Benavides monument

In December 1878, the rector conceived the idea of erecting a monument with a statue of the founder in the Plaza de Santo Tomás in Intramuros. The Benavides statue was made in Paris in 1889 through funds collected by the faculty, students, and friends of the university. It was inaugurated on July 2, 1891 – opening of the school year. The statue is a bronze figure of Benavides on a pedestal facing the old campus in Intramuros. The base of the statue has the name of the sculptor and year of the make: Tony Noël, 1889. The pedestal was decorated with the seals of the Dominican Order and the university, as well as plaques on which were written the history of UST and a brief biography of the archbishop.^[4]

The statue was blown from its place by an artillery shell during the 1945 Battle of Manila, completely obliterating its marble pedestal. It was re-erected on November 13, 1946, inside the UST campus in Sampaloc, Manila.^[4]

The present bronze statue of Benavides is in front of the Main Building of the Sampaloc campus, rising on top of a granite pedestal flanked by four lions each bearing the coat of arms of Philippines, Spain, Holy See, and the Dominican Order. He dons the rugged habit of the pioneer Dominican missionaries. His right hand is elevated in the preaching fashion, his index finger pointing to the heavens. His left hand rests on his chest holding a book bearing the words Santo Evangélico on its cover. A skull cap covers his head, and a pectoral cross hangs from his neck, the symbols of Episcopal dignity.^[4]

Campus in Intramuros

The first campus stood in the walled city of Intramuros opposite the old Santo Domingo Church. It is the site that was bounded on the northwest by Aduana (renamed Andres Soriano) Street, on the northeast by Solana Street and Plaza España, on the southeast by Santo Tomás Street and Plaza Santo Tomás, and on the southwest by the Ayuntamiento de Manila. The edifice had a lower and upper floor and area of 6,239.6 square metres (67,162 sq ft).^[8]

The oldest discovered floor plan of the campus was made by the Dominican priest Juan Peguero, who was the Procurator of the Dominican Province from 1675 to 1677 and from 1680 to 1684. The plan showed two quadrangles which were properties acquired throughout the 17th century. The upper quadrangle served as a graveyard before it became a plaza where the original monument of Benavides stood in 1891. The lower quadrant marked the main campus site. It also mentioned Puerta del Colegio or the main entrance to the campus, which would later become the Arch of the Centuries.^[8]

Maps of the university in the 1870s included the Paraninfo (assembly hall), Biblioteca (library), Gabinete de Fisica, and the Museum of National History. Several attempts were made to expand the campus within Intramuros. In 1896, the university purchased the lot across the main campus from Aduana Street. The planned expansion did not push through because of the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution. There was also a plan to renovate a three-floor property along Muralla Street, probably close to the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, in the first half of the 20th century. The Paraninfo, the Museum of Natural History, and the UST Press transferred to the Sampaloc campus in 1927, 1939, and 1940, respectively.^[8]

At the end of Battle of Manila in 1945, the campus had been reduced to ruins. The vacated lot was eventually sold on December 6, 1949 to the Phil-Am Life Insurance Co., with the BF Homes Condominium currently occupying its site.^[8]

First graduates

The colegio graduates during the early years were few because there were a small number of students who enrolled. There were 12 interns during the establishment of the colegio in 1619. The enrollment record during the first 30 years of the colegio was not preserved. The earliest graduation records called Libro de Asiento de Grados de la Universidad de Santo Tomas date back only from 1663.^[1]

The Informacion Juridica of 1631 mentioned three names who were graduates of 1629: Diego de Sanabria, a doctor in theology; and Juan Fernandez and Sebastian Ramos, both masters of arts. Diego de Sanabria, who became a Jesuit parish priest of the Spanish community in Manila, was considered the first graduate and was honored with the title el primer parto (colegio's first born).^[1][9]

Title of Royal University

Philip IV had granted his Royal approval on November 27, 1623. Official royal patronage was accorded to the university on May 12, 1680, by King Charles II of Spain.^[2]

However, the title Real was only bestowed by King Charles III on May 20, 1785, during the term of rector Domingo Collantes.^{[3][6][7][10]} The title "Real" was given to the UST in recognition of its loyalty to the Spanish crown after the university volunteered its students for the military defense of Manila during the recurrence of war between the allied countries of France, Spain against England.^[11]

José Rizal

José Rizal entered the university in 1877. He enrolled in the pre-law course, which was made up of philosophical subjects. The course was called metaphysics. He passed the course with the highest grades.^[16]

He later chose to enter a career in medicine. And in 1878–1879, he took simultaneously the pre-medicine course and the first year of Medicine. It was against the rules, but Rizal was favored with a dispensation which few received. The pre-medicine course was called Curso de Ampliación, because the student, having taken already physics, chemistry, and natural history in high school, now took an advanced course on the same subjects. Rizal did not take in Santo Tomas "class of physics" he described in El Filibusterismo, but the course of Ampliación.^[16]

While studying medicine, Rizal remained above average, although his grades were not as high as those that he received in classes in the arts and letters. This continued even in his later studies in Madrid. Rizal was not recorded to have ever complained about his grades in the university, while he did complain about those he received in Madrid.^[16]

In the fourth and last year in the university, only seven students remained, and Rizal was one of them. And he ended that year in second place.^[16]

Title of Pontifical University

On September 17, 1902,^[3] in his constitution, Quae Mari Sinico,^[21] Pope Leo XIII bestowed upon the university the title of Pontifical University.

