It was not a pleasant afternoon in early 1946 at the Javier Printing

Press for two gentlemen, Mr. Juan Y. Javier and Atty. Jesus Lorenzo A. Arguelles. They
had a common gripe against a school owner who failed to pay the cost of the printing of
instructional materials and the failure of Atty. Arguelles to collect his salary as a college
teacher at the academic institution of the said school owner. By providence, the two
men decided to open a school. Their decision of establishing an academic institution
could have been due to their grievance against a school owner. But such gripe
developed into a desire to open a school for the purpose of catering to the educational
needs of the Batangueños, who could not afford the high cost of education in Manila. In
order to realize their plan, they invited prominent people who would provide them with
the necessary resources for the project. They knew that they needed people with vision,
integrity, dedication, credibility, courage, perseverance, and leadership and who have a
very high regard to education. Hence, they invited Rev. Fr. Vicente R. Catapang, a
noted educator from Taal; Atty. Francisco G. Perez, a senior board member of the
Province of Batangas; Mayor Roman L. Perez of Batangas; and Atty. Pablo C. Umali of
Lipa to pool their resources to create a possibility to establish an educational institution.
Together, they laid the plans for the founding of the Western Philippine Colleges.
The Birth of the College and the Start of Operation 1946 was a year of uncertainties for
Filipinos who had just experienced the pains and sufferings brought about by the cruelty
of war. Filipinos, most specifically the Batangueños, were almost hopeless. After the
Spanish colonialism, as well as the American and the Japanese invasions, every
individual Filipino was asking whether the wounds of conflict and slavery would already
be healed or it would just be reopened by another unknown conflict with another foreign
colonizer. For the optimists and the highly-spirited people, the year 1946 was the age of
freedom and change. It was, for the hopeful people, a year for reconstruction and
rehabilitation. These people believed that it would definitely be a difficult task to rebuild
the society. But with a strong desire to serve the people, and with love and commitment,
the optimists believed that there would be hope. Such idea was conceived by six
ambitious men who were so obsessed with the establishment of an academic institution
that would be responsible for reconstructing the society and giving the youth the much
needed hope in order to obtain the desired happiness and fulfillment.

It was the hope of these brave men to help the youth develop love of country and
awaken in them the moral consciousness so that they might be able to face their
responsibilities

of rebuilding society with added vigor and enthusiasm. Establishing a college after the
war was not an easy task. Countless problems had to be solved like school site,
facilities, and equipment, funding, human resources, as well as securing the permit to
operate from the Bureau of Private Schools. Armed by the spirit of service and love of
fellowmen, the six ambitious but noble founders moved with indomitable will to
surmount all odds and difficulties. They painstakingly took all the
challenges as part of their great struggle because they were aware that since they were
aiming for the attainment of a big dream, it would be necessary that they would
experience greater challenges. Hence, their sufferings did not become a hindrance in
pursuing their dream.

In a note written by Mrs. Flordeliza Arguelles, the wife of Atty. Jesus Arguelles, it was
narrated that: Of vital importance to the existence of any educational institution is its
enrolment. Hence, the campaign for it was assiduously pursued without let-up during
the day and even at night. To the credit of Mr. Javier and his famous jeep, and with the
other founders in town, they

were able to establish a bandwagon of sympathizers who looked kindly to their mission.
Announcements of the school opening were posted on walls and posts, and advertised
in local newspapers and movie houses. This part of the campaign was undertaken by
Mr. Arguelles with the help of the other founders. By all these tokens, it was apparent
that the popularity of the founders and their cause was well on the threshold of success.
On April 28, 1947, the first classes of 48 students formally opened after a year of
planning and laying the groundwork for the founding of the Western Philippine Colleges.

The first school site was a small rented house opposite the Batangas Trade School,
now the Batangas State University. The first courses offered were Education with Mr.
Juan Javier as the first Dean, Liberal Arts with Atty. Francisco G. Perez as Dean, and
Commerce under Dean Pablo C. Umali. The High School and the Elementary
departments were also started with Mrs. Flordeliza M. Arguelles and Ms. Gliceria
Martinez as the principals respectively. Due to the sudden increase from 48 to 78
students after a year, the classes were transferred to the Javier house, which was
located on the corner of D. Silang and P. Burgos streets, now occupied by the Jollibee
Foods Corporation.

