#InquirerSeven Facts you might not know about UST

Photo by Kate Reyes, University of Santo Tomas

Renowned for the richness of its more than 400 years of history, there is still a lot of interesting facts to discover about Asia’s oldest existing university, the University of Santo Tomas.

Here is the #InquirerSeven Facts you might not know about UST:

1. UST was first called Colegio de Nuestra Señora de Santissimo Rosario, which was later on replaced by Colegio de Santo Tomas.

2. The Doctrina Christiana, the first book printed in the Philippines, was produced in 1593 by the old Imprenta de los Dominicanos de Manila, now known as the UST Publishing House.

Photo by Kate Reyes, University of Santo Tomas

3. On May 20, 1865, UST acted as the country’s “Department of Education” for directing and supervising all schools under the royal order of Queen Isabella II of Spain.

4. During the Japanese occupation, the UST Intramuros campus was bombed and destroyed while the UST campus in España became an internment camp for the civilian families of allied forces and nationals living in the country.

Photo by Kate Reyes, University of Santo Tomas

5. Four Filipino presidents were produced by UST namely: Manuel L. Quezon, Sergio S. Osmeña, Jose P. Laurel, and Diosdado P. Macapagal.

6. The figures of Piolo Pascual, Charlene Gonzales, Rev. Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P., and Monina Orlina on the Quattromondial symbolize Excellence, Erudition, Spirituality and Tradition, respectively.

Photo by Kate Reyes, University of Santo Tomas

7. UST is the only school in the Philippines visited by three Popes four times. Pope Paul VI in 1970, Pope John Paul II in 1981 and in 1995, and Pope Francis in 2015.

READ: Message of Pope Francis to Filipino youth at UST