Our Lady of the Pillar College - San Manuel Campus
History
“It started with a vision….. and now a reality.”
This dictum embodies Our Lady of the Pillar College from its self-effacing beginnings as to what it is at present as it formally opens its new campus, the OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR COLLEGE – SAN MANUEL (OLPC-SM) in District 3, San Manuel, Isabela.
Way back in March 2004 when the Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in San Manuel, Isabela was turned over to the Diocese of Ilagan, former Bishop Sergio L. Utleg pulled out Rev. Fr. Floyd C. Codog from his assignment as parish priest of St. John the Evangelist in Quirino, Isabela and assigned him to be the first diocesan pastor of the Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in San Manuel taking over from the La Salette Missionaries.
It is Father Codog’s love for education that has started to what has become the OLPC-SM now. Not everybody knew that he was a college instructor before he became a priest. For eight years he taught at St. Ferdinand College in the City of Ilagan and for three years at St. Paul Seminary in Makati.
When he came to San Manuel, he established a kindergarten school, then known as the School of Our Lady of Lourdes and is being operated by the parish. From then on, Father Codog had to make sure that everything was in order for the school. He applied for permit to operate every year and had the school registered in the Security and Exchange Commission on September 20, 2007.
Having started with only 32 pupils in two classrooms, he was able to completely establish the elementary within the span of four years.
The parents’ clamor to have the complete elementary level lingered on as he was able to have the first batch of graduates of the School of Our Lady of Lourