Bicol University (), also referred to by its acronym (BU or Bicol U), is a regional state, research and coeducational higher education institution in
Legazpi City
Legazpi (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially the City of Legazpi (; ), is a Component City, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...
,
Albay
Albay (IPA: ), officially the Province of Albay (; ; Baybayin, ᜎᜎᜏᜒᜄᜈ᜔ ᜈᜅ᜔ ᜀᜎ᜔ᜊᜌ᜔), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, mostly on the southeastern part of the isla ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, with external campuses scattered throughout the provinces of Albay and Sorsogon. BU is an
ISO 9001:2008 certified public university.
The university is partly subsidized by the Philippine government. Students of the university and its graduates are referred to as "''Mga Iskolar ng Bayan"'' ("Scholars of the Nation") but they are commonly called as Bueños. Students who wish to study in the university must pass the Bicol University College Entrance Test (BUCET).
During the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the university implemented the Bicol University College Entrance Scoring System (BUCESS) for its admission of undergraduate students for academic years 2021-2022 and 2022–2023.
History
The Bicol University
was founded on June 21, 1969, by virtue of Republic Act 5521 and was formally organized on September 22, 1970. It evolved out of six educational institutions integrated to form the first state university in the Bicol Region (Region V):
* Bicol Teachers College (BTC) with its Laboratory School in Daraga,
Albay
Albay (IPA: ), officially the Province of Albay (; ; Baybayin, ᜎᜎᜏᜒᜄᜈ᜔ ᜈᜅ᜔ ᜀᜎ᜔ᜊᜌ᜔), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, mostly on the southeastern part of the isla ...
, now the BU College of Education (BUCE) with its Integrated Laboratory School (ILS)
* Daraga East Central School (DECS) also in Daraga, Albay, initially renamed as Bicol University Pilot Elementary School (BUPES), now integrated with the BUCE-ILS as its Elementary Department
* Albay High School in Legazpi City, now the BUCE-ILS High School Department
* Bicol Regional School for Arts and Trades (BRSAT) in Legazpi City, converted from the Albay Trade School by virtue of Republic Act 1129 on June 16, 1954, now the College of Industrial Technology and the College of Engineering.
* Roxas Memorial Agricultural School (RMAS) in Guinobatan, Albay, which became the College of Agriculture, now renamed as the College of Agriculture and Forestry.
* School of Fisheries in Tabaco, Albay, turned into the College of Fisheries, now the Bicol University Tabaco Campus.
These public schools and colleges, now part of Bicol University, had served the people of the region for more than half a century prior to their forming Bicol University.
As of 2023, the 9th Bicol University President issued the Bicol University Vision and Quality Policy:
Vision - A university for humanity characterized by productive scholarship, transformative leadership, collaborative service, and distinctive character for sustainable societies.
Quality Policy - Bicol University commits to continually strive for excellence in instruction, research, and extension by meeting the highest level of clientele satisfaction and adhering to quality standards and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Organization and administration
The governance of the university is vested in the Board of Regents, abbreviated as BOR. The board, with its 12 members, is the highest decision-making body of the university.
The chairperson or its designated commissioner of the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) serves as the board's chairperson while the president of the Bicol University is the vice-chairperson. The chairpersons of the Committees of Higher Education of the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
and the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
are also members of the Board of Regents which are concurrent with their functions as committee chairpersons.
The students of the Bicol University are represented by a student regent, who is also the chair of the University Student Council. The faculty regent is nominated by the faculty members of the whole university. Alumni are represented by the president of the BU Alumni Association.
As of May 2025, the members of the Board of Regents are:
Campus
Legazpi West (Main) Campus
The Legazpi West (Main) Campus is located on the boundary of
Daraga, Albay
Daraga ( ɐrɐ'gaofficially the Municipality of Daraga ; ), is a municipality in the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 133,893.
The municipality is home to the famous Cagsawa Ruins.
Hist ...
and
Legazpi City
Legazpi (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially the City of Legazpi (; ), is a Component City, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...
along the national highway, Rizal St. Aside from the Administration Building.
Legazpi East Campus
Located in Enlisted Men's Barrio (EM's Barrio), Barangay 1 also in
Legazpi City
Legazpi (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially the City of Legazpi (; ), is a Component City, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...
, the campus
Daraga Campus
Located in Sagpon,
Daraga
Daraga ( ɐrɐ'gaofficially the Municipality of Daraga ; ), is a municipality in the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 133,893.
