University of Sto Tomas Legazpi | Bicol Dominican University

About the university

Legazpi Junior Colleges, the forerunner of Aquinas University of Legazpi, was founded on June 8, 1948, by a Basque, Buenaventura de Erquiaga (April 24, 1896 ? October 22, 1959). From the onset till 1965, Buenaventura was assisted by a succession of presidents: Ramon C. Fernandez (1948?1957) and Bienvenido N. Santos (1957?1958); then after he resigned to join the faculty of the Iowa State University, by Margarito M. Delgado (ca. 1961?1963), and Dr. Manuel Lacuesta (ca. 1963?1965). In 1952, its name was changed to Legazpi College. The educational institution offered elementary, secondary, vocational, tertiary and graduate curricula. Its science laboratory was considered as one of the best in the entire Bicol Region. An Institute of Research was founded to conduct experiments on local plants? problems and the possibilities of developing local resources particularly the coconut and abaca products for industrial use. In the decades to come, these pioneering research efforts would move into production