Miriam College - History

History

The story of Miriam College dates back to 1926 when the Archbishop of Manila requested the Sisters of the Maryknoll Congregation in New York to initiate a teacher-training program for women in the Philippines. In an old remodeled Augustinian Convent in Malabon, Rizal, the Malabon Normal School was established. The school moved several times until finally, in 1952, with its name officially changed to Maryknoll College, it laid down permanent roots in Diliman (or Loyola Heights), Quezon City.

A long period of stability and growth followed. Maryknoll College expanded its programs from training teachers to the formation of women leaders, thus a liberal arts college was developed. The school grew in student population, programs, services and reputation, achieving recognition as a school where academic excellence, communication skills, competence, individuality and social responsibility were developed in its students.

Its graduates have distinguished themselves in their professions. Several have been cabinet secretaries, legislators, accomplished businesswomen, entrepreneurs, educators and leaders of government and non-governmental organizations. To date, 19 alumnae have been selected as “The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service” (TOWNS) awardees.

After Vatican II, the Maryknoll congregation began to evaluate its work in the light of their original apostolate as a missionary order. In the 60s, the Maryknoll congregation saw the readiness of the Filipino laity to continue the education mission they had started. In 1977, the ownership and management of the school was turned over to lay administrators. In accordance with the agreement, the name Maryknoll was to be changed to pave the way for the promotion of the school’s unique identity, distinct although not disconnected from the identity of the Maryknoll sisters. In 1989, after a series of consultations, Maryknoll College was renamed Miriam College.

The first lay president and first female president of a Catholic college in the Philippines was Dr. Paz V. Adriano, who had been a student of the Maryknoll nuns. The second president was Dr. Lourdes Quisumbing, who later became the Secretary of Education under the presidency of Corazon Aquino. The third was Dr. Loreta Castro; the fourth was Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan, who is currently the chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education. The current president is Dr. Rosario Oreta Lapus.

Miriam College stopped accepting male students at the collegiate level in 1999. The last batch of male students (who entered the college in 1998) graduated in 2002, thereby making Miriam College an exclusive all women's college.

To meet the challenges of the times, Miriam College has expanded its course offerings and set up five major centers for curriculum development, research, community outreach and teacher-training — the Environmental Studies Institute, the Center for Peace Education, the Institutional Network for Social Action, the Women and Gender Institute, and the Growth, Upgrading and Resource Office.

In recent years, Miriam College has responded to the growing trend and demand for international education by securing strategic academic partnership agreements with several colleges and universities in the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Japan, Taiwan, the Republic of Korea, and the People’s Republic of China. Joint and twinning programs, student and faculty exchange, undergraduate and post-graduate research-internship, and collaborative research projects are some of the activities that Miriam College has developed with these foreign partner institutions.