Far Eastern University


Far Eastern University, also referred to by its acronym FEU, is a private research non-sectarian university in Manila, Philippines. Created by the merger of Far Eastern College and Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance, FEU became a university in 1934 during the term of its first president, Dr. Nicanor B. Reyes, Sr.
The first accountancy school for Filipinos, the university has expanded its course offerings to the arts and sciences, architecture, fine arts, education, engineering, computer studies, graduate studies, tourism and hotel management, law, nursing, and medicine. FEU has seven campuses located in Metro Manila, Cavite and Rizal. It offers programs from elementary, secondary, tertiary, to graduate school.
FEU Manila comprises several institutes that offer specific programs. The accountancy program, along with its other undergraduate programs, have received the highest Level IV accreditation from the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation. The Commission on Higher Education has also granted it as a Center of Development in Business Administration and a Center of Excellence for Teacher Education.

History

Pre-war

The university was founded in November 1933 when the Far Eastern College School of Accounts, Commerce & Finance and the Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance merged. Far Eastern College, founded in 1919 by Vicente K. Fabella, Nicanor Maronilla-Seva, Francisco Africa, Pedro Cortez, and Salvador Unson, had been a liberal arts college in Arlegui Street, Quiapo; while the IABF had been established by Dr. Francisco T. Dalupan, Sr. and Dr. Nicanor B. Reyes, Sr., then head of the Department of Economics at the University of the Philippines, with a number of other prominent educators in 1928.
From the initial 117 students, population grew to 11,000 just before the war. IABF had been originally predominately used by night students, and the new university, which was supported by the tuition provided by its students rather than government grants, soon demonstrated that a private university was financially sustainable in the Philippines. FEU is the 6th oldest university in the Philippines and the 4th oldest private, nonsectarian university in the country based on its extant university charter.
In the early 1930s, FEU was housed in a converted tobacco factory already present on the property lot owned by Sulucan Hill Subdivision. Due to the widening of the street that became Quezon Blvd., the original building designed and built by Pablo S. Antonio, Sr., National Artist for Architecture, was demolished and had to be rebuilt on a bigger scale on what is the present campus of FEU.
In 1934, the first four institutes, Accounts, Business and Finance, Arts and Sciences, Law, and Education were founded. Two years later, the Institute of Technology was also established.
Dr. Nicanor B. Reyes, Sr., as the founding president of the university, spent his early years establishing the courses and programs for FEU. For the campus, he commissioned Pablo S. Antonio, Sr. to construct the main building and several structures for the university. In 1940, the Nicanor B. Reyes Sr. Hall, which would later house the main library at third level and Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance, opened. Two other buildings by Antonio, the Girl's High School Building and Boy's High School Building followed. Enrollment had blown with approximately 10,000 registered students and an international student population of 400. Former Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon hailed and called FEU "the best non-sectarian institution in the country''."
In 1941, FEU also had the first ROTC Quartermaster and ROTC Finance Units in the Philippines. During the American colonial period, the FEU ROTC was notable for having the 1st Coastal Artillery Unit in the Philippines. During World War II, FEU cadets fought in Bataan with the Second Infantry Division. FEU constituted the majority of cadets who received armor training. These cadets were trained to operate the American M5 light tank. At the time that the FEU's coast artillery unit was formed, the Philippine Army's Coast Artillery was equipped with the Canon de 155 mm GPF. During the Philippine–American War, the Philippine coast artillery had one 150mm Ordóñez guns. It is said that of all the Philippine colleges whose students and alumni volunteered for military service at the outbreak of the Pacific War in 1941, FEU men formed the greatest number.

During the war

In 1942, the university closed and the campus was used as a multi-functional facility by the Imperial Japanese Army Transportation Corps. It was later used as the Prisoner of War Bureau for the Japanese Army.
The main building sustained bullet damage while the other three buildings were left intact. During the Battle of Manila in 1945, Dr. Nicanor B. Reyes, Sr. was killed by the Japanese, and Atty./Engr. Hermengildo B. Reyes was appointed the second president of the university after it reopened in June of the same year.

