Mapúa University


Mapúa University is a non-sectarian, research-oriented university located in Intramuros, Manila and in Makati.
It was founded in 1925 by the first registered Filipino architect, Tomás Mapúa, a graduate of Cornell University. After he died, the tradition was continued by his children, Óscar M. Mapúa Sr., a graduate in Civil Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Gloria M. Mapúa-Lim.
The university has been granted with the Level IV Accredited status to its Civil Engineering program by the , which is one of the first engineering programs to be accorded such status. The Commission on Higher Education has also recently recognized Mapúa's Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental and Sanitary Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Information Technology and Electronics Engineering programs as Centers of Excellence for Engineering, while Industrial Engineering and Computer Science programs as a Center of Development.
Mapúa University is also the first Philippine and Southeast Asian educational institution to have ABET certification.

History

Early activities

The institute was founded on January 25, 1925, by Tomás B. Mapúa, a graduate of Cornell University and the first registered Filipino architect and Civil Engr. Gonzalo T. Vales. At first, the institute only provided architecture and civil engineering programs. It is the first institution in the Philippines to offer a bachelor's degree in architecture. There were 80 students and a dozen faculty members at that time; classes were held in a rented commercial building in Carriedo Street near Feati University in Quiapo, Manila. In 1928, the Mapúa Institute of Technology Pre-Engineering High School was established in Doroteo Jose Street through Rizal Avenue Sta. Cruz Manila. Then in 1930, Mapúa joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association as the Mapúa Cardinals.

World War II and after-war development

During World War II, Mapúa's Intramuros Campus was used as a garrison by the Japanese forces during the occupation of Manila, and all classes and organisations were suspended. The Institute would continue to suffer throughout the war as the effort of the Institute to continue the studies of the students were suspended and Senior students were forced to prematurely graduate. In 1945 the Institute suffered total destruction during the liberation. As a part of the rehabilitation program, the former De Luxe Fashion School in Doroteo José was Leased Lot property for 50 years and housed the high school department in 1948. In 1951, the Don Tomas B. Mapúa family acquired a piece of land from the La Corporación Fransicana where the present Intramuros Campus stands. The campus opened at 1956 and the building construction was completed in 1963. All college programs under deanship of Engr. Gonzalo T. Vales were transferred from the Doroteo José campus to the Intramuros Campus in 1973. Tomas B. Mapúa died on December 22, 1965 and his son Óscar Sr. took over the presidency until his death in 1998.
It was under Tómas B. Mapúa, and later his son Óscar Sr., that the institute gained prominence as an engineering school. During this period, the institute took the top 10 and even the top 20 slots in most licensure exams for architecture and engineering. It also achieved the highest passing rates in the board exams among other competing schools in architecture and engineering.

Yuchengco administration

Tomás B. Mapúa's grandson, Oscar Mapúa Jr., took over his duties until December 1999, when the Mapúa family sold the institute to the Yuchengco Group of Companies headed by Alfonso T. Yuchengco and appointed Reynaldo B. Vea as president.
In 2002, the old RCBC Building in Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. in Makati City was purchased and converted into the Mapúa Makati Campus, where the School of Information Technology was moved from the Intramuros Campus. A spin-off of the School of IT, the Mapúa IT Center, as the Makati Campus is named, was established. The MITC offers 2-year diploma programs that eventually lead into an associate degree ladderized to the bachelor's degree IT courses of Mapúa.
Starting 2002, Mapúa, which originally was on a semestral system, adopted the quartem system. This academic system was intended to allow students to graduate faster and to focus on less, interrelated course subjects in an 11-week term.
On the other hand, Mapúa High School was closed down on 2005, since it was operated in the red.
Along with the establishment of the Malayan High School of Science and Malayan Colleges Laguna, the Administration intends to encompass all its educational institutions under the name Malayan Colleges, to be later pushed through to university status as is under the Vision 2020 initiative with Mapúa Institute of Technology as the College of Engineering.
On May 18, 2017, Mapúa Institute of Technology has been formally granted University Status, per Commission en banc Resolution No. 379-2017, dated May 9, 2017 at the CHED Auditorium in Diliman, Quezon City.
On January 8, 2018, Yuchengco Group of Companies and Ayala Corporation, through a joint press statement, has announced the possible merger of their education arms, namely Ayala Education, Inc. and iPeople, Inc, with the iPeople, Inc. being the surviving entity. It has been stated that the potential merger will be finalized in the first quarter of 2018. This brings together AEI's APEC Schools, University of Nueva Caceres, National Teachers College, and iPeople's Malayan Education System, operating under the name Mapúa University and its subsidiaries, Malayan Colleges Laguna and Malayan Colleges Mindanao a combined student population of over 60,000.
On May 2, 2019, the merger between AC Education and iPeople was completed, with the Yuchengco Group of Companies owning 51.3% of iPeople and Ayala Corporation with 33.5% share of the said company.

Campus

Intramuros Campus

The Mapúa Intramuros Campus is located within the walls of Intramuros in Manila. Accessible from the campus are malls and recreational centers such as SM City Manila behind the Manila City Hall, Robinson's Place Ermita, Harrison Plaza in Vito Cruz, Rizal Park and the Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard. The Intramuros Campus holds the Architecture, Engineering, Multimedia and Visual Arts, and Social Science programs. The campus underwent through a lot of renovation in the past and is equipped for further studies in the fields of engineering.
The Intramuros Campus consists of 7 interconnected buildings:
Additional Facilities:
There are reports that Mapúa-Intramuros will start further expanding its infrastructure at the end of its 86th Foundation Week Celebration. This expansion mainly includes the Gymnasium Area and the Juan Mapúa Memorial Hall.

Makati Campus

The Mapúa Information Technology Center is located in Makati City and occupies the former RCBC building at the corner of Gil Puyat Avenue and Nicanor Garcia Street. Accessible from the campus are malls and recreational centers such as the Ayala Center. Aside from the associate degrees held by the Mapúa IT Center, the Makati Campus hosts the Senior High School, School of Information Technology and ETY School of Business & Management. The campus is equipped with appropriate equipment to support the Information Technology programs. The Makati Campus' library is equipped with electronic resources and offers the Library Plus service by default.
The Makati Campus is a building with three floors:

Innovations

On February 10, 2005, as a part of Mapúa's plans for elevating the institute to university status, the administration announced the renaming of the institute to Malayan University, inspired by the name of the insurance company owned by the Yuchengcos, the Malayan Insurance Company. But while waiting to become eligible for university status, the name "Malayan Colleges" will be used and the name "Mapúa Institute of Technology" will be retained for the College of Engineering, Architecture and IT. This move was very unpopular with the students and the alumni. On February 14, 2005, the students protested outside the campus, clad in black shirts protesting against the decision of the administration and criticized them for not consulting the students before making such a decision. This event has been called as the "Black Valentine" protest. Despite the efforts of the students, faculty and alumni against the decision, the Board of Trustees and the Commission on Higher Education have approved the name change and will be implemented in the near future.

Notable Mapúans