HISTORY OF ST. PAUL'S MANILA
St. Paul University Manila (SPU Manila) is one of the educational institutions
owned and administered by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Paul of
Chartres (SPC).
The University started out originally in 1911 as a Novitiate, a training center
for young Filipino women wishing to become Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres, on a
swampy piece of land in Malate. The next year, 1912, the school ,first named St.
Paul Institution, started with a kindergarten class upon the request of families
in the neighborhood. The elementary started in 1913, the high school in 1924,
and the college department in 1936. In 1940, the school's name was changed to
St. Paul College of Manila.
In 1957, SPCM became a Charter member of the Philippine Accrediting Association
of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU). It also became the first school
in the Philippines to be PAASCU-accredited.
In 1970, the university started to concentrate on higher education by first
moving out its Kindergarten Department and thus helped create St. Paul College
Pasig. The Grade School and High School departments followed in 1972 and 1986
respectively.
In 1975, the school became one of the founding members of the Inter-Institutional
Consortium. Now called the South Manila Consortium and composed of De la Salle
University Manila, St. Scholastica's College Manila, Philippine Christian
University, Philippine Normal University, and Adamson University. The SMC is the
oldest educational consortium in the Philippines and the oldest working
consortium in Southeast Asia.
In 1992, the school was cited by the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports
(DECS) as one of the 17 excellent colleges and universities in the Philippines.
In 2001, in recognition of its meritorious achievements in higher education, it
was conferred an Award of Distinction and given full autonomy status for five
years by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). In 2003, the school started
its graduate programs and on February 10, 2004, the school became part of the
St. Paul University System, the first university system in the Philippines
recognized by CHED. The school name was then officially changed to St. Paul
University Manila.
In May 2004, for the first time in the 100-year history of the SPC Congregation
in the Philippines, the school had its first lay president, thus being the very
first of Paulinian schools to be headed by a secular person.
The University's history, since its founding in 1912 has been characterized by a
pioneering spirit, driven by the tranquil daring reflective of its founders,
always committed to living out Christ's love through its educational endeavors.
The University is proud of its excellent programs and the many graduates who,
over the years, have excelled in their fields of specialization or who have
continued on to build Christian homes and nurture new generations in the spirit
of love and compassion for others. St. Paul University Manila will continue its
long and illustrious tradition of educational excellence and service to the
Church, family, and society as it responds to the growing challenges of a
technological and globalized world.