St. Andrew's School (Parañaque)

St. Andrew's School
Motto	Pro Deo et Pro Patria "Serving Love and Excellence for God and for Country"
Established	June 27, 1917
Type	Private, Catholic, Parochial
Students	2, 000+ A1
Location	Quirino Ave., La Huerta, Parañaque City, NCR,  Philippines
Colors	Blue █ and Yellow Gold █
Mascot	Raging Dolphin
Hymn	St. Andrew's School Hymn
Patron	St. Andrew the Apostle
Website	www.andreans.edu.ph
^Note A1 : As of S.Y. 2012-2013.

Coordinates: 14°30′2″N 120°59′31″E / 14.50056°N 120.99194°E / 14.50056; 120.99194 Saint Andrew's School (SAS) is a private Catholic parochial school of the Cathedral Parish of St. Andrew and managed by the Diocese of Parañaque. It is located in Parañaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The school offers preschool, primary, secondary and alternative^[1] education.

In February 2006, the school was temporarily closed due to mercury spillage^[2] and its exposure to 89 students and 17 teachers, totaling to 106 victims,^[3][4] resulting a nationwide restriction of mercury usage in schools.^[5][6] In May 2006, different environmental agencies conducted a clean-up of the spillage.^[7][8] Thus, it was announced that the school is "mercury-free"^[9] and the school reopened on June 2006. Although the school faced these problems, it was once recognized as one of the Best Schools for Boys in Parañaque City because of its quality education.

History

The Augustinians

The original building of St. Andrew's School located at the present site of St. Paul College of Parañaque

St. Andrew Parish was established by the Augustinian missionaries who landed in a fishery village during the Spanish era in the Philippines to evangelize and spread Christianity to the land.^[10] These missionary friars ministered over Palanyag for almost four hundred years.

The CICM Missionaries

The Magnificent Seven of St. Andrew's School (Parañaque). Above: Original class picture. Below: Picture on their 25th anniversary. Seated (L-R) - Gorgonia Isidro; Maria Ligot (instructor); Flora Ongpin (instructor); Jovita Enriquez (instructor); Natividad Santiago Vda. de Cruz Standing - Paz Rodriguez; Artemio Cruz; Leonardo Mecua; Jesus Santos; Maria A. dela Cruz de Magno..

After the Augustinians came the missionaries of the Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae (CICM), otherwise known as the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.^[11] Rev. Fr. Joseph "Pare Jose" Van Runckelen, born at Kortenaken, April 16, 1883, was assigned as parish priest of St. Andrew Parish in October 1915. With the donations and help from the people of Belgium, Fr. Van Runckelen established the said school on June 27, 1917, and titled it after Saint Andrew, the patron of the parish. Incorporated in his newly established elementary school were four of his colleagues from CICM. One of the first teachers in the school is Eleuterio de Leon who had been Mayor of Parañaque.^[12]

In 1932, Fr. Van Runckelen expanded the school, and with Mrs. Gloria Aspillera-Quintos, he founded the high school department. The new department started with 32 students (20 boys and 12 girls) and ended up to seven (four boys and three girls); moreover, the seven were the first high school graduates dubbed as The Magnificent Seven.

Upon the demise of Fr. Van Runckelen († Parañaque, October 24, 1934), Rev. Fr. Antonio Van Overveld took over as head of St. Andrew's School from 1934 to 1937. In his period, the school was relocated from the original, which is present site of St. Paul College of Parañaque, to the Parañaque convent building, where the school is presently located.

After Fr. Van Overveld, Rev. Fr. Adolfo Cansse became school director from 1937 to 1952.

From co-educational to "exclusive for boys"

When World War II broke out in 1941, the school was closed. After the war, the school re-opened for school year 1945-1946 through the efforts of Fr. Cansse and notable faculty members. However, the school opened only the first year class and it was exclusively for boys. St. Paul College of Parañaque, a neighboring school, offered education only for girls.

