Palawan State University (PSU)

VISION

“A premiere State University in the Southeast Asia that provides
excellent and relevant Higher Education for Sustainable
Development.”

MISSION

“The Palawan State University is committed to upgrade the quality of life of the people by
providing higher education opportunities through excellent instruction, research, extension, production services and transnational collaboration and innovations.”

Palawan State University

The PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY, the first state university in Palawan and in Region IV, traces its humble beginnings to the teacher training institution known as Palawan Teacher’s College (PTC), which was established through Republic Act 4303 on March 2, 1972. Then Congressman Gaudencio Abordo sponsored the bill establishing the college at the then municipality of Puerto Princesa.

Dr. Jeter Servañez Sespeñe has been elected as the 7th University President of Palawan State University on November 28, 2011. On the same day, Dr. Sespeñe took his oath of office administered by CHED Chairman Patricia Licuanan at the CHED headquarters. President Sespeñe was warmly welcomed by the faculty and staff members and the whole PSU community during the Welcome and Turn-over Ceremonies held in his honor on December 01, 2011.

The creation of PTC was in response to the need of additional teachers in the province since most of the available educators at that time came from Luzon; and only a handful were willing to be assigned in far-flung areas of the province. Funded by an initial half-a-million pesos, the university opened night classes to 101 students under the tutelage of 10 faculty members, and 16 support staffs, using four borrowed classrooms from state-funded Palawan National High School. Its first president was Dr. Walfrido Ponce de Leon, and five different presidents since. The early days of the institution as a teacher’s College saw its thrust focused solely on education degree. Years later however, the school added new curriculum to address the province's other educational needs.

In 1984, then Minister of Natural Resources Teodoro Peña sponsored the transition of Palawan Teacher’s College to Palawan State College by virtue of Batas Pambansa Blg. 797, allowing for the university to offer courses in the Art, Sciences and Technology. Dr. Heracleo Lagrada succeeded Dr. Ponce de Leon as president in 1985 and a year later succeeded by Prof. Paterno Bruselas.

In 1991, Dr. Teresita Salva became its fourth president, with the institution championing the cause of being the “Place for Social Change.” After her term, Dr. Salva would return for another tenure in 1999 until her retirement in 2011. Under Salva's administration, PSE established its law school, supervised by it first dean, Atty. Teodoro Peña. It was also under the stewardship of Dr. Salva that effort to have Palawan State College be conferred the university status.

It was however only on November 12, 1994, under the stewardship of PSU's fifth president Dr. Crispiniano Acosta, that Palawan State College was elevated into a university by virtue of R.A. 7818, sponsored by congressman Alfredo Abueg, Jr. and David Ponce de Leon.

PSU in 1995, then offered 11 new academic programs – Bachelor of Science in Tourism, Marine Biology, Environmental Science, Computer Science, Agri-Business and Hotel and Restaurant Management, four diploma courses, and the first Petroleum Engineering course in the Philippines.

In 1999, Salva returned as university president.

Presently, PSU is under the stewardship of its president Dr. Jeter S. Sespene.

The most sustainable and eco-friendly school in the Philippines!

National Champion - Search for the Sustainable and Eco-Friendly School, November 2009;
Regional Winner, Search for the Sustainable and Eco-Friendly School, July 2009;
Accredited Dark Green School, one among only 4 in the Philippines
CHED-Recognized service provider under the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP);
Center of Excellence in Teacher Education (2010-1013);
One of the Top 20 Performing Law Schools in the Philippines based on Supreme Court data on percentage of passing the bar from 1999 to 2009 and published in PDI, September 24, 2009;
Number One, in the 2007 Nursing Licensure Examination for Category B (30-99) with 98.18% passing (first batch of Nursing graduates);
Obtained "Outstanding" ratings in the 2005-2010 Agency Performance Review conducted by the Department of budget and management, the only one in the MIMAROPA Region;
the only institution in Region IV-B designated by CHED as a delivering higher education institution under the Continuing Education Program for tertiary faculty in all schools in Palawan, in partnership with UP Diliman;
A Center of Training (COT) in the Teacher Induction Program of the Department of Education;
World-Bank Knowledge for Development Center (one of only 2 SUCs of the 11 KDCs in the whole country);