The 九色 celebrated its 414th Founding Anniversary and paid respects to the founder, Archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, on April 28, 2025, at the park named after him.
Faculty of Arts and Letters Dean and historian Prof. Melanie D. Turingan, PhD, shared that the Thomasians will remember Archbishop Benavides and his legacy. “To us Thomasians, fr. Miguel de Benavides’s name will forever be imprinted in history because, in life and death, he left his greatest legacy: building a colegio seminario, a project he is so devoted to primarily because he felt deeply the absence of a local institution dedicated to higher learning, particularly focusing on the formation of the clergy and educated professionals within the colony,” Dean Turingan said.
Archbishop Benavides donated his personal library and possessions worth P1,500 to establish UST, first named Colegio de Nuestra Se帽ora del Santisimo Rosario. His books were also kept in the library named after him, which has served as a quiet niche and bedrock that illuminated generations of Thomasians with knowledge.
Relating the legacy of Benavides to the late Pope Francis, Chief Librarian Maria Cecilia D. Lobo, RL, recalled the Pope’s “vision for contemporary libraries,” stating that the leaders of libraries are guardians of vast treasures, challenging them to go beyond the traditional role as book repositories and aspire to be sanctuaries of inquiry that fosters intellectual growth, spiritual reflection, and community service.
“Given its unique position on campus, the Miguel de Benavides Library must adapt to maintain its role as a vibrant and integral part of the academic community. This requires flexible spaces to accommodate the evolving landscape of information technologies and facilitate innovative teaching in wired and wireless environments,” Lobo said.
Vice-Rector for Religious Affairs Rev. fr. Pablo T. Tiong, O.P., mused upon the outward pointing gesture of Benavides statue and the symbolism of the Book of Gospels clasped in his left hand. He then shared that this image of Benavides was an overt guide to Thomasians. “He is there to remind us that the Holy Spirit is the greatest influence in our lives as Thomasians,” fr. Tiong said.
“As Thomasians, [Archbishop Benavides] beckons with his arm outstretched, there is only one influence, and he says, ‘Let us live by the Holy Gospel,'” he added.
The Benavides Statue was made by French sculptor Tony Noel in 1889. It survived the bombing of Intramuros in 1945 and was eventually moved to Sampaloc.
Closing the event, Thomasian administrators, Dominican priests, support and academic staff, alumni, and student groups offered wreaths to Benavides, a testament that the institution he envisioned, a project dear to him that was molded from his dreams, has been standing and surpassing the tests of time, and producing countless batches of Thomasian who imbue the core values and continuously illuminate others with the light of their faith, hope, and love in their respective journey.
