The Plaza Benavides, also known as Benavides Park or Benavides Garden in Manila, Philippines is a landscaped park located in the University of Santo Tomas. It contains the Benavides Monument, built to commemorate the founder of the university, Miguel de Benavides.
Prior to the park, the area served as a temporary burial site of the Santo Tomas Internment Camp during the World War II. [1]
The Plaza Benavides, the largest park in the Manila campus, is bounded to the northwest by the Plaza Mayor, to the southwest by Osmeña Drive, to the northeast by the Quezon Drive, and to the southeast by the Plaza Intramuros. The center walkway is called the Rizal Lane, more popularly known as the Lover's Lane. Parallel to Rizal Lane is Burgos Lane on the left and M.H. Del Pilar Lane on the right. [2] [3] [4] The three lanes were named in 1960 after UST alumni José Burgos, José Rizal, and Marcelo H. del Pilar. [5] They begin at the Plaza Mayor and end at the Plaza Intramuros. [6] The lanes have alternating terracotta, gray, and white colored cobblestones arranged in an interplay of squares and vertical lines. [7]
The plaza underwent an extensive renovation for the quadricentennial celebration, but the Benavides Monument's raised circular base and the path that contained the Chinese tombstone were left relatively unaltered. [7]
At the middle entrance of the Plaza Benavides from Plaza Mayor lies a Chinese tombstone. The tombstone, which dates back to 1818, measures 67 cm x 130 cm. It reads: [8]
The Benavides Monument serves as the park's main attraction. The statue of Miguel de Benavides was transferred from Intramuros in 1946. [9] [10] [11]
The Benavides Park comprises at least 60 different types of trees. [12] The Rizal Lane is lined by rows of tall pruned Photinia × fraseri or Red Robins. It's also surrounded with native trees and exotic trees like rubber fig and mahogany. The list of trees include: [13] [14]
The annual UST Inter-School On-the-Spot Painting Competition is usually held in the plaza. [15]
When Queen Sofía of Spain visited UST in 2012, she was welcomed by the university rector at Rizal Lane before laying a wreath at the Benavides Statue. [16] [17]
In 2015, Pope Francis entered the UST campus through the Arch of the Centuries. He then went to an open-top vehicle for a motorcade which began at Rizal Lane, passing through the Benavides Monument and Plaza Mayor. [18]
In 2016, the UAAP Season 79 held its opening ceremonies at the UST campus. Student-athletes from the 8 participating schools passed through the Arch of the Centuries and Rizal Lane in a parade leading to the Plaza Mayor. [19]
The University of Santo Tomas, officially the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila or colloquially as USTè, is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Miguel de Benavides, third Archbishop of Manila, it has the oldest extant university charter in Asia and is one of the world's largest Catholic universities in terms of enrollment found on one campus. It is the main campus of the University of Santo Tomas System that is run by the Order of Preachers.
The Varsitarian is the official student publication of the University of Santo Tomas (UST). Founded in January 1928 by a group of students led by Jose Villa Panganiban, it is one of the first student newspapers in the Philippines. It is published fortnightly. The lampoon issue is called The Vuisitarian. Tomas U. Santos, the mascot of The Varsitarian, is a Thomasian who represents the students of the campus. He is usually seen accompanied by a talking, and quite cynical, T-square.
The Arch of the Centuries is a triumphal arch at the Plaza Intramuros of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. Half of the current structure, the side facing the UST Main Building is the ruins of the 17th-century arch door of the first UST campus in Intramuros, while the side that faces España Boulevard is a replica inaugurated in 1954.
The University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Arts and Letters, popularly known as "UST Artlets" or "UST AB", is the liberal arts school of the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest and the largest Catholic university in Manila, Philippines.
The University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery (USTFMS) is the medical school of the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest and largest Catholic university in Manila, Philippines.
The University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines marks a variety of traditions largely influenced by the Spanish and Filipino Dominican culture. Many are annual events, such as religious assemblies marking the start and end of the academic year, a welcome walk for new students, as well as intercollege sport competitions and talent exhibitions. Christmas is celebrated in a month-long festivities culminated by the UST Paskuhan. Many Roman Catholic feast days are also celebrated.
The University of Santo Tomas is one of the oldest existing universities and holds the oldest extant university charter in the Philippines and in Asia. It was founded on April 28, 1611, by the third Archbishop of Manila, Miguel de Benavides, together with Domingo de Nieva and Bernardo de Santa Catalina. It was originally conceived as a school to prepare young men for the priesthood. Located Intramuros, it was first called Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario and later renamed Colegio de Santo Tomás in memory of Dominican theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas. In 1624, the colegio was authorized to confer academic degrees in theology, philosophy, and arts. On November 20, 1645, after representations by Vittorio Riccio, Pope Innocent X elevated the college to the rank of a university and in 1680 it was placed under royal patronage.
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas (UST) Quadricentennial Celebration took place from December 18, 2009 to January 27, 2012. The agenda before the quadricentennial year in 2011 included the introduction of new academic programs, improvements in the university's infrastructure, and other projects to raise UST's national and international prominence and promote its role as a social catalyst.
The Miguel de Benavides Library, also known as the University of Santo Tomas Library, is the main academic library of the University of Santo Tomas. The library has been in continuous service and its collection antedates the existence of the university itself.
This is a timeline of the history of the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, the oldest university in Asia, comprising important events of the history of the university and of the development of Philippine higher education in general. To read about the background to these events, see History of the University of Santo Tomas. See also the history of the Rector Magnificus of the University of Santo Tomas, and the Santo Tomas Internment Camp
The Paskuhan is the culmination of the university wide Christmas activities of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. The annual tradition started in 1991. The programs of Paskuhan were held during the last week or last day before the Christmas break of the university. In 2014, however, because of the change in the academic calendar of the university, it was scheduled in the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 2014. It was later rescheduled to December 11, 2014, because of Typhoon Ruby.
The Benavides Monument is a memorial in the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines built to commemorate the founder of the University of Santo Tomas, Miguel de Benavides. Located in the Plaza Benavides in front of the UST Main Building, the monument consists of a bronze statue of Benavides rising on top of a granite pedestal. The present monument was unveiled in 1946.
The University of Santo Tomas is a private Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded in 1611 by the Order of Preachers, it is the oldest university in the Philippines and Asia. The university gives numerous awards, honors, prizes, and recognitions to its people and the general public who have substantial accomplishments or have exemplified the ideals of UST.
The Thomasian Welcome Walk (TWW) is an annual event of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. Freshmen walk through the Arch of the Centuries, a monument that served as the original doorway to the first campus of the university in Intramuros.
The UST Plaza Mayor in Manila, Philippines is a large plaza located in the center of the University of Santo Tomas.
University of Santo Tomas Santa Rosa is an upcoming university in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines. It is one of the five campuses in the University of Santo Tomas System. The new campus is envisioned to intensify the research activities of UST Manila by becoming a technological and innovative hub in Laguna.
The Plaza Intramuros is a park located in the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. It contains the Arch of the Centuries, Fountain of Wisdom, and Fountain of Knowledge.