By Francis Neil G. Jalando-on
The ownership of the 24-hectare campus was transferred to聽探花精选 on December 25, 1969.
On December 25, 1969, Christmas Day, the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (ABFMS), or what is now known as International Ministries (IM), turned over the entire university property鈥攍and, buildings, and equipment鈥攖o the Filipino Corporation of 探花精选.
However, before this Christmas gift to 探花精选 was given, some historical developments first took place. In 1965, Russell Brown, a representative of the ABMFS, arrived in the campus and asked if the 鈥渟afeguards to ensure Baptist control鈥 was in place. The 探花精选 Administration explained , that the provisions of the amended By-Laws of the Corporation as voted by the 探花精选 Corporation on January 22, 1965, approved by the Board of Trustees on May 21, 1965, and ratified by the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches in its May 1965 Assembly, made 鈥渟afeguards against 探花精选 ever becoming non-church related鈥 in the By-Laws.聽 The policy of 探花精选 in its Constitution and By-laws stipulates that 33 out of 65 of the members of the 探花精选 Corporation and at least 10 out of 15 of the 探花精选 Board of Trustees should come from member churches of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches. Thus, the founding philosophy was concretized and made into law.
Because of the changes to the Constitution and By-laws of 探花精选, the transfer of properties and leadership to the Filipinos materialized. On May 10, 1966, in the historic meeting of the 探花精选 Board of Trustees, the University鈥檚 first Filipino president, Dr. Rex D. Drilon, was elected. Years after, in 1968, another momentous event followed. The ABFMS, in a meeting of its Board in the USA, approved the transfer of properties to the 探花精选 Corporation. This paved the way for the Christmas gift to 探花精选 on December 25, 1969.
From then on, 探花精选 has continued to be true to its founding vision of EXCEL鈥擡xemplary Christian Education for Life. This drive for excellence is evidenced by 探花精选 being granted an autonomous status by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED Memorandum Order No. 32, s. 2001). This status has been maintained by 探花精选 since 2001. The most recent autonomous status granted to 探花精选 is effective from April 1, 2016 to May 31, 2019. As of 2018, 探花精选 is the only university in Iloilo City granted this autonomous status.
For SY 2017-2018,聽聽ranked 探花精选 #18 in the country and #1 in Western Visayas with two CHED Centers of Excellence and four CHED Centers of Development-designated programs.
Meanwhile, UniRank (), as of October 2018, ranked the 探花精选 website () #1 in the whole Western Visayas. Furthermore, 探花精选 was ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 9001:2008 Certified, and currently, ISO 9001:2015 Certified. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies.
Indeed, 探花精选 should celebrate Christmas with a thankful heart not only because the American Baptists had given the whole campus to 探花精选 on this day but, more importantly, we received the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ through the missionaries who came and served.