The municipality is home to the famous Cagsawa Ruins.
Hist ...
,
Albay
Albay (IPA: ), officially the Province of Albay (; ; Baybayin, ᜎᜎᜏᜒᜄᜈ᜔ ᜈᜅ᜔ ᜀᜎ᜔ᜊᜌ᜔), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, mostly on the southeastern part of the isla ...
, and is less than a kilometer from the main campus, the campus consists of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (BUCSSP) and College of Business, Economics and Management (BUCBEM). This campus was formerly called College of Arts and Science (BUCAS).
Tabaco Campus
17. BU Tabaco Campus (BUTC), is located at Brgy. Tayhi,
Tabaco
Tabaco, officially the City of Tabaco (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 140,961 p ...
,
Albay
Albay (IPA: ), officially the Province of Albay (; ; Baybayin, ᜎᜎᜏᜒᜄᜈ᜔ ᜈᜅ᜔ ᜀᜎ᜔ᜊᜌ᜔), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, mostly on the southeastern part of the isla ...
.
Guinobatan Campus
BU Guinobatan Campus (BUGbtn) formerly BUCAF is located along the Pan-Philippine Highway in the town of
Guinobatan,
Albay
Albay (IPA: ), officially the Province of Albay (; ; Baybayin, ᜎᜎᜏᜒᜄᜈ᜔ ᜈᜅ᜔ ᜀᜎ᜔ᜊᜌ᜔), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, mostly on the southeastern part of the isla ...
, formerly known as Guinobatan Farm School in 1912; Guinobatan Rural High School in 1927; Roxas Memorial Agricultural School in 1950; Bicol University College of Agriculture (BUCA) in 1969 through RA 5521; with the offering of Bachelor of Science in Forestry starting in 1991, is known as Bicol University College of Agriculture and Forestry (BUCAF). In 2022, the LGU Guinobatan passed an ordinance in renaming the campus to BU Guinobatan. BUCAF is a member of Philippine Agroforestry Education and Research Network (PAFERN)
Polangui Campus
BU Polangui Campus (BUPC) is located in Centro Occidental,
Polangui,
Albay
Albay (IPA: ), officially the Province of Albay (; ; Baybayin, ᜎᜎᜏᜒᜄᜈ᜔ ᜈᜅ᜔ ᜀᜎ᜔ᜊᜌ᜔), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, mostly on the southeastern part of the isla ...
, this was formerly known as the School for Philippine Craftsmen and offered vocational courses. It was integrated into Bicol University, through R.A. 7722, R.A. 8292 & R.A. 8769, on December 14, 2000, and renamed as Bicol University Polangui Campus.
Gubat Campus
20. Gubat Campus (BUGubat) is located in
Gubat,
Sorsogon
Sorsogon, officially the Province of Sorsogon ( Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Sorsogon''; Waray: ''Probinsya han Sorsogon''; ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. It is the southernmost province in the island of Luzon and ...
, the only campus outside of Albay,
Ligao Campus
21. BU College of Veterinary Medicine (BUCVM) is currently under construction at Brgy Bay, Ligao City. It came into existence through Republic Act No. 11973 or the law to establish the Bicol University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ligao City.
Facilities and services
Library System
The University Library System is for the use of students and other researchers. It has a collection of books in different fields of knowledge and all the published undergraduate and graduate research.
Athletics
It organizes and facilitates the conduct of intercollegiate sports and the university's participation in sports events. It runs wellness and fitness programs. Some of its facilities for athletics include a soccer field, olympic-sized swimming pool, a rubberized track oval, and a grandstand.
Radio station
The university has its own radio station, BUFM 106.3.
Notable alumni
*
Venus Raj
Maria Venus Bayonito Raj-Orillan (; ; born July 7, 1988) is a Filipino actress, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2010. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2010 pageant and pl ...
(BUCAL; ComArts, Major in Journalism
) was
Miss Philippines Earth 2008 (Miss Philippines Eco Tourism 2008),
Binibining Pilipinas 2010 (Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2010),
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stree ...
2010 (4th Runner-Up)
References
External links
Bicol University High School Batch 2007 official website
{{Authority control
Universities and colleges in Bicol Region
Universities and colleges in Albay
Education in Legazpi, Albay
Universities and colleges established in 1969
State universities and colleges in the Philippines
1969 establishments in the Philippines