Centro Escolar University ( tl, Pamantasang Centro Escolar) also referred to by its acronym CEU is a private non-sectarian higher education institution in San Miguel
Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1907 by
Librada Avelino and
Carmen de Luna
Carmen de Luna Villajuan (16 July 1873 – 4 November 1962) was a Filipina educator and co-founded the Centro Escolar University. After completing her own education to train as a teacher, de Luna taught at the private school run by Librada Aveli ...
as the Centro Escolar de Señoritas.
[ CEU has six campuses: the main campus, Mendiola; the Malolos campus; the Las Piñas campus; the Cebu City campus; and the Makati campuses (Gil Puyat and Legaspi Village campuses).][ More than 50 academic programs are offered.
CEU is accredited by the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities' Commission on Accreditation (as a Level IV school), and has full autonomous status from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).] It is certified by the Institute of Corporate Directors, Department of Trade and Industry, SGS S.A., Arthram International Organization for Standardization, and the ASEAN University Network
The ASEAN University Network (AUN) is an Asian university association. It was founded in November 1995 by ASEAN member countries including 13 universities. After the enlargement of ASEAN by the ASEAN Charter in 1997 and 1999, the AUN membersh ...
.[ In 2022, CEU was awarded with the Safety Seal from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, for meeting minimum public health standards following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns.
]
History
CEU was established in 1909
by pedagogists Librada Avelino and Carmen de Luna
Carmen de Luna Villajuan (16 July 1873 – 4 November 1962) was a Filipina educator and co-founded the Centro Escolar University. After completing her own education to train as a teacher, de Luna taught at the private school run by Librada Aveli ...
as the Centro Escolar de Señoritas, based in Parañaque
Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque ( fil, Lungsod ng Parañaque, ), is a first class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to t ...
. Its main purpose was to teach "ideal womanhood, intelligent citizenry, and democratic leadership that would instill in he womenthe tenets of science and virtue."[ It was the first nonsectarian women's school in the Philippines. When it opened, CEU only had one blackboard, some benches, and a few books, and it wasn't until 1921 that CEU established its first program: the College of Pharmacy.][ It was followed by the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Education, Dentistry, and Optometry.][ It began operating as a university in 1930 and in 1932 was converted into a corporation for financial reasons.][ Its name was then changed to Centro Escolar University, which still holds today.][ In 2009, the School of Law and Jurisprudence was established.][
There is also an Integrated School at CEU, which was established upon the university's founding, where students have the opportunity to attend preschool, primary school as well as high school.][ The Integrated School was removed from the Mendiola campus in the mid-1990s and in Malolos in 2004 after nearly 100 years open. It were revived starting in the 2014-2015 academic year as the Centro Escolar Integrated School (CEIS) and is offered in Manila, Malolos, and Makati.
There have been seven presidents in the history of the university: Librada Avelino (1907-1934); ]Carmen de Luna
Carmen de Luna Villajuan (16 July 1873 – 4 November 1962) was a Filipina educator and co-founded the Centro Escolar University. After completing her own education to train as a teacher, de Luna taught at the private school run by Librada Aveli ...
(1934-1962); Pilar Hidalgo-Lim
Pilar Lardizabal Hidalgo-Lim (May 24, 1893 – December 8, 1973) was a Filipina educator and civic leader. She was married to Brig. Gen. Vicente Lim, World War II hero.
Early career and pre-war years
Pilar Hidalgo-Lim graduated from the Univer ...
(1962-1972); Dionisio Tiongco (1972-1992); Lourdes Talag-Echauz (1992-2002); Rosita L. Navarro
Rosita Lozano-Navarro was the sixth President and Chief Academic Officer of Centro Escolar University (CEU) in Manila, Philippines from 2001 to 2006. She was also the former Luzon Representative on the Teacher Education Council of the Department o ...
(2002-2006); and Cristina Padolina
Maria Cristina Damasco-Padolina (born 1946) is the current and seventh president and chief academic officer of Centro Escolar University in Manila, Philippines
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod n ...
(2006-present).
Campuses
CEU has six campuses: the main campus, Mendiola; the Malolos campus; the Las Piñas campus; the Cebu City campus; and the Makati campuses (Gil Puyat and Legaspi Village). In 2013, CEU expressed interest in expanding to Baguio and Davao City.[
* Cebu City - Opened in 2012, the first campus outside of Luzon.][
* Las Piñas - Opened in 1975 as Las Piñas College and was acquired by CEU in 2015.]
