission on Higher Education to the six tertiary schools of the Congregation, namely: St. Paul University Quezon City, St. Paul University Manila, St. Paul University Dumaguete, St. Paul University Iloilo, St. Paul University Surigao, and St. Paul University Philippines in Tuguegarao as the lead University of the System.

On June 21, 2004, Sr. Carolina Agravante, SPC was formally installed as the first University President in a solemn but joyful ceremony held in the Marian Hall. In attendance were the academic circle of the city, alumni, members of the University System and the whole Paulinian Family of St. Paul University Iloilo.

On June 21, 2004, Sr. Carolina Agravante, SPC was formally installed as the first University President in a solemn but joyful ceremony held in the Marian Hall. In attendance were the academic circle of the city, alumni, members of the University System and the whole Paulinian Family of St. Paul University Iloilo.

School year 2005-2006 marched on with CHED ushered by the awarding of St. Paul University Iloilo College of Nursing as 2nd outstanding College of Nursing in the Philippines out of 350 schools of Nursing. Also included in the top 10 schools were St. Paul University Dumaguete as 7th and St. Paul University Manila as 10th.

The challenge for SPU Iloilo is to establish a contemporary Catholic university culture as she fulfills her mission of making the Father known and loved.