On July 22, 1862, fifteen Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac arrived in the Philippines from Spain. Two years after the Daughters of Charity took over the administration of the Real Colegio de Santa Isabel. The College was then located in Intramuros until it was totally destroyed by fire during the liberation of Manila. After losing the Colegio, the Sisters sought refuge at St. Rita’s College, which was fortunately spared from the ravages of war.
The Sisters taught in St. Rita’s College to support themselves, determined to keep alive the name of this illustrious college. The zealous Sisters left no stone unturned until they found a temporary home for the students. It was through the kindness of the benevolent and compassionate Monsignor Vicente Reyes, then Parish Priest of San Miguel Parish, who offered some rooms in the convent that the Sisters were able to start anew their apostolate of educating the young. The sisters were not contented with the temporariness of the situation, so these courageous women led by Sr. Juana Zabalza, superior of the college at that time, and the indefatigable principal Sr. Candida Ocampo, who later became the first Filipina Superior of the College, were able to acquire the former St. Rita at 210 Taft Avenue, Manila. These dedicated Sisters put Santa Isabel College on solid ground again. The post-war Santa Isabel College owes partly its reason for being to the two.
It was sometime after the war when the name of the Colegio de Santa Isabel was changed to its English equivalent, Santa Isabel College.
From 1968, all through to the advent of the new millennium, Santa Isabel College has been improving and expanding its physical facilities. Since then, four buildings have risen in the Santa Isabel skyline. The school auditorium, built in 1953 has been modernized. The Sister Catalina Ledesma Mini Recital Hall has been constructed from the funds provided by the Sister Catalina Scholarship Foundation.
This year, Santa Isabel College celebrates its 373rd Founding Anniversary. After almost four centuries, Santa Isabel College has expanded its educational programs.
The courses Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Elementary/Secondary Education, and Music, the flagship course of Santa Isabel College, are still being offered, but the curricula were updated and enriched according to the demands of time. The Music Program, likewise, has expanded and now gives short-term courses.
The Bachelor of Science in Public Relations was given government recognition sometime in 1980. In 1998, the Program was awarded the Gawad Panday Award by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PSPR) in recognition of the school’s pioneering effort in developing a curriculum leading to a four-year degree in Public Relations. Santa Isabel College is the only school in the Philippines offering the said course.
The school has extension services. Just after the Vietnam War, Santa Isabel College opened the Center of Assistance for Displaced Persons. The refugees and boat people from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia were assisted by the Center under the Sisters and Staff. The Louise de Marillac Foundation, Inc. caters to the needs of an adopted community in Paliparan, Dasmarinas, Cavite and in one Barangay 736, Zone 80, Quirino Avenue, Manila.
Santa Isabel has a strong, well-organized alumni association. They hold meetings every month to plan what they can do for the school. They hold fund-generating projects to help improve the school facilities, give scholarships especially to those who are materially deprived. Every year, those Manila-based alumni join their fellow alumni in the United States and Canada in a grand reunion.
The basic education and higher education departments have organized parents’ councils whose officers and members are parents and guardians of the students. This is one of the structures in the institution that strengthens the partnership of the home and the school in educating the young.
PRESENT TIMES
In 2000, Santa Isabel College opened its doors to male students. Now a coed institution, the male population is gradually increasing. To date, there are a number of male students both in the Basic Education Department and the Higher Education Department.
Re-inventing Santa Isabel College was the main challenge of the last two school years. Intensive curriculum revision, realigning and mapping for more cohesive and relevant offerings were undertaken in order to answer current needs. Thus, new programs were conceived: the two-year Associate in Computer Technology, the two-year Certificate in Hotel and Restaurant Management, the two-year Certificate in Accountancy, and short-term computer courses.
This year, the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU)-accredited institution, in its effort to reach out to the needs of the marginalized sector of the society and to those who aspire to get affordable quality education, started offering evening classes in the two-year courses.
Carrying the theme: "Re-invent… Soar high… towards the fullness of life," Santa Isabel College opened the school year with major innovations.
The Chateau Santa Isabel Practicum Center was opened to the public with the introduction of the B.S. Hotel and Restaurant Management course. The training facility aims to provide the HRM students hands-on learning experience in the industry.
Other school facilities have been improved to meet the needs of the students, such as the Internet café, school canteen, photo studio and badminton courts.
In a venture to maximize and make full use of the institution, these facilities have been upgraded not only to serve the growing population of the Isabelan community but also to cater to the public’s needs.
The Santa Isabel College administrators believe that accreditation of the courses is one way of maintaining quality education. After the last PAASCU visit on February 27-28, 2000, the school was granted reaccredidation for a period of five years, effective April 2002 and lasts until 2007.
In strengthening its response to God’s call of Discipleship and the Church’s mandate of "education in the faith", Santa Isabel College continues to respond to the challenges of the times by inscribing in its academic community life planning sessions that, in part, actualize its vision-mission. In the school year 2003-2004, the entire school community underwent sessions on the revision of the institution’s vision-mission statement, an integration of the vision-mission statements of the Manila Archdiocesan and Parochial Schools Association (MAPSA) and the St. Louise de Marillac Educational System (SLMES), as well as scenario building and strategic planning. All of these are aimed for continuous growth and improvement, harnessing the capacity for continual transformation.
Santa Isabel College has carried on its mission of bringing Christ to the less-privileged in the last 373 years. The soul is immortal… The mission goes on…
