TRACING THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS

1946 1947 1948 1949 1967

 1946: AGE OF FREEDOM AND REHABILITATION

The idea of putting up the Western

Philippine Colleges took shape one
afternoon in 1946 at the printing press of
Mr. Juan Y. Javier on P. Burgos Street.

Mr. Juan Y. Javier and Atty. Jesus

Lorenzo A. Arguelles, two young men
who were motivated to put up their own
school.

Rev. Fr. Vicente R. Catapang (well-

known educator from Taal), Atty.
Francisco G. Perez (senior member of
the Provincial Board), Atty. Pablo C.
Umali (from Lipa), Mr. Roman L. Perez
(Mayor of Batangas) – joined the two
young men as members of the Board of
Trustees.

Mrs. Flordeliza Arguelles: “… To the

credit of Mr. Javier and his famous jeep,
and with the other founders in town, they
were able to establish a bandwagon of
sympathizers who looked kindly to their
mission.”

The campaign was undertaken by Atty.

Arguelles through posting the
announcements in walls and posts, and
advertising in local newspapers and
movie houses.
 YEAR 1947

On April 28, 1947, first classes of 48 students

FIRST
were formally opened which they named
CLASSES
Western Philippine Colleges (WPC).

The first school site was a small rented house

opposite the Batangas Trade School, the FIRST
present Batangas State University. SCHOOL
SITE

The first courses offered were:

 Education (Mr. Juan Y. Javier: 1st Dean)

 Liberal Arts (Atty. Francisco G. Perez)
 Commerce (Dean Pablo C. Umali)
FIRST
COURSES
The Elementary and High School Department
were also started with Mrs. Flordeliza M.
Arguelles and Ms. Gliceria Martinez as the
principals respectively.
 Rev. Fr. Vicente R. Catapang was elected
by the Board of Trustees as President and
ELECTED
Over-All Administrator because of his
MEMBERS
wisdom and expertise as an educator.
 Atty. Jesus Lorenzo A. Arguelles was
elected as Executive Secretary.

 After a year, enrollees increased from 48 to

78 students.
 Classes were transferred to the Javier ENROLLEES
House, which was located on the corner of
D. Silang and P. Burgos Streets.

 While everybody was preparing for the July

04 Independence Day parade, Atty. Jesus
UNTIMELY
Lorenzo A. Arguelles was about to leave
DEMISE
home to supervise work on the college float
when he suffered a massive heart attack.
 Many problems related to unstable
finances, resources and facilities like the CHALLENGES
library, school ground and a limited number FACED
of teachers cropped up and had to be
solved immediately.

 The needed money had to be borrowed

from the founders.
 The problem as regards the school ground
SOLUTION
was solved by borrowing a vacant space
from the Batangas High School for the
military drills and ROTC training and
parade.

 In order to increase the finances of the

college, an educational partnership was EDUCATIONAL
forged on December 05, 1947, which PARTNERSHIP

marked the beginning of Western

Philippine Colleges, Incorporated.
 YEAR 1948: 1ST GRADUATION PROGRAM

The 1st Graduation Program of 14 high school senior students was held on April 30, 1948.

The first batch of graduates with their adviser.

JUDGE VICENTE RAFAEL

ARGUELLES DIMACULANGAN
(Guest Speaker) (First Salutatorian)

REMIGIO AGPALO
(First Valedictorian)
 YEAR 1949

01 02
It was in the same year that the
The number of high school graduation of the first batch of
graduates increased college seniors were held.
significantly in 1949, from 14 to • 18 – College of Liberal Arts
63 graduates. • 48 – College of Education
and Normal

03 JUNE 1949: 04 • The rapid increase in

• The College of Law was
enrollment posed a big
opened.
problem with regards to the
• The honorable Justice of
accommodation of the
Peace Court Eulalio Chavez
students.
was held as the acting dean.
• To solve this, Atty. Francisco
• He was replaced by Atty.
G. Perez made the
Francisco G. Perez, who was
negotiations in order to
appointed as the first dean. lease a lot.

