Department of Philosophy

Brief History | Roster of Chairs

Brief History

The teaching of Philosophy was an integrated part of the College of Liberal Arts of the Colegio-Seminario de San Carlos in 1783. The Administrator, the Vincentian fathers decided to separate the Seminario from the Colegio. In 1934, the College of Liberal Arts was reopened. By the next year the administration of the Colegio de San Carlos was turned over to the Society of the Divine Word (S.V.D.).

In July 1, 1948, the Colegio de San Carlos was granted the status of a University as “University of San Carlos.” In 1953, the Philosophy became a section of the College of Liberal Arts. It first offered a degree program: Bachelor of Arts, Major in Philosophy (AB Philo). Then in June 1, 1956, it offered Bachelor of Philosophy (Ph.B.) and Master of Arts in Philosophy (MA Philo). With these degree programs, the Section of Philosophy became a Department of Philosophy. To give it full character as a department, in 1960, courses were offered leading to the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy (Ph.D. in Philosophy).

The USC Department of Philosophy has addressed the philosophical needs of thinkers in this part of the world, that is, in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. This is most evident in undergraduate philosophy where majority of the students are seminarians who belong to several religious formation Houses such as Society of Divine Word (SVD), Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP), Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC), Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (C.Ss.R.), Society of St. Columban (SSC), Congregation of the Passions (CP), Fraternity of Mary Immaculate (FMI), Missionaries of Our Lady of Africa (MOLA), Scalabrinian (CS), Piarist-Escolapious (SchP), Order of the Carmelites (OCarm); and Sisters of Fraternidad Misionera Verbum Dei (FMVD).

Roster of Chairs

Fr. Joseph Watslavik, Ph.D.
1960’s to August 1971

Ledinila Quimpo, Ph.D.
1971 to 1974 first semester

Amosa Velez, M.A.
OIC Second Semester 1974 to 1975

Fr. Quentin Terrenal
1975-1976

Amosa L. Velez, Ph.D.
OIC, 1976 to 1978
1978 to 1993

Virginia L. Jayme. Ph.D.
1993 to 2000

Antonio P. Diluvio, M.A.
2001 to present

Br. Romualdo E. Abulad, SVD, Ph.D.
2008-present