Rev. Fr. Vicente Catapang was elected by the Board of Trustees as President and
overall Administrator because of his wisdom and expertise as an educator. Atty.
Arguelles was elected Executive Secretary. Unfortunately, Atty. Arguelles had a
massive heart attack followed by his sudden demise in July of 1947. He was replaced
by his wife, Mrs. Flordeliza M. Arguelles. Many problems related to unstable finances,
resources, and facilities like the library, school ground, and a limited number of teachers
cropped up and had to be solved immediately. The needed money had to be borrowed
from the founders. The problem as regards the school ground was solved by borrowing
a vacant space from the Batangas High School used for military drills and ROTC parade
and training. To
increase the finances of the college, an educational partnership was
forged on December 5, 1947, which marked the beginning of Western Philippine
College, Incorporated. New stockholders subscribed shares to augment the existing
capital.

Despite the grave problems that beset the college, the first graduation program of 14
high school senior students was held on April 30, 1948, with Judge Vicente Arguelles as
the guest speaker. Remigio Agpalo was the first valedictorian and Rafael Dimaculangan
as the first salutatorian. The growth of the College’s big increase was noted in the
number of high school graduates from the initial 14 to 63 in the school year 1948-1949.
It was also in the same year that the first batch of college graduates, 18 from the
College of Liberal Arts and 48 from the Education and Normal departments were turned
out with the Honourable Speaker Jose P. Laurel as commencement speaker.

In June of 1949, the College of Law was opened with the Honorable Justice of the
Peace Court Eulalio Chavez as acting dean and was replaced by Atty. Francisco G.
Perez as its first Dean. The rapid increase in enrollment posed a big problem with
regards to accommodation. In order to solve this problem, Provincial Board member
Perez made some negotiations in order to lease a lot approximately 3290.76 square
meters on M. H. Del Pilar from the government of Batangas Province for 99 years
where the first one-storey wooden structure was constructed followed by the erection of
a two-storey semi-permanent building. All classes then were transferred from the Javier
residence to the M. H. Del Pilar campus. Due to public insistence, new courses were
offered. Hence, it was necessary to construct another three- storey semi-permanent
structure in 1950 to make the college accessible to all.

At the time when the college was fast becoming popular, another founder Mayor Roman
Perez was assassinated. Later on, after three years of service as President of WPC, Fr.
Catapang resigned because of failing health but was succeeded by Mr. Javier. Later on,
Atty. Umali retired from the college to spend more time with the law practice in his
hometown Lipa. Fr. Catapang, as a president, is remembered as a disciplinarian. He
was known for upholding quality education. His deeply rooted principles were
manifested in the way he led the Western Philippine Colleges to its growth. It was said
that the crowning glory of his presidency was the opening of the College of Law in 1949.

The opening of the College of Law was not easy for the founders. It took a great deal of
sacrifice on the part of Rev. Dr. Catapang and Mr. Javier before the college was
established. For the school to be able to offer the course, both Fr. Catapang and Mr.
Javier had to travel to far-flung towns of Batangas and Mindoro in order to market the
course offering. Indeed, Fr. Catapang’s administration was likewise marked by an
unprecedented rise of the school population. His passion for quality education had been
made known to both the Batangueños and the Mindorenians; thereby leading to an
increase in the number of enrollees.
Fr. Catapang’s leadership also paved the way for the formation of student councils in
the high school and in the then existing departments namely: Law, Liberal Arts,
Commerce, Education, and Normal. The student councils were formed in order to train
the students in politics and governance and in order to imbibe in them the principles of
freedom and democracy as well as the responsibility to become a follower and/or a
leader. As the enrollment and the number of graduates increased, the new
administration under Mr. Juan Y. Javier was ready to face the challenges of a growing
college. Thus, Mr. Javier’s term could boast of achievements like the founding of the
school organ, “The Westernian Advocate” with Pedro S. Tolentino as the first Editor-in-
Chief in 1950; organization of the student government as a venue for electoral practice;
the ROTC all student brass band; the WPC Orchestra and other accomplishments that
enhanced the confidence of the community on the usefulness of the college.

The Western Philippine Colleges lost another pillar with the demise of Atty. Francisco G.
Perez, who succumbed to a massive heart attack on August 20, 1959. But this did not
prevent the remaining founders to surrender from their struggles. They were aware of
their great responsibility to their community in the education of the youth as the hope of
nation. The remaining founders moved on and made great strides for the development
of the college. The fame and popularity of WPC spread to far-flung towns of Batangas
due to the high rate of passers in the Bar and CPA examinations. For this matter, more
and more enrollees flocked to Western Philippine Colleges. Year in and year out,
famous lawyers, prominent CPAs, successful businessmen, as well as effective and
efficient educators passed through the portals of WPC to which these men and women
achievers had the “humble pride to belong.” Because of the influx of more enrollees, the
administrators realized that more buildings had to be added. In their desire for growth,
more courses were opened. However, this situation was marred by the sudden illness
and the passing away of President Javier in 1964.

