Our History
Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba was once described as a fusion between "tradition and vision". Let this host of stories unfold as a testimony to that contradictory blend.
The Colegio's Historical Records
Its story started in March 1979 when it was founded by its mother-institution, Letran Intramuros. It is the first institution of higher learning established by the Dominican Province of the Philippines; the rest having been put up by the Spanish Dominicans.
The idea of putting up a Dominican school in Laguna was triggered by the move to decentralize DPPI schools in Manila. Further, a close consideration was also that of bringing Letran to another home place of a hero - our national icon: Dr. Jose Rizal.
Letran Manila was touted as the alma mater of our great heroes such as Manuel Quezon, Sergio OsmeƱa, Apolinarion Mabini, Gregorio del Pilar, Fransisco Balagtas, and Emilio Aguinaldo. From 1979, Letran Calamba has established a good name in quality education, strong research efforts, and responsive community service and extension activities. Hence, in 1986, it was granted autonomy by Letran Manila. It has since become a respected higher educational institution. It operates within the principles of Filipino, Dominican, and Christian education - within the contexts of excellence, conscience, and discipline. Its curricular programs range from its flagship engineering courses to specialized offerings on information technology, business management, hospitality management, education, arts and sciences, nursing, and professional studies.
The Here and Now
Over the past few decades, the Colegio has achieved notable success in delivering high-quality education and instruction, advancing infrastructure development, conducting research initiatives, and engaging in community service. The institution is supported by a faculty of over 150 highly qualified mentors, the majority of whom hold graduate degrees.
The Colegio's current pedagogical framework highlights the effort to produce competitively employable graduates. To realize this, the Colegio has been at the forefront of driving positive change through initiatives such as advocacy in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and co-creating pedagogy with Artificial Intelligence (AI). By integrating AI technologies into the educational process, both teachers and students are empowered to thrive in the digital and collaborative global environment. The Colegio's commitment to bridge the gap between academe and industry is growing stronger. These efforts emphasize the institution's dedication to excellence and its focus on fostering impactful partnerships between academe and industry.
Recognized by CHED in January 2007 for having the best HEI Student Research Program in the region, The Colegio persists in fostering a research-oriented culture. It provides research funding, commissioned research projects, and facilitates avenues for publication. Moreover, the institution's commitment to community service is evident through its enduring tradition of Makipamuhay, a longstanding social immersion program.
Remaining true to its Catholic identity, the Colegio offers stakeholders comprehensive spiritual formation programs, ensuring holistic human development.
Our Routes
All these and more triggered the Colegio to venture into accreditation and certification efforts. These are moves to further substantiate the institution's adherence to quality standards. This is another part of our institution's grand narrative.
The Colegio has pursued various quality management efforts reflecting the institution's drive towards management of quality assurance. Letran Calamba has started its application for Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) accreditation in November 2008. The Federation of Accrediting Association of the Philippines (FAAP) awarded to 50% of the Colegio's program LEVEL I Formal Status and 18.18% of the programs with Level II First Reaccredited Status. The Colegio was also awarded with the highest number of candidate programs in the Philippines for two consecutive years (2011 and 2012). In addition, the Colegio has been awarded as the institution with the highest number of Level 1 accredited programs in the Philippines during the 25th PACUCOA General Assembly.
Also, the Colegio was granted the ISO 9001:2008 certification on November 28, 2013. The Colegio's pursuit of quality management continues with its recent engagement with a national quality award. The quality management efforts of the Colegio prove the contention that quality is a continuous and rigorous pursuit which is worth doing well.