Leyte Colleges
January 2007

Education success in Eastern Visayas

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

eyte Colleges opened as the Leyte Institute in June 1946 at the corner of Burgos and Sto. Niño Streets in Tacloban City. The Associate in Arts was its pioneering course. The Associate in Commercial Science came next on the second semester of the same school year. The first and secondary curriculum program was opened in 1947 together with the elementary teacher certificate and the first two years of Bachelor of Science in Education. There were only 27 students and eight faculty members in 1946. They held their classes in a single building rented by the school.

The school was moved to the Romualdez Building on Zamora St. in 1948. The third and fourth years in both the BS in Education and Liberal Arts were granted permit that year. The first two curriculum years of the Bachelor of Laws and Foreign Service were added in the school year 1948- 1949. The government recognition for the Bachelor of Science in Education was granted on July 1, 1950. That year, the Leyte Institute was formally renamed the Leyte Colleges.

The succeeding years were important milestones on the growth of Leyte Colleges. These are the courses that earned government recognition from year 1950’s to the later part of the Martial Law period; 1953, Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Bachelor of Laws; 1956, Liberal Arts; 1960, Bachelor of Science in Education; 1963, the five-year night secondary course was opened and the first secondary summer classes was offered; 1965, the construction of a two-storey administration and library building at Zamora campus was completed; 1966, the night secondary program was granted recognition; and 1983, the two-year Junior Secretarial Course was opened.

In 1991, the college offered the four-year Secretarial Administration and Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and in 1993, Bachelor of Science in Criminology. In 1996, the Criminology and Law Buildings and the Sta. Cruz campus and the Second Criminology Building at San Jose Campus were completed. In 1998, the Paterno and San Jose campuses were opened.

The Leyte Colleges had an ideal enrollment of four thousand nine hundred ninety nine (4,999) students with a teaching force of one hundred eighteen (118) in the school year 1999-2000. The main campus at Sta. Cruz is complemented with two satellite campuses all strategically situated in Tacloban City. At present, the Leyte Colleges has five academic institutes offering seven collegiate programs, a two-year certificate course and a day secondary program.

Francisco Astilla, its founder, envisioned a college providing an equal opportunity for all for a quality education. Thus, the Leyte Colleges which is now gaining prestige for producing good policemen and lawyers in the region.

PRESENT TIMES

Today, the Leyte Colleges has its vision in the preparation of young men and women to be tomorrow’s citizen-leaders. Its President, Dr. Violeta A. Aparis, has been very supportive to the school’s staff, resulting to harmony in the work place and quality teaching.

To further ensure quality education, instructors hired are master’s degree holders. Its administrators believe that they are successful in fulfilling the school’s mission to prepare citizen leaders; defining this success with language that is appropriate to the goal of the institution. The shaping of young lives is it excels in.

The college of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Criminology department are especially good at instilling the core values of good citizenship and leadership in their graduates. This is justified as a student who is liberally educated is good at asking questions, at dealing with competing truths, at struggling to understand and in coping with complex situations.

Just, recently, the College of Law, once again produced lawyers who will help their fellowmen. Twelve of its Law graduates passed the Bar exams.

Leyte Colleges make no apology for offering an education that endeavors to educate the students–mind, body and spirit. And, while the colleges represent different forms and disciplines, all of them are places of free and open inquiry. They are concerned with the students’ total education. The approach they take to education, simply put, represents a more engaging and transforming experience for students. They exemplify its best way for students to be prepared for lives of work and service.

Finally, carrying the obligation for educating tomorrow’s productive citizens is no small responsibility. But, it is one welcomed by schools such as the Leyte Colleges. Leyte Colleges has been operating for years and it welcomes the opportunity to prepare students for meaningful and productive citizenship. It is at the heart of the school’s reason for being.

FLAGSHIP COURSE

The Criminology and Forensic Science program of Leyte Colleges started in 1994 with more than 80 pioneering students. The following year, it had its full operation and was recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in Region VIII through the leadership of Dr. Angel Cordero (Dean-College of Criminology and Forensic Science) and utmost support of then LC President Dr. Virginio A. Astilla, and Executive Vice President Dr. Violeta A. Aparris.

