Holy Name University (HNU) installs Fr. Ruel Lero, as its fourth university president, a
report from the university says.
The report indicated that the installation rites will be held at the Barder Gym this coming
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020 at 3 pm. Coincidentally, the date is also Lero’s birthday.
According to the same report, in compliance with health and safety protocol, the number of
participants will be limited to 50% of the venue capacity or around 500 persons.
The event will also be broadcast live via various social media platforms to cater to a wider
audience who are unable to grace the occasion in person due to restrictions.
The report bares that some local officials including Gov. Arthur Yap are invited to the
occasion.
BACKGROUND
Lero is the fourth university president. The first university president was Fr. Florante S.
Camacho, SVD. The second university president was Fr. Ernesto Lagura, SVD. Lero
succeeds the third university president, Fr. Francisco T. Estepa, SVD.
Fr. Lero is a religious missionary of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) and was ordained
a priest on March 9, 2005. He hails from Dumaguete City and is a proud product of
Dumaguete South City Elementary School and Dumaguete City High School.
He finished his communication degree from the University of the Philippines Los
Baños(UPLB), after which he studied philosophy at Christ the King Mission Seminary
(Quezon City) before completing his theological training (magna cum laude) at the Divine
Word School of Theology in Tagaytay.
Moreover, Lero took further studies in Tagaytay leading to a Master of Arts in Theology
(summa cum laude) followed by a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology (magna cum laude)
from the Pontifical Urban University.
He returned to UPLB to complete a Doctor of Philosophy major in Extension Education
(minor in Development Communication), which earned him Academic Achievement and
Best Dissertation awards.
Lero has held numerous teaching and administrative positions including Dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences and Director for Graduate Studies, National Service Training
Program, Center for Research and Publication, and the Center for Local Governance at
HNU.
His assignment prior to his current one was as Program Director of the Divine Word School
of Theology before where he was Vice President for Academic Affairs of HNU in Tagbilaran
City.
He also served as a faculty member of the Divine Word School of Theology, Divine Word
Seminary, Tagaytay City, as well as in Pastoral Communication at the Graduate School of
the University of Santo Tomas.
Lero is a member of the University of San Carlos (Cebu City) Board of Trustees and has
been holding this position since 2013.
The new HNU president is also a Trustee of Liceo del Verbo Divino (Tacloban City), Divine
Word Hospital, and Word Broadcasting Corporation. He is also a life member of the
Gamma Sigma Delta International Honor Society, the Phi Kappa Phi International Honor
Society, the Philippine Extension Network, Inc. (PEN), and the Philippine Association of
Agri-Vironment Educators and Entrepreneurs Inc. (PASSAGE).