The founders of FEATI were Don Salvador Araneta and his wife Doña Victoria Lopez de Araneta. Their avowed objective for establishing FEATI was to contribute to the recovery and reconstruction of the Philippine economy by providing qualified engineers and technicians through education.
Several legacies of FEATI University can be attributed to the Aranetas. First, FEATI is spelled with capital letters because it is the acronym of another institution, the first post- World War II airline in the country. Far East Air Transport Incorporated was founded by the Aranetas in 1945. FEATI, the airline was based in Iloilo City and had as its principal clientele U.S. soldiers returning to the U.S. or going on holiday in other parts of the country and Asia, particularly Hong Kong. FEATI Institute of Technology was, in fact, founded to provide trained and educated manpower for the airline and the aviation industry in general. FEATI University therefore has a very strong aviation and aeronautics tradition and this is reflected by the wing on our university seal.
Another legacy we have from them is symbolized by the cross on top of our university seal. In many “old” documents, FEATI University is described as “Catholic non-sectarian”. To resolve this apparent contradiction, we have declared that “FEATI is a non-sectarian university with a Catholic (and therefore Christian) orientation”. Our founders believed this so much that until today, our Freshmen and Sophomores still take Religion courses. We look at Religion as an indispensable part of life. Religion class is the one or two hours each week that each student can take a look at life in a non academic way through the survey of different religions and beliefs.
Two or three years after FEATI was founded, Don Salvador was asked to be a Cabinet Member of the Philippine Government under President Manuel A. Roxas. He therefore left the school in the hands of Doña Victoria, who became the second president of the institution. During this period it became a practice to celebrate Foundation Day on the same day as Doña Victoria’s birthday, March 6. To this day, our alumni celebrate and know March 6 as Foundation Day. After seeing the records, we have seen fit to continue celebrating March 6 as Founders’ Day and to celebrate June 6, the day FEATI was incorporated, as Foundation Day. There is another important day for FEATI University. On August 10, 1959 FEATI Institute of Technology became FEATI University. We have now designated August 10 as University Day.
As Father Danny mentioned in his sermon, FEATI is now 64 years old. At this age, a person is already preparing to retire. But as an institution FEATU University has had its share of ups and downs. It has, to use the best suited word, undergone re-engineering. How do you run a University that has as its neighbor a city college where education is free? How do you run a University when most provinces now have their own state university or local government school? Well you go back to your core competence and take it from there. That is why we have focused on aviation related and engineering programs. However, we are a university and so we cannot leave behind the others that made us one. We cannot build a university on engineering alone. We must have well-rounded students and graduates who have taken business courses, arts, science and education courses, and, architecture. Since the 1960’s we have established a nautical tradition, with our programs in maritime education. Finally we round this off with the aesthetics and artistic output of fine arts.
How do we build on these? The next phase that we are now embarking on this year is our quality management system. While we say we have been trying and have been delivering quality education these past three or four years, it is now time for us to “put our money where our mouth is”. For this we have chosen Accreditation. I am happy to report that our pioneer programs for Accreditation, Aeronautical Engineering, Geodetic Engineering, Marine Transport and Marine Engineering have recently passed the consultancy visit. That is why we must all work together to get these programs Accredited. Even the programs that are not yet undergoing Accreditation will work for compliance because very soon it will be their turn. We must all work together as we embark on this “Total Quality Journey” leading to Accreditation. What better day to announce this and to officially begin it than on the day we are celebrating our anniversary?
Things are looking up! Happy Foundation Day!
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