After 125 years of educating generations of Filipinos, San Beda University is making an ambitious leap into the future as it moves closer to becoming the first fully digital campus in the Philippines—and potentially Southeast Asia.
Through an expanded partnership with PLDT Enterprise, the university is upgrading its connectivity, online platforms, security systems, and smart-campus infrastructure across its campuses in Mendiola, Manila; Taytay, Rizal; and Alabang.
The transformation seeks to create a more connected, secure, and technology-driven academic environment where students and faculty can access learning resources and university services more quickly and efficiently.
“At the heart of a digital campus are the students, educators, and school community who rely on technology every day to learn, teach, collaborate, and keep the university moving forward,” said Blums Pineda, senior vice president and head of the PLDT Enterprise Group at PLDT and Smart.
Pineda said the initiative would provide San Beda with a stronger digital foundation that can support its current community while scaling to meet the university’s future requirements.
From Historic Campus to Smart University
San Beda’s digital transformation goes beyond providing faster internet.
Across its campuses, PLDT Enterprise is deploying enterprise-grade connectivity designed to support online learning, digital collaboration, administrative systems, and the growing number of connected devices used by students, faculty, and university personnel.
Dedicated internet access and expanded Wi-Fi coverage are being introduced to provide more reliable access to digital resources, online classes, learning platforms, and university services.
The upgrades are expected to improve connectivity across the Mendiola and Taytay campuses while also strengthening the network infrastructure supporting San Beda’s Alabang operations.
The university is likewise revamping its website using Salesforce Experience Cloud, creating a more modern digital gateway through which students, employees, alumni, parents, and other members of the Bedan community can access information and online services.
Among the most notable smart-campus upgrades is the installation of a facial recognition access system at the Mendiola campus.
The technology is designed to improve security and streamline entry into university facilities. San Beda plans to introduce the same system at its Taytay campus within the year.
Together, the upgrades are expected to strengthen campus security, improve communication, increase institutional efficiency, and provide students and faculty with a more seamless digital experience.
Technology Built Around Students and Teachers
The university said its transformation agenda remains focused on people rather than technology alone.
As digital learning becomes increasingly embedded in education, universities face growing pressure to ensure that academic resources, administrative services, and communication systems remain accessible wherever learning takes place.
San Beda’s partnership with PLDT Enterprise aims to address these demands through integrated campus systems, modern digital platforms, stronger access controls, and infrastructure capable of expanding alongside the university.
“As San Beda University celebrates 125 years, we are also preparing our community for the future of education,” said Rev. Fr. Aloy Maranan, OSB, rector-president of San Beda University.
“This partnership with PLDT Enterprise allows us to strengthen the digital environment across our campuses so that everybody can connect, learn, and work more effectively,” he added.
Maranan said the university’s modernization efforts would remain anchored in San Beda’s educational mission while becoming more responsive to the changing needs of students, teachers, and employees.
A Bold Digital Bet at 125
The latest projects deepen the longstanding relationship between San Beda University and PLDT Enterprise, combining high-speed connectivity, cloud-based platforms, network infrastructure, and smart-campus technologies into a more unified digital ecosystem.
For students and faculty, the transformation could mean easier access to academic materials, digital platforms, and campus services.
For the university, the upgrades provide a more scalable and efficient foundation for managing multiple campuses, improving security, and responding to future developments in education.
San Beda’s digital push also highlights how one of the country’s oldest educational institutions is using technology to remain competitive in a rapidly changing academic landscape.
As the university celebrates its 125th anniversary, it is not merely looking back at its legacy—it is attempting to redefine what the Philippine campus of the future could look like.