Circular letters were dispatched to presidentes in Panay, requesting them to announce in their respective pueblos the opening of a school in Iloilo on June 16, with pupils matriculating after June 12. The school commenced with 150 pupils. In a report from the Iloilo Provincial Governor to the Civil Governor of Manila dated January 15, 1903, a section on Public Instruction states,

“As another result of the work of instruction in the province during the last year of 1902, there was founded in the City of Iloilo a teachers’ normal school conducted by American teachers in which proper courses for teachers are taught.”

The report further states, “The secondary school here, known as the Iloilo Normal Institute, has been fully discussed in my recent correspondence. It first opened its doors on June 16, 1902. By the latter part of August, enrollment was nearly 300, with daily attendance reaching about 275 students. The faculty at this time comprised 13 members, and the school was divided into three departments – normal, preparatory, and commercial.”

Barely two years after the establishment of the first Normal School in 1901, an article titled “Education in the Philippines” appeared in the February 1, 1903 issue of the New York Times. It was written by Dudley O. McGovney, a History instructor at the then Central Normal School, now the Philippine Normal University in Manila. He wrote, “The brightness of the Filipino and his quickness to learn are marked.” This profound impression prevailed among American teachers after just one school year of training Filipino teachers, influencing the swift establishment of five tributary normal schools in 1902.

The normal schools were tasked not only with training local teachers but specifically enabling them to teach the English language. In Iloilo, there was no distinct and independent tributary normal school. Instead, it was one of the three departments at the provincial high school referred to as Iloilo Normal Institute.

Iloilo Normal School as a Teacher-Training Institution

A related historical fact is that 1902 marks the birth of Iloilo High School, initially known as Iloilo Normal School. Its original purpose was to serve as a teacher-training institution to address the urgent need for Filipino teachers. The school was initially situated in a two-story building across the street from the Provincial Capitol, now the site occupied by Iloilo Casa Plaza. 

Traditionally, much like in Western countries, the classic campus university is often situated on the outskirts of cities. Presently, WVSU is situated on a sprawling contiguous land at the northwestern edge of Barangay Magsaysay, La Paz, Iloilo City.

The Philippine Insular Government at that time, led by American Gov. W. Cameron Forbes, recognized the need for a teacher-training institution in Western Visayas. A complete land survey was ordered, conducted between 1911 and 1912. Starting as the Iloilo Normal School, WVSU initially consisted of only three buildings. Titles were required for the construction of these buildings. School Building No. 1 (later named Gabaldon after the designer of similar type buildings across the country) was erected on a lot previously owned by the American Missionary Society and purchased by the Province of Iloilo. Subsequently, the Province donated this lot solely for educational purposes.

By 1916, the Judge of the Court of First Instance ordered on May 23 the issuance of titles for lots intended for the present Quezon Hall, finally erected in 1924 as School Building No. 2. The Old Science Building was immediately constructed diagonally to the other structure and was known as School Building No. 3. By October 22, 1919, all titles were received for transcription in the Register of Deeds of Iloilo.

Thus, the government’s intention to construct an educational institution on this site—the Iloilo Normal School—was fulfilled based on the survey, court order, issuance, and the dates of transcription. It was also public knowledge at that time that the land’s ownership would be secured before actual construction, either through purchase or donation from some philanthropic entity.

Today, the WVSU Main Campus contains major buildings built on an area of 171,376 square meters.

Courses at the Iloilo Normal School

In 1916, the two-year and four-year curricula were introduced to meet the demand for better-trained teachers. Classes were initially held in a four-room nipa building, now the location of the WVSU Cultural Center. Construction of a more permanent and solid building began in 1920, along with the establishment of the laboratory school or training department for children.

In 1919, three courses were offered: general, normal, and commercial. In 1924, the normal course was discontinued, and Iloilo Normal School transformed into an independent teacher-training secondary school. This information is also reported by Segovia (1955) in her master’s thesis, stating that Iloilo Normal School first became an independent institution in June 1924. Before this time, teacher training and education in the Province of Iloilo were conducted at Iloilo High School, Normal Department.

