Felixberto C. Sta. Maria

Who was Felixberto C. Sta. Maria?

Felixberto Cangco Sta. Maria was a noted Filipino educator and author. He advanced the quality of higher education in the Philippines by improving the accreditation process of educational institutions. He introduced modern practices, changed the auditing method, and incorporated discipline as a part of the culture. Educated at the University of the Philippines 1948; Stanford University; and Michigan State University 1962, Sta. Maria joined the University of the Philippines as instructor right after graduation from college. He was one of the first if not the first Filipino to obtain a doctorate in Communication.

Years later, he became dean of the UP College of Baguio, where his own college education began. During his tenure, he put up a replica of the University’s Oblation, a life-size statue of a naked man by Philippine National Artist Guillermo Tolentino. He started national art festivals that later became traditions in Baguio City. He was eventually reassigned to the main campus in Quezon City and was appointed dean of the College of Education in 1967.

Two years after his appointment, he was transferred without due process by then UP President Salvador P. Lopez and the Board of Regents. Sta. Maria sued the university officials in the Supreme Court for the illegal transfer and won. It was a landmark case that established case law precedents that regularly appear as questions in the Philippine Bar exams. He was reinstated and retired immediately after, joining the Ateneo de Manila University, a Jesuit school, as professor of English and Communication. He opted to teach freshman English courses because he felt he could help the students more that way.