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/
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