Saint Pedro Poveda College (more commonly known as Poveda, formerly known as the Poveda Learning Centre and Institución Teresiana) is a private, Roman Catholicco-educational school run by the Teresian Association of Lay Missionaries, which was founded in Spain.
It is located in the heart of Metro Manila's Ortigas Business District. The alumnae and present students of this school include daughters and granddaughters of Filipino presidents, industrialists, politicians, businessmen and prominent figures in Philippine society.
Founded in 1960 as Institución Teresiana, the school was inaugurated by Maria del Carmen Franco de Martinez-Bordiu, the Marquesa de Villaverde and only daughter of Generalissimo Francisco Franco of Spain. It conducts classes in three languages: English, Spanish and Filipino.
The school's regular program from Grade 1 to Grade 12 is exclusively for girls, while its preschool program from Pre-Kindergarten to Kinder 2 and Poveda's RISE Program (Remote Independent & Self-paced Education) with offerings from Grade 7 to Grade 10 are open to both male and female students.[1]
Formerly Poveda Learning Centre, the heritage of Saint Pedro Poveda stems back to 1960 when Institución Teresiana was opened. The school first offered kindergarten and primary classes, and began offering preschool, elementary and high school education by 1969.
Pedro Poveda's philosophy and principles of education are integrated in the school's Personalized Education Program (PEP).
On December 3, 1974, during the birth centennial celebration of Saint Pedro Poveda, Institución Teresiana changed its name to Poveda Learning Centre as a fitting tribute to him. That same year, UNESCO honored Pedro Poveda as "Humanist and Educator".
Two degree programs in the field of education and business administration were offered, effective 2005–2006. With the expansion into tertiary education, the name of the school was changed to Saint Pedro Poveda College.[2]
On January 11, 2024, the school celebrated one hundred years since the pontifical approval of the Teresian Association in the gymnasium/auditorium with a thanksgiving mass.
Preschool students (pre-K, Kinder 1–2) and Grades 1–5 occupy this building. It is named after Josefa Segovia. It houses the LEAP Center, Guidance Center, playground, and rooms for extracurricular music classes.
Victoria Building
Grade 6 students occupy this building. It is named after Blessed Victoria Diez. It also houses the Student Well-Being Office, Administrative Support Services Office, Archives and Records Management Office, IMC (Library) and the Audio-Visual Room.
Poveda Main Building
This is the oldest building on the campus. Junior High school students from Grades 7–10 occupy this building. It houses the Office of the President, the MIS, Student Affairs and Activities Office (for the Student Council of Poveda -SCOP), Chapel - Covadonga and the Little Theater. The building also houses the high school guidance center, a Music Room, the Guadix Faculty room (for Junior High school), and a Mathematics Lab, aside from the student classrooms. The Mathematics Laboratory is used for Math Enrichment (An optional class for mathematics for those good in the subject) and PMHS (Poveda Math Honor Society) club meetings.
Poveda Annex Building
This is the newest building. The students that occupy this building are Senior High School (Grades 11 and 12). They also have Conference Rooms, Resource - Incubation Center and the Vice Principals Office. On the first floor, there is a waiting area for high school students connected to the Covered walk which cannot be used to tap in using school RFIDs as well as a waiting area for bus riders. This building is connected to the Poveda Main building and houses a Robotics Lab, Physics Lab, Chemistry Lab, Biology Lab, and an art room with murals from ABM '24, HUMMS '24, and other grade 12 batch 2024 academic tracks on the bridge and outside.
Canteen Building
This is a fully air-conditioned two-storey building. Both floors are used as dining areas, and the second floor is connected to Alameda Hall.
Covered Walk
This is an outdoor walkway connecting all of the buildings. It has tables and benches as well as boards used by students for projects. The walkway has multiple water fountains.
Big Field
This is an outdoor field used for Physical Education classes and a common hangout area for students during break times as well as before and after classes. This field has four soccer goals. It originally had real grass, but it became muddy after students played sports, causing the school to replace it with synthetic grass that cannot flood with normal rainfall. The part of the field nearby the IMC is used as a waiting area for bus riders.
Lanuza Lobby
This is the grade school waiting area and tap in area for students. It is open longer than the Poveda Annex waiting area. High school students with siblings in grade school can also use this exit. On occasions where the Poveda Annex waiting area is closed, all students use this exit to tap out. The waiting area is connected to an air-conditioned building below Alameda Hall which houses the Registrar and Admissions Office, HRMDO, and Finance.
Alameda Hall
This is a dining area used by grade 12 students with pathways connecting to the canteen, gymnasium/auditorium, covered walk, and the Segovia Building. This hallway is often used for things such as batch shops and book fairs. The hall also houses a multi-purpose room and studio.
Gymnasium/Auditorium
This building has a wooden court used for various sports and occasionally for events and fairs. Typically during assemblies and masses, grades 7 and 8 occupy the wooden court whereas grades 9 to 12 occupy the bleachers. The main gym is fully air-conditioned. The main gym has another room connected to it. This room is typically used for things such as events and has a cement flooring.
Liza Gino – multi-award-winning author[3] of Imelda's Secret[4] Gino was awarded the Print Journalism Award-Best Book (Fiction) – Imelda’s Secret (USA) is a historical fiction novel about the experiences of young girls and women who were abducted and forced into sexual slavery during World War II. They were known as “Comfort Women.” [1] Gino is also a Bb Pilipinas winner List of Binibining Pilipinas titleholders
