Bishop Miguel de Benavides, O.P. - Monument (Manila)

 monument, interesting place

At the foot of the monument, four lions "guard" each corner, each lion holding a shield with a coat of arms. One shield features the emblem of the Philippine Republic with its three stars, eight-rayed sun, a lion and an eagle. Another shield has the seal of Spain, consisting of four compartments, two with castles and two with the symbolical lion of Spanish royalty, all compartments topped by a jeweled crown. The use of the Spanish coat-of-arms here perhaps indicates the special honor given to UST by King Charles III when he granted it the title of "Royal University" in 1785 in recognition of the exceptional loyalty of the UST administration and students when they volunteered to defend Manila against the British invasion. A third shield emblazons the Papal Tiara and the Papal keys. The Holy See gave UST a special status when Pope Leo XIII made it a "Pontifical University" in 1902, and Pius XII later bestowed upon it the title "the Catholic University of the Philippines". The fourth shield with a cross surrounded by the rosary indicates the Dominican presence in UST, for it is run by the Order of Preachers.

The monument is the centerpiece of a raised open rotunda at the edge of which stand several elephant statuary loaded with hanging ferns or flowering bougainvillea. Surrounded by a landscape mini-park efflorescent with the Doña Aurora, the rosal, santan, adelfa and other tropical flowers, the monument is a striking visualization of the significant vignettes in the history of UST.