Chapter

Three
BRIEF HISTORY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF
BATANGAS
• March 11, 1945 – Liberation of Batangas from
Japanese Occupation
• Educational system was very much paralyzed.
• It was the worst time for the Batangueños to
begin a new life.
• 1946 Idea of putting up Western Philippine
Colleges
• Mr. Juan Y. Javier and Atty. Jesus Lorenzo A.
Arguelles were motivated to put up their own
school.
• They started searching for people who has great
vision, integrity, dedication, credibility, courage,
optimism, perseverance and leadership.
• They invited 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) and Mr. Roman L.
Perez (Mayor of Batangas)
• It was the year of uncertainties for the Filipinos but
for the six gentlemen, it was the age of freedom and
change.
• Establishing a school after the war was not an
easy task. Countless problems had to be solved
like school site, facilities, equipment, funding and
human resource.
• Bureau of Private Schools- they secured the
permit to operate
• A note written by Mrs. Flordeliza Arguelles, the
wife of Atty. Jesus Arguelles
"Of vital importance to the existence of any
educational institutiom is its enrollment. Hence, the
campaign for it was assiduously pursued without
let-up during the dat and even at night. To the
credit od Mr. Javier and his famous jeep and with
the other founders in town, they were able to
establish a bandwagon of symphatizers who
looked kindly to their mission.
• Announcements of the school opening were
posted on walls and advertised in local
newspapers and movie houses. This campaign
was undertaken by Atty. Arguelles.
• April 28, 1947- the first classes of 48 students
were formally opened after a year planning and
laying groundwork for the founding of the school
which they named WPC.
• The first school site was a small rented house
opposite the Batangas Trade School, the
present BSU.
• First Courses offered:
 Education- Mr. Juan Javier (the first dean)
 Liberal Arts- Atty. Francisco G. Perez (dean)
 Commerce- Dean Pablo C. Umali

• High School Department and Elementary Dept.

 Mrs. Flordeliza Arguelles- wife of Atty. Arguelles
 Mrs. Gliceria Martinez- sister of Mrs. Arguelles
 Rev. Fr. Vicente Catapang- elected by the Board of
Trustees as President and Over-all Administrator
 Atty. Jesus Arguelles- Executive Secretary
• The enrollment increase from 48 to 78 students,
the classes transferred to the Javier house
which was located on the corner of D. Silang
and P. Burgos st. now occupied by Jollibee.
• While everybody preparing for the July 4
Independence Day parade, Atty. Arguelles was
about to leave home to supervise work on the
college float when he suffered massive attack
and in the age of 47 y/o he met his tragic death
on July 3, 1947.
Problems related to unstable:

Finances
Resources
Facilities like the library
School ground
Limited number of teachers
Solution:

The needed money had to borrowed from the

founder
As to school grounds, they borrowed a vacant
space from the Batangas High School for
military drills and ROTC trainings and parade
• On December 5, 1947, an educational partnership was forged
to increase the capital, whuch marked the beginning of
Western Philippines College, Inc.
• On April 30, 1948, the first graduation program of 14 high
school senior students was held with Judge Vicente Arguelles
as guest speaker.
• First Valedictorian was Remigio Agpalo.
• First Salutatorian was Rafael Dimaculangan.
• There was marked increase of high school graduates from the
initial 14 to 63 in SY 1948-1949.
• The first batch of the college graduates, 18 from the College
of Liberal Arts, 48 fro, the College of Education and Normal
departments as they listened to the advice of the
commencement speaker, Former President Jose P. Laurel.
• The College of Law started to operate in June 1949 with
Justice of Peace Court Eulalio Chavez as acting dean.
• Eventually, the acting dean was replaced by Atty.
Francisco G. Perez, who was appointed as the first Dean.
• The rapid enrollment increase posed the engrossing
problem of accommodation.
• Through the effort and negotiation made by the Provincial
Board Member, Atty. Francisco G. Perez, a lot measuring
approximately 3,290.76 square meters on M.H. Del Pilar
was leased by the provincial government of Batangas for
99 years where the first one-storey wooden structure was
constructed. Followed by the construction of a two-storey
semi-permanent building also in the same location.
• All classes, then, were transferred from the Javier
residence in P. Burgos, to M.H. Del Pilar campus.
• In 1950, it was necessary to construct another three-
storey semi-permanent structure in order to make the
college education accessible to more students not only
from the municipality of Batangas but also from the
nearby towns and provinces.
• Just when the college was already gaining grounds after
the challenging and difficult times, Mayor Roman Perez
was assassinated in front of his residence on November
9, 1949.
• 1951

 Atty. Pablo Umali also tendered his resignation from

the college due to his desire to give more focus to his
law practice in his hometown Lipa.
 Mr. Eliseo C. Austria became the acting dean of the
College of Commerce while at the same time serving
as the school accountany on a concurrent capacity.
• 1952

 Rev. Fr. Vicente Catapang decided to leave the

college due to his failing health.
 He bid farewell to WPC in order to continue his
priestly ministry in the areas of Sta. Teresita, Taal, and
Lemery.
 He also founded a parochial school in Lemery, the St.
Mary's Educational Institute.
• Atty. Francisco Perez died due to a massive heart
attack on August 29,1959.