* Makati, Gil Puyat: Opened in 2005.[ The university is housed within the ]Philtrust Bank
Philtrust Bank, formally known as the Philippine Trust Company, is one of the oldest private universal banks in the Philippines. Founded on October 16, 1916, its history parallels the growth of the Philippine banking system. It is the third b ...
building in Makati's Central Business District
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
.
* Makati, Legazpi Village: Opened in 2007.[
* Malolos campus: Opened in 1978. This campus has a teaching hotel called the Ada (after founder Avelino) for the hospitality and tourism program. This campus is also home to the Centrodome, an auditorium that seats 5,000 people.
* Parañaque campus (defunct): The Parañaque campus was phased out in the 1990s.][
* Mendiola campus: Mendiola is the university's main campus and is located on Mendiola Street in Manila's University Belt.][ The university moved here in 1924 from the Sampaloc campus and has a commemorative marker installed by the Philippines Historical Committee in 1952 to memorialize CEU's establishment.][
* Sampaloc campus (defunct): When the university started in 1907, it was held in a rented house in the Sampaloc area of Manila. When its student population became too high, it moved to its permanent home in Mendiola.]
Schools
The Graduate School was founded in 1926 during Avelino's presidency. CEU is the only school in the Philippines that offers a post-doctoral degree in Total Quality Management in Higher Education.
* School of Accountancy and Management: Established in 1928 as the College of Commerce. Previous names include the College of Commerce and Business; the College of Commerce and Secretarial Administration; the College of Accountancy, Commerce, and Secretarial Administration; and the School of Accountancy, Business, Secretarial and Public Administration. The business department has honors from CHED for its excellence.[ The school is based on the Mendiola campus.
* School of Dentistry: Established in 1925. The school is based on the Mendiola campus.
* School of Education, Liberal Arts, Music and Social Work: Established in the late 1990s when four major departments were combined.] The school is based on the Mendiola campus.[
* School of Law and Jurisprudence: Established in 2009.][ Faculty have included Supreme Court Associate Justice ]Jose Midas Marquez
Jose Midas Pascual Marquez (born February 16, 1966) is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines since 2021, and was previously the ex-member of the Office of the Court Administrator and the Supreme Court spokesperson of the ...
, former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, and Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo. The school is based on the Makati, Gil Puyat campus.
* School of Medical Technology: Established in 1960. The school is based on the Mendiola campus.
* School of Medicine: The school's first graduates finished their degree in 2021 and scored an 80% passing rate. In 2008, CEU established a subsidiary
A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company. Two or more subsidiaries that either belong to the same parent company or having a s ...
called the Centro Escolar University Hospital, Inc., but no moves have been made to build a teaching hospital. As such, the school works with the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center. The school is based on the Mendiola campus.
* School of Nursing: Established in 1975. CEU nursing students on the Makati campus earned a 100% passing rate on the licensure exam in 2021. The school is based on the Mendiola campus.[
* School of Optometry: Established in 1928. The school has honors from CHED for its excellence;][ in 2021, CEU optometry students earned the top passing rate of the licensure exam at 93.6%. The school is based on the Mendiola campus.
* School of Pharmacy: Established in 1921, the first higher education program at the university.][ In 1999, the College of Pharmacy became the School of Pharmacy with the introduction of MS and PhD programs. The BS became available on the Malolos campus in 2001 and the BS and Pharm.D. were available in Makati, Gil Puyat in 2005. It is a founding member of the Philippine Association of the Colleges of Pharmacy and the Asian Association of Schools and Pharmacy. The school is based on the Mendiola campus.
* School of Science and Technology: Established in 1928 as the School of Science. It was the first school in Asia to offer a cosmetic science degree. The school is based on the Mendiola campus.
* School of Nutrition and Hospitality Management: Established as the College of Foods and Nutrition. Previous names include the College of Nutrition and Home Economics (1967); College of Nutrition, Home Economics and Tourism (1989); and the School of Tourism, Family Economics, and Nutrition (2001) before landing on the School of Nutrition and Hospitality Management in 2007. The school is based on the Mendiola campus.