The program of the Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Forensic Science was introduced to provide the community with professionally competent and morally upright graduates who can deliver efficient and effective services along public safety and order.

The main thrust of the program is a significant institution actively and continually involved in turning out graduates who will lead the nation in addressing the vital problems of crime control and meeting the demands for global competence. The BS in Criminology has become the flag bearer of the School being the first institution in the region to complete its forensic apparatus and equipment. The Leyte Colleges has established a good name and is consistent in producing morally and intellectually imbued policemen.

Also, most of the Deans in other universities and colleges in the region that offers Criminology courses are alumni of Leyte Colleges.

Not only that. Its BS Crim graduates are top notchers in the National Criminology Licensure Examination.

To name a few, Edward Macabenta, ranked 8th place during the 1998 Licensure Examination; PO1 Shyrille Tan got a rating of 85.75 making her 5th placer in the May 2005 Board Exam; while Gilford Entroliso with a rating of 87.07 and Joey Blones with a rating of 85.95, ranked 4th and 10th place respectively, in the National Criminology Licensure Examination held in October 2005. The list of board passers with their corresponding ranks was announced by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the same may be viewed in its official website.

Thus, the Dean and the faculty members of the Criminology Department of Leyte Colleges were cited for their splendid effort in nurturing and motivating their young students in building a good future for themselves.

Truly, the Criminology students of Leyte Colleges may not be the best, but the attitude and perseverance inculcated in their minds by their mentors are the main factors that lead them to success.


Leyte Colleges takes pride of its Taekwondo team

Modern Taekwondo differs greatly from other Martial Arts, since its theories, terminology, techniques, systems, methods, rules, practice suit and spiritual foundation were scientifically developed and systematized. The physical techniques of Taekwondo is based on the principles of modern science, in particular, the Newtonian Physics which teaches how to generate maximum power.

Taekwondo is defined as “the mental training and techniques of unarmed combat for self defense as well as health. It involves the skilled application of kicks, punches, blocks, and dodges for the rapid destruction of a moving opponent or opponents.” However, today’s Taekwondo is much more than that. Taekwondo is an art, a sport, a science and a discipline all rolled into one. It has the power to change people’s lives for the better. Just like the 20 students of Leyte Colleges who are members of the Taekwondo Team led by Francis Dosdos, a blackbelter and president of the Eastern Visayas Taekwondo Union, and Juni Montilla, a Judo instructor for ten years.

For the past years, the team has been consistent in winning Taekwondo competitions within the Region. They team is simply the best. In the recently held PRISAA in Ilo-ilo City, the team brought home three bronze medals. According to Dosdos, the team members have been so dedicated to their craft, spending three hours a day of practice. To the instructors, it is one tough challenge on their part to manage 20 active members of the team. That’s where discipline takes place. By establishing worthy goals and helping to achieve them, Taekwondo will develop a habit of success in the team members. Regular practice of Taekwondo will improve concentration and build confidence. As team members achieve discipline through regular practice, bad habits become easier to break and a healthier lifestyle becomes part of the daily regiment.

During one of their sessions, the male students spend a lot of time “playing” with movements, testing out different ideas of how to move, and always going beyond whatever movements are being taught as a natural way of expressing themselves physically. The female students have more of a tendency to stick to what is being taught. In an interview, Marilyn Arpon, a senior member of the Taekwondo Team, stated, “It has been interesting to examine each gup pattern and to try to perfect each movement focusing on visualizing my opponent for each movement ensuring that each stance is correct, and checking that the pattern begins and ends at the same position. As with most things, the more I study, the more I become aware of what I don’t know….”

Truly the Taekwondo Team is one big asset to the school. Despite the many challenges and hardships, its members had brought pride to Leyte Colleges. And this is only the beginning, and definitely there’s a lot in store for them in the future.

Source: Manila Bulletin Online

 
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