JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2001 ISSUE

LETRAN EXTENDS CAMPUS IN BATAAN

February 3 marks the Turnover and Groundbreaking Ceremonies of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran’s extension campus in Abucay, Bataan.Headed by the Colegio’s Rector and President, Rev. Fr. Edwin A. Lao, O.P., selected employees and students came to witness the said affair in Barangay Hacienda in Abucay.

The occasion commenced with a mass celebrated by Rev.Fr, Ernesto Arceo, O.P., Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines, with Fr. Napoleon Encarnacion , O.P., Fr. Senen Ecleo,O.P., Fr. Edwin Lao, O.P., Fr. Honorato Castigador, O.P., Fr. Joseboyd Sulpico,O.P., Fr. Hermel Pama, O.P., and Fr. Oscar Novem Enjaynes, O.P. as co-celebrants.

The Holy Eucharist was followed by the official turnover of the land donation and the groundbreaking. In his welcome remarks, Hon. Liberato P. Santiago, Jr., Abucay Mayor, gratefully acknowledged Letran’s move in preferring Abucay among other towns in Bataan. He said he considered Letran-Bataan a blessing for this will start another phase of progress in Abucay.

The 143,223 sq.m. land was donated by Governor and Mrs. Leonardo Roman, Mayor and Mrs. Liberato Santiago, Jr., and Mr. and Mrs. Nick Soriano. Fr. Lao accepted the donation in behalf of the Colegio and the whole Dominican Province. "I personally see this as an act of Divine Providence because aside from the fact that Bataan was where the Spaniards first propagated the Christian faith, Abucay has St. Dominic as its patron saint. So, with the full support of Gov. Roman and his constituents, we hope to work together towards the realization of the ten-year development plan of Letran-Bataan", he remarked.

Bataan Governor, Hon. Leonardo Roman, also expressed his tahnks for Letran’s decision to extend its campus in the province. "If this had happened forty years ago, I would not have gone to Manila to finish my tertiary level", he said. According to him, Letran-Bataan exhibits the province’s priority for education. He signified his support to the realization of the goals of uplifting the academic standards of both the Colegio and the province.

The lowering of the time capsule signaled the start of the actualization of the extension campus. The affair was also graced by Bataan government personalities. Among them were Abucay Vice Mayor Ruben Valencia, Cong. Antonino Roman, Jr., Cong. Enrique Garcia, Balanga Mayor Abet Garcia and many other provincial and municipal officials.

The plans for Letran-Bataan started during the term of Rev. Fr. Ramon Cercado, O.P., former Rector and President. If everything goes as scheduled, it is expected to open in 2003.

Colegio de San Juan de Letran wrote in the National Collegiate Athletic Association book of records a first-ever grand slam double overall championship, a feat never been achieved since the beginning of the league in 1924.

After the dismal campaign in the basketball tournament, the Knights dominated the 76th edition of the premier league when they ruled the men's and women's volleyball, men's and women's table tennis, while finishing strongly in swimming, football and track and field, amassing a total of 231.5 points against closest pursuer San Sebastian with 165 points.

The Squires, their Juniors counterpart, had a tougher time engaging perennial rival San Beda Red Clubs in a neck-to-neck battle for overall points decided only in the track and field competition, gathering a total of 185 points against SBC's 157 points.

The Squires, frustrated in the championship by the Mapua Red Robins after running strongly in the basketball tournament with a clean sweep of the two-round eliminations, bounced back to earn championship points in chess, table tennis and in the track and field meets, while finishing runners-up in volleyball and swimming.

Letran started its bid to be a force to reckon with after being crowned Centennial and Millenium double overall champions in succession. Mapua and former member, De La Salle University earned the distinction of holding back-to-back double overall championship honors in the year 1981 and 1978, respectively. Mapua has a total six double overall.