The Board of Trustees revamped the administration and management of WPC with the
creation of the Executive Committee under the chairmanship of Atty. Manuel
Panganiban. Through the new leadership, the institution had managed to hold on to its
ideals of providing quality education to the youth of Batangas and its nearby areas. After
three years, Dr. Abelardo B. Perez was elected Chairman and voted by the members of
the Executive Committee as President. It was during the time of Dr. Abelardo that the
officers of the Board of Trustees decided to have the institution changed to a stock
corporation registered as such with the

Securities and Exchange Commission on December 23, 1967. The chairmanship of the
Board of Trustees had been restored and was passed from Dr. Perez to Atty. Juan V.
Ramos. Eventually, the position was handed to Atty. Vicente A. Mayo who held the
position from June of 1973 up until his retirement in 2014.
Dr. Abelardo lost the position of president to Mrs. Flordeliza Arguelles during the next
election, thereby making Mrs. Arguelles as the fourth president. Eventually, Dr.
Abelardo was once again elected as President of WPC in June of 1974. He held this
position up to his untimely demise on April 18, 2007. His brother, the former Department
of Justice Secretary, Dr. Hernando B. Perez, succeeded him. Dr. Nani was able to fulfill
the dreams of Dr. Abelardo to lead the institution to greater heights.

The Western Philippine Colleges continued to gain prominence in academic, cultural,

research, sports and athletics, community extension services, national and international
linkages, physical facilities development, and technological advancement. Through the
years, WPC had gained prestige as it celebrated the 50th (Golden) Anniversary. It has
passed Level I and II accreditation of the Liberal Arts, Education, and Commerce
programs and with the change in status, from a college to a university. WPC was
thereby named the University of Batangas, the first university in the Province of
Batangas. UB in the 21st Century and Beyond Even before the start of the 21st century,
the University of Batangas has metamorphosed from an unknown college in 1946 to a
university in 1996.

From the wooden and semi-permanent buildings on the M.H. Del Pilar campus, it had
grown into several campuses. The once main campus on M. H. Del Pilar (Elementary
Department) branched out to Hilltop Campus (the new main campus where the high
school and college departments are located), Pallocan East campus (site of the Special
Foundation and the UB Waldorf School International), Pallocan West (future site of the
high school department), and soon to open Lipa City campus. WPC (now UB) had
grown figuratively and literally from 48 students to an enrollment of almost 14,000
students housed in modern concrete edifices and equipped with computer-based
facilities for quality education. Countless alumni have passed through the portals of their
alma mater and had brought fame and glory to the university and the country and
elsewhere as a fitting tribute to their beloved institution.

True to its mission, UB has created an environment which gives opportunities for
students to strengthen faith in God, booster their love of wisdom, and enhance their
services to fellowmen-principles which guide the daily lives of the Ubinians. UB
achieved academic prominence in Engineering, Business and Accountancy, Liberal
Arts, Education, Allied Medical Sciences, Law, Technical Education, and Nursing so as
to cope with global trends in education. Student involvement in collaborative programs
developed transformation leadership and strengthened the core values instilled by the
Founding Fathers. The participation of UB in competitions fostered challenges; hence,
they had become resourceful, critical, creative, ethical, and responsible. The students’
best potentials are harnessed to the maximum. Thus, UB is now the Home of the
Champions with the contestants in academic, cultural, and sports always bringing home
“the proverbial bacon.”

The University of Batangas is a top performing school in the licensure examinations in

Engineering, Education, Allied Medical Sciences, Business and Accountancy, Nursing
and Midwifery, and Law. Examinees obtained scores way above the national passing
score and at times garnered a 100% passing score in Civil, Electrical, Midwifery, and
Physical Therapy Board Examinations.

The first ten years after gaining the university status actually laid the foundation for
blossoming into a mature university. It is not only blooming but constantly growing with
varied curricular offerings like the Doctoral Program, Expanded Tertiary Education
Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP), Review Center, and short term
courses with physical facilities always updated for quality education. President
Hernando B. Perez in his 2008-2009 Annual Report said:” We are climbing to the top,
this fact is undeniable. These accomplishments of UB truly exemplify that the University
of Batangas is”Undeniably the Best.” Success after success came. Five Level III and
four Level II as well as a Deregulated Status has been granted by PACUCOA, AJA-
JAS-ANZ ISO 9001:2008 Certified Status in 2009 and awarded by the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED) a 3-year Autonomous status and the only Center of
Excellence in Teacher Education in Batangas province in 2010. UB realizes the fact that
education is an investment. Parents spend money in order to provide their children with
the best education possible in order to prepare them for a better future. UB, in this
regard, sees to it that the money spent shall not be wasted by ensuring the quality of
education that it provides to the students.

