Valencia Colleges (Bukidnon), Incorporated, is a private non-sectarian institution of higher learning located at Hagkol, Valencia City, Bukidnon, Philippines. Established in 1989, it is a non-stock corporation.[1]
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The idea of establishing a private non-sectarian college in the City of Valencia (then a municipality) was hatched in the late 1980s. A group of Ph.D. students of Mindanao Polytechnic State College in Cagayan de Oro City, inspired by their professor, Atty. Isaias P. Giduquio, former civil service regional director of Region X (formerly Don Mariano Marcos Polytechnic State College, Cagayan de Oro City), formed a non-stock corporation aimed at organizing a school of higher education. This core group of planners included Giduquio, Alexander B. Amador, Irene B. Antonio, Reynaldo B. Antonio, Quipte Consus, Mario Basalo, and Pablito Intong.
Valencia was, at the time, a city in the making. The growth in population, agriculture, business, and industry was phenomenal. Valencia had become a major destination of migrants from Luzon and Visayas as well as from the provinces and cities of Mindanao. With this scenario, the planners saw the highly trained and skilled manpower and therefore, the need to establish professional and a non-sectarian institution of higher learning which would provide the training for would-be professionals and skilled workers.
Valencia Colleges was formally organized on September 25, 1989, with fifteen founding members, ten of whom were elected officers for administration: Alexander B. Amador, president; Melquiades G. Clarito, vice-president; Reynaldo B. Antonio, Sr., treasurer; Ladisla T. Giduquio, secretary; and Gracia Caballero, auditor. The other members of the board included Epifenio Calos, Valentina Calos, Isaias Sealza, Camilo Pepito, Irene Antonio, Encarnita Amador, Quipte Consus, Isaias Giduquio, Mario Basalo, and Pablito Intong.
On March 13, 1990, the school was incorporated under SEC Registration No. 174651, henceforth to be known officially as Valencia Colleges (Bukidnon) Incorporated, in short VCI. The name Bukidnon was inserted to emphasize location of the institution to make it distinct from an existing college in Valencia, Bohol.
VCI aimed to offer undergraduate and graduate studies with subsidiary programs for high school, elementary, and technical/vocational education.[2] The planners envisioned the training of professionals, skilled men and women prepared to work in urbanized communities in and outside the town of Valencia. They recognized the significant role of a non-sectarian private school toward providing equal access to higher education, especially for the less privileged in a complex modern society. Dr. Irene B. Antonio, who was to become VCI director, expressed hope that the college would serve the interest of those who have less in life including the indigenous people.
VCI's main campus used to be located at T.N. Pepito St., Valencia City, Bukidnon, not far from the town plaza across the National Highway. Classes were housed in a rented building formerly occupied by the Carmelite Sisters. Due to insufficient classrooms, high school classes were held at daytime and college classes were held in evening. While the high school department has remained in this original site to date, the undergraduate and graduate classes were moved to barangay Hagkol, 1.5 kilometers northeast of the city Poblacion, in 2003. The one-hectare new school site in Hagkol was donated by the family of landowner Efipanio Calos. The land was valued at P100,000.
Valencia Colleges is in the heart of the province of Bukidnon being situated inside Valencia City, between 10 municipalities in the south and 10 municipalities and one city (Malaybalay) in the north. Valencia City, Bukidnon is 27 km south of Malaybalay City, the capital of Bukidnon; 118 km to Cagayan de Oro City; and 140 km to Davao City. VCI is approximately within midway between Cagayan de Oro and Davao City.
Valencia Colleges Inc. lives by the mission of providing substantial contribution to the cultural, social, political and economic upliftment of the community in particular and the whole region in general through non-sectarian education.
Valencia Colleges Inc. believes in the philosophy of giving equal opportunity to all the employees and students of the college and focusing all available resources in the attainment of its objectives.
To meet the requisites of all exemplary educational institution in its desire to establish and maintain quality education needed for the improvement of the living conditions of the people in the community and region.