This title may be considered a reiteration of the honor and protection previously granted when, in 1619, the Holy See had already issued the brief "Charissimi in Christo", which enabled students who had studied in the Dominican Colleges of the Indies for five years to receive degrees, in 1629 and 1639 by Pope Urban VIII,^[2] and in 1645, when Pope Innocent X converted the College of Santo Tomas into a university.^[3][6]

UST is Asia's only remaining Pontifical university.^[22][23] Annuario Pontificio, the annual official directory of the Holy See, in its edition for the year 2000, lists all the Catholic and or Pontifical institutes of higher learning, grouping them into two categories: Roman Ateneums and Catholic Universities. Only 24 are called Pontifical, and of these 24, six are located in Rome (Gregorian University, Lateran University, Urbanian University, University of Santo Tomas (known as The Angelicum), Salisian University and Holy Cross University); three are in Europe; fourteen in Latin America; and one in Asia, this one being the University of Santo Tomas of Manila. The oldest university to be denominated by the Holy See as Pontifical is the Jesuit Gregorian University in Rome. Although founded in 1551, it was Pope Pius IX who, in 1873, permitted the school to assume the title of ‘Pontifical University.’" All the other abovementioned 23 universities received the title of Pontifical in the 20th century. The University of Santo Tomas of Manila, the oldest of them, is second only to the Gregorian University to be declared Pontifical by the apostolic constitution Quae Mari Sinico in 1902.^[21]

Tricentennial celebration

For five days, on December 16–20, 1911, the university celebrated its 300th anniversary. The main events of the celebration included a solemn high mass in honor of Miguel de Benavides, the unveiling of the commemorative plaque for the festivities, the unveiling of a plaque placed at the pedestal of the statue of Benavides in Intramuros, the laying of the foundation stone for the future building at university in Sampaloc, Manila, and a big banquet. Around 300 guests, both civil and ecclesiastical authorities, professors, and alumni of the university attended the banquet at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. The solemn investiture of the latest graduates of the university was held in the old Santo Domingo Church. Pope Pius X and members of the Philippine hierarchy sent congratulatory messages to the university.^[24]

World War II

During World War II, the Japanese converted the campus into an internment camp for civilians, foreigners and POWs. War crimes against American soldiers (Filipino soldiers were granted amnesty) and civilians living abroad occurred in UST.^[25]

On the evening of January 2, soon after the Japanese forces entered Manila, as well as on January 3, many Americans and other Allied citizens were taken to the university camp. The camp population totaled 3,259 of which 2,200 were American, 74 British, 920 Dutch, 28 Polish, 36 Mexicans and 1 Nicaraguan.^[26]

All the buildings of the university except the seminary building, the printing press and two first floors of Main Building were occupied. The war internees occupied three floors of the Main Building, the entire Education Building (presently UST Hospital), the Domestic Science building, and the School of Mines building. Communication between them and the outside world was prevented by the Japanese as much as possible.

Outside fences in España Boulevard were completely covered with tall sawali (woven bamboo matting), while the concrete walls on all other sides of the campus remained high, preventing view between the internees and the outside world.^[26]

The university authorities cooperated with the internees and the Japanese officials. They were given several duties by the Japanese, which they performed. Dominican priests were still allowed to direct the use of disposition of the university buildings, equipment, and power plant, although subject to the final approval or disapproval of the Japanese authorities.^[26]

During the liberation of Manila, the buildings of the campus in Intramuros, as well as in Sampaloc were damaged or destroyed. The facilities in Intramuros were burned by the Kenpeitai on February 8, 1944. As for those in Sampaloc, though they were not destroyed, some portions were slightly damaged during the shellings, including the rooms on the West of the Main Building, some rooms of the Education building, and the university gymnasium.^[26]

There were about 335 casualties among the internees, 35 died and 300 were wounded. Some were buried in a vacant lot outside the Forbes gate, and others were buried inside the campus.^[26]

The UST administration was fortunate to have been able to transfer the UST printing press, the first printing press in the country, from Intramuros to the Sampalox campus in the nick of time in 1940, a year before the Pearl Harbor bombing.^[19]

Title of Catholic University of the Philippines

On April 30, 1947,^[27] Pope Pius XII, through the decree Sacrae Congregationis de Seminariis et Studiorum Universitatibus,^[28] bestowed upon it the title of "The Catholic University of the Philippines".^[3][29] In terms of the student population, UST the largest catholic University in the world located in one campus.^[30]

Semiseptcentennial celebration

Pope John XXIII sent a warm personal letter to the university. He called the university Christianae Sapientiae emicantissimum or the "most resplendent light of Christian Wisdom" in the seven-page communication dispatched to Manila from the Vatican through the Apostolic Nuncio. Through the rector magnificus, the pope extended his felicitations on the university's golden jubilee and maternal blessings for continued growth, prosperity, and peace. He also congratulated the university for being "a very valid bulwark of Christian civilization".^[31] Throughout 1961, the university celebrated its 350th year. The principal festivities such as the alumni banquet and the Gala Concert were held on March 4–7, 1961.^[31]

Filipinization of the university

The Filipinization movement of the Spaniard-dominated Dominican Order in the Philippines began in 1951. Filipino Dominicans sought key positions in UST while students organized demonstrations and demanded the ouster of Spanish Dominicans.