By 1924, the main building (now known as Quezon Hall) was completed, overlooking the classic Gabaldon Building for the school children. The completion of these two structures led to the separation of the Normal Department from the Provincial High School or Iloilo Normal Institute, giving rise to the Iloilo Normal School.

Iloilo Normal School continued the two-year and four-year curricula until 1927 when Home Economics classes, previously part of the high school, were transferred to Iloilo Normal School. In 1930, three years after the inclusion of Home Economics classes, a fifth year was added to the four-year curriculum.

In 1936, a two-year collegiate course, the ETC (Elementary Teacher Certificate), was introduced. In 1937-1938, the last graduation from the secondary course was held. Thereafter, only Home Economics classes and two-year college courses were retained, accepting entrants from all secondary schools.

The first four lines of the Onward Normal Hymn could not have been more aptly sung in the 1930s:

Onward Normal, ever onward Lead thou on we are to stay.

The goal ahead keeps beckoning

Each ‘morrow makes a brighter day.

The War Years

The war years in the 1940s wrought untold havoc on the country. At Iloilo Normal School, buildings were damaged, records were lost, and books along with other instructional materials were looted. Repairs had to be undertaken. In 1945, classes resumed.

In 1947, Iloilo Normal School attained the status of a full-fledged tertiary institution, opening Saturday and vacation classes.

By 1948, the damaged buildings were fully reconstructed in time for the 1949-1950 intakes.

In 1952, Iloilo Normal School evolved into a four-year college. In 1954, it was granted the authority to confer the Bachelor of Science in Education degree, majoring in Elementary Education.

After assuming the role of dean of Iloilo Normal School in 1959, Jose B. Ledesma initiated many firsts, commencing with the establishment of the Graduate School in 1961.

The Birth of West Visayas State College

Iloilo Normal School underwent a transformative change, adopting the name West Visayas State College (WVSC) in 1965 under Republic Act 4189, with Ledesma becoming its inaugural President.

Through an act of Congress, the institution, once solely focused on training future teachers, expanded its scope and claimed a broader horizon. President Ledesma was bestowed with the singular honor and crucial responsibility of guiding the fledgling college during this transition.

Under Ledesma’s leadership, the WVSC experienced remarkable growth. The Schools of Arts and Sciences, Medicine, Agriculture, and Nursing were established within a span of 12 years. The latter part of the 1960s also witnessed the birth of the Secondary Laboratory School.

In a sense, 1965 marked a watershed moment for the school. On May 4 of that year, President Diosdado Macapagal signed Republic Act (RA) 4189, facilitating the conversion of the former Iloilo Normal School into the West Visayas State College. Although there were already faint glimpses of activism and disquiet that would shake the world in the latter half of the ’60s, the College, in 1965, remained primarily a parochial teacher-training institution—a small community of mentors guiding would-be teachers. The only college course offered at that time was BS Elementary Education. The student population across all three levels (elementary, college, and postgraduate) totaled 1,537, with less than 50 faculty members.

College students paid P100 for tuition, while elementary pupils attended school for free. The college graduating class consisted of 184 members, quaintly referred to in the official school publication as “boys” and “girls.”

Implementation of RA 4189 and Expansion of Courses

The impact of RA 4189 became more pronounced in 1968 when new department heads were appointed, while Jose B. Ledesma Jr. continued as College President. These appointments were made in preparation for the introduction of new courses mandated by RA 4189.

In the first semester of the 1969-1970 school year, the College initiated general Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Education programs for secondary school teaching. Concurrently, the Secondary Laboratory School commenced operations to cater to the practicum needs of students enrolled in the secondary school teaching curriculum.

As enrollment surged, driven by the demand for more educators with post-graduate degrees, the first Graduate School Extension classes were inaugurated in the town of Barotac Nuevo in 1972. Similar services would be extended to other areas of Western Visayas in the subsequent years.

