Fr. Lana takes Letran helm anew

MANILA, Philippines -  Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Manila will hold the traditional Mass of the Holy Spirit to mark the opening of academic year 2011-2012 today, June 9, at the school’s Student Center Auditorium at 10 a.m.

The event will also be the occasion for the installation of the Rev. Fr. Tamerlane Lana, OP on his second term as the 80th rector and president of Letran. Rev. Fr. Quirico Pedregosa Jr., OP, prior provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines, will be the main celebrant. He will likewise officiate the installation rites.

Lana earned his two undergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Philosophy from Dominican House of Studies, graduating magna cum laude; and Bachelor of Sacred Theology from University of Sto. Tomas as a rector’s awardee for academic excellence. He was ordained priest in 1979. He earned a Master of Arts in Higher Religious Studies degree as well as Licentiate in Sacred Theology from UST in the same year, 1981, graduating magna cum laude in both. Lana earned his doctorate in Sacred Theology, summa cum laude from UST in 1996. Previously, he was fellow in bioethics at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics of Georgetown University in Washington DC. He also took post graduate courses in health care ethics at St. Louis University in Missouri and religious perspectives in bioethics at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas.

Prior to his appointment in Letran in 2007, he was rector magnificus at UST. He was also the former president of the Association of Catholic Universities of the Philippines and the Network of Dominican Schools, Colleges and Universities. Also, he acted as vice president for Asia Pacific of the International Federation of Catholic Universities and vice president of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines.

He is the present chairman of the board of education of the Dominican Province of the Philippines.