Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ HISTORY
BRIEF HISTORY OF Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ
By Francis Neil G. Jalando-on
The birth of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is connected with the beginning of the Baptist mission in the Philippines. In 1898, Rev. Dr. Eric Lund, a Swedish Baptist missionary, baptized Braulio Manikan, a native of Aklan, Panay, in Barcelona, Spain. Manikan became the first Filipino Baptist. The two soon planned mission work in the Philippines and began translating the Gospels and Acts into Hiligaynon. The American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (ABFMS) commissioned and funded their mission, and they arrived in Iloilo City in May 1900.Ìý
Preaching, Healing, and Teaching became the three pillars of the Baptist ministry, patterned after the ministry of Jesus Christ to minister to the “whole man.” The preaching ministry established churches: Jaro Evangelical Church (1900), Bacolod Evangelical Church (1902), and Capiz Evangelical Church (1908). The healing ministry opened the Iloilo Mission Hospital in 1901 in partnership with the Presbyterians, becoming exclusively Baptist in 1925, and the Capiz Emmanuel Hospital in 1908. The teaching ministry began with a Baptist Home School in Capiz (1904), later Filamer Christian University, and a Bible School for women in Iloilo (1904), later the Baptist Missionary Training School.Ìý
In 1904, the Philippine Baptist Mission Conference voted to establish an Industrial School for boys and a Bible School for pastors. The Bible School for men opened in June 1905. A few months later, on October 1, 1905, the Jaro Industrial School opened under Rev. Dr. William O. Valentine. Starting with 20 boys who worked for their board and tuition, it was the first school in the Philippines to teach that “Labor is Honor.” By 1907, enrollment had surged to nearly 300. The school organized the first student government in the Philippines Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ” the Jaro Industrial School Republic (now CPU Republic).
ÌýThe school was incorporated in 1913 and began admitting female students. High school classes were added progressively, with the first 17 graduates finishing in 1921. During these early years, several acting principals carried the institution through transitions: Rev. Charles L. Maxfield, Rev. Henry W. Munger, and Miss Mary Jane Thomas Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ” one of the first women to lead the school. Rev. Dr. Alton Ezra Bigelow, an original incorporator, served as Acting Principal (1918Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ“1922) and later founded the School of Theology (1926), whose first graduate, Engracio Alora, became General Secretary of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches. Bigelow also produced a 555-page Visayan-English Dictionary, revised the Hiligaynon Bible, and organized the school church (1913) that became the University Church.Ìý
In 1923, the school became Central Philippine School and expanded into a junior college. Dr. Harland Francis Stuart, a mechanical engineer from Worcester Polytechnic Institute who later earned his Ed.D. from Harvard, was the last Principal of Jaro Industrial School and the first President of Central Philippine College (1924). An ingenious builder, he engineered the construction of Lopez Dining Hall, Franklin Hall, Weston Hall, Roblee Science Hall, and Valentine Hall. He introduced coeducation in 1924 and shifted Board of Trustees election to the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches. The College of Commerce was born in 1935, and Engineering courses followed. In June 1938, the senior college opened, offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Science in Education. By 1940, five degrees were offered. The college pioneered nursing education in the Philippines through collaboration with Iloilo Mission Hospital, and was first to establish a Kindergarten School.Ìý
Rev. Dr. Francis Howard Rose left an enduring creative legacy during these years. He designed the CPU Seal (1923) with twelve rays symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve disciples. He composed many Central Songs and coined the term “Central Spirit.” He established the green-and-white campus color tradition, supervised the construction of the first concrete building on campus (Stuart Hall, 1913), and wrote prophetically in The Martyr’s Antiphony (1931): “For every gain for Christendom, is bought by someone’s martyrdom.”Ìý
World War II and the Hopevale MartyrsÌý
When World War II broke out, CPC was devastated. On December 20, 1943, Japanese soldiers captured and executed eleven American Baptist missionaries and one small boy at Hopevale, Tapaz, Capiz. At dawn, the missionaries asked to be allowed to pray and, an hour later, told their Japanese captors they were ready to die. The adults were beheaded and the children were bayoneted. Among the Hopevale Martyrs were Rev. Dr. Francis Howard Rose, Acting President before the war, and his wife Gertrude. Most students, faculty, and alumni joined the guerrilla resistance; many died for freedom. Urbano F. Nequin, a Filipino educator, served as a First Lieutenant in the Panay Guerrilla Movement while safeguarding the college’s academic records in a cave in Calinog.Ìý
