SPUP through the Years

St. Paul University Philippines (SPUP) was founded on May 10, 1907, as Colegio de San
Pablo, by the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres, (Mother Ephrem Marie Fieu, Sr. Suzanne du
Sacre Coeur Cran, Sr. Agnes de Sainte Anne Couplan, and Sr. Jeanne de St. Louis
Bourrelly, Sr. Marie Angeline Acau and Postulant Sr. Ste. Foy de Sacre Coeur
Sacramento) who came to Cagayan Valley upon the invitation of Bishop Dennis
Dougherty. The school’s name was changed to Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus
in 1909, then to Sacred Heart of Jesus Institution (SHOJI) in 1925. The school started in
a Spanish Convento, adjoining the Cathedral, but due to increase of enrollment and
curricular expansion, the community moved to the Colegio de San Jacinto and its
grounds in 1934 (where the University stands today) which the SPC Sisters acquired
from the Dominican Order.

The school served as military garrison and hospital of the Japanese forces in 1941. The
entire complex was razed to the ground during the Liberation. In 1948, the school
undertook the initiative of being the first Teacher-Training Institution in Cagayan Valley,
as it assumed the name St. Paul College of Tuguegarao (SPCT). With the opening of
college degrees, the school became the first accredited institution in the region by the
Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) in
1961. However, the entire complex was reduced into ashes on January 18, 1965.
Despite the challenges and like a gold tested in fire, SPUP became the first University
and Catholic University in Cagayan Valley in 1982.

In its efforts towards global and international education, SPUP gained the distinction of
being the First Private Catholic University in Asia and the First Private University in the
Philippines to be granted ISO 9001 Certification by TUV Rheinland in 2000 and the only
University accredited by the Asian Association of Schools of Business International
(AASBI) in 2014. SPUP has also been selected, as one of only 11 Universities in the
Philippines, by World Bank as Knowledge for Development Center (KDC). Moreover the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has designated SPUP as one of the 12
participating schools in the entire country for the ASEAN International Mobility for
Students (AIMS) programme. In July 2014, SPUP was conferred a full accredited status
by the International Accreditation Organization (IAO) in recognition of its outstanding
organizational management, business management and business performance through
its commitment to quality and continuous improvement. SPUP has also been sought as a
partner University of international schools in Asia, Europe and Australia. These
accolades advanced the stature of SPUP as an International University. Currently, the
international community in SPUP, comprising of international and exchange students and
professors, is continuously growing; while, its international linkages and partnerships are
extensively expanding. Subsequently the pioneering Internationalization initiatives of
SPUP have fostered opportunities for SPUP students and teachers for their academic
exposure and exchange, work and travel, and cultural immersions in various countries
across the world. As a result, SPUP has been recognized as an affiliate of the UNESCO
Associated Schools Project Network, or ASPNet for its support to international
understanding, peace, intercultural dialogue, sustainable development and quality
education in practice.

In the evangelization of faith and promotion of arts and culture, the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines through the Episcopal Commission on Culture (CBCP-
ECC) identified SPUP as a Catholic Center for Culture in 2012. Through this designation,
SPUP is tasked to collaborate in the conservation of the patrimony of the Church and to
promote greater awareness of the Church’s heritage through education, worship and the
Sacraments. SPUP has also instituted a proactive ecumenical approach towards
intercultural and interfaith differences due to the increasing population of international
students. The creative approach “to where faith and culture meet” responds to the
challenges of internationalization where the academic community is strongly rooted in the
Catholic beliefs, respectful of others’ creed and culture. In 2014, the National Historical
Commission (NHCP) of the Philippines bestowed SPUP a Historical Marker in
recognition of its contribution in the historical development of Cagayan Valley in the fields
of education and public service. The recognition endeavored SPUP one of the
government-recognized historical landmarks in the region and in the country.

Today, SPUP is recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as an

Autonomous Institution; Center of Excellence in Nursing, Center of Excellence in Teacher
Education; Center of Development in Information Technology; Center of Teacher
Training Institution; the first accredited Integrated Basic Education Unit in Cagayan
Valley; a deputized institution for the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency
Accreditation Program (ETEAAP); Most Outstanding Student Services in the Philippines;
Outstanding Research/Academic Library in the Philippines; and, the Lead School of the
St. Paul University System.

For more than a century of existence, SPUP has proven its tradition of excellence and
untarnished reputation of providing quality, Catholic, Paulinian education. As it offers
basic education to graduate school programs, SPUP has continuously form graduates in
personifying Catholic and Paulinian values and virtues; thereby, making a difference in
contributing to social transformation in the service of the nation, the Church and the
entire humanity.