THE UST Central Seminary received a P500,000 donation from the UST Alumni Lay and Priests Association (ALPA) on April 15.
The funds were raised through “Project: Basil Valdez – A Concert for a Cause” staged on Jan. 28, 2026.
The donation was received by Central Seminary Acting Rector Fr. Clarence Marquez, O.P. from Msgr. Gary Formoso, a project director of the benefit concert.
Bro. Edwin Cernal, ALPA acting coordinator, said the fundraising’s success was due to the efforts and active engagement of alumni priests.
“As alumni, the seminary was their home and the cradle of their vocation for many years. This very act to give back is a testament to the enduring influence of their former rector, Fr. Frederik Fermin, O.P., whose paternal leadership continues to inspire the alumni to support the next generation of laborers in the vineyard,” Cernal told the Varsitarian.
The seminarian said the funds would support the seminary’s operational needs amid rising commodity prices.
“[It will] ensure the seminarians are provided with nutritious meals. Beyond the basics, the donation empowers the various seminary committees to fund projects that enhance communal life,” he said.
Cernal said the money would also become the seminary’s contingency fund for emergency repairs and structural maintenance.
“I hope this donation provides the seminarians with a profound sense of fraternal security. When a seminarian knows that his basic needs are met and that he is supported by a ‘cloud of witnesses’ in the alumni, he is freed from worldly anxieties and can focus more intently on his spiritual and academic formation,” he said.
In August, ALPA donated P1 million to the seminary to support training, raised through a benefit golf tournament.
