Lyceum-Northwestern University in a Capsule
Founders: Dr. Francisco Quimson Duque
and Mrs. Florencia Tiongson Duque
Date: 1969
Location: Tapuac District, Dagupan City
and Nancayasan Road, Urdaneta City,
Philippines
Initial Stage:
Lyceum-Northwestern started as a single-room
nursing school at the Dagupan City
Polyclinic Hospital and was then called the
Dagupan City School of Nursing. The school
had an initial student population of 94.
Expansion
The change in location ushered in a changed
of name - from Dagupan City School of
Nursing of Lyceum of Dagupan City. The
initial one course curriculum was expanded
to include pre-Nursing, Liberal Arts,
Medical Secretarial Science, Radiologic
Technology and Medical Technology. It was,
in a school official's words, "the beginning
of a greater expansion that radically
transformed the young school into a fast
growing educational center."
The Merger
In 1974, Dr. Duque acquired the Northwestern
Educational Institution located in Mayombo
District. From the merger emerged today's
name "Lyceum-Northwestern," and added
courses such as B.S. Elementary Education,
Junior Secretarial and Master of Arts in
Education.
The Establishment of the First Medical
School of the North
In the latter part of the year,
Lyceum-Northwestern spearheaded a consortium
of local tertiary schools and founded the
Northern Philippines Institute of Medicine.
Lyceum-Northwestern became the "first
medical school of the North." The institute
began with an enrolment of 19 students.
Departure of the Founder and the Birth of
the FQD Foundation
The consortium lasted only for two years.
Its dissolution in 1976 however paved the
way to the establishment of the Dr.
Francisco Q. Duque that same year.
Establishment of the College of Agriculture
In the early part of 1975, the College of
Agriculture was established in a
132-hectare farmland in Lobong, San Jacinto,
Pangasinan. It opened courses for B.S.
Agricultural Education, B.S. Agriculture
majors in Agronomy and Animal Husbandry, a
Two-year Agricultural Technology and a
Agricultural High School.
Assumption of the 2nd President
Dr. Duque's widow Mrs. Florencia Tiongson
Duque and her eight children took up the
challenge. When the consortium broke in
1976, Lyceum-Northwestern took sole control
of the medical school, and in honor of its
founder it was renamed the Dr. Francisco Q.
Duque Medical Foundation College of
Medicine.
Atty. Gonzalo T. Duque, was appointed
Executive Director in 1977 and subsequently
Executive Vice-President. The other Duque
children served as trustees, along with
other distinguished men and women of the
community. Mrs. Florencia T. Duque served as
the School President.
Atty. Gonzalo T. Duque, ably guided by the
President, the school's first student
council, its first campus organ called Ulnos,
the Drum and Bugle Corps, and a wide variety
of extra-curricular and community projects.
The school was noted for its cultural
presentations and its active student body.
In 1979, the following courses were
established: Dentistry, Physical Therapy and
the four-year Radiologic Technology and the
Business School. Nursing Department became
the College of Nursing.
In 1980, the College of Medicine garnered
distinction of having a 100% Medical Board
Exam passers for the year 1980.
In 1983, the FQD Medical Foundation College
of Medicine garnered the recognition of
being judged as the third best medical
schools the Philippines and was ranked No. 5
worldwide based from the 1982 Educational
Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
Exam Results (ECFMG) in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, USA. International Herald
Tribune, May 20, 1983.
Years of Political Upheaval and Campus
Activism
The closing years of the Marcos regime was a
period made ripe by the ferment of highly
politicized ideas and idealisms. Such was a
period which did not pass unnoticed among
studentry of Lyceum-Northwestern. Students
participated in numerous marches and
cause-oriented rallies, earning in the
process the honor of being the first true
opposition school of Pangasinan. The spirit
of activism continued into following years,
until the February EDSA Revolt and the
victory of the opposition led by the former
President Cory Aquino.
Introduction of the Computer Education
System
Parallel to the growing political
preoccupation of the campus was the balanced
growth of interest in modernization and
service expansion. As an off shoot of such
interest, Lyceum-Northwestern opened in 2nd
semester SY 1983-1984 to the public course
offerings on Computer System Education. The
offerings included three (3) courses on
Computer Programming and one (1) course on
System Design and Analysis.
A Highly Calibrated Managing Director; LN's
Initial Accreditation
In 1986, Cesar T. Duque, MBA from Harvard
University in Boston, USA was appointed by
Mrs. Duque as the new Managing Director. Mr.
