Saint Columban College

Saint Columban College is a leading Private Catholic educational institution run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pagadian, founded by the Missionary Society of St. Columban (MSSC) in consortium with the Sisters of St. Paul de Chartes (SPC) in Pagadian City, Republic of the Philippines.

It is the flagship school of the sixteen(16)-member Diocesan Schools Group of Pagadian and is also one of the largest academic institutions in the Zamboanga Peninsula region.

History

Beginnings: as Saint Columban School

In 1957, the group of Fr. Sean Nolan of the Missionary Society of St. Columban (MSSC), Sisters Teresita del Niño Jesus Reyes, Isabel of the Angels Narciso, Marie Odille Cayetano and Anne Bacomo of the Sisters of Saint Paul de Chartres (SPC), a Paulist congregation, opened a secondary school which was named Saint Columban School (SCS). A year after its establishment, it achieved "full operation status" under the directorship of Fr. Patrick Campion, MSSC.^[1]

Following the success of its high school, in 1963, SCS began to offer collegiate programs. The college department piloted with programs under Liberal Arts, Education, Secretarial, and Commerce. With the expansion, SCS sought the development of a larger campus to cater its collegiate student population with the construction of the 3-storey building which today serves as the main campus, housing the Grade School after the College Department moved to its current campus in 1970.^[2]

In 1965, SCS began offering its primary program with the opening of the Grade School with Sister Eugenie de Marie, SPC serving as principal.^[3]

As Saint Columban College

Due to its growing variety of programs, in 1967, the institution was renamed from then Saint Columban School to its present name, Saint Columban College (SCC).^[4]

A few years after, in 1978, the MSSC turned over the ownership and control of SCC to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pagadian through Bishop Jesus Tuquib, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at that time. Fr. Jose Maria Luengo then became the first Filipino President of the school.^[5]

During the same year, Fr. Jose Maria Luengo with Msgr. Patricio Getigan and Sr. Agnes Lawrence Catalan composed the "SCC Hymn and March" which until today serves as the academic institution's ceremonial song.^[6]

During the 25th year of SCC, another four(4)-storey college building was inaugurated at downtown campus. Today, the building houses the College of Business Education.^[7]

Year 2000-Present

In 2002, the College of Computer Studies was opened. Not too long, the Commission on Higher Education awarded SCC the distinction of being the "Center of Development and Excellence in Information Technology" in Region IX [^].^[8]

On November 8, 2006, the old partly wooden main building of the High School which was then one of the oldest buildings of SCC was totally destroyed by a fire accident which also registered millions-worth collateral damage. The event left the High School maximizing the secondary academic building and depending on the facilities of the Grade School, i.e. library and some rooms.Nevertheless, the administration of then newly installed School President, Fr. Gilbert Hingone, STL, invested on optimism and initiated the construction of the new and larger four(4)-storey, two(2) interconnected-building structure for the High School which completes its campus of five(5) buildings-namely, the main building, the secondary building, the canteen building, the Home Economics building, and the Immaculate Conception school chapel.

SCC inaugurated in 2008 the first phase of its new High School main building which houses a number of classrooms, the chemistry laboratory, the audio-visual room, the library, the computer laboratories, school clinic, and the offices of the faculty members, school treasurer, registrar, guidance counselor, and school principal. During the same year, the newly graduated High School alumni batch aided SCC to explore its first billboard promotion project for the High School. Today, the billboard (which has been regularly changed) front-lines the campus' facade.

The College department pursued a renovation project for its administrative building which houses the administrative offices, guidance and counseling center, and the College chapel at the College campus in 2011.

Campuses

Saint Columban College has three(3) campuses. Although the Grade School and High School campuses are on physically interconnected lands, they are technically divided by the boundary between Balangasan and Sto. Niño Districts of the City.

• Main campus / Grade School campus in Balangasan District
• High School campus in Sto. Niño District^[9]
• College campus at Alano-Sagun Streets in the vicinity of downtown Pagadian^[10]

Facilities

• Chapels
  • Immaculate Conception Chapel- located at the High School campus
  • College chapel
• Convention, Sports, and Recreation
  • SCC Youth Development Center Gymnasium- located across the College campus
  • Covered court- located at the Grade School campus

There are other facilities that have not been enlisted, but are, for practical reasons, existing due to the compliance of SCC to the requirements of higher learning.

Publications

• Star Line Publication - Grade School
• The Link Publication - High School
• Harp Publication - College

Governance

Bishop Emmanuel T. Cabajar, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pagadian, sits as Chairman of the Board of Trustees with Fr. Gilbert Hingone, STL, member of the board and School President, and Sister Amelia David, ICM, member of the board and Diocesan Schools' Superintendent. ^[11]

^[12]

All students from the Grade School, High School, and College departments are represented by their respective student body organizations.

Recognitions

• Center for Academic Excellence in Accountancy and Education for Region IX.
• Center for Academic Excellence and Development in Information Technology for Region IX.^[13]

See also

• Diocesan Schools Group of Pagadian
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Pagadian
• Pagadian City
• Zamboanga del Sur

References

External links

• www.SCCPag.edu.ph - Official website
• Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Pagadian