Post-war

In October 1945, FEU reopened despite the use of most of its facilities by the American forces until their departure in May 1946. The post-liberation years saw the renaissance of FEU with its massive expansion of facilities aimed at meeting the demands of modern and relevant education in the country and the increasing student population. FEU was once named as the “Largest University in Asia” in the early 1950s when its enrollment passed near 50,000 students.
Thereafter, FEU continued to expand, with the opening of the Science Building and the establishment of the Institute of Medicine and the School of Nursing. In 1955, the FEU Hospital was inaugurated. Humanities were introduced in 1959, and in 1970, the Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts opened. Also in 1970, the for-profit status of the Institute of Medicine, School of Medical Technology, FEU Hospital and the Student Health Service Clinic was altered, when these were converted into the Far Eastern University – Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation, a non-stock, non-profit educational foundation.
In 1989, Nicanor M. Reyes, Jr. introduced substantial revitalization to FEU that took place over a number of years, with renovation and modernization of facilities and grounds and upgrading of the university's educational standard. This resulted in the accreditation of the Institute of Arts and Sciences, the Institute of Education, and the Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance, and, in the mid-1990s, the deregulation of the university by the Commission on Higher Education. The auditorium was upgraded to accommodate modern stage productions and the new twice-monthly presentations by local and international artists established by the President's Committee on Culture. The university also prioritized publication, launching a number of scholarly journals, and began networking with other institutions nationally and abroad.
In 1996, after careful study of the technology program, the administration decided to phase out the Institute of Technology and its engineering programs in favor of a computer technology program forged with the East Asia College, established earlier in 1992, which offered degrees in computer science and certificate courses. FEU would then buy out its stocks in 2003 and establish the FEU East Asia College.
In 2010, FEU established the Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management and the FEU Makati Campus, which started its operations by June of the same year. FEU Makati initially offered baccalaureate programs in Accountancy, Accounting Technology, Information Technology and Business Administration. FEU also continued to open several campuses in Silang, Cavite and Filinvest City in Alabang, and acquired Roosevelt College, Inc. in Rizal.
In 2022, the new Institute of Health Sciences and Nursing was established, which would offer health allied programs in the university, with the existing Nursing program merged with Medical Technology.
In 2024, FEU reintroduced its Chemistry and Economics programs and launched three new programs: Human Resource and Organizational Development, Pharmacy, and Nutrition and Dietetics, to expand its academic offerings.

Corporate

The Far Eastern University, Incorporated is a domestic non-sectarian educational institution founded in June 1928 and was registered and incorporated with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission on October 27, 1933. On October 27, 1983, the university extended its corporate life to another 50 years. The university became a listed corporation in the PSE on July 11, 1986.
The company operates through three segments: education, real estate and investment activities. Its geographical segments include Manila, Makati and Cavite.
The university's major subsidiaries include: Far Eastern College – Silang, Inc., East Asia Computer Center, Inc., Fern Realty Corporation, FEU Alabang, Inc. and FEU High School, Inc. Similar to the university, FECSI, EACCI, FEU Alabang, Inc. and FEU High School, Inc. were established to operate as educational institutions offering general courses of study. In April 2016, FEU entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire an initial 80% of Roosevelt College, Inc.
In 2019, FEU has entered into a joint venture with the Technological Institute of the Philippines to launch Edustria, a senior high school in Batangas.
In 2022, FEU successfully concluded two additional collaborative initiatives. One involved the establishment of a nursing institution in Brunei in conjunction with Jerudong Park Medical Center Sendirian Berhad. The second endeavor entailed a partnership with Good Samaritan Colleges located in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, as part of their strategic plan.
In 2023, FEU partnered with Unilab Education to form Higher Academia, Inc., and launched a new campus in Pampanga.

University emblems

The university seal
The FEU Coat of Arms depicts a Sarimanok holding a kalasag. Inside the kalasag is an 8 pointed star with a bamboo scroll under it, inscribed with the baybayin letters “KKK”. Meanwhile, the university seal has the Coat of Arms housed inside a green ellipse with gold outline, surrounded with the university's name in baybayin-inspired font and the IABF's founding year at the bottom.
  • The logo and font were designed by Galo Ocampo, the Father of Philippine Heraldry.
  • FEU is one of the first universities in the country to be established by a Filipino. Thus, in 1961, the university wanted to showcase the Sarimanok-inspired coat of arms, as proposed by former Institute of Arts and Sciences Dean Alejandro Roces; for it projects the nationalistic spirit upon which the university was founded. It also serves as the link between the past and present.
  • The "KKK" inscription means Katotohanan, Kagandahan, and Kabutihan.
The university colors
Green and Gold are the university's official colors. Green is for hope, representing Rizal's "Fair hope of the Fatherland" while Gold represents the golden opportunity for the university to serve the youth and her alumni to serve the country.
The university mascot
The tamaraw is the athletic mascot of the university and nickname of every FEU student. Known scientifically as “Bubalus mindorensis”, it is an endemic animal found only in the island of Mindoro. Symbolically enough, the tamaraw is one of the most intelligent, pugnacious and aggressive of our animal species just as the university is known for its advanced, progressive policy in contemporary education.
The university mace
The mace is the symbol of the university which is used on every formal academic event such as commencement exercises and recognition rites. The mace serves as the emblem of the President's Office and is prominently showcased during official University events presided over by the President. It comprises the university seal meticulously crafted from solid bronze, situated atop a finely carved staff made from Philippine hardwood.