]
Sport
CEU offers varsity sports in basketball, volleyball, futsal, cheerleading, badminton, swimming, Taekwondo, and table tennis.[ Scorpion varsity teams are part of the Women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Men’s National Collegiate Athletic Association, ]Universities and Colleges Basketball League
The Universities and Colleges Basketball League (UCBL) is a collegiate basketball tournament based in the Philippines, which was established in 2016. The inaugural season of the UCBL officially opened on October 8, 2016 with seven competing school ...
, and the National Capital Region Athletic Association and have played competitions in the Philippine Basketball Association D-League, Breakdown, the Philippine Chinese Amateur Basketball League, and the Philippine Basketball League. The men's basketball team on the Malolos campus have been part of the Bulacan Collegiate Athletic Association and Private Schools Athletic Association
Established in 1986, the Private Schools Athletic Association (PSAA) is a sports league for independent high schools primarily located in the New York Metropolitan Area.
Mission
* Develop and foster athletic standards of excellence for boys and gi ...
.[ Recent coaches of men's basketbal include Derrick Pumaren (2018-2019),] Jeff Napa (2020),[ and Chico Manabat (2020-present).][.]
Notable alumni
Entertainment
* Gina Alajar - Tourism and Travel; director and actress [
* ]Nora Aunor
Nora Cabaltera Villamayor (born May 21, 1953), professionally known as Nora Aunor (), is a Filipino actress, recording artist, and film producer. Aunor has also appeared in several stage plays, television shows and concerts. She is known as Ph ...
- high school (1970s); actress, singer, and producer
* Gabby Concepcion - Dentistry; actor and singer
* Ney Dimaculangan
Rhoneil "Ney" M. Dimaculangan is a Filipino singer known as the former vocalist and songwriter of 6cyclemind. He eventually pursued a solo career before fronting his own namesake band Ney.
Personal life
At the age of 10, he started as the vocali ...
- Conservatory of Music; musician, formerly of 6cyclemind
6cyclemind (sometimes spelled as ''Six Cycle Mind'', ''6 Cycle Mind'', ''6CycleMind'' or ''6Cyclemind'') is a Filipino rock band composed of Tito Fortunato "Tutti" Caringal II on vocals, Ryan "Rye" Sarmiento on rhythm and lead guitars and backing ...
* Louie Ignacio - BA Mass Communication; director
* June Macasaet
June Niño Mendoza Macasaet (born June 8, 1983), popularly known as June Macasaet, is a Filipino model and male pageant titleholder who was crowned Manhunt International 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand. He is the first Filipino to win the internation ...
- BS Marketing; model and pageant titleholder
* Buenaventura S. Medina Jr.
Buenaventura S. Medina Jr. (born December 1, 1928) is a Filipino author of more than twenty-five books, mostly novels and books on criticism. In 1974, Medina rediscovered a manuscript of Francisco Balagtas' 19th century play '' Orosman at Zafira' ...
- PhD South East Asian Studies; author
* C. J. Muere
Caesar Joseph L. Muere (born February 18, 1988), popularly known simply as C. J. Muere, is a former Filipino actor. He is best known for being in the Final Four of '' StarStruck'' season two and portraying Ding in the 2005 television series of ...
- Dentistry; former actor
* Cherry Pie Picache - Dentistry (did not finish); actress[
* Daniel Razon - high school (1983), BA Mass Communication (1987) - journalist, TV and radio host, and minister in the Church of God International]
* Ryan Rems
Ryan Rems Sarita (born November 3, 1978) is a Filipino comedian and television personality. He was the first Funny One grand winner of the ABS-CBN noontime variety show, '' It's Showtime''.
Personal life
He holds a degree of Communication Arts f ...
- BA Communication Arts; TV personality and comedian
* Willie Revillame - high school, Dentistry (did not finish); TV host, actor, and comedian
* Shermaine Santiago
Shermaine Santiago (born February 16, 1980 in Manila, Philippines) is a Filipina actress, TV show host, and singer. She appeared in a lot of hit TV shows from GMA Network such as ''Best Friends'', ''Beh Bote Nga'', ''Te Amo, Maging Sino Ka Man'' ...
- Broadcasting; actress, TV host, and singer
* Erik Santos - BS Psychology (2010); singer, actor, and TV host[
* ]Amada Santos Ocampo Amada "Amy" Galvez Santos-Ocampo De Francesco (23 June 1925 – 20 December 2009) was a Philippine pianist and composer.
