A BRIEF HISTORY OF ST. ANTHONY’S COLLEGE
Introduction
St. Anthony’s College (SAC) was founded in 1957 by the Mill Hill Missionaries (MHM) namely Rev. Fr. Simon van Baars, Rev. Fr. Luis Zots, and Rev. Fr. John Daly. Founding SAC began with the purchase of Antique Academy whose programs would be assumed under a new organizational personality. SAC was transferred to San Angel in 1958 from its original site in Bantayan. On 4 August 1959, it was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), under SEC No. 15705.
The Mill Hill Missionaries managed St. Anthony’s College until 1975. Its first College President was Rev. Fr. Henry Hienkens (1958- 1962), followed by Rev. Fr. Clemens August Stockmann (1962-1967), Rev. Fr. Harry Janssen (1967-1972), Rev. Fr. Leonard Kellenaers (1972-1976), and Rev. Fr. James O’Donoghue who was Acting College President from March–August 1975.
In 1976, the Mill Hill Missionaries handed SAC over to the Prelature of San Jose de Antique pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 176 promulgated in 1973 which barred foreign nationals and corporations from managing or owning educational institutions in the country. Rev. Fr. Joaquin A. Dioso Jr., (1976-1983) an Antiqueno diocesan priest, became the first Filipino President of St. Anthony’s College. After him, other diocesan priests served as College Presidents: Rev. Fr. Fortunato M. Abiera (1983-1986); Rev. Fr. Jose Romeo O. Lazo, now Archbishop of Jaro, (1986-1989); Rev. Fr. Nicolas A. Rendon (1989-1997), Rev. Fr. Cornelio V. Ysulat, Jr. (1997-2007), Rev. Fr. Jose S. Bantolo, now Bishop Masbate, (2007-2011) and Rev. Fr. Edione R. Febrero (2011 – present).
Section : Programs / Accreditation / Enrolment / Physical Plant / Now
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, 1965. 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 of Science in Elementary Education (BSEED) and the Four-Year Education course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) were issued Government Recognition. Another Government Recognition was issued on June 21, 1968 for the Liberal Arts Course leading to the Degree of Bachelor of Arts (AB), while that of the Four-Year Collegiate Commercial Course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in 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 Civil Engineering (BSCE) was issued Government Recognition effective June 11, 1990, and the Four-Year Course in Bachelor of Science in Accountancy (BSA) was issued Government Recognition on June 4, 1993.
At the pre-elementary level, a kindergarten Course which was issued recognition on June 1, 1973 and which is a carry–over from San Jose Academy resulting from a merger with San Jose Academy 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 s. 2010 effective October 19, 2010, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), with Government Recognition No. 002 s. 2013, effective January 4, 2013, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) with Government Recognition No.13 s. 2012 issued on April 3, 2012 and Bachelor of Science in Accounting Technology (BSAT) with Government Recognition No. 05 s. 2013 effective January 18, 2013.
To raise the awareness and appreciation of vocational-technical education courses as an equally productive and dignified way of life for our high school graduates and college dropouts who can no longer afford 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 II, Food and Beverage Services NC II, Household Services NC II, and Healthcare Services NC II. 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 of these courses may be done on a per class basis ( 25 slots ) as regular student or as grantee availing of a TESDA 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 II 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 on January 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 II. In May 2007, the three programs were granted reaccreditation Level II. In AY 2012 - 2013, the three programs were 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 6,338. Succeeding enrolments showed an erratic pattern of ups and downs. For the last five years, the College maintained a student population of 5,000 plus from elementary to the collegiate levels.
Physical Plant
After the merger with San Jose Academy (SJA) another Catholic school run by the Religious of the Assumption, SAC now maintains two campuses - a one-hectare Grade School Campus (formerly SJA) at Brgy. 4, and a five-hectare Main Campus at Brgy. San Angel. The Main Campus has 11 primarily instructional buildings, seven student services buildings, four administrative buildings, and an oval for large outdoor activities.
The Grade School Campus (the former SJA school) has one administrative/instructional building, two instructional buildings, one student services building, one administrative building, and a sports court, and houses the Grade School Department.
In the Main Campus, the first four rooms of the single–storey 1959 Heinkens Bldg. are occupied by the newly established Student Affairs Services (SAS)Division. The first room is the Student Development and Welfare Office (SDWO), the second is the Christian Formation Office (FSO), the third room is the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs Services and the fourth is the Institutional Student Programs Services Office (ISPSO). The last two big rooms are the Biology and Chemistry laboratories of the High School.
Another single-storey 1962 Verheyen Bldg. has seven standard- sized rooms now being used as the Office of the Dean of the Department of Teacher Education (DTE), the DTE Faculty Room, classrooms, and the Housekeeping, Massage Therapy, and Food laboratories of the Technical Education Department.