Fr. Cansse, as a civil engineer, expanded the school by building the gymnasium and more classrooms in 1949. Rev Fr. Louis Thys, school director from 1952–1977, made several improvements in the school such as a three-story building of different facilities and the library on the second floor. The school hymn, composed by Mr. Francis Dandan, was first sang by the graduating class of 1976.^[13] Also, 55 typewriters were acquired, resulting the inclusion of the bookkeeping subject for third year and stenography and typing in the fourth year curricula.

Fr. Foulon soon became the school director from 1977 to 1991. In 1979, the annual publication of The Andrean was initiated. Rev. Fr. Joseph Gevaert, the last CICM school director, managed from 1991-1993.

Religious to diocesan, and the revival of coeducation

The old facade of St. Andrew's School and St. Andrew Parish.

The year 1994 marked the transition of the parish's and school's administration from religious to diocesan. Rev. Fr. Romerico A. Prieto, the first diocesan parish priest of the parish became school director from 1994 to 1995; followed by Rev. Fr. Manuel Sebastian (1995–1996) and Msgr. Manuel Valenzuela (1996–2004).

Msgr. Valenzuela made numerous developments to the school: the construction of a new building for the preschool and elementary departments, a new gymnasium, computer rooms, laboratories for physics, chemistry and home economics and other facilities. In 1999, the preschool department, later dubbed as the Center for Early Childhood Education (CECE), was founded by Msgr. Valenzuela and Mrs. Gertrudes F. Bautista. Also in the same year the coeducational status was revived. It started in the CECE department (S.Y. 1999-2000) and the elementary department (S.Y. 2000-2001)^[14]

The birth of a new Diocese

Pope John Paul II created the new Diocese of Parañaque, an offshoot of the Archdiocese of Manila, on December 7, 2002. He appointed Bishop Jesse E. Mercado, D.D., an Auxiliary Bishop of Manila, to become the first bishop of the diocese. Msgr. Manuel Gabriel then became school director from 2004 until October 2011. Rev. Fr. Rolando Agustin is the current director of the school

Mercury spillage (2006)

The school had a mercury spillage during a science experiment on February 16, 2006. From the 89 students exposed with mercury, 11 were confined in the Philippine General Hospital on February 20,^[2] and were released after few days.^[3] Several students were given chelation therapy to remove the mercury in their blood.^[15] Due to the incident, the school was temporarily closed. Graduating students, whose education was postponed due to the school's closure, had classes on St. Paul's College of Parañaque; while the undergraduates had home studying modules.^[16] Different agencies from the national and local governments pushed efforts to decontaminate the mercury, though they were unsuccessful.^[17] The Department of Health hired experts from the United States for the clean-up,^[18] and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of United States responded to give help.^[19] Globecare and Royal Haskoning of the Netherlands conducted a "pro bono" clean-up. Jun Bernabe, mayor of Parañaque, purchased a Lumex machine that aided in conducting mercury levels in the school premises. Parañaque representative Eduardo "Ed" Zialcita proposed a bill that bans the use of mercury in schools.^[7]

Health Secretary Francisco Duque, after assuring on the positive findings of the Inter-Agency on Environmental Health validated by the US EPA, declared the school safe from mercury contamination and classes resumed on June 2006.^[9]

Despite the incident, St. Andrew's School gained an award from the Consumers and Marketing Executive in the Philippine Marketing Excellency Awards for being The Most Outstanding Catholic School for Boys (Parañaque) on May 2006.^[20]

Origin of the spillage

There were several claims on the origin of the mercury spillage. One is the location of the spillage; there were reports that the mercury spilled in the classroom^[17] or in the science laboratory.^[21] Another is the action on how the mercury spilled. There were claims that the science teacher allowed to pass the beaker of mercury to the class only to observe it;^[2] others claimed that the students played with the mercury,^[17][22] and others claimed that the beaker was accidentally opened.^[3]

Contemporary

St. Andrew's School (Parañaque).

In the late 2005, the gymnasium was demolished to make way for a six-story building with the gymnasium at the top floor. The construction was finished early 2007.

The High School Department opened its doors for girls in 2006 as the coeducational status prospered.

In 2007, the school supported the Department of Education's project, Alternative Learning System Accreditation and Equivalency (ALS A&E), together with Pag-unlad ng Kabataan sa Kapatiran ni San Andres (PKKSA).^[23] The project fosters alternative education to out-of-school youths and adults in relation to the "Christian and missionary formation" of the school. In February 2008, one hundred learners from SAS registered to take the national test. 16,000 from 80,000 examinees passed, and 27 passers were from SAS. Also, passers of the ALS A&E test graduated and received their high school diploma^[24]

School life and culture

School hymn

Mr. Francis Dandan, the organist of the school and the St. Andrew Parish Choir (SAPC), came upon an idea of composing the school hymn for he noticed graduates leave the school without an alma mater song since the school was established. In 1976, he asked the English teachers, with the help of Odelia Cruz, to submit a poem about the school and that he composed the music for the chosen piece. Mr. Dandan based the lyrics from the works of Mrs. Edith Ferrer, Mr. Maximo Marcelo and Fr. Paul Foulon. After several revisions, the hymn was completed on March 6, 1976, and it was taught to the graduating class for them to sing it on their commencement exercises. Thus, the batch of 1976 was first to sing the St. Andrew's School Hymn.^[13]

St. Andrew's School Hymn
Beloved St. Andrew’s
The knowledge we obtain
From the Lord God above
Through thy guidance and love.

You inspire our will
To reach our Golden Goal
Love God and country
Proudly we proclaim.

Refrain:
Hail St. Andrew’s
Endless fountain of wisdom
We do pledge our life of serving love.

The bright and shining morning
Comes in our life
We the Andreans give respect
To thy enlightening command.

We shall cherish you
from here and afar
With you the darkest road
We’ll walk unafraid.

Publications

• The Andrean, the annual publication
• The SAS Courier, the official student publication (English)
• Ang Mensahero, the official student publication (Filipino)

School Directors

• Rev. Fr. Joseph Van Runckelen C.I.C.M. -1917- 1934 (founder)
• Rev. Fr. Antonio Van Overveld C.I.C.M. -1934- 1937
• Rev. Fr. Adolfo Cansse C.I.C.M. -1937- 1952
• Rev. Fr. Louis Thys C.I.C.M. -1952- 1977
• Rev. Fr. Paul Foulon C.I.C.M. -1977- 1991
• Rev. Fr. Joseph Gevaert C.I.C.M. -1991- 1994
• Rev. Fr. Romerico (Omer) Prieto -1994- 1995
• Rev. Msgr. Manuel Sebastian -1995- 1996
• Rev. Msgr. Bayani Valenzuela -1996- 2004
• Rev. Msgr. Manuel Gabriel, PC, STD -2004- 2011
• Rev. Fr. Rolando Agustin -2011–present

Notable alumni

• Luis Antonio G. Tagle - Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Manila, Titular Arch-priest of Church of Saint Felix of Cantalice of a Hundred Rooms
• Bishop Francisco de Leon - Auxiliary Bishop of Diocese of Antipolo
• Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga - Flag Officer in Command; Philippine Navy^[25]
• Rev. Msgr. Salvador Jose- Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Makati City
• Jaime Fresnedi - Present Mayor of Muntinlupa City
• Edward Hagedorn - Mayor; Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
• Florencio Bernabe Jr. - Mayor; Parañaque City^[26]
• Jessie Castillo - Former Mayor; Bacoor, Cavite
• Edgar O. Chua - Country Chairman, Shell
• Dennis Rodriguez - Former Minister of Health Guam
• Ted Failon - ABS-CBN News Anchor, DZMM Radio Announcer, Former Congressman Tacloban
• Cesar Cosme - TV Director, GMA Network^[27]

Affiliations

• Diocese of Parañaque Parochial Schools Association
• Manila Archdiocesan and Parochial Schools Association
• Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines
• Association for Supervision Curriculum and Development

Notes

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article: St. Andrew's School (Parañaque)

• Official Website of St. Andrew's School