All the accrediting agencies see to it that the institution has obtained the following
characteristics: 1. The school is devoted to its mission; 2. The school knows itself. It has
thought deeply about the services it offers to students, family, and community; 3. The
school is student oriented. Its philosophy of education is suitable for the students and
encompasses the development of the whole individual; 4. The school keeps its
promises. It promises only what it can deliver; 5. The school accepts objective
assessment. It is prepared to open its doors periodically regular evaluation by the
school community and by outside experienced evaluators; 6. The school is constantly
seeking to improve its performance in curricular and other areas, with an ongoing focus
on student learning and well-being; 7. The school plans for the future. As part of the
ongoing nature of the evaluation process, accredited schools are continually planning
future developments (Newsweek 26 April 2010, 54). With the status that UB has
achieved, it only shows that the aforementioned characteristics have been observed
and practiced. It gives an assurance to its clientele that it will continue to improve its
learning outcomes so that it will become all the more capable of making the school a
part of the people’s life.
The UB community has been called by President Hernando B. Perez as the “University
of the Future, the University of Choice.” With this battle cry more and more changes and
projects were initiated such as the publication of the first book by the
Batangas Heritage Center on the life and works of the first WPC President and one of
the founders, Fr. Vicente Catapang written by Dr. Lino Dizon and the launching of the
first Dr. Abelardo B. Perez Memorial Lecture. The onset of the 21st century brought
about the opening of new linkages and reaching of new borders like the exchange
programs with Korea and Japan; successful presentations of papers at the ASAIHL
International Convention in Malaysia and other foreign countries where UB presenters
excelled; partnership with SMART and other industries.
SOURCES:http://www.ub.edu.ph/history#:~:text=WPC%20was%20thereby%20named
%20the,to%20a%20university%20in%201996.
How would you attain your goal as a professional
_______________ with the guidance of the UB VMGO and Philosophy?
Having well-developed and well-implemented PVMGO can play a vital role
for a certain school especially, University of Batangas because they tend to ensure
having a positive and healthy relationships among its members and staffs, and most
importantly, its students. People think that vision, mission, philosophy and goals of
a schools are nothing but they don’t know that all of these have purposes not just
for the future or success of a school but also for the lives of a students as well as to
their future professional not just in terms of academic performance but also for
other terms like personal growth. When we say mission, it is all about how schools
want do things today to attain their goal in the future or their means of end or hope
to see in the future which is the vision. Additionally, philosophy and goals states
the goals, aim and the standard of the university.
From my point of view, I figured out that the UB PVMGO has its essence in
my life that will eventually help me and might as well contribute a lot not just a
student but also as an aspiring accountant. Additionally, I view it as a written guide
in my life. Why? It is due to the fact that having these will be able to assess myself
in some situations in life like deciding what I needed to improve and what I needed
to do to achieve my goals. UB PVMGO where we'll know what is the plan of our
school not just for our progress in education but also in molding us as a
professional someday. Now that I've read the PVMGO of the University of
Batangas with much comprehension, I am now enlightened that I got the right
choice that will help me attain my personal and professional goals in life. I am now
confident that I will attain my goal as a professional accountant with the guidance
of UB PVMGO in a way that it helps me to be well prepared to face the success
waiting for me in the future. Their vision wants to mold me to be more excellent in
having

its relation to the community through quality education which also will help me
because I will work not just for the sake of my personal ambition but also for the
sake of our community as a public accountant. On the other hand, their mission is
set to provide me a quality education that mold be to have skills, values, and
behaviors that prepare me to thrive in a more diverse, interconnected world. Lastly,
their philosophy, goals and objectives presented their belief in us to be more
competent in molding our soon happening success. Furthermore, I think the
University of Batangas guides and continuing to guide me to
fulfills my necessities educationally, ethically, spiritually and emotionally to attain
my goal as a professional accountant.
To sum it up, UB PVMGO will be a constant reminder for me, especially
that I’m part of the generation of goal-oriented individuals on what I must do and
values I need to have, what I must achieve and what things are I still going to
thrive for and be my roadmap for my own personal success in life. Additionally,
UB PVMGO continuing to help me to adopt in a rapidly changing world in terms
of having the ability to be engaged citizens and collaborative problem solvers who
will be ready for the workforce as a professional accountant in the future with a
principle to serve its community to create a best version of nation as well as a best
version of myself. It guides me to achieve a productive learning community since,
we, the students will become more enlighten and will have realization that we are
in the right decision of pursuing our professional plans and dreams. With a
guidance of UB PVMGO, it feels like I’m end up living with direction to the road
of success.