Biography
Amada Santos-Ocampo was born in Manila, Philippines, of parents Antonino Santos-Ocampo, Sr., and Juanita Galvez of M ...
- BA Music; pianist and composer
* Jay Taruc - Mass Communication (Broadcasting) (late 1990s); journalist[
* Darryl Yap - Mass Communication (Broadcasting); film director and screenwriter
]
Politics
* Concepcion A. Aguila - Master of Law (1926), Master of Arts (1937) - lawyer, pedagogist, former Executive Director and Dean at CEU, and former UN regional chairman[
* Lani Cayetano - BA Mass Communication (1991); Mayor of Taguig (2010-2019, 2022-present); former Representative of the ]Legislative district of Pateros-Taguig
A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government.
Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as ...
, House of Representatives (2007–2010)[
* ]Gwendolyn Ecleo
Gwendolyn Buray Ecleo-Pols (born August 25, 1974) is a Filipino politician who has been the unopposed Mayor of Dinagat, Dinagat Islands, Philippines since May 2004 until 2013, and also the ''Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association, Incorpo ...
- Doctor of Dental Medicine (2001); former mayor of Dinagat Township (2004-2013)
* Minerva G. Laudico - BS Social Work (1930s); first women's sectoral representative in the Philippines' House of Representatives, and former president of the United Nations Association
A United Nations Association (UNA) is a non-governmental organization that exist in various countries to enhance the relationship between the people of member states and the United Nations to raise public awareness of the UN and its work, to promot ...
of the Philippines.
* Salvador Laurel - elementary (1993-1935); former Vice President of the Philippines[
* ]Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel Valdez Ramos (, ; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military ...
- high school (1930s);[ Doctor of Laws ''(Honoris Causa)'' (1987); former President of the Philippines, 1992–1998.
]
Religion
* Rolando Tirona
Rolando Octavus Joven Tria Tirona, Discalced Carmelites, O.C.D. (born July 22, 1946), is a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. He is the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Caceres, Archbishop of Caceres in Naga, Camarines Sur, ...
- elementary (1952), high school (1958); Archbishop of Caceres
Sports
* Alvin Abundo
Mon Alvin T. Abundo (born October 29, 1992) is a Filipino professional basketball player for Quezon Huskers of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He was Blackwater’s seventh round pick (51st overall) in the 2015 PBA draft, maki ...
- Hotel and Restaurant Management; PBA player for NorthPort Batang Pier
The NorthPort Batang Pier is a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) team that first played in the 2012–13 PBA season. The team took over the franchise of the Powerade Tigers in 2012 after it was sold to Sultan 900 Capital, Inc. Besides Nor ...
* Misagh Bahadoran
Misagh Medina Bahadoran ( fa, میثاق بهادران, Mithāq Bhāderan; born January 10, 1987) is a Filipino footballer who plays as a winger or forward for Maharlika Manila in the Philippines Football League and the Philippines nation ...
- Dentistry (2010); footballer with Maharlika Manila F.C.
Maharlika Manila Football Club, commonly referred to as Maharlika, is a Philippines, Filipino professional association football, football club based in Manila that competes in the Philippines Football League.
The club was founded in 2019 as an ...
, futsal player on the Philippines national team
* Vergel Meneses
Vergel Corpuz Meneses (born January 14, 1969) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player and a politician, serving as mayor of the municipality of Bulakan, Bulacan. He previously played in the Philippine Basketball Association and ser ...
- Integrated School; mayor of Bulakan (2019-present), retired PBA player
* Janine Pontejos
Janine Ricalde Pontejos (born October 29, 1992) is a Filipino professional basketball player. She also represents the Philippine national team in international competitions.
College
Janine Pontejos first took up basketball growing up with her ...
- Business Administration; professional WNBL player, Philippine national team member, current basketball coach of the CEU Lady Scorpions
References
{{authority control
Universities and colleges in Manila
Education in San Miguel, Manila
Educational institutions established in 1907
Companies listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange
Business schools in the Philippines
Liberal arts colleges in the Philippines
Dental schools in the Philippines
Nursing schools in the Philippines
Graduate schools in the Philippines
Companies based in Manila
1907 establishments in the Philippines