• President Juan Y. Javier

 After three days after the visit of the Board of Trustees
at the General Santos Hospital in Manila, on January
12,1964, President Javier joined his Creator.
 Juan Y. Javier Jr., his only son, temporarily took over
the reins of leadership so as to fill the vacuum until
such time that the next set of officers had been
elected.
• Atty. Manuel Panganiban- became the chairman of the
Executive Committee.
• After three years, Dr. Abelardo Perez, the son of Atty.
Francisco Perez, was elected Chairman of the Board of
Trustees and voted by the members of the Executive
Committee as the President.
• December 23,1967- Dr. Perez and the officers of the Board
of Trustees decided to have the institution changed to a
stock corporation registered as such with the SEC.
• The chairmanship of thr Board of Trustees had been
restored and was passed from Dr. Perez to Atty. Juan V.
Ramos and eventually handed to Atty. Vicente A. Mayo,
who held the position from June 1973 up until 2014.
• Atty. Jesus Victor V. Mayo took his place as Chairman of
the Board of Regents while holding the position as Vice
President for Students and External Affairs.
• During the election, Dr. Abelardo lost the position of
President to Mrs. Flordeliza Arguelles, making her as
the Fourth President.
• After one term, Dr. Abelardo was once again elected as
President of WPC in June 1974 and held his position up
to his demise on April 18, 2007. Dr. Abelardo's younger
brother, the former Department of Justice Secretary, Dr.
Hernando B. Perez, succeeded him.
 WPC

• The Western Philippine Colleges continue to gain

prominence in different areas.
• Through the years, WPC had gained prestige as it
celebrated the 50th Anniversary.
• Went to Level IV Accreditations in several programs.
• WPC was thereby named the University of Batangas,
the first university in the province of Batangas at year
1996.
• From the wopden and semi-permanent on the M. H. Del
Pilar campus, it had grown into several campuses.
UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS

• Once main campus on M. H. Del Pilar branched out to

Hilltop Campus. Other branches are the Pallocan East
Campus and Lipa City Campus.
• UB had grown literally and figuratively from 48 students
to an enrollment of almost 14,000 students.
• Countless alumni had passed through the portals of their
alma mater and had bought fame and glory to the
university and country and elsewhere as fitting tribute to
their beloved institution.
• It has been the University's mission to create an
environment that will give opportunities for students.
UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS

• Students' desire for wisdom, which helped them

realize their duties as servants of community,
has helped them achieve academic prominence
in different courses.
• Students' involvement in collaborative programs
developed transformation leadership and
strengthened the core values instilled by the
Founding Fathers.
• UB is considered the Cradle of Champions with
the contestants in academic, cultural and sports
bringing home the "proverbial bacon“.
• UB tops the different licensure examinations like in
Engineering, Education, Allied Medical Sciences,
Business and Accountancy, Nursing, Midwifery and Law.
• It blossoms and constantly growing as it also offers
Doctoral program, ETTEAP, Review Center and different
short term courses.
• UB is currently at Level 3 and Level 4 by PACUCOA,
AJA-JAZ-ANZ and certified ISO 9001:2008 in status in
2009. CHED awarded UB a 3 year autonomous status
and recognized Teacher Education as a center of
excellence in the whole Batangas province.
• The school is devoted to its mission
• The school knows itself
• The school is student-oriented
• The school keeps its promises.
• The school accepts objective assessment.
• The school is constantly seeking to improve its
performance in curricular and other areas.
• The school plans for the future.
• President Hernando B. Perez considered UB as the
"University of the Future" and as a " University of
Choice".
• The onset of 21st century brought about the
opening of the new linkages and reaching new
borders:

 Exchange programs with Korea and Japan

 Successful presentation of papers at ASAIHL
International Convention in Malaysia
 Partnership with SMART and other industries.
• The faculty members also proved the popularity of UB as
they were elected to key positions in regional and
national organizations like:

 Philippine Association of Law Schools(PALS)

 Philippine Association for Teacher Education ( PAFTE)
 Philippine National Philosophical Research Society(PNPRS)
 Kapisanan ng Bahay Saliksikan ng Bansa( KABANSA, Inc.)
 Network of CALABARZON Educational Institutions (NOCEL,
Inc.)
 CALABARZON Research Council(CRC)
 Research Fellows of Philippine Society for Educational Research
and Evaluation(PSERE)
Council of Hotel and Restaurant Educators in the Philippines(
COHREP)
• UB find ways in order to get all the accreditations
needed in order to maintain high quality education.
• Characteristics for an institution to obtain
accreditation
• The College of Graduate Studies branched out to
Calapan,Oriental Mindoro in the Masteral Level at
the Luna Goco Colleges since School Year 2010-
2011.
• A Memorandum of Agreement was entered into by
UB and CEFI for a partnership in the Graduate
Extension Program since June 2010 in Lucena City.
Prepared by:

Dimaano, Lyka Jane

Festijo, Kaira
Limbag, Jessa Mae
Masangcay, Aira
Mendoza, Joan
Reyes, Arthene Jaffa