Activism Grips WVSC

The wave of activism that swept the nation and the world made its way into the College in the late ’60s.

“Involvement” and political consciousness became the norm. Students, accustomed to the serene campus atmosphere filled with operettas, zarzuelas, and Mother Goose festivals, began participating in movements advocating clean elections, more affordable education, and political reforms. The Normalite, the official school paper, exclaimed, “What many did not believe would happen, did happen!” referring to the demonstration staged by the previously tranquil WVSC student body on September 9, 1969, demanding the release of the P10 million promised by President Ferdinand Marcos to state colleges and universities.

Another notable protest action was the picket of approximately 700 WVSC students in front of the Division Office on August 6-7, 1970, demanding a re-check of the teacher selection tests in the Division of Iloilo. Despite the College’s graduates consistently topping such selection tests, only one graduate made it to the top 50 that year. The demonstrators labeled the results of the selection as “a statistical improbability.”

Reflecting the fluctuations of the times, a student plebiscite elected to change the name of the official college broadsheet from the eponymous The Normalite to the WVSC Forum. Under the new moniker, the school paper became a platform for the exchange of ideas and opinions, starting with the February 1970 issue. In 1978, the official college magazine, The Dimensions, would commence publication. Although a yearbook for graduating students first appeared in 1968, it would only receive the official name “The Spire” much later.

WVSC under Martial Law

Numerous overt signals of discontent were present, but they were effectively quelled in one sweep when Marcos issued Republic Act 1081 on September 21, 1972, placing the Philippines under Martial Law. Despite the political tension, academic life remained vibrant. On September 30, 1972, the College charter was revised through RA 6596, granting permission to offer courses at the University level. In alignment with the goals of Marcos’ New Society, emphasis was placed on the development of desirable moral and ethical values, making all school activities work-oriented and values-oriented. In 1972, the first batch of both the A.B. curriculum (23 pioneer graduates) and the Secondary Teaching curriculum (37 pioneer graduates) graduated.

Celebrating the Golden Jubilee

The College commemorated its Golden Jubilee in 1974, assuming it started as the Iloilo Normal School in 1924. Several significant developments occurred during the Jubilee year. Non-graded classes were introduced in the elementary laboratory school. Agricultural Arts became available as a major at the graduate level. WVSC entered consortiums with Central Philippine University and the University of the Philippines in Iloilo “to ensure quality education at a minimum cost and find worthy cases for joint ventures in research and community service.”

WVSC soon earned the status of a Regional Science Teaching Center under the Educational Development Projects Implementing Task Force, providing quality Science and Mathematics programs for elementary-level teachers. The following year, WVSC also became the Regional Staff Development Center for Language Arts and Social Studies, this time at the secondary level.

More “Schools” Open

In 1975, the School of Medicine opened its doors with 25 pioneering students, marking the inception of the first medical school in Western Visayas and the second state-supported medical school in the country. The School established a consortium with Iloilo Doctors Hospital (IDH) to provide clinical facilities for medical students. Consequently, a P4.5-million bed medical annex at IDH was inaugurated on July 27, 1976, and a P2-million medical building (now Roxas Hall) was later constructed.

Angel de Leon played a crucial role in the establishment of the College of Medicine, which eventually became one of the country’s top-performing medical schools.

On another front, the School of Agriculture commenced operations in 1976. Simultaneously, the School of Nursing started admitting students in 1977. In the same year, the Doctor of Education program was initiated in the Graduate School, and a memorandum of agreement was signed with the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) in Tigbauan, Iloilo, for the establishment of an elementary laboratory school within the SEAFDEC premises.

Upon President Ledesma’s retirement in 1978, Lilia V. Juele assumed the role of College President. Her tenure witnessed significant developments, particularly in the academic and cultural spheres.