Filipinization of UST reached its culmination when Leonard Legaspi became the first Filipino rector of the university in 1971. However, Legaspi was criticized for the supposedly slow process of appointing Filipino Dominicans to administrative positions. Under his rectorship, he implemented the translation of the heading of all diplomas to Filipino.

Filipino Dominicans in the university campaigned for the Filipinization not only of UST but also of the entire Philippines. It was fulfilled when the Dominican Province of the Philippines was established on December 8, 1971, with Fr. Rogelio Alarcon as its first prior provincial.

Quadricentennial celebration

The agenda ahead of the university's quadricentennial in 2011 includes the introduction of new academic programs, improvements in the university's infrastructure, and other projects to raise UST's national and international prominence and promote its role as a social catalyst.^[33]

Plans to open satellite campuses in Santa Rosa, Laguna and another in General Santos City are being put in place.^[32]

Physical developments for the Sampaloc campus are ongoing. The Plaza Mayor in front the Main Building, together with the Quadricentennial Square which will feature the Tetraglobal sculpture, the Quadricentennial Fountain, and the Quadricentennial Alumni Walkway were constructed in 2006.^[34] To accommodate the needs of extra space for the growing number of student activities, the UST Tan Yan Kee Student Center was built in front of the Miguel de Benavides Library. The more-than-80-year-old Main Building, and the artifacts and art works in the UST Museum of Arts and Sciences were recently placed under the preservation of the UST Heritage Conservation program in December 2008.^[35]

The UST Benavides Cancer Institute, part of the five-year redevelopment plan and expansion of the UST Hospital for its 60-year celebration and the quadricentennial celebration, was also established in the year 2006.^[36]

Part of the university's infrastructure modernization is the construction of the P800-million, state-of-the-art, four-storey gymnasium capable of seating 5,792, designed by Thomasian architects José Pedro Recio and Carmelo T. Casas. The construction has been completed in time for the Quadricentennial Celebration of the university. This is through the leadership of the Rolando de la Rosa. Another project is the Thomasian Alumni Center, a 10-storey building that will be a symbol of the outstanding achievements of Thomasian alumni all over the world. Part of the construction cost has been donated by alumni, notably the UST Medical Alumni in America.^[37]

The UST Publishing House in 2001 launched its quadricentennial project, “400 Books at 400!”. From theology to literature to medicine-related disciplines written in both Filipino and English, the Publishing house is more than half way in completing its race.^[38]

Student repression and censorship

Since the late 2010s, the university had been accused by its students of repressing their rights through what the latter deem to be unnecessary rules and online censorship on multiple occasions.

The official UST student handbook as of 2018 prohibits students from joining or forming "unrecognized organizations" with "illegal or immoral purpose" and "organizing unauthorized student activity".^[39] Because of this, there have been several incidents of students being suspended or expelled for forming or associating with such organizations. In 2018, several UST Senior High School (UST-SHS) students who organized a silent protest against the K–12 program were put on disciplinary probation. In 2019, a first-year College of Education student was suspended for convening an organization that advocated for lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility.^[40] In 2020, a student on the UST-SHS Student Council, who had publicly associated himself with the left-wing militant group Anakbayan in a Facebook post calling for "academic ease," was expelled.^[41] In 2021, several student activists were also given show-cause orders for joining "unrecognized student organizations", including members of the UST-SHS Student Council after a complaint was filed by a parent alleging that members of the UST-SHS Student Council were recruiting members for Anakbayan. The complaint was eventually dismissed due a lack of sufficient evidence.^[42] In 2024, a Faculty of Arts and Letters student was given a show-cause order due to her affiliation as the chairperson of a local chapter of the Panday Sining mass organization.^[43]

In August 2020, the university's Office of Student Affairs (OSA) released a memorandum requiring accredited student organizations to submit a "Permission To Post" form for all social media content published on their organizations' social media channels, subject to the approval of the organization's adviser. The memorandum also required that full login access to their social media channels must be given to the adviser and access will be limited to three officers of the organization. The memo was received with criticism by student leaders and organizations, who viewed it as "unnecessary" paperwork and an infringement on their freedom of expression.^[44][45]

During the 2023 elections for the UST Central Student Council, The Varsitarian, the official student publication of UST, published an editorial concerning a pattern of declining student involvement in student elections. The editorial cited outdated campaign and election policies as well as alleged "oppressive tactics" by the Office of Student Affairs against CSC officers who have voiced concerns regarding student repression as contributing factors to the lower voter turnout and candidate engagement.^[46]

Past and present degree-conferring academic units