San Beda College Alabang

San Beda College Alabang
Motto Fides, Scientia, et Virtus (Faith, Knowledge, and Virtue)
Established 1972
President Fr. Anselm M. Manalastas, OSB
Location Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Language English, Tagalog
Colors Red and White         
Sports Basketball, Volleyball, Baseball, Swimming, Football, Taekwondo, Cheerleading
Mascot Red Lion
Website www.sanbeda-alabang.edu.ph/bede

San Beda College Alabang (SBCA) is a private Roman Catholic 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.

History

St Benedict and the Benedictines

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 worldliness he saw. 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 Philippines: As Missionaries & Monks

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.

And as Educators

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 1960s the Benedictine community consisted mostly of Filipinos and leadership was gradually transferred to the Filipino monks.

The rage and restiveness that marked the late 1960s and the early 1970s led to the historic decision by the Benedictine monks to establish another campus in a more peaceful place than Manila's Mendiola district. In 1971, upon the invitation of the then Mayor of Manila and active San Beda parent, Ramon Bagatsing, whose family owned and developed a vast ranch and village estate in Alabang, Muntinlupa, the Benedictines finally chose the hilly Alabang area as the site of the new campus. A modern edifice was then constructed, in 1972, on a nine-and-a-half hectare lot inside the reputable Alabang Hills Village.

From BAS to SBC

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.

The School Seal

The Latin word Pax (Peace), combined with the cross of Christ planted on three boulders, represents the Benedictines who administer the school. The three boulders at the base of the cross represent the Abbey of Montserrat in Spain from where the founders of San Beda College originated.

The two doves drinking from the fountain represent the students drinking from the Fountain of Knowledge, that is, San Beda College.

The tower and sea lion on the lower left panel are heraldic symbols from the seal of the city of Manila where the first San Beda College is located. The curved lines on the lower right panel represent water from the southern shore of Laguna lake where San Beda College Alabang is closely situated.

The school motto is Fides, Scientia, et Virtus (Faith, Knowledge, and Virtue). The school emblem is the red lion.

Debate

In 2010, with the need of creating an organization to officially represent San Beda in the High School Debating circuit, the San Beda High School Debate Society was established. The organization competed in both domestic and international tournaments. In a span of 5 years, the organization has gone on to be Quarter-finalists at the 2011 National Asians High School Debate Championship, Semi-finalists at the 2012 Asian Schools Debate Championship,[1] won the Ana Alano Cup at the 2011 Philippine Schools Debate Championship and Grand-finalist in the open category of the same tournament in 2013.[2]

The roots of San Beda High School's debating style stems back to its college counterpart’s 22 year old debating tradition in San Beda College Manila – San Beda Debate Society (SBDS). The SBHS Debate Society’s training program has been facilitated by both its alumnus and members from the San Beda Debate Society up until today.

SBC College of Arts & Sciences

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.

Journalism

Middle Grade School

The Middle Grade School Department has a school publication named "The Junior Bedan" magazine. It it distributed to the Primary Grade School Department and the Middle Grade School Department. The magazine has two sections, the Filipino and English. Writers are all from Grades 5 and 6 through the clubs Junior Bedan (English) and Junior Bedan (Filipino). The English is being moderated by Ms. Ma. Victoria Faicol and the Filipino by Ms. Elizabeth dela Cruz. The staff of Junior Bedan has participated in multiple journalism competitions and were successful.

High School and College of Arts and Sciences

The High School Department also chooses students to participate in contests and its official magazine is named "Bedan Ways" and "Pahayagang Bedista" for English and Filipino department respectively. The CAS has a publication, the Alabang counterpart of Mendiola's "The Bedan Herald".

Administrators

Christian Formation

Institutional Affairs Office

Academic Division

School of Law (SOL)

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Department Chairs

Integrated Basic Education Department (IBED)

Principal's Council

Subject Area Chairs

Middle Grade School Level Coordinators

High School Level Coordinators

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ http://www.sanbeda-alabang.edu.ph/bede/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=313%3Asbca-hs-debate-society&catid=1&Itemid=1
  2. ↑ http://www.sanbeda-alabang.edu.ph/bede/images/uncategorized/SBDS_PSDC_News_Report-Final_Rev_final.pdf