Angelicum College is located at 112 M.J. Cuenco St., Quezon City.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

In 1972, Fr. Rogelio B. Alarcon, O.P., the first Filipino Provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines initiated the unique school to answer the many problems of the educational system in the country. In his seminary days, Fr. Alarcon envisioned a school that would cater to the individual needs of the learner, while promoting collaboration not competition among students. He also dreamt of a school that had an evaluation system that did not brand students, as failures if they did not meet desired marks. At the UST Graduate School, he did comparative studies on the different systems of education in different countries and this paved the way to concretize his dream, which he named Angelicum after one of the Dominican houses of studies in Rome. The school had the philosophy: "to do what is best for the learner."

The Ministry of Education and Culture granted the school permission to operate in May 1972. After a month of relentless activity of looking for a building, recruiting teachers, enrolling students, getting classroom materials and arranging for school services, Angelicum School was born on July 5, 1972. It started with 315 boys taught by nine teachers housed in six classrooms and a small library inside the Dominican Seminary behind Santo Domingo Church along Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.

In its second year, the first floor of the St. Dominic Building was finished. In 1974, girls were accepted in order to provide a more "normal" environment for all the students. St. Martin Building was also constructed. In 1974, there were a total of 220 enrollees in the Nursery to YS 5.

As a non-graded school, Angelicum does not have a marking system to evaluate students for the subjects they accomplish. The results of their mastery tests are given descriptively. Each student is given a check mark to mean that she/he has gained ample working knowledge, skills and values related to the lesson.

Also, the students are not classified into Grade or Year labels (Grade 1, or 1st Year) which identify boundaries within which it is presumed that typical children of a given age group can and should function academically. The Angelicum system sees a particular subject area level as a continuous whole, with a set of skills to be learned by the learner at a pace he only can determine. Thus, students in Angelicum are identified in terms of their number of years in school (YS) not as students in Grade 1 or in First year.

In Angelicum, students are not given failing grades, nor are they identified as students who have been retained or not promoted to the next Grade level. The continuous progression feature of the Angelicum system makes the student see that learning activities are done in a continuum consisting of different graduated levels.

From 1977 to 1996, Angelicum was known for the Special education it offered to children in need of special attention through the St. Antoninus School. It was closed in 1996.

Angelicum expanded beyond Quezon City. One branch was set up in Jaro, Iloilo. Another was established in Tehran, Iran, which was eventually closed in 1979 due to the religious war then.

Through its initial years, Angelicum School was administered by Dominican priests, which included Fr. Norberto Castillo, O.P., Fr. Hilario Q. Singian, O.P., Fr. Juan Ponce, O.P., Fr. Honorato Castigador, O.P., Fr. Tamerlane Lana, O.P. From 1978 to 1991, the school facilities were improved to answer the needs of the growing population in the pre-school and the basic education levels.

In 1994, Angelicum Founder, Fr. Rogelio B. Alarcon OP came back to be the 7th director. He reinforced the system to provide real non-graded education. He strengthened the Modular approach by making the teachers and administrators involved in the writing of learning modules which became the foundation of the non-graded system. As he strengthened the system, he opened the College Department in 1995.

PRESENT TIMES

In May 1996, the school was renamed ANGELICUM COLLEGE, offering three major courses: Bachelor in Secondary Education major in Math and Science, Bachelor of Science in Computer Studies and Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts. In the year 2002, three other courses were launched: Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Bachelor of Science in Information Management and Bachelor of Arts in Cinema Studies. Presently under the rectorship of Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P., the Collegiate Department launched a two-year certificate course-Associate in Computer Technology to offer short term-preparation for students who need immediate employment. The two-year course can however be continued into a full blown four-degree course when the student becomes financially able.

The Department of Education (DepEd) recognized the Home Study Program (HSP) of the institution that was initiated in August 1996,. To this date, there are 463 learners enrolled in the Home Study Program. Included in the HSP enrollees are television artists like BJ Forbes popularly known as Tolits, Yasmine Kurdi, Bea Alonzo, Sarah Geronimo, Shaina Magdayao, and Mikylla Louise Ramirez.

Through the HSP, students who had difficulty meeting the requirements of daily class attendance have been given chances to study. With the HSP students are given the same lessons being studied by the regular students, but they report to the teachers, (which students in Angelicum call their facilitators) only twice a week after having done the lessons in their homes or place of work.

The system has taken out the barriers that may hinder one from learning – age, health, civil status, economic situation. The HSP helped many students to re-enter the school system. Those who thought they were too old to study gained courage to enroll since they do not have to meet with their classmates everyday. Those who had ailment could continue learning their lessons at home. Those who are working to support themselves and their families financially are able to study during their free time and finished basic education level.

Angelicum College is presently equipped with science laboratories, a swimming pool, a gymnasium, an auditorium, a football field, computer laboratories for the Nursery up to the College level, a photography laboratory, radio studio and a television studio, a chapel, and a peaceful campus teeming with trees.