UNIVERSITY of San Carlos (USC) marked Friday, July 1, 2022, the start of a year-long celebration of its 75th anniversary or Diamond Jubilee celebration as a university.
The charter anniversary is celebrated every 25 years.
It was on July 1, 1948 when the Colegio de San Carlos (CSC) assumed the status of a university and became USC upon the authority the Department of Education had granted.
Then Education Secretary Manuel V. Gallegos issued USC the authority 74 years ago in a one-page letter dated April 6, 1948.
At that time, the Society of the Divine Word (Societas Verbi Divini, or SVD) had administered CSC for 14 years upon the invitation of then Cebu Archbishop Gabriel Reyes.
On August 9, 1934, SVD took over the administration of CSC from the Congregation of Mission (Vicentians).
Through the administration taken over by SVD, USC President Fr. Narciso A. Cellan Jr. led the Carolinian community to start Friday, July 1, the university’s 75th celebration.
Cellan said there are some programs lined up for the whole year leading to its 75th anniversary. One of which is the formal launching of the year-long charter anniversary celebration.
"On the 19th of July, there will be a bigger celebration which is the formal launching. There is also an opening mass. So the 19th of July will mark the beginning of our year-long celebration," he told SunStar Cebu.
“This is a one year celebration but the implication of this one year celebration will go beyond the year-long celebration," he added.
In his homily, Fr. Rogelio Bag-ao, SVD, stressed the importance of charter anniversary celebration.
"This Jubilee celebration is in fact, a call or a requirement of the old testament, so that people will become free, so that there will be a change again in their management, relationship as a people, and they will be again one people worshipping the same God," he said.
USC, through the years, has played a pivotal role that helped shape Cebu and the rest of the country through quality Christian education, research work, and community extension services.
Cellan said he is hoping that through this celebration, the Carolinian will strengthen efforts and raise funds for educational projects.
"Part of this celebration is really an effort to strengthen our solidarity as a community but also raise funds so that our educational projects in teaching and in research and infrastructure will be supported... We hope that we will be strengthened in our efforts, understanding that Carolinian education more than anything else becoming more relevant given the current situation," he said.
"We are still facing many challenges, many difficulties, pandemic, the impact of super typhoon Odette, flexible online learning, war on Ukraine that causes fuel rising...We are still providing so many things to prepare and address for," he added.
Cellan welcomed the university’s 75th year-long anniversary with the tagline UShapeCebu, as USC continues to make impacts, he said. (Ryan Megabon, CNU intern)