“An emerging university town in Abucay, Bataan”

By Fr. Joemar L. Sibug
OP, Contributor
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Posted date: February 17, 2008

MANILA, Philippines - Traveling by land, approximately 119 kilometers north from Manila, or 50 km west across Manila Bay, is the agricultural and fishing town of Abucay, Bataan.
It is the site of one of the oldest Catholic churches in the country—the St. Dominic Parish Church, built in 1588 by the Spanish Dominican friars. It was in this church where Tomas Pinpin co-authored and printed the earliest books in the country.

After more than 400 years since the Dominicans first set foot on our archipelago, Filipino members of the Order of Friars Preachers, more popularly known as Dominicans, are back in the same town where their predecessors first settled—in Abucay, Bataan. This time, they are not building another church, but an emerging university town.

From Manila, it is about two and a half hours travel by land, and approximately 45 minutes by Ocean Fast Ferries.

Dominican Hills
Since its foundation in 1620, the Colegio de San Juan de Letran has another new campus—a sprawling 15 hectares of what used to be pastureland in Barangay Gabon, Abucay, Bataan.
By virtue of a municipal resolution, the site where the campus is situated is now known as Dominican Hills. Situated at approximately 600 meters above sea level, Letran-Abucay is about 12 km away from Balanga, the province’s capital, and eight km from the center of the town, accessible through the road now called Dominican Hills Avenue, connected to the Roman highway.
In 2000, construction started in the 15-ha area, donated by Mayor and Ms Liberato Santiago, Mr. and Ms Nicanor Soriano and Gov. and Ms Leonardo Roman. From the front entrance of the administration building, on a clear day, one can catch a view of the skyline of Manila across Manila Bay on the east. Surrounding the campus are several mountains, including Mt. Samat and Mt. Mariveles on the south, and Mt. Silangan and Mt. Natib on the west. Standing at 1,253 m above sea level, Mt. Natib is the highest peak within Bataan Natural Park.

Good environment
One of the main attractions of Letran-Abucay is its relatively undisturbed natural area and environment. On cool mornings and hazy afternoons, fog descends from the mountains and envelops the campus. From the months of December up to February, the climate in the area of Letran-Abucay is similar to that of Baguio City.

Incidentally, in the neighboring town of Orani, there is a place called Little Baguio, referring to the kind of weather in its vicinity. Indeed, it is an ideal place for study.

Architect and environmental planner Yolanda David Reyes incorporated the natural topography of the site in the overall design and conceptual master planning of the campus. A dormitory at the back of the main building houses both students and employees alike.

Now on its second year of operation, Letran-Abucay is the first Catholic tertiary school in Bataan, offering courses in Information Technology, Hospitality Management, Communication Arts, Electronics and Communications Engineering, BS Secondary Education, Business Administration and Accountancy. It hopes to offer more new courses in the future, including BS Nursing.

Last Feb 1, Letran in Bataan marked its second foundation anniversary, with the theme: “Letran Abucay @ 2: Moving Toward Excellence.”

One of the highlights of this celebration was the Science and Math Academic Regional Tournament. Endorsed by the Department of Education in Region 3. Letran’s hosting of the affair showed its—and the region’s—commitment to promote math and the sciences.

Letran-Abucay, as an emerging university town, would like to promote the values of academic discipline, competitiveness and excellence among the youth, not only of Bataan, but of the entire region as well. To excel and to soar high, that is what is meant by “Arriba Letran!”