05 06
The lot, which is approximately This was followed by the
3,290.76 square meters on M.H. construction of a semi-
Del Pilar from the government of permanent building also in in the
Batangas was leased for 99 same location. All classes, then,
years where the first one-storey were transferred from the Javier
wooden structure was residence in P. Burgos to M.H.
constructed. Del Pilar Campus.
07 Due to public insistence, new 08 At the time when the college
courses were offered. Hence, it was already becoming popular,
was necessary to construct Mayor Roman Perez, because
another three-storey semi- of his great contribution in
permanent structure in 1950 in saving a kit of Batangueños
order to construct another from the hands of the Japanese
college education accessible to invaders, was assassinated on
more students. November 09, 1949.

EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED

09 10
SUMMER 1951
Mr. Eliseo C. Austria became
Atty. Pablo C. Umali also the acting dean of the college of
tendered his resignation due to Commerce while at the same
his desire to give more focus to time serving as the school
his law practice in his hometown, accountant on a concurrent
Lipa. capacity.

11 • After five years of dedicated 12

service, just before the
opening of classes in 1952, Fr. The Western Philippine
Colleges lost another pillar with
Vicente R. Catapang decided
to leave the college due to his the demise of Atty. Francisco
G. Perez, who succumbed to a
failing health.
• He founded a parochial school massive heart attack on August
29, 1959.
in Lemery, the St. Mary’s
Educational Institute.
13 14
The loss of the five great men
did not prevent Mr. Juan Y. Mr. Javier and the WPC
Javier and the rest of the WPC administrators moved on and
administrators to surrender from made great strides for the
their struggles. development of the college.

15 • The fame and popularity of 16

WPC spread to far-flung • Because of the influx of
towns of Batangas due to the enrollees, the administrators
high rate of passers in the Bar realized that more buildings
and CPA examinations. had to be added.
• For this reason, more and • In their desire for growth,
more enrollees flocked to more courses were opened.
WPC.

17 • However, the situation was 18

marred by the sudden illness
Juan A Javier, only son of
of President Juan Y. Javier.
President Javier, temporarily
• Three days after the visit of
took over the reins of leadership
the Board of Trustees at the
so as to fill the vacuum until
General Santos Hospital in
such time that the next set of
Manila, on January 12,
officers had been elected.
1963, President Javier
joined his creator.
19 20
The Board of Trustees
revamped the administration After three years, Dr. Abelardo
and management of the B. Perez, was elected Chairman
Western Philippine Colleges. of the Board of Trustees and
They created an Executive voted by the members of the
Committee and elected Atty. Executive Committee as the
Manuel Panganiban as the President.
Chairman.

21 It was during the time of the 22 The chairmanship of the Board

presidency of Dr. Perez that the of Trustees had been restored
officers of the Board of Trustees and was passed from Dr. Perez
decided to have the institution to Atty. Juan V. Ramos.
changed to stock corporation Eventually, the position was
registered as such with the handed to Atty. Vicente A.
Securities and Exchange Mayo, who held the position
Commission on December 23, from June 1973 up until his
1967. retirement in 2014.

23 24
His son, Atty. Jesus Victor V.
During the next election, Dr.
Mayo, took his place as
Abelardo lost the position of
Chairman of the Board of
President to Mrs. Flordeliza
Regents while holding the
Arguelles, thereby making her
position as Vice President for
as the fourth president of
Student and External Affairs
WPC.
on a concurrent capacity.
 25 26
Dr. Abelardo’s younger brother,
After one term, Dr. Abelardo the former Department of
Perez was once again elected Justice Secretary, Dr.
as President of WPC in June Hernando B. Perez, succeeded
1974. He held this position until him, who was able to fulfill the
his untimely demise on April 18, dreams of Dr. Abelardo to lead
2007. the institution to greater heights.

The Western Philippine Colleges continued to gain prominence in academic, cultural,

research, sports and athletics, community extension services, national and international linkages,
development of physical facilities, and technological advancement.