After liberation, President R. Fred Chambers returned to find the campus in ruins and wept. Then he declared: “Out of the ruins and ashes of war shall rise a greater Central!” Nequin organized refresher classes by May 1945. Miss May Angeline Coggins, the first American missionary to return, chaired the Faculty Council and maintained vital communication with the ABFMS. Don Ramon Lopez, Board Chairman, reflected: “The first two years of post-liberation had proved that the Central Spirit did not die when all else, less deathless, had died.” The Foreword of the 1946 Centralite declared: “We shall show the generations coming after us that no war of man or machine can destroy the Central Spirit.”Ìý
Postwar Rebuilding and University StatusÌý
Rev. Dr. Joseph Morris Forbes (Acting President, 1947Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ“1950) led reconstruction, known for working alongside laborers and urging students to “THINK.” Rev. Dr. Peter Hugh James Lerrigo (1950Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ“1952), the only surviving incorporator of Jaro Industrial School, returned from retirement at age 75 to serve. He established University Day and Christ Emphasis Week, secured permanent program recognition, and oversaw construction of Rose Memorial Hall honoring the martyrs.Ìý
Dr. Almus O. Larsen (1952Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ“1961) guided the institution through its most historic transition. On April 1, 1953, CPC officially became Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ” a decision formally approved by the Board of Trustees on August 1, 1953. Larsen articulated five objectives: high scholarship, concern for student welfare, a Biblical center for life, realism about the times, and confidence in Eternity. By 1960, enrollment surpassed 3,000; he brought finances “out of the red.” It was Larsen who gave CPU its guiding motto: “Education for Service.”Ìý
Dr. Linnea A. Nelson, first Dean of the Graduate School (1950Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ“1968), served twice as Acting President. She later co-authored Scientia et Fides: The Story of CPU (1981) and challenged graduates to be both “Dreamers and Builders.”Ìý
Filipinization: Dr. Rex D. DrilonÌý
On May 10, 1966, the CPU Board of Trustees elected Dr. Rex D. Drilon as the first Filipino President. A graduate of CPC (Associate in Arts, 1927) and the University of Missouri, and a former guerrilla officer, Drilon made history. At his inauguration, a choir sang his poem “This Nation Will Be Great Again”: “This nation will be great again and again as it faces the future’s everlasting travails with brow ever raised and faith never dying.” His battle cry was “A Great Central.”Ìý
He established the University Research Center, founded the Southeast Asia Quarterly, and championed academic freedom through the University Forum, described by one newspaper as making him “a dangerous presidentÄ¢¹½ÊÓƵ¦ possessed with such an utterly open mind.” He declared: “If your Filipino president fails, then the Filipino name is marked forever. But if your Filipino president succeeds with your help, then the Filipino name shall be honored.”Ìý
His crowning achievement came on Christmas Day, December 25, 1969, when the ABFMS transferred the entire university property to the Filipino Corporation of CPU Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ” “an event without parallel in the history of religious foreign missions.” The Constitution now stipulates that a majority of the Corporation and Board of Trustees must come from CPBC member churches. Drilon passed away suddenly in 1971. Thousands joined his funeral, one of the longest ever witnessed in Jaro.Ìý
Golden Era: Dr. Agustin A. PulidoÌý
At age 39, Dr. Agustin A. Pulido became the second Filipino President (1971Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ“1996), serving the longest term in CPU history. A Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Indiana University and former UP Dean, he described the presidency as requiring “a different and higher level of chemistry.” His 25-year tenure built the Engineering Building, New Valentine Hall, Henry Luce III Library, and Rose Memorial Auditorium. He established endowment funds, strengthened international partnerships, and elevated academic accreditation. CPU was recognized among the top 18 universities in the Philippines. He declared: “CPU’s mission is to build an institution of higher learning that is obedient to the LordÄ¢¹½ÊÓƵ¦ sustained by a living faith and not because it is fossilized.” He later served as President of Silliman University and Chairman of the CPU Board of Trustees.Ìý
Centennial President: Dr. Juanito M. AcantoÌý
