SPU @ San Miguel
(branch of SPUQC)

Humble beginnings

The desire of giving the children the benefits of a deeply religious education sparked the idea of putting up a Catholic school in San Miguel, Bulacan. So, in 1921, Rev. Father Ildefonso Caranza , the first Filipino parish priest of San Miguel, founded a parochial school and named it Escuella Catolica.

It was during the incumbency, however of Rev. Father Honorio Resurreccion that catholic education in the town received a new impetus. He requested the Mother Provincial of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres in the Philippines to send him Sisters to manage Escuela Catolica. The response was favorable, so that on May 23, 1938, five sisters arrived.

Through the indefatigable efforts of Mother Agnes de St. Anne Couplan, a French sister, the crumbling convent became habitable to Sister Juanita du Sacre de la Paz, Sister Angel Joseph Parayno, and Sister Marie Remy Paredes. With the help of three lay teachers, they blazed the trail for San Miguel Catholic Institute. With their coming, the Kinder class was opened. In 1939, other recruits arrived. Grades five, six, and seven were opened with a good enrolment in each level. Escuela Catolica was then changed to San Miguel Catholic School.

The people, satisfied with the Sisters’ work, clamored for the opening of a high school. The school got the permit for a junior high school class in 1940 and San Miguel Catholic Institute emerged. The third year class was opened in 1941. World War II, however, interrupted the classes.

During the critical days of the war, the sisters had to evacuate to Manila while Mother Agnes de St. Anne Couplan, a French sister, gathered all the school papers, books and laboratory instruments and fled to the mountains. As the Japanese rulers were quite well disposed towards the people, Mother Agnes came out of hiding and with the permission of the Mother Provincial took back all the sisters to resume classes.

After a few years in 1966, the College of Education was opened under the administration of Sister Chantal de Joseph Goyena. Two years later the College of Commerce and the College of Liberal Arts were opened together with the Secretarial Course. The domicile for the college students was a residential house owned by the Santiago –Mossessgeld family and it was offered for free. Year after year the enrolment increased and other courses were offered. It was also during Sister Chantal's administration that the sisters purchased a nine-hectare lot in Barrio Salangan, two kilometers away from the town proper, which is now the site of the university.

In June, 1975, vocational courses were opened: six-month course in Poultry Raising and Swine Raising, five-month course in Typewriting and two-year course in Agricultural Technology. Other vocational courses were a six-month course in Dressmaking and Tailoring, five-month course in Stenography and one-year course in Cosmetology. The German Misereor Foundation granted a fund for the operation of these vocational courses.The Department of Education Culture and Sports approved the operation of the following majors: Filipino, History, Mathematics and Accounting for BSC in 1983.

The dwindling college enrolment led to the transfer of the College Department to the Poblacion Campus to make college education accessible to its clientele. The High School generally coming from middle –income groups of San Miguel, San Ildefonso, and Gapan, transferred to the Salangan Campus.

There were years when the school went through its trying moments, but with God’s mercy it faced the critical times with tranquil daring aura, optimism, hope and prayer.

Soon after, major developments on curriculum, instruction, faculty, students, services, Christian formation, physical plant and financial viability were properly addressed.

God’s graces overflowed such that the chronology of events year after year, the school gained a reputable image of quality and excellence as proven by its graduates who are successful in their respective workplaces here in the country and overseas.

Present times

Saint Paul College at San Miguel’s lifeline is likened to the mosaic of stained glass on the wall at the altar at the university’s chapel beautifully forming Christ image; like the thread that connects each dots and lines creating a piece of art - a handiwork passionately woven to bring out the beauty of creation. The intertwining events from its very beginning, its twilight years, the trying times to the challenges that await ahead, all collected together contribute to the making of a wonderful story worth remembering and worth sharing.

Saint Paul College at San Miguel and its Elementary Expansion Campus in San Ildefonso, Bulacan made its historic giant leap towards its university status by merging with Saint Paul University Quezon City as the product of a creative synergy, sound strategic management, collaboration and resource sharing.

Upon approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Articles and Plan of Merger was executed. The merger was endorsed by the Department of Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Commission on Higher Education. This is anchored on the desire to further quality education, share expertise and resources, expand the market of both institutions and satisfy CHED’s land area requirement.

The administrators labored much in the sustainability of excellence, quality and productivity of the university, thus, paradigm shifts have to be drafted and implemented. It was a tough task touching on several changes at the very start but with passion and zeal and with the all- out support of its parents, alumni, faculty, staff, personnel and the studentry, great changes slowly sprouted and now being maintained to await its fruition.

The success of the PAASCU preliminary survey marks the university’s bold steps towards stabilizing the groundwork for quality education. The accreditation is an eventual take-off for a long term challenge for Catholic Paulinian education.

Its newly constructed three-storey building now houses classrooms, offices and soon laboratories for the use of the Nursing, Education, Tourism, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Computer, Business and Technology students.

The human resource, being the most important resource of the institution, is a potent factor in achieving productivity and excellent endeavors on a continuous professional growth and development.

Moreover, instruction has been improved through assessment, reengineering, implementation of creative and varied approaches and strategies that address the needs and interest of the modern times and of the modern students. The collaborative efforts demonstrated among its stakeholders as well as strong linkages and networking with various organizations, schools and agencies both local and international had made the university programs afloat.

The school year 2007-2008 ushers in new hope and new challenges, blessed with a new administrator in the person of Sister Dina Alilain., spc. The university takes bolder steps in addressing the challenges of attracting more clientele who would have the distinct experience of a Quality Catholic Paulinian education in a very caring environment. As the university reviews its marketing strategies and promotions to invite more and more students to join and experience the difference of being educated in a Paulinian environment, it gives full trust, focus and confidence in the transformation of its students and graduates who are and soon to be the best billboards of the university.

Caritas Christi Urget Nos, the Paulinian motto penned years ago, verbalizes the aspiration of the university to carry out the ideals of Paulinian education deeply rooted in the love of God being the center and reason in the mission to love the least, the lost and the last in the community.

Flagship courses

Saint Paul College at San Miguel prides itself for its stable Basic Education Program from Kinder I and II, Elementary Education and Secondary Education. Its Extension Campus at San Ildefonso caters to Kinder I and II and Elementary Education.

At the Tertiary Level, SPUSM has the following Academic Programs: At the College of Business Technology and Allied Health Sciences, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Business Management, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Associate in Computer Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

The Education Department offers Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education major in English, Filipino, Values Education, Library Science and Biological Science and Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.

The short term courses offered are Reflexology, Cosmetology, Cell Phone Repair and six-month Caregiver Course. During Summer classes, the university conducts Karate Lessons, Dance lessons, Fine Arts, Piano/Organ Lessons, Advance Math/Science, Survival English and Advanced Spoken English, Review for the College Entrance Examination as well as Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) Review.

In the next few years, the college hopes to open more short term courses to address the needs of the community, the country and of the global market. It looks forward to strengthening its Nursing Program and other Health Allied Sciences courses.

Long Live Saint Paul University at San Miguel and San Ildefonso! Long Live the Paulinians! Let the Charity of Christ urge us on!