Visiting the University of Santo Tomas

Because of the 34th Sampung Mga Daliri concert, I got to visit the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for the first time in decades, and the first time as an adult.

The University of Santo Tomas (UST)

I vaguely remember going to UST as a kid. I feel like I was in my grandfather's car and we might have been picking someone up or dropping someone off inside the school grounds and I recall seeing the arch. As such, this trip to UST felt new to me so I decided to walk around the campus and take a few photos right before the show.

UST was founded in 1611

UST is the oldest university in Asia. It was founded by Miguel de Benavides on April 28, 1611 which means it is now 415 years old as of this writing. Wow! The Benavides Monument was built to commemorate this founder of UST. 

Benavides Monument

Plaza Mayor is the central square. In front of it is the main building, which looks elegantly imposing with its Renaissance Revival-style architecture (source: wikipedia). It was a bright and beautiful day when I was there and the windows looked stunning as they reflected the magnificent blue sky.

UST Main Building

I naturally had to take a photo of the Arch of the Centuries, which stands right inside the main gate of UST. It was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum in 2010.

Arch of the Centuries

There was so much more to see but not enough time and since the Sampung Mga Daliri show was free-seating, I decided to head in to make sure my family got good seats. I decided, however, to take a few more photos of the grounds in the evening after the show. There are two fountains next to the Arch of the Centuries: the Fountain of Knowledge and the Fountain of Wisdom. I believe this photo I took is of the Fountain of Wisdom because the woman at the center is holding a bible and is surrounded by four deer.

Fountain of Wisdom

Understandably, UST and its school grounds are filled with rich history. I've barely scratched the surface of the significance of the different points of interest I've shared in this blog post as there is a lot more to share. The Museum of Arts and Sciences can also be found inside the Main Building. I would surely love to visit this university again in the near future.