| San Beda College Alabang Kolehiyo ng San Beda Alabang |
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|---|---|
| Location | |
| National Capital Region Muntinlupa City, Philippines, |
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| Information | |
| Motto | Fides, Scientia, Virtus |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Patron saint(s) | St. Bede, St. Benedict |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Status | Open |
| President | Fr. Dom Clement Ma. H. Roque, O.S.B. |
| Director | Thelma Geraldine A. Baricaua |
| High school principal | Fr. Gerardo Ma. de Villa, O.S.B. |
| Grade school principal | Fr. Gerardo Ma. de Villa, O.S.B. |
| Vice principal | Ms. Vilma B. Clerigo |
| Vice principal | Ms. Ma. Victoria C. Faicol |
| Chaplain | Fr. Andres F. Formilleza, O.S.B. |
| Grades | 1-6 |
| Average class size | 150,000+ |
| Language | English, Tagalog |
| Song | The Bedan Hymn |
| Sports | Basketball, volleyball, baseball, eskrima, taekwondo |
| Newspaper | The Bedan Herald, Bene Chronicle |
| Website | sanbeda-alabang.edu.ph |
San Beda College Alabang (SBCA) is a college in Muntinlupa City, Philippines and is a part of the San Beda College. It was established in 1972 as the Benedictine Abbey School and was renamed in 1995 to St. Benedict College. In 2004 due to the clamor of the students, Rev. Fr. Anscar J. Chupungco changed the name from St. Benedict to San Beda. Since the foundation, St. Benedict was the patron of the school. But after the name change in 1995, St. Bede became its patron too.
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St. Benedict, the founder of the Ordo Sancti Benedicti (OSB) or Order of St. Benedict, was born in the Umbrian town of Nursia, near Spoleto, Italy, in the waning years of the Roman Empire, AD 480. He hailed from a well-established family and is believed to have a twin sister, St. Scholastica. Acclaimed as the Father of Western Monasticism, St. Benedict was declared the Patron of Europe in 1964 by Pope Paul VI.
While studying in Rome, St. Benedict became disillusioned with the world- liness he saw around. Eventually he took to solitude in a cave in Subiaco. After undergoing a deep spiritual experience, he established ten monasteries, including one at Monte Cassino. Here, he wrote the Holy Rule, an embodiment of the balance between prayer and work. According to tradition, he died in Monte Cassino about the year AD 547.
The Benedictines reached far within Europe and spread the ideals of the Holy Rule. They preached the Gospel and preserved the Scriptures and other sacred writings of the Church as well as other classical literary treasures. They likewise engaged in teaching the young and serving the poor and the sick. The Benedictine influence was so great that the period 6th – 13th centuries of Europe was referred to by historians as Benedictine centuries.
In the middle of the 19th century, a hostile and anticlerical government in Spain closed the novitiates. Years later, concessions were granted allowing novitiates which operated missions in foreign countries to open. Hence, the Benedictine Abbey of Montserrat in Cataluña, Spain started to establish missions in the Philippines and in Australia.
The Benedictine monks arrived in the Philippines on September 12, 1895. They started missionary work in Surigao in 1896. R. Rev. Jose Deas y Villar, OSB, founded the Benedictine community in Mindanao. Thus, grew the roots of Benedictine tradition in the Philippines.
A few years after the monks’ Mindanao mission, the Benedictine community transferred their residence and apostolate to Balmes St. in Quiapo, Manila. The Benedictines witnessed many political and social changes in the Philippines as our people struggled under the Spanish and American colonization. Despite tremendous odds, however, they remained steadfast and pursued a new apostolate: education.
Under the leadership of Fr. Juan Sabater, OSB, El Colegio de San Beda was established on June 17, 1901. Fr. Sylvestre Jofre, OSB, the first rector, dedicated the school to the cause of Catholic education and the making of Christian gentlemen committed to excellence and service of God and country. San Beda College has since emerged as one of the leading educational institutions in the country.
By the 1960’s the Benedictine community consisted mostly of Filipinos and leadership was gradually transferred to the Filipino monks.
The rage and restiveness that marked the late 60’s and the early 70’s led to the historic decision by the Benedictine monks to establish another campus in a more peaceful place than Mendiola, Manila. The Benedictines finally chose the hilly Alabang in Muntinlupa as the site of the new campus. A modern edifice was constructed in 1972 on a nine and a half hectare lot inside the upscale Alabang Hills Village.
On July 10, 1972, Benedictine Abbey School (BAS) opened its doors to 78 preschool boys and girls. Fr. Roberto de Jesus, OSB, who was the first Rector, supervised the growing years of the new institution. BAS pioneered the modern concept of the non-graded open classroom instructional system. In school year 1977-1978, BAS opened its high school department
Both elementary and high school departments later gained accreditation from the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU), a testament to the high quality of education that the Benedictines provide.