In 1979, the School of Medicine celebrated its first batch of 21 graduates. The following year, the batch achieved a remarkable feat with a 100 percent passing rate in the August 1980 medical board examinations. This marked the beginning of a tradition of outstanding performance in the medical board, producing numerous topnotchers in subsequent years.

Similarly, in 1979, the School of Agriculture witnessed its first graduates, totaling 60 students. In 1980, the School of Nursing also achieved a milestone by producing its pioneer graduates, all of whom passed the nursing board examinations in the same year. Over the years, the School of Nursing continued to uphold a distinguished tradition of excellence in board exams, earning its place among the best nursing schools in the country.

The College of Education initiated important curricular changes with the introduction of the Integrated Education Program in order to produce graduates qualified to teach at both the elementary and secondary levels. This “one-stream” curriculum was later replaced with the Bachelor of Elementary Education in 1983 and the Bachelor of Secondary Education in 1986.

In 1980, the pre-medicine curriculum of the School of Arts and Sciences was strengthened into a BS curriculum, offering majors in either Biological Science or Physical Science. Additionally, Mass Communications was introduced as a new major in the AB curriculum.

Meanwhile, the School of Agriculture commenced offering B.S. Forestry in 1981.

Student Unrest Once More

The middle years of President Juele’s tenure coincided with the twilight of the Marcos administration. With issues of corruption and repression hurled against the Marcos government from all quarters, activism, throttled since the proclamation of Martial Law, began to stir the student populace once more.

In 1981, when the Marcos regime authorized the re-legalization of student councils to curb the growing unrest in schools nationwide, the WVSC student body immediately convened to form an Interim Student Council, signaling the return of the democratic process on campus. A Constitutional Convention was called on October 10, 1981, to draft the governing charter of the Student Council. The Constitution was eventually ratified in 1983. On July 7, 1982, the first election for the College Student Council was held. Running virtually unopposed, Santiago Higgins Jr. of the School of Education became the first CSC chairman. In 1983, the first seven-man College Student Court was organized. The student council became an invaluable feature of University life, holding a strong reputation as a promoter of student welfare and defender of their rights. At times, it collaborated, but mostly acted as a provocateur toward the school administration.

WVSC Becomes West Visayas State University

In December 1984, the College took over the management of the Don Benito Lopez Memorial Hospital, the base hospital of WVSC School of Medicine, then on lease from the Lopez family. The hospital, later renamed West Visayas State University Medical Center, was eventually purchased by the University on April 5, 1987.

Considered the most lasting achievement of Mrs. Juele was the signing of Presidential Decree 2019 on January 27, 1986, by then-President Ferdinand Marcos, converting West Visayas State College into West Visayas State University (WVSU). The decree also mandated the absorption of the Iloilo National College of Agriculture in Lambunao into the University system. With the conversion of WVSC into a university, the academic units, formerly called schools, were renamed colleges.

The Juele presidency was also marked by a flurry of cultural activities that suffused the campus atmosphere. However, its last years were marred by unrest among the various University sectors who accused her of “Marcosian ethics.” The Tri-Sectoral Alliance was eventually organized, composed of students, faculty, and non-teaching personnel, advocating for reforms and the ouster of the President. An investigating body was formed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports, and Mrs. Juele, who had gone on a leave of absence in 1986, eventually opted to retire. During Mrs. Juele’s leave, Dr. Angel R. De Leon, dean of the College of Medicine, took over as officer-in-charge from September 17, 1986, until the appointment of the next President.

Unrest Amid Development

Dr. Venancio Garagan assumed the University presidency on June 22, 1987, and his term was marked by numerous achievements. On the administrative front, the position of Vice President for Administration was established, with former OIC President and College of Medicine Dean, Angel de Leon, appointed as the first to hold the post. The Director of the University Hospital position was also created, and the Office of Planning and Development was established, while the Office of Extension, previously under the Office of Research, became an independent unit.

