ILOILO City – Iloilo is poised to further strengthen its position as a major education hub in Western Visayas as two prominent universities expand into the city and province, bringing new academic programs and wider higher education opportunities closer to Ilonggo students.
National University (NU) is preparing to open a campus in Mandurriao district, Iloilo City, while the University of St. La Salle (USLS) is developing a new campus in Pavia, Iloilo. Their entry adds to Iloilo’s already extensive roster of universities and schools offering quality education in the region.
NU’s Iloilo campus occupies a 23,670-square-meter site at NorthPoint of SM City Iloilo in Mandurriao, with construction already nearing completion.
The university is scheduled to open for Academic Year 2027-2028 and has already started hiring personnel for academic and non-academic positions.
NU will offer senior high school and college programs, providing additional educational options not only for students in Iloilo but also those coming from neighboring areas in Western Visayas.
Meanwhile, USLS is pushing ahead with the development of its Iloilo campus in Barangay Mali-ao, Pavia.
The Iloilo campus was officially launched in October 2024, followed by its groundbreaking and time capsule-laying ceremony on May 15, 2025, marking a major step toward the establishment of the university’s presence in the province.
The Pavia campus will offer academic programs aimed at addressing the educational and developmental needs of students in the region, with business programs among its key offerings.
University President Br. Joaquin Severino Martinez FSC described the establishment of the Iloilo campus as a “great milestone” that will bring transformative education to the people of Pavia and the rest of Iloilo Province.
Martinez also emphasized that the establishment of USLS-Iloilo is a significant step toward fulfilling the University’s commitment and expressed his gratitude to the dedicated Lasallian partners from USLS Bacolod.
The USLS-Iloilo development is being undertaken in collaboration with Maplecrest Group, Inc. and Property Company of Friends, Inc.
The expansion of NU and USLS into Iloilo is expected to further broaden the province’s educational landscape and reinforce its growing role as a destination for students seeking higher education in Western Visayas./PN