THE UNIVERSITY held a wreath-laying ceremony at the site of its original campus in Intramuros on Monday, April 27 as part of its 415th anniversary activities.
Officials laid the wreath at the base of the replica of the monument of Msgr. Miguel de Benavides, O.P., the third archbishop of Manila and founder of the University, at the old Plaza Santo Tomas.
UST Secretary General Fr. Louie Coronel, O.P., a church history professor, said the ceremony was held to remember the University’s “humble beginnings.”
“You always go back kung saan nagsimula. Ito ‘yong pinanggalingan natin. Dito nagsimula ‘yong dreams ni Miguel de Benavides,” Coronel told the Varsitarian.
During the ceremony, he reminded Thomasians to remain the “light of the world,” and examine their hearts in celebration of the University’s founding anniversary.
“This anniversary is not just a celebration, it is a gentle examination of the heart. When we lay these wreaths today, we do not only honor the past, we also make a promise,” Coronel said in his talk.
“The most beautiful part of this story is [that] the life that began here in Intramuros was never meant to stay here. It was meant to shine in the lives of Thomasians in Manila, in Santa Rosa, General Santos, in the world,” he added.
The ceremony kicked off with a prayer for commemoration led by Coronel. Artlets Dean Melanie Turingan delivered the opening speech, tackling the University’s history.
“Let us not forget that this is the beginning. This is where we all started. This is really a day made by God for all of us to be present in this site, a structure that stood the test of time,” she said.
Apart from Coronel and Turingan, Facilities Management Office Director Fr. Dexter Austria, O.P. and student leaders were at the ceremony.
In 1605, Benavides laid the groundwork for the founding of the “Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario” in Intramuros by donating his books and the sum of P1,500.
The institution was officially established on April 28, 1611 and was authorized to confer ecclesiastical degrees in 1619. The college was later renamed in honor of St. Thomas Aquinas. It was elevated to university status by Pope Innocent X in 1645.
Due to an increase in enrollees and an expansion in academic offerings, the University established the Sampaloc campus in 1927. The Intramuros campus continued to operate until its destruction in the Second World War.
The UST Main Library is named after the Dominican archbishop.
The 2026 anniversary rites bear the theme, “UST@415: Keep Us in Truth.”