At the center of the campus, the two-storey Vaughan Building serves as an administrative building. At the ground floor, it houses the Office of the College President, the VP for Administration, the VP for Academic Affairs, the Finance Officer and the Finance section, the Registrar’s Office, the Human Resource and Development Office and the Audio-Visual Room (AVR). On the second floor, it houses the LRC Annex for the Periodical Section with two discussion rooms, the Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO), the Laboratory Services Office (LSO), the Physical Plant Office (PPO), the Business Resource Center (BRC) combined in one area, the Quality Assurance Office, the Food and Beverage Service (FBS) Assessment Center, and the Priests’ Quarters. The Vaughan Bldg. is a solarized building.
At the back of the Vaughan Building is the Learning Resource Center or the main library, fully air-conditioned, with its various sections. Around the perimeter of the LRC but separately constructed is the Delaney Building housing the Clinic, the offices, classrooms for the Engineering, and the Information Technology Departments, Chemistry, Physics, and Computer laboratories for higher education departments.
Beside and connected by a covered walk to the Vaughan Building, the three-storey solarized Oomen Bldg. the houses 23 SHS classrooms, three Liberal Arts classrooms, two Faculty Rooms, HS Principal’s Office, and two student organization offices. A small building located between the Oomen Bldg. the Verheyen Bldg. houses a classroom and a laboratory canteen.
Adjacent to the Oomen Bldg. is the newly constructed FAITH (Forum for Accessing Interconnectedness, Teamwork, and Harmony) Center, which is a covered pool with a lounging area for gatherings. Beside this building is the 2019 ship-shaped rigging wall of the Maritime Education Department.
Next to the FAITH Center is the La Mennais Building (LMB), formerly the technical building of the La Mennais Brothers. It is now houses the Technical Education Department, the Computer laboratories, and the laboratories of the BS Marine Engineering Program.
The three-storey building near the entrance gate is a 2002 New High School (NHS) Bldg. constructed with assistance of the Basque government. The building houses 14 Junior High School classrooms, the Office of the Principal and Assistant Principal, the Faculty Rooms, the Computer laboratories, and the Office of the Safety and Security Officer.
Across the NHS Bldg. is the three-storey Maritime Bldg. constructed in 2010. It houses six laboratories, five classrooms, a Faculty Room, Dean’s Office, and an On-Board Training Office. Next to the Maritime Building is the three-storey HOPE.COM. It houses the JHS Library and classrooms.
The covered court, the Bishop Martirez Hall (BMH), constructed in 2001 has a classroom for PE courses and a dressing room. The annex to the main canteen built in 2008 has been converted into the Office of the Dean and the Faculty Room for the Liberal Arts Department.
The Bishop De Wit Hall is a multi-purpose hall which double as the College Auditorium. It has 18 classrooms from the BS Criminology Program. It also houses the Crime and Crime Scene laboratories, and the offices of the Criminology Interns, External Relations Office, and the DRIVE Office.
The three-storey Mill Hill Missionary (MHM) Building was completed in 2015. To date, the building is occupied by the Business Education and the Nursing Departments. It has 16 classrooms, a laboratory, a Faculty Room, and a Dean’s Office. Nursing classrooms in this building are augmented by four additional classrooms in the adjacent Mill Hill Philippines (MHP) Bldg. constructed in 2022.
The 2024 three-storey LOVE (Learning Oasis for Value-adding Education) Bldg. houses the Nursing Laboratories. This building is occupied by the Business Education and Nursing Departments.
A Chapel constructed in 2008 is now used for the regular Masses and other Sacraments done by the College, and for external services like weddings, funerals, and baptisms. It has also been installed with a new retablo this 2024. St. Anthony’s College is a chaplaincy of the Parish of St. Joseph the Worker.
The main College Canteen, the Tony’s Cafe´ has been renovated into a fully air-conditioned facility. In AY 2018-2019, a satellite canteen has been constructed beside the MHM Bldg. and is managed by the Mensa Domini Sisters.
SAC also has a house and lot bought in 2007 in Boracay, Malay, Aklan. The house has been converted into a staff house equipped with amenities to provide the SAC community most especially the BSHM practicum students with a safe place to lodge.
St. Anthony’s College Now
SAC in its 66th year of existence continues to brave the challenges pursuing its role not only in providing quality Catholic Education to all Antiquen˜os but also as a development agent in the community. With the newly established division, Student Affairs Services, emphasis is given to the formation of the students not only in consideration of the core values of academic excellence but importantly in consideration of the core values of spirituality and community service. Before the start of SY 2024-2025, the school, guided by the new vision, mission, goals, and virtues of its patron saint, Anthony of Padua, has spelled out the Life Performance Skills (LPOs) and their Performance Indicators (PIs) needed to be attained by the pupils/students.Still consistent with the three institutional core values of spirituality, academic excellence, and community service, the LPOs are summed up in three key outcomes – an Anthonian pupil/student is a spiritual, achiever, and committed to serve.