A Brief History of St. Anthony's College
Introduction
Before 1958, not one of the Catholic educational institutions already in existence in Antique offers both Basic Education and Higher Education. The dream to offer both was realized in 1958 after the Mill Elill Missionarics purchased Antique Academy and renamed it St. Anthony’s College.
In June 1959, the school site was transferred to a five-hectare lot in Bagumbayan under the management of the Mill Hill Missionaries. In that same year on August 4, St. Anthony's College was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), bearing SEC No. 15705. In 1976, the College was handed over by the Mill Hill Missionaries to the Prelature of San Jose de Antique which in 1983 became the Diocese of San Jose de Antique. -
From the time the College was bought, management was under the helm of a Mill Hill Father as the College President. However, four years after the declaration of Martial Law, a decree was passed barring foreign nationals from holding key positions or public office in the country; hence in 1976, Fr. Joaquin A. Dioso Jr., a Filipino and an Antiquefio Diocesan priest, became the sixth College President. After him, other Diocesan priests served as College Presidents: Rev. Fr. Fortunato M. Abiera (7th), Rev. Fr. Jose Romeo O. Lazo (8th),now Bishop of the Diocese of San Jose de Antique, Rev. Fr. Nicolas A. Rendon (9th), Rev. Fr. Cornelio V. Ysulat, Jr. (10th) , and Rev. Fr. Jose S. Bantolo (11th), now Bishop of the Diocese of Masbate, each putting an indelible mark in the life of St. Anthony’s College.
Programs
St. Anthony’s College (SAC) started operating at the old Bantayan site in School Year 1958-1959, continuing the complete secondary education offered by then Antique Academy per Government Recognition No. 20, s. 1949. That same school year, SAC accepted enrolment for tertiary education with the opening of the Two-Year General Liberal Arts course leading to the title of Associate in Arts (AA), which was issued Government Recognition on June 23, 1959. Another One-Year Collegiate Secretarial Course with a Certificate in Secretarial Science (CSS) was offered and was issued Government Recognition on May 4, 1960. On the same date, the Two-Year Collegiate Commercial Course leading to the title Associate in Commercial Science (ACS) was also issued Government Recognition. The Two-Year Secretarial Course with a Diploma in Secretarial Science (DSS) was issued Government Recognition on June 9, 1965S. Meanwhile, Grades 1 to IV was issued Government Recognition effective August 3, 1964 and a year later , Grades V to VI was issued Government Recognition effective July 19, 1965. While applications for permits to operate and conduct Four-Year Degree Courses were filed with the concerned government agency at earlier dates, it was on June 9, 1965 that the Four Year Collegiate Normal Course leading to the degree of Bachelor op Science in Elementary Education (BSEED) and the Four-Year Education course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) were issued Governmery Recognition. Another Government Recognition was issued on June 21, 1968 for the - Liberal Arts Course leading to the Degree of Bachclor of Arts (AB), while that of the Four-Year Collegiate Commercial Course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science jp Commerce (BSC) was issued on October 22, 1975. On September 10, 1990, the Five, Year Civil Engineering Course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Ciyj Engineering (BSCE) was issued Government Recognition effective June 11, 1990, ang the Four-Year Course in Bachclor of Science in Accountancy (BSA) was issue Government Recognition on June 4, 1993.
At the pre-elementary level, Kindergarten was issued recognition on June 1, 1973 and which is a carry—oyer from San Jose Academy (SJA) as a result of the merger with SJA, continues to bring in enrollees. The desire to serve the little children to prepare them for the primary grades prompted the administration to file an application to operate and conduct Pre-Elementary Education (Kinder I, Kinder II and Prep.) which was granted recognition on June 3, 1996.
Seeing the need to offer short term courses, the administration applied for permits to operate and conduct the following non-degree courses: One-Year Proficiency in Computer Training (PCT) recognized on January 14, 1993; Two-Year Certificate in Computer Technology (CCT) recognized on the same date including the Short-Term Computer Courses. Three years after, on January 30, 1996 the Two —Year Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) course earned Government Recognition. Other TESDA supervised courses offered were Two-Year Hotel Restaurant Management, Two-Year ‘Computer Programmer, Two-Year Computer Secretarial, Two-Year Computer Technician and One-Year Data Encoder, all issued recognition on June 28, 2002. The One-Year Caregiver NC II was issued recognition on May 31, 2004. However, some of these non-degree courses which are TESDA supervised were shelved.
Another addition to the Five-Year Degree Program offered by the College is the Five-Year Course in Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (BSCpE) which was issued Government Recognition on October 5, 2005. On December 20, 2007, the Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management (BSHM) was granted Government Recognition No. 021 s. 2007 and the program was “ladderized” to serve the clientele who opt for short term skill enhancement training, bringing to fore the existing short-term courses under the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Other new degree programs were offered since Academic Year 2008-2009: Bachelor of Science in Criminology (BS Crim.) with Government Recognition No. 17 5 2010 effective October 19, 2010, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), operating undef TP No. 47 s.2010 and undergoing processes for Government Recognition, Bachelor Science in Information Technology (BSIT) with Government Recognition No.13 s. 2012 jssued on April 3, 2012 while Bachelor of Science in Accounting Technology (BSAT) now on its Third Curriculum Level applies for Government Recognition in AY 2013-2014.