Cesar Duque envisioned the accreditation on
L-N. In November, 1986 L-N applied to the
Philippine Accrediting Agency for Schools,
Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) for the
accreditation of three programs (Liberal
Arts, Commerce and Education). By 1989, the
school earned the Level I status giving
basis for the realization of the Founder's
dream of transforming L-N to a university.
Mr. Cesar Duque also laid down the
foundation of the Creative Montessori school
for the basic education for students who
were wishing to pursue technical, medical
and paramedical courses.
Three years later, the Board of Trustees
renamed the Special Science HIgh School the
Francisco Q. Duque Medical Foundation
Special Science High School. Adopting
selective admission and retention policy the
schools has since taken pride itself not
only of its lengthy name but also of the
quality of the students that walk its
portals. The Creative Montessori Center on
the other hand continues to provide
elementary pupils excellent preparatory and
grade school training.
Welcoming the Founder's Namesake
Dr. Francisco T. Duque III, the youngest son
who just completed his medical studies in
Georgetown University in Washington D.C.
came home to serve as Dean of the College of
Medicine.
The School Turned 20
The school celebrated its 20th year of
existence in festivities held in September
of 1989. That year, marked the influx of
2,500 freshmen in the campus, as institution
covering twenty (20) courses, seven thousand
(7000) students in two (2) campuses.
Achievements and Expansion
Listed among the accomplishment of the young
college are: Acquisition of a lot for the
site of a school gymnasium, the construction
of the Lyceum-Northwestern General Hospital,
St. Jude Chapel and the Tennis court.
The Killer Quake
The July 16, 1990 earthquake, which
devastated Dagupan City and caused damage to
a number of the school's facilities,
temporarily halted the pace of development.
The Departure of the School's Guiding Light;
the 3rd President
In December, 1990, L-N mourned the death of
Mrs. Florencia T. Duque. The eldest son, Dr.
Salvador T. Duque, took over as the
President. The other Duque children, namely
Drs. Nieva T. Duque-Salva, Grace T.
Duque-Dizon, Luz T. Duque-Hammershaimb, and
Cristina T. Duque served as Trustees.
Dr. Salvador's presidency saw a very active
role of the school in the city's socio-civic
activities. He founded with some
distinguished civic leaders, the Metro
Dagupan City Civilian Reconstruction Fund
Foundation Incorporated (MDCCRFFI) an
umbrella organization of all civic clubs in
the city whose concern is to help in the
rehabilitation of Dagupan City.
Developments and Projects
Construction of the L-N Gym
The Construction of L-N Swimming Pool
This twin projects made Lyceum-Northwestern
the only institution in Dagupan City which
has both facilities in campus.
Revival of the School Accreditation
In 1994, the Level I accreditation was
finally granted by the PAASCU. Based on the
recommendation for Level II Accreditation.
New courses offered are: Computer Science,
Mechanical Engineering and BS Marine
Transportation and Engineering.
The 4th President: Leadership of renewed
trust and dynamism
On August 17, 1998, former Vice-Governor of
the Province of Pangasinan Atty. Gonzalo T.
Duque left his post as the Deputy
Administrator of the POEA to respond to the
request of the third President Dr. Salvador
T. Duque for a new leadership in the school.
Developments and Projects
The President was mandated to redirect the
focus of the previous administration from
spearheading the rebuilding of Dagupan City
ravaged by a killer quake to
rejuvenating Lyceum-Northwestern. April 16,
1999. Lyceum-Northwestern clinched the Level
II accreditation by FAAP through PAASCU in a
record of seven months for the College of
Medical Technology, Arts and Sciences,
Education and Commerce (excluding
Accountancy).
The Birth of the Third Campus
L-NUs expansion as envisioned by Dr.
Salvador T. Duque President Emiritus came
true with the inauguration of the
Lyceum-Northwestern Urdaneta Campus on June
15, 2001.
International Seal of Excellence
August 24, 2001, Lyceum-Northwestern
University is granted the BS ISO 9001: 1994
Certificate of Excellence by the UKAS
Quality Management and the Anglo Japanese
American Registrars.
University Status Grant
November 19, 2001 made possible through an
en banc resolution by the CHED Chairperson
Ester Albano Garcia and her Commissioners:
Hadja Roquiya Maglangit, Manuel D. Punzal,
Carlito S. Puno and Ma. Cristina D. Padolina.
L-NU Acquires Asiacareer College
L-NU now has a satellite campus in Dagupan
City; the Asiacareer College. The
acquisition of the Asiacareer College took
place as L-NU celebrated its 34th Foundation
Day. Asiacareer is the second campus to be
opened since Atty. Gonzalo T. Duque assumed
presidency in August 1998.