The College of Agriculture and Forestry initiated its gradual transfer to the Lambunao campus in 1987, completing the transfer the following year. The PESCAR Center was established in 1987 to pursue the University’s thrust in developing physical education, sports, and recreation programs. The PESCAR Center eventually evolved into the PESCAR Institute in 1993 and later became the College of PESCAR.

WVSU embarked on a vigorous faculty development program, sending many of its faculty and staff on scholarships here and abroad. Scholarship sponsors included the US-RP Cultural Affairs and Philippine American Fund for Assistance Program, the Philippine-Australia Science and Mathematics Education Project grants to Australia, and the Monbusho scholarships to Japan. To streamline operations, the faculty was assigned to different academic departments.

Several infrastructures rose on campus, including the Education Building, the Multi-Purpose Building (later the Nursing Building), and the Audio-Visual Rooms attached to the Cultural Center. The Audio-Visual Rooms eventually became the site of the Mass Communications Center, housing the campus radio station DYWV, video production rooms, recording and editing studios, and photography processing rooms. Many of the audio-visual facilities at the Mass Communications Center were acquired through a cultural grant from the Japanese Information and Cultural Center in 1993.

Curricular changes were also initiated. In June 1990, PESCAR started offering first-year subjects leading to the degree Bachelor of Physical Education. Two new programs were offered effective June 1991 – the B.S. Mass Communications program with three majors, and the A.B. Political Science program, both under the College of Arts and Sciences. These replaced the previous course offerings in A.B. Mass Communications and A.B. Social Science, respectively.

In the College of Education, Special Education was introduced as a new major field, and pre-elementary education was renamed Early Childhood Education. The Child-Youth Development Center, established in 1985, was reinvigorated to strengthen the Special Education program. The AS curricula were slanted towards practicum and research, with research papers becoming a major graduation requirement.

In terms of research, 1990 saw the publication of WVSU Abstracts Vol. 1 covering results of researches conducted in the University from 1955 to 1985. This marked the first attempt of the Office of Research to consolidate the rich research data of the University.

School publications gained prominence. In 1993, SILAK, the official publication of the College of Education under Prof. Gladys Baban Cordero, was elevated to the Philippine Information Agency Hall of Fame with the Gawad Graciano Lopez Jaena after being adjudged Best Departmental Paper in Western Visayas for six consecutive years. Earlier in 1987, The Forum, the official University student broadsheet, was awarded as one of seven best newspapers in the Philippines – the only one outside Metro Manila to receive such a distinction.

During Dr. Garagan’s term, WVSU became the official headquarters of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) in Region VI. In 1997, it hosted the first PASUC VI athletic meet.

Ironically, Dr. Garagan’s term, following the turbulent last years of President Juele’s term, was also marred by controversies and protests. In 1988, Dr. Garagan’s unpopular appointment of personnel to a key University Hospital position sparked a protest from the College of Medicine community. The disagreement resulted in the mass leave of the faculty of the College, students boycotting their classes, and the halting of hospital operations.

The imbroglio was settled with the granting of autonomous status to the College of Medicine in an order signed by then-President Corazon Aquino and delivered by Education Secretary Lourdes Quisumbing in August 1988.

The rest of the WVSU community, once seemingly oblivious to the concerns of the medical college, also had their own misgivings and accused the President of incompetence, among other things. After a series of student, faculty, and staff rallies, investigations, and petitions, Dr. Garagan was served a preventive suspension order. Dr. Fortunato Battad came in as officer-in-charge on September 27, 1989. Dr. Garagan eventually retired in 1993.

In 1993, the Department of Mass Communications evolved into the Institute of Mass Communications, which later attained degree-granting status and transformed into a College in 2000.

The Diamond Jubilee in 1999 marked the introduction of additional academic programs: the Bachelor in Cooperatives Management (1997), Bachelor of Science in Information Management (1998), and Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (1998). The BSIM and BSIT were offered under the Institute of Mass Communication, now known as the College of Communication.

In 2000, the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997 integrated four CHED-supervised Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) into the University. These included Calinog Agricultural-Industrial College (CAIC) in Calinog (WVSU Calinog Campus), Janiuay Polytechnic College (JPC) in Janiuay (WVSU Janiuay Campus), Lambunao Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) in Lambunao (WVSU Lambunao Campus), and Pototan College of Arts and Sciences (PCAS) in Pototan (WVSU Poto-tan Campus). In 2001, the WVSU Board of Regents and the Department of Health (DOH) approved the conversion of the hospital into a 300-bed WVSU Medical Center.

Similarly, in 2001, the Bachelor of Science in Statistics and Research (BSSR) program was introduced. The University Distance Education program, through the Diploma in Teaching (DIT) course, commenced in Summer 2003. By the first semester of the same year, additional programs were offered, such as Bachelor in Hotel and Restaurant Management (BHRM), Bachelor in Broadcasting (BB), Bachelor in Journalism (BJ), and Bachelor of Science in Development Communication.

In 2002, the Institute of Information and Communications Technology (IICT) was established, and effective the first semester of AY 2002-2003, the BSIM and BSIT programs were offered under the leadership of the first IICT Director, Engr. Bobby D. Gerardo. However, in 2007, the BSIM program was replaced with the BS Information Systems through BOR Resolution No. 26-2007.

In 2004, the University implemented its Verticalization Scheme in academic programs through the operations of the graduate schools in the College of Education and the College of Arts & Sciences. Other colleges followed suit in offering their own graduate programs. In April 2006, the University signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the City of Himamaylan, Negros Occidental, aiming to extend degree programs in teacher education, leading to the establishment of the Himamaylan Extension Campus (HEC). On April 17, 2019, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed Republic Act 11308, converting the WVSU Extension in Himamaylan into a regular campus known as the WVSU – Himamaylan City Campus.

The University continued to expand its academic offerings, including the Master of Arts in Nursing in 2004 (CON), BS Entrepreneurship in 2005 (Calinog Campus), Bachelor of Science in Applied Math in 2006 (CAS), Bachelor of Tourism in 2008 (CBM), Master in Hospitality Management in 2010 (CBM), Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 2014 (CICT), Bachelor of Science in Office Administration in 2018 (Calinog Campus), and Master in Business Management in 2016 (CBM).

To align with global trends and comply with recommendations from oversight bodies, the College of Communications was reorganized into the College of Communication in 2013 (BOR Resolution No. 14-A, series of 2013). In 2016, the Institute of Information and Communications Technology (IICT) underwent conversion into the College of Information and Communications Technology through BOR Resolution No. 43 – 2016.

CHED granted WVSU recognition as a Center of Excellence in Teacher Education and Center of Development for Agriculture, Forestry, and Nursing programs. On July 28, 2020, the Legal Education Board (LEB) granted WVSU the Notice of Approval for Authority to Operate a Law School Program through Government Permit No. 33, leading to the establishment of a College of Law offering a Juris Doctor starting the first semester of AY 2020-2021.

Presently, the West Visayas State University maintains its esteemed standing in the academic community with the La Paz (main campus) having twelve degree-granting tertiary schools and colleges. It offers a total of 98 programs: 64 Baccalaureate, 3 Post-Baccalaureate, and 31 Graduate Programs. It has five satellite campuses and offers various services through the Center of Foreign Languages (CFL), University Review Center (URC), University Learning Assessment Center (ULAC), Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), Green Technology and Business Incubation (GTBI), and University Medical Center.

The University Research and Development Center, University Extension and Development Center (UEDC), and the WVSU Innovation and Technology Office (ITSO) contribute to strengthening the University’s research and extension services, including the promotion and protection of intellectual properties.

Sources:

Thy Name Resounds: West Visayas State University since 1902 (2009)

WVSU Strategic Development Plan 2021-2025 

Edited by Hazel P. Villa, PAMCO OIC Director (January 12, 2024)