|  | 
| Pilar College Zamboanga City | 
Pilar College is private sectarian school in Zamboanga City, Philippines. It is located at R.T. Lim boulevard. The school is known to be the oldest school in the city founded on the year 1894 by the Beaterio sisters.
Vision
We The Pilar College Community Envision An Integral Human And Christian Formation For The transformation Of the Society.
Mission
Pilar College is committed to the formation of the whole person for 
the service of God and community with preferential love for the poor.
History
A school owned and administered by the Religious of the Virgin Mary 
(RVM), pioneered Catholic education in the Southwestern part of 
Mindanao. Dedicated to the education of the children and the youth of 
Zamboanga City and the surrounding provinces, today it offers three 
levels of learning: elementary, secondary and college. Pilar College was
 founded in 1894 as a Cartilla School by the Beaterio Sisters who 
evacuated from Tamontaca, Cotabato.One of the two sisters who started 
the Cartilla School in 1894 was Mother Ma. Antera Cruz, RVM.
The school was originally located in front of Plaza Pershing where 
the City Theatre now stands. The lot and the house belonged to the 
Lerenzo family of Zamboanga City. The Philippine Revolution of 1896 
brought the Sisters back to Manila, where they were reunited with the 
RVM Sisters in the Beaterio Convent in Sta. Lucia, Intramuros, Manila.
 The educational ministry, started in Zamboanga, was disrupted during 
the years that followed. Those were years of waiting, of preparing the 
“seed of sowing”. In 1903, upon the request of the Rev. father Superior 
of the Jesuit Mission
 in Mindanao, the Sisters returned to Zamboanga to resume their work in 
the school and in the parish as catechists. Mother Severina Santos was 
the Superior of the RVM Community in Zamboanga. Her companions were M. 
Rafael Galvez, M. Jaojoco, and a Junior Sister, Justina Rais. The 
Cartilla School admitted both boys and girls. Classes included the 
following: Bible Study (Historia Sagrada), Christian Doctrine 
(Catecismo), Christian Manners (Urbanidad Cristiana), Spanish Grammar 
(Gramatica Espanola), Arithmetic (Arithmetica), Geography (Geographia), 
and Home Arts, Flower-making, and House-keeping (Labores for girls). 
From the Cartilla and advanced Spanish lessons, the Sisters gradually 
worked to open the Primary and Elementary Courses in 1914. Government 
Recognition for the Elementary Graduation was granted in 1918. From the 
first graduates were chosen teachers for the Primary and Intermediate 
Grades, Mother Josefa Regino, among them. She joined the RVM 
congregation in 1926. The Association of ‘Ex-Alumna” was organized in 
1914 with Mother Pilar Fernanadez as Moderator. Miss Manuela Rodriguez 
was secretary for many years. Among the first members of the association
 were Mrs. Encarnacion Enriquez-Barrios, Mrs. Ramona Alvarez-Lledo of 
tetuan, Mrs. Aurelia Asuncion-Lledo, Mrs. Zoila Domingo-Enriquez, 
Josefina Silve Camins, Rosario Silva Solis and Mother Josefa Regino. 
These former students were very active in parish religious activities. 
At present the name, “Ex-Alumna”, has been changed to “Pilar College 
Alumnae Association”. In 1920, the school was transferred to the old 
“Hospital Senora del Pilar” in Cawa-Cawa Boulevard. The girls High 
School was opened, with Mother Candelaria Tarcela as the first 
Principal. The school was named “Pilar Institution”. The Government 
Recognition for the High School was granted in 1928 permit to open the 
Junior Normal College was given in 1940.
The two-year College Secretarial Course opened in 1940.Classes were disrupted when World War II
 broke out 1941. The Sisters evacuated in two groups: one went to 
Tetuan, the other, to Tulungatung, both in Zamboanga City. Aside from 
the little donations they received, the Sisters supported themselves by 
planting rice and vegetable, weaving hats, making slippers, and baking 
cakes for sale. Their life of trust in the Divine Providence saw them 
safely through the war years. Immediately after liberation in 1945, the 
Sisters resumed classes for the elementary and High School levels in one
 floor building of sawali and nipa in La Purisima St, where Ateneo de Zamboanga University
 is located at present, through the initiative of Mother Carmen Perez, 
the principal. For lack of classrooms, the school administration 
resorted to three shifts of classes: morning for the elementary 
department, afternoon for the High School, and evening for the College. 
In 1946, Pilar Institution graduated 35 high school students in the 
temporary school building in the present location. In 1948, Pilar 
Institution graduated 7 young ladies from the Junior Normal Course and 
48 from the high School. On June 21 of the same year, Bishop Luis de 
Rosario, SJ, DD blessed and laid the cornerstone of a semi-concrete, two
 storey building facing the sea. In 1949 classes were transferred to 
this new building which stood at the old site of the Nuestra Senora del 
Pilar Hospiral. The new school building was blessed on September 24, 
1949. More building were constructed as enrolment increased. The wooden 
Elementary building was put up in 1951, followed by the Auditorium in 
1957, and the Music building in 1959. The one-room Chapel was replaced 
by a beautiful two-wing concrete building, as envisioned by an RVM 
Architect, S. Ma. Mauricia Tapang. The Home Economics building and the 
Sisters' convent were designed by the same architect. They were finished
 and blessed in 1964. A semi-concrete one-storey Science building 
replaced the old laboratory in 1967. The completion of the façade facing
 the sea, the spacious campus surrounding the landmark of our Lady of 
the Pilar, the gardens and the sea breeze that refreshes the whole area 
make Pilar College an ideal place conductive to learning. Together with 
the expansion of the school buildings, academic, spiritual, and moral 
growth continued to be the thrust of the school. With improved 
facilities and the increase in college courses, the Pilar Institution 
assumed College status and was named “Pilar College”. It offers courses 
in Education, Liberal Arts, Home Arts, Home Economics and bachelor of 
Music. In 1947, Government recognition was given to the Education 
courses. From 1949 to 1971, Pilar College has been turning out college 
graduates yearly who were needed in both for the private and the public 
schools. However, due to the opening of nearby school, the Zamboanga 
Normal School, in particular, the administration of Pilar decided to 
gradually phase out the college courses in 1972. From this year on, 
Pilar College concentrated on elementary, High Schools and the College 
of Music Education. The lack of religious teachers in 1975 brought out 
the Religious training Program to prepared the teachers to handle 
Christian Living Classes. This was integrated into the bi-monthly, in 
service training program designed for teachers and non-teaching 
personnel.
The increasing enrollment of the Elementary Department necessitated 
the construction of a bigger building. In 1977, the wooden building was 
replaced by a sprawling concrete one. Likewise, the Music Department was
 enlarged to house seven Yamaha organs in 1979. The opening of Yamaha 
Organ School attracted many students. Worth mentioning in the evolving 
history of Pilar College was the beautiful presentation of a 500-voice 
marian Concert, entitled “A tribute to Mary” during the Marian Year, 
commemorating the bimellineum (200th) birth anniversary of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary. It also marked the Diamond Jubillee of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga.
 In line with the thrust to upgrade the education, Pilar College 
undertook the process of accreditation of the High School. Self-survey 
started in 1981, leading to the preliminary PAASCU visit in 1984 and the
 subsequent formal visit. In 1987, the PAASCU (Philippines Accrediting 
Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities) gave the formal stamp
 of an accredited status to the High School Department. This made Pilar 
College the third accredited school of region IX. In 1990, the re-survey
 of the PAASCU Team resulted of a five-year Accreditation to the High 
School. During the last decade was the 1994 Celebration of the 
Centennial Jubillee Year of Pilar College. Among the most significant 
activities were the solemn concelebrated Masses of Thanksgiving held at 
the launching and the closing of the Centennial Year, the Field 
Demonstrations, Motorcade with the Centennial Queen and Princesses, The 
Historical Exhibit, a testimonial Dinner and Award Night with a 
tableau-Vignette depicting “Pilar College Through The Years”. Various 
activities—spiritual, cultural, academic, and reach out-were scheduled 
throughout the Centennial Year. A big project undertaken in 1994 was the
 construction of a new school building, to replace the old one fronting 
the sea. The new “Mother Ignacia Building” houses twenty classrooms, the
 high school and the college Library, Clinic, Guidance Center, and 
several offices.
In the same year, 1994 the high school Department started admitting 
boys to the first year, thus making all three department-grade school, 
high school and College—co-educational. The Grade School which as 
formally visited by PAASCU Team in February 1994 and October 1995, was 
granted Accreditation on January 25, 1996. The High School, which was 
re-visited by the PAASCU team on August 26–27, 1996 was granted 
re-accreditation on July 31, 1997. The Grade School Department went 
under intensities preparation for the PAASCU re-visit on February 22–23,
 1999 it was granted five year accreditation.
Courses offered
- BS in Tourism
- BS in Hotel and Restaurant Management
- BS in Nursing
- BS in Computer Science
- BS in Info. Management
- Associate in Computer Technology
- BS in Education
- BS in Commerce
External links
For more information go to http://pczc.edu.ph/