To raise the awareness and appreciation of vocational-technical education courses as an equally productive and dignified may of life for our high school graduates and college dropouts who can no longer alTord a degree course and to help them gain increased job acceptance not only in the local market but also abroad. the administration applied for competency-based courses -a job oriented education- namely. Computer Hardware Servicing NC II, Commercial Cooking NC It. Food and Beverage Services NC 11. Household Services NC 11, and Healthcare Services NC 11. These courses are but a few of TESDA's priority programs aimed at developing well formed and highly skilled workers. At St. Anthony's College. enrolment in any one or these courses may he done on a per class basis ( 25 slots ) as regular student or as grantee availing of a TISSDA scholarship.
St. Anthony's College, now an assessment center for Health Care Services NC II and Care Giving NC II. also opens its doors to Health Care Services NC 11 trainees and Care Giving NC II trainees wishing to take assessment.
Accreditation
The desire of the College to undergo voluntary accreditation started in March 1981 when Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) granted the College with Applicant Status. In July 1986, PAASCU conducted its formal visit and 011January 26, 1987, the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) certified the Liberal Arts. Education, and Commerce Programs as having met the standards and fulfilled all the requirements of PAASCU and granted Level II status until September 1990. The programs were reaccredited on May 9. 1991 valid until July 1996. On June 30, 1996, the College was granted Deregulated Level II status for Accountancy, Commerce. Education and Liberal Arts programs valid until 2001. From 2001 to 2007, Business Administration (Commerce) Education and Liberal Arts were granted Deregulated Status, Level 11. In May 2007. the three programs were granted reaccreditation Level 11. This AY 2012 - 2013, the three programs will be resurveyed for Level II status.
Enrolment
When St. Anthony's College started, it had a population of 78 college students handled by eight faculty members and 230 high school students under six teachers. Since then, enrolment steadily increased reaching an all time high of 6.107 total enrolments registered for School-Year 1984-1985. School Year 1983-1984 registered the highest for college enrolments totaling 5.574. Succeeding enrolments showed an erratic pattem of ups and downs. For the last five years, the College maintained a student population of 3,000 plus from elementary to the collegiate levels.
Physical Plant
The first one-storey concrete building with seven standard-sized classrooms, now named Heinkeins Building, was constructed in April 1959. This was occupied by both high school and college students then but now only the high school students are using it In 1962, the High School Building , another one-storey concrete structure with seven standard-sized rooms was constructed. Now this building is called Verheyen Building and is used by the Liberal Arts-Education Department as classrooms and laboratory rooms. At the center stands the two-storey Administration Building or the Cardinal Vaughan Building, as it is known presently. Its second floor houses the periodicals, discussion room and archives sections of the Learning Resource Center, the Accreditation Office, the BSHM laboratory and the quarters for priests. On the ground floor, administrative offices and the Audio-visual Room (AVR) can be found. At the back of the Administration Building is the Learning Resource Center or the library, fully air. conditioned. with it various sections. In 1997, the mezzanine, now the Faculty, Research and Computer Center, was constructed right above the Circulations Section of the library. Around the perimeter of the library but separately constructed is the Delaney Building housing multi-purpose rooms: classrooms for the Engineering and Technology Department, offices, and multi-media room and science laboratories. Fronting Verheyen Building but connected to Cardinal Vaughan Building by a covered walk stands the three-storey Commerce Building, now known as the Oomen Building. Its two upper storeys are used by the Business Education Department as classrooms. The rooms at the ground floor are occupied by the Liberal Arts-Education Department, the Business Education Department and the offices of the Student Affairs and the Student Republic. Additional constructed buildings were the two-storey La Mennais Building, so named because its construction was made possible with the help of the La Mennais Brothers. The ground floor is used for SAC-Technical Training Program (TTP) and the second storey houses the Information and Communications Technology Officer (ICTO) and the computer laboratories.
The new high school building was constructed through the assistance of the Basque government in 2002. The Covered Court was constructed in 2001 and furnished with a dressing room in 2003. In 2007, SAC bought a house and lot in Boracay, Malay, Aklan. The house was converted into a staff house equipped with amenities to provide SAC community most especially the HRM/BSI-IM practicum students with a safe place to lodge. The annex to the main canteen built in 2008 not houses the Christian Formation Ministry and the two-storey Nursing building was constructed in 2010. Since then there have been plenty of room renovations and extensions done and changes in room assignments, all pointing to the administration's desire to improve its physical plant to better serve its clientele.
St. Anthony's College Now
Under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Edione R. Febrero, JCL. STB, who assumed office as the 12th president of St. Anthony's College on October 5, 2011, the College sets wider directions for its continuing role not only in providing quality Catholic Education to all Antiqueiios but also as an evangelizing arm of the Diocese.
Fr. Febrero's entry in time for the Golden Jubilee of the Diocese as a local church underscores the role played by St. Anthony's College under his leadership and a challenge for hire to lead the SAC community members to live the three core values: S-Spirituality. A-Academic Excellence. and C-Community Service.
With the new Strategic Plan, which emphasizes holistic, quality and satisfying service to all stakeholders, set for the next five years (2011-2016), the College is challenged to fulfill and live its Philosophy of Education. Vision, Mission and Objectives:
Philosophy of Education
Education is creating a transformation from within the human person, making hint a fully integrated personality with incentives to achieve and to excel, one with Christ and with the local church in building Christian communities
Vision
St. Anthony's College is a Catholic Educational institution committed to holistic human formation through Spirituality, Academic excellence and Community service. Mission To provide quality. holistic, relevant educational programs, services and experiences for our students and other stakeholders in Antique and the larger community.
Institutional Objectives
1. Form clientele to become mature Christians with Gospel values of leadership. responsibility and compassion.
2. Promote academic excellence through the des elopment of competencies and attitudes for global compatibility.
3. Build a community where recognition and acceptance. support and encouragement of one another are nurtured and,
4. Respond to the needs of the larger community through one's involvement.