The Association of Catholic Universities of the Philippines, Inc. (ACUP) gathered teachers, students, academic officials, and administrators for its National Conference themed “Synodal Pathways: Fostering Fraternal Collaboration among Catholic Universities for a Shared Future and Nation”. Annually travelling from Luzon, to Visayas, to Mindanao, this year’s discussions were held at the University of St. La Salle (USLS) in Bacolod City from March 4 to 6, 2025.
The UST Rector Very Rev. Fr. Richard G. Ang, O.P., Ph.D. emerged as the newly elected President of the 52-year-old Association during the General Assembly on the third day. Fr. Ang was previously the Vice President for two terms, 2019 to 2023 and 2023 to 2025.
Drawing insights from the encyclical of Pope Francis “Fratelli Tutti“ as applicable in the Philippine Catholic educational landscape during the Jubilee Year of Hope, the three-day conference targeted the issues raised in the recent EDCOM II report.
True to its mission to foster and ensure quality Catholic education in the country, the 37 ACUP member institutions gathered to (1) contextualize the values of fraternity, collaboration, and synodality within the social and cultural milieu of students in Catholic Universities; (2) communicate with key education stakeholders on facing systemic issues in the Philippine educational landscape and how policies can support and empower learners, educators, and school leadership; and (3) commit to improving holistic Catholic education in the Philippines through developing concrete and actionable points for a shared, sustainable, and synodal future.
The title of “Fratelli Tutti” is an expression of St. Francis of Assisi. Although the literal meaning is “All Brothers and Sisters”, Saint Francis invited all human persons to love wholeheartedly that it transcends distance, to become good neighbors to everyone, and to build good relationships with and uplift the most marginalized and excluded, to act as we would do with our family. In turn, Pope Francis, in his 2020 encyclical, echoes this call as he promotes “the growth of a culture of encounter capable of transcending our differences and divisions”.
Fittingly, the head of Franciscans in the Philippines discussed Fratelli Tutti’s message as applicable to Catholic education. The Minister Provincial of the Order of Friars Minor (Province of San Pedro Bautista) Fr. Lino Gregorio Redoblado, O.F.M., Ph.D., served as the keynote speaker. Fr. Redoblado is a former Dean of the College of Our Lady of the Angels Seminary and has a Doctorate in Philosophy from the Pontifical Antonianum University in Rome.
His keynote focused on the role of Catholic universities in responding to the social challenges in the Philippines, and how we can integrate these themes into the mission of Catholic universities to form intellectually proficient individuals with moral responsibility who are committed to building a just world and become catalysts for transformation through encounters with the marginalized. Fr. Redoblado advocated for education that not only imparts knowledge but also forms compassionate, socially responsible individuals committed to the common good. He called for humble, fraternal interdisciplinary collaboration, fostering a culture of encounter, and integrating social justice into the curricula.
For this to be accomplished, Fr. Redoblado emphasized the values of collaboration, fraternity, and synodality, rooted in St. Francis’s teachings, as the foundation for collaboration and mutual support in the context of higher education. He discussed how synodality, as a movement within the Church, promotes equality and cooperation among all members, listens to people from all walks of life, strengthens the bonds of community, stands on the side of the poor, and helps to dismantle clericalism. This aligns with Pope Francis’s Fratelli Tutti, which stresses the need for universal fraternity and social friendship, encouraging individuals and institutions to recognize their interconnectedness and responsibility toward one another.
In line with the Jubilee Year 2025’s theme, “Pilgrims of Hope,” Fr. Redoblado’s talk also encourages universities to act as agents of transformation, promoting solidarity with the poor and marginalized. With a myriad of challenges faced by the nation, Catholic universities must stand ready to address human rights violations, environmental degradation, poverty, inequality, threats to freedom of expression, and the violation of indigenous peoplee’s rights. Fr. Redoblado concluded by urging Catholic universities to renew their commitment to serving society and contributing to building a just, fraternal, sustainable, and hope-filled nation and future, both within the academic community and beyond.
Plenary speakers included San Beda University Professor Prof. James Loreto Piscos, Ph.D., who presented his research “Analyzing Inclusivity in Pope Francis’ Fratelli Tutti and its Implications to Catholic Education”, the Associate Dean of the School of Innovation and Sustainability at De La Salle University-Laguna Prof. Fides del Castillo, Ed.D., who discussed “A Shared Roadmap: Interreligious and Interregional Dialogue in the Academe”, CHED Technical Panel for Teacher Education Chairperson Dr. Edizon Fermin who shared professional insights on “Aral, Asal, Dasal, & Dangal: Reframing Catholic Higher Education Learner Empowerment”, and Philippine Institute for Development Studies Senior Research Fellow Dr. Francis Mark Quimba who discussed the “twin transition of going green and digital”.
There was also a panel discussion titled “It takes a village: A synodal discussion on moral and social upbringing with educational stakeholders” moderated by the St. Paul University Manila Vice President for Christian Formation and Services Sr. Nicole de Marie Dabalus, SPC, with representatives of key educational stakeholders from ACUP member universities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao: an administrator, teacher, parent, and students in the persons of Dr. Marie Aurea del Rosario, Saint Louis University (Baguio) Religion Department Head; Ms. Cerlita Vega, religious education teacher from Notre Dame of Marbel University (Koronadal); Mr. Yuval Adera, Student Government Senate President and Christian Paul de Jesus, Student Government Religious Services Department Secretary, both from University of St. La Salle (Bacolod).
The discussants responded to the challenge of synodal listening and openness, where they commented on how they maximize dialogue among parents, teachers, and administrators for holistic formation of the students under their care, how they discern and mediate concerns regarding good upbringing and quality education, what type and areas of support students most need, and how school leaders and teachers can meet those needs.
The conference also included a meaningful community engagement, where an interaction among the residents of the Bahay Pag-asa Reformatory Center showed how the Bahay’s home life services and educational support paved hopeful futures for Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) and Children at Risk (CAR), while an orientation to the USLS Agri-Business Farm at the Granada Campus showed support of the local industries and sustainable production and consumption practices.
For the third day, coinciding with the General Assembly and Election, workshops on Teaching and Research, Youth, and Community Engagement synthesized inputs from the previous discussions to develop plans they can apply upon going back to their own schools and communities.
Representing UST in the General Assembly and the workshops were the Secretary-General Rev. Fr. Louie R. Coronel, O.P., EHL, and the OSGEA Assoc. Prof. Emmanuel M. Batulan, Ph.D., respectively.
Aside from Fr. Ang, the new ACUP Officers until 2027 are: Vice President Fr. Aloysius Maranan, OSB (Rector-President, San Beda University), Corporate Secretary Sr. Marissa Viri, RVM (President, University of the Immaculate Conception), and Treasurer Br. Bernard Oca FSC (President, De La Salle University).
The Members of the Board are Fr. Daniel Franklin Pilario, CM (President, Adamson University), Fr. Karel San Juan, SJ (President, Ateneo de Davao University), Fr. Gilbert Sales, CICM (President, Saint Louis University), Fr. Francisco Antonio Estepa, SVD (President, University of San Carlos), and Br. Joaquin Severino Martinez, FSC (President, University of St. La Salle, Bacolod).
The ACUP Secretariat remains under the care of the University of Santo Tomas Office of Public Affairs. As one of the founding member universities of ACUP, UST hosted its national conference in January 2015. The first President of ACUP was also the first Filipino UST Rector and former Archbishop of Caceres, Most Rev. Leonardo Legaspi, O.P., D.D., Ph.D., S.Th.D.