When CPU faced an unexpected leadership vacuum, Dean Juanito M. Acanto stepped forward. He had not applied or campaigned. As he said: “My best qualification was availability and faith.” His presidency (1997Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ“2008) saw enrollment surge from 9,132 to over 13,500, the annual budget grow from ₱93 million to ₱460 million, and the Centennial Endowment Campaign raise ₱375 million. Over ₱500 million in infrastructure was completed.Ìý
Under his leadership, the EXCEL Vision-Mission and Core Values of Faith, Character, Justice, Stewardship, and Excellence were formalized. New colleges opened: Medicine (2003), Computer Studies (2003), and Hospitality Management (2004). CPU gained its first CHED Autonomous Status and ISO 9001:2000 certification. His signature vision resonated throughout the university: “I envisioned CPU as a beauty to behold, a beauty to think and feel about, and a beauty to be remembered.” In 2005, as Centennial President, he led a year-long celebration that saw thousands of alumni return from around the world.Ìý
Innovation and Stewardship: Dr. Teodoro C. RoblesÌý
Dr. Teodoro C. Robles was unanimously elected in 2008. A CPU engineering alumnus who worked his way through college, he earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Montana State University and served as professor at Purdue University and the Milwaukee School of Engineering. His 15-year presidency (2008Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ“2023) maintained CHED Autonomous Status, achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification, and attained Level IV accreditation for multiple programs. CPU ranked No. 1 in Western Visayas for Centers of Excellence and Centers of Development. He strengthened international linkages across China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. CPU CARES became the national leader in native chicken research. His prudent fiscal management meant campus renovations required zero borrowing. As he reflected: “When we began, we were at about 85% collection rate. Today, CPU has reached beyond 98%.”Ìý
A Historic Presidency: Rev. Dr. Ernest Howard B. DagohoyÌý
On November 1, 2023, Rev. Dr. Ernest Howard B. Dagohoy assumed office as the 18th President of CPU, serving a term from November 1, 2023 to October 31, 2028. He is the first Filipino pastor, an ordained minister of the CPBC, to hold the presidency since the American missionaries. A graduate of CPU Development High School and the College of Theology, he holds a Master of Divinity from the Asian Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He previously served as Senior Pastor at First Philippine Baptist Church in Texas, Adjunct Professor at Houston Christian University, and earlier as CPU College of Theology faculty, University Church Associate Pastor, and University Chaplain.
A University of Distinction
Today, CPU serves approximately 15,000 students with over 1,000 faculty and staff on its 24-hectare campus in Jaro, Iloilo City which was declared a tourism site by the City Council in 2001, the first and only university in the Philippines so recognized.
CPU has the distinction of being one of the few private higher education institutions in the Philippines granted autonomous status by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). This status, reserved for institutions demonstrating exceptional performance in instruction, research, extension, and institutional management, allows CPU to offer new courses by virtue of a Board Resolution without seeking a government permit, and exempts the university from applying to CHED for Special Orders of graduating students. CPU was among the first batch of HEIs granted full autonomous status effective October 22, 2001, through CHED Memorandum Order No. 32, Series of 2001. At that time, CPU was one of only two schools in Western Visayas to receive such recognition out of 1,200 private institutions nationwide. The status was renewed on October 22, 2006, through Resolution Nos. 535 and 768 of 2007.
The university has successfully maintained this status for over two decades. It was recertified for the period of June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2021, and subsequently extended through CMO No. 7, s. 2021 from July 1, 2021 to May 31, 2023. In 2018, CPU was the only university in Iloilo City to hold CHED Autonomous Status. The most recent renewal grants the university autonomous status for a three-year period from September 16, 2024 to September 15, 2027. At the 4th CHED Regional Quality Awards in 2025, CPU was formally conferred the Autonomous HEI in Region VI Award, affirming its sustained institutional excellence.
The university has also earned multiple CHED designations for academic excellence. Two programs hold the prestigious Center of Excellence distinction: the College of Business and Accountancy (Business Administration) and the College of Agriculture, Resources, and Environmental Sciences. Its programs recognized as Centers of Development include Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Teacher Education. In 2016, CPU ranked No. 1 in Western Visayas and No. 18 nationwide for the most number of COEs and CODs. Pioneering programs include Software Engineering, Packaging Engineering, Health Fitness and Lifestyle Management, and Digital Media and Interactive Arts.
The university’s commitment to institutional quality is reflected in its long-standing engagement with international standards. CPU was first certified under ISO 9001:2000 on December 10, 2004, later transitioning to ISO 9001:2008 and then to ISO 9001:2015, demonstrating its consistent adherence to globally benchmarked processes. In pursuit of its vision of Exemplary Christian Education for Life (EXCEL), however, CPU recognized that it needed a standard specifically designed for educational institutions, one that would align its quality systems more closely with CHED requirements, outcome-based education, and learner-centered services. In 2025, the university successfully completed the Stage 1 and Stage 2 Audits for ISO 21001:2018 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ“ Educational Organizations Management System (EOMS), conducted by TQCSI Philippines, and was formally recommended for certification. This transition from a general management standard to an education-specific standard marks CPU’s dedication to continuous quality improvement in teaching, learning, and institutional operations.
On the global stage, CPU has built a consistent record of international recognition. The university made its historic debut in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asia University Rankings in the 2021 edition (released November 2020), placing in the 601+ bracket as one of only 14 Philippine universities on the list Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ” and the sole institution from Western Visayas included. CPU sustained its presence in the rankings over subsequent editions: placing in the 651+ bracket in the 2022 edition and improving to the 701Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ“750 bracket in 2023, each time remaining the only HEI from Western Visayas represented. After a brief absence in the 2024 edition, CPU reclaimed its spot in the 2025 QS Asia Rankings, placing 851Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ“900 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ” ranking 1st in Western Visayas, 14th in the Philippines, and 153rd in Southeast Asia Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ” as the number of ranked Philippine universities expanded to 25. In the 2026 edition, CPU was ranked #1201Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ“1300 in Asia and #185 in Southeast Asia, joining 34 Philippine universities.
CPU has also ranked in the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) 2025, securing #46 in ESG Trend and #75 in SDG-based Responses to Global Challenges, while also participating in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings and retaining the top spot in the uniRank 2026 Western Visayas University Ranking since 2025. In WURI 2026, CPU further strengthened its international standing after placing 349th in the Global Top 500 Innovative Universities and earning recognition in four Top 100 categories: 72nd in Industrial Application (A3), 38th in Crisis Management (A5), 71st in Infrastructure/Technology (B6), and 48th in Financial Impact-Driven Technology Transfer (C8).
CPU’s consistent excellence has been repeatedly affirmed at the CHED Regional Quality Awards. At the 4th CHED Regional Quality Awards held on May 28, 2025 at CPU’s own Rose Memorial Auditorium, the university received 13 prestigious citations including Rank 1 Top Performing School in the April 2025 Electronics Technician Licensure Examination (100%), Rank 4 in the May 2025 Chemical Engineers Computer-Based Licensure Examination (92.31%), Rank 7 in both the November 2024 Chemical Engineering Licensure Examination (83.33%) and November 2024 Pharmacist Licensure Examination (90.59%), along with awards for Internationalization Initiatives, Peace Education, Community Extension and Linkages, NSTP, the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drug Strategy Innovative Awards, and world rankings recognition for both QS and THE. At the 3rd CHED Regional Quality Awards on May 29, 2024 at the University of San Agustin, CPU received five citations: a Plaque of Recognition as the 8th Top Performing School in the May 2024 Chemical Engineers Licensure Examination (80.0%), the Model Implementer Award for Registrar’s Records, Awards for Excellence in NSTP and Internationalization Initiatives, and a Certificate of Recognition for support to CHEDRO VI. At the 2nd CHED Regional Quality Awards in 2023, CPU garnered multiple recognitions including top performing school in the Nursing and Medical Technologists licensure examinations, Best in NSTP Implementation, and Best Implementer of flexible learning initiatives.
The Henry Luce III Library holds 186,000 volumes, the region’s largest collection, and serves as a UN depository. CPU maintains ties with the International Ministries of the American Baptist Churches, the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, and multiple international university partners.
After 120 years, CPU remains faithful to its founding vision: an institution that ministers to the whole person, sends forth graduates imbued with the Central Spirit, and bears witness to Jesus Christ. From the martyrdom at Hopevale to the prophecy that “from these ashes shall rise a greater Central,” from pioneering Filipino leadership to global recognition, the story of CPU is one of faith, resilience, and excellence. Its motto remains Scientia et Fides Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ” Science and Faith.
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References
Bunda, N. D. (1999). A mission history of the Philippine Baptist churches, 1898Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ“1998: From a Philippine perspective. Verlag an der Lottbek im Besitz des Verlags Mainz.
Herradura, E. S. (2012). Scientia et Fides: The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ story (Vol. 2). Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ.
Jalando-on, F. N. G., Sabijon, A. C., Jr., & Villeza, R. A. F. (2024). We are CPU: Our reasons for being. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ.
Nelson, L. A., & Herradura, E. S. (1981). Scientia et Fides: The story of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ.