HAU to honor ex-DepEd chief Luistro with honorary doctorate

Holy Angel University (HAU) in Angeles City, Pampanga, will confer the degree Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa, on former Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, FSC, in recognition of his transformative contributions to Philippine education.

HAU's board of trustees approved Luistro's selection, citing his alignment with the university’s vision of quality education as a tool for uplifting and empowering the youth.

The university highlighted the implementation of the K-12 program, extending the basic education cycle by two years, as among Luistro’s “greatest legacy,” aligning the country’s system with global standards and improving student readiness for higher education, employment, and entrepreneurship.

Luistro is scheduled to return to the Philippines on 5 December to attend the conferment ceremony at the HAU Theatre.

He is the first Asian to serve as Superior General of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, commonly known as the De La Salle Brothers, which operates numerous institutions in the Philippines, including De La Salle University.

In June, Pope Leo XIV appointed Luistro as a member of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, a department of the Roman Curia tasked with promoting and regulating evangelical counsels and religious life.

Before becoming Superior General, Luistro served as Secretary of the Department of Education under the late President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

Luistro began his career as a religion teacher at De La Salle Lipa in 1983. He was named Provincial of the De La Salle Brothers Philippine District in 1997, a role he held until 2003.

In 2000, he co-founded De La Salle Catholic University Manado in Indonesia. In 2004, he succeeded Andrew Gonzalez as president of the DLSU System, overseeing eight De La Salle institutions.