Baliuag University at 25 Years as a University
Some stories begin long before we realize where they are headed.
The story of Baliuag University is one of them.
In 2026, Baliuag University marks its 101st year of existence and 25th year as a university — a milestone that celebrates not only how far it has come, but also the values that have carried it through the years.
For more than a century, the institution has remained committed to a simple but meaningful belief: quality education should be accessible to ordinary Filipino families.
That belief was embodied by the late Dr. Alicia Santiago Bustos, a 1947 High School alumna of Holy Ghost College, whose commitment to education helped shape a legacy of service and opportunity.
Today, that legacy continues through Dr. Patricia Bustos Lagunda, a College of the Holy Spirit High School Class of 1977 alumna and President of Baliuag University. She is joined in this family legacy by her sisters, Atty. Susan Bustos Jacinto, Mrs. Monina Bustos Santos, and Dr. Ma. Alicia Bustos Orosa, also Holy Spirit alumnae.
But beyond family ties, there is a deeper connection — the continuity of an educational philosophy rooted in formation, service, and responsibility.
The Holy Spirit tradition of Truth in Love has remained part of Patricia’s own formation. It is a value that calls for truth, excellence, and using one’s gifts in the service of others.
This spirit continues to find expression in the university’s direction today.
Under the thrust “Elevating Excellence and Expanding Impact,” Baliuag University continues to strengthen its academic programs through local accreditation and international quality assurance initiatives, including engagement with the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA). It is likewise aligning its institutional priorities with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, recognizing the university’s responsibility to contribute beyond the campus.
Equally important is the university’s commitment to its students. Strengthening student services, welfare, and well-being, expanding community engagement, and introducing the Juris Doctor or Law program are part of its continuing effort to create opportunities that prepare students not only for careers, but for meaningful lives of service.
For Patricia, the journey from Holy Spirit High School to university president brings together her own formation and her responsibility to lead an institution that has touched generations of lives.
Values learned in school do not always announce themselves. Sometimes, they simply become part of how a person leads, serves, and makes a difference.
Perhaps that is how Truth in Love travels from one generation to another.
From Dr. Alicia Santiago Bustos, Holy Ghost College ’47, to Patricia Bustos Lagunda, Holy Spirit High School ’77, the legacy continues — not simply as a memory of the past, but as a commitment to the future.
As Baliuag University celebrates 25 years as a university and 101 years of service, its story is still being written.
A legacy carried forward.
A university moving forward.
An education that continues to make a difference.
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