History

Act No. 74 of the Philippine Commission provided for a formal Philippine Educational system and the establishment of the Philippine Normal School in Manila. Act No. 372 authorized provincial governments to set up secondary schools to be funded from their own coffers.

School Superintendent Dr. Najeeb Saleeby opened the secondary school in Zamboanga with 26 students under the Principalship of Mr. Charles Cameron, a Thomasite from Le Roy, New York.

The School was formally referred to as the Provincial Secondary School in the then Moro Province.

General Howard Tasker Bliss, then military governor of Mindanao, took over the Principalship and military supervision of the school.

General John ‘Blackjack’ Pershing took over the military supervision of the school. By then, the school became a tributary normal school to the Philippine Normal College in Manila.

The school finally became the Provincial Normal School with a civilian Principal – Mr. Raymond Stephens. Its enrollment increased to 990 students.

Construction of the Normal Hall costing US$ 200,000 began under the supervision of Architect Juan Arellano. Most of the fixtures of the building were imported from the United States.

The Normal Hall in Baliwasan was ready for full occupation.

The School closed its doors with the start of World War II. The Normal Hall became the First Field Hospital of the American Military Forces.

Following the liberation, the Normal School reopened its gates and the first batch of graduates of the General Normal Curriculum was awarded their Elementary Teacher’s Certificate.

By virtue of Republic Act No. 3272, the school was elevated to the Zamboanga Normal College. Mr. Fabian Abitona, the last of the Normal School Principals, became the new college’s Officer-in-Charge.

Mrs. Ignacia B. Olaso became the Officer-in-Charge of the school following the death of Mr. Abitona in 1968. Dr. Domingo G. Soriano, a native of Nueva Ecija and husband of then Director of Public Schools, Dr. Liceria Soriano, became President and served from 1968 to 1971.

Philippine Congress passed Republic Act No. 5492 converting the Zamboanga Normal College into the Zamboanga State College.

Mrs. Ignacia B. Olaso was appointed President and served until 1977. She was the first woman President of a State College in the country and the college’s first alumna to become President. The University Bill was filed in the pre-martial law Congress, and the Graduate School was organized.

Dr. Juanito A. Bruno sat as Officer-in-Charge of the college and oversaw its transition to a university. Presidential Decree No. 1427 was signed on June 10, 1978 transforming the ZSC into the Western Mindanao State University. Dr. Bruno became Acting President of the new university.

Dr. Bruno was appointed Regional Director of the then Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) and Dr. Bernabela L. Ko became the First University President and served until 1991.

Dr. Erdulfo D. Fernando was appointed Second President of the university. A Zamboangueño and an alumnus of the Zamboanga Normal School, he served in the position until his retirement in 1997.

Dr. Eldigario D. Gonzales assumed as 3rd University President. He ushered in a new and progressive culture in the university focusing on a 15-point Agenda for Development. He pursued an agressive faculty development program that made it the strongest academic force in the region.

WMSU became the 6th top university in the country per CHED survey and is considered one of the lead higher education institutions in Mindanao.

Dr. Eldigario D. Gonzales resigned from the Presidency. On September 2007, Dr. Grace J. Rebollos, the first summa cum laude graduate of the university became its 4th President and the second woman to hold the position.

After the second term of Dr. Milabel Enriquez Ho, the Board of Regents (BOR) appointed Dr. Teresita A. Narvaez as Officer-in-Charge until a new university president was selected. On September 2, 2020, the BOR appointed Dr. Ma. Carla A. Ochotorena as the 6th President of Western Mindanao State University (WMSU). WMSU was recertified as compliant with ISO 9001:2015, reaffirming its commitment to quality assurance and continuous improvement.

The College of Medicine was officially launched in July 2021 to address the shortage of doctors in the region and provide affordable medical education, particularly for students from marginalized communities. More colleges and offices were subjected to ISO 9001:2015 certification, broadening the implementation of the university’s quality management system.

Under the leadership of President Dr. Ma. Carla A. Ochotorena, WMSU became more dynamic and forward-looking, advancing in instruction, research, extension, and administrative governance. The university fostered a strong culture of innovation, inclusivity, and institutional excellence, building upon the groundwork of previous administrations.

WMSU achieved global distinction through the QS Stars Rating System, earning an overall 3-Star Rating, a first in the university’s history — a symbol of its growing international reputation for academic quality, facilities, and social engagement. WMSU also entered the World’s Universities with Real Impact (WURI) 2023 Rankings, placing: – 33rd in the Fourth Industrial Revolution category, and – Within the Top 101–200 Innovative Universities worldwide.

WMSU continued to shine internationally, earning another milestone in the WURI 2025 Rankings: – 156th globally among the Top 400 Innovative Universities – 61st in Student Mobility and Openness. The College of Nursing achieved a 99.62% passing rate in the Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination (PNLE), reaffirming WMSU’s academic excellence.

WMSU continued to shine internationally, earning another milestone in the WURI 2025 Rankings: – 156th globally among the Top 400 Innovative Universities. – 49th in Industrial Application, 33rd in Empowerment-Based Management, and 45th in Infrastructure & Technologies. The university entered the 2026 QS Asia University Rankings, marking its inclusion in the prestigious Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) list of top Asian universities. The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) awarded WMSU the Bronze Award at the ITSO Presidents’ Summit for its innovation and technology transfer initiatives. WMSU became the only university in the Philippines recognized as an active partner of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP). Dr. Ma. Carla A. Ochotorena, University President, received the Maria Clara Lorenzo Lobregat Lifetime Achievement Award for exemplary leadership and service.