On their centennial anniversary in the Philippines, the Benedictines opened the tertiary department as a manifestation of their continued commitment to providing the youth with high quality education. The school was renamed St. Benedict College on June 5, 1995.
Fr. Bellarmine R. Baltasar, OSB, who served as Rector for almost a decade, was not only responsible for making BAS a premier learning institution in Southern Metro Manila. He also spearheaded the establishment of the tertiary level by organizing the college core committee in 1994 chaired by Fr. Mateo de Jesus, OSB with Rachel E. Allanigue, Leticia B. Visperas, Corazon D. San Jose, and Magdalena S. Regullano as members.
St. Benedict College-San Beda Alabang opened the Academic Year 1995-1996 with the formal establishment of the college department. The department welcomed 208 students and 15 faculty members recruited from other colleges and universities and from the roster of the SBC high school and grade school faculty.
Six of the first college faculty became administrators: Anita B. Obispo, dean; Elizabeth Sablay, head of student development, Luisito B. Padolina, head of student affairs; Edmund V. Campos, college registrar; Magdalena S. Regullano, guidance & admissions head; and Rico U. Fortich, administrative assistant.
The St. Bede Hall (college building) was constructed in March 1996 and inaugurated on July 1, 1997 in time for the institution’s silver jubilee.
Under the leadership of Fr. Tarcisio H. Narciso, OSB, rector, the college department initially adopted the trimestral set-up and offered the following courses: Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems Management, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Management Information Systems, Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship, Bachelor of Science in Marketing & Sales, and Bachelor of Arts in Economics.
After a year, through the initiative of Anita B. Obispo, the first college dean, the initial courses were revised and the regular semestral set-up was implemented. New courses were likewise introduced in the first six years of operation: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and Bachelor of Arts in Communications & Media Studies.
On its seventh year of operation, Fr. Aloysius A. Maranan, OSB, rector and concurrent dean, renamed the college department College of Arts & Sciences. The move was intended to highlight the degree programs of the department and to give it a new identity. His stewardship also focused on revitalizing the CAS through extensive administrators and faculty development programs. Operational and academic policies were likewise clarified and revised to promote efficiency and excellence. Moreover, he facilitated the curriculum re-engineering to make the CAS relevant in the new millennium.
With a fresh start, the SBC College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) sailed on new directions and thrusts, this time under the leadership of Magdalena S. Regullano as dean. Other major courses were introduced in SY 2002-2003 such as Management of Financial Institutions under the Business Management program; Tourism Management under International Studies; and Systems Development and Network Administration under the Information Technology program. The CAS was granted the CHED recognition for the BA Communications & Media Studies and the BS Accountancy. Preparations for the PAASCU accreditation are underway.
In January 2003, SBC-CAS took a bolder step towards academic excellence through research when it entered into an agreement with the Asian Institute of Management and the World Bank Knowledge Center for the use of its research facilities and resources. Also, last March 14, 2003, SBC launched the Fidel Valdez Ramos Research Center. The new center houses the FVR collection & memorabilia as well as the academic researches conducted by the administrators, faculty, and students.
Complementing the school’s academic innovation are the technology components such as the E-learning course modules developed by leading technology vendors. The acquisition of Pentium 4 PCs and iMac G4 800 workstations made SBC the first school in South Metro Manila to offer two computing platforms. The SBC-CAS is also an official Microsoft Office Testing Center (MOUS) and its laboratories use Altiris, the latest interactive technology of course delivery. The media laboratory of the CMS takes pride in its latest radio-television facilities for actual broadcast and film production.
Behind this technological highway, a holistic formation program that is grounded in the humanities balances the CAS academic programs. The new and revised curricular programs have strengthened the professional courses and streamlined the core subjects to make them responsive to the demands of the industry in particular and society in general. Subjects such as Peace Studies & Human Rights, Sociology with Gender Issues, and the Benedictine Lay Formation are distinct marks of being Catholic Christian in principle, Benedictine in orientation, and Filipino in character.
In AY 2004-2005, Fr. Anscar Chupungco, OSB, Rector/President led the historic decision to adopt the secondary name of the institution as its primary and official name: SAN BEDA COLLEGE ALABANG. The move was in response to the growing clamor of the school’s stakeholders to give a face to its well-deserved identity as a Bedan school. Also, Ms. Thelma Geraldine A. Baricaua was appointed as Vice President and concurrent Dean of the CAS. Ms. Baricaua brings with her an extensive experience from both the industry and the academe that will re-position the CAS as the leading tertiary unit in South Metro Manila.
Department Chairs