CATBALOGAN, Philippines – In its first participation in international rankings, Samar Colleges, Inc. rises among the world’s best innovators after securing two placements in the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) 2026, ranking 51st and 89th globally in the Top 100 Universities (Individual Categories).

SC ranked 51st globally in Category C5: Social Impact Through Knowledge Transfer for its entry, “Lingkod-Katarungan: Free Legal Assistance in Partnership with the Public Attorney’s Office.” The initiative also placed 17th in the Philippines and 2nd in Eastern Visayas, reinforcing its strong performance at both national and regional levels.

The program is a campus-based community service initiative that provides accessible legal assistance to students, staff, and underserved community members. Implemented in partnership with the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) and the College of Criminal Justice Education (CoCJE), it offers free consultations, documentation support, and legal orientation, while enriching student learning through real-world engagement.

Meanwhile, SC secured the 89th spot globally in Category B5: Funding for Sustainability for its project, “SC Hotel: An INNOLAB (Innovation and Learning Laboratory).” The initiative ranked 32nd in the Philippines and 7th in Eastern Visayas.

The SC Hotel serves as an education-through-enterprise model, functioning both as a commercial facility and a training laboratory for Senior High School TVL learners, TESDA-funded SCTI cookery scholars, and College of Business Management (CBM) students. It demonstrates how the institution sustains academic and internship programs through innovative and income-generating strategies aligned with long-term development goals.

These innovative projects were championed by Samar Colleges’ President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Rhett Caesar L. Piczon.

Notably, Samar Colleges is, as of publication, the only private higher education institution in Eastern Visayas to be included in the WURI rankings since its establishment in 2020.

The achievement was made possible through the collective efforts of the Office of the Senior Vice President for Programs Development and Quality Assurance (SVP-PDQA) together with the institution’s WURI team, composed of a total of 50 faculty, staff, and students across colleges and departments. The team led the development, documentation, and submission of 17 project entries in December 2025, two of which earned global recognition.

Moreover, this milestone is an outgrowth of SC’s participation in the Filipino Leaders in Advancing International Reputation (FLAIR) Masterclass organized by CHEDRO VIII, held on October 21–23, 2025, at Ironwood Hotel, Tacloban City, Leyte. During the program, Regional Director Dr. Maximo C. Aljibe, emphasized the importance of global opportunities for higher education institutions and their role in enhancing international visibility—an encouragement that continues to resonate in Samar Colleges’ pursuit of global recognition.

The World Rankings for Innovation (WURI) assesses higher education institutions’ real contributions to industry and society, highlighting innovative education, research, and society engagement.

This recognition underscores Samar Colleges’ growing global presence and its commitment to innovation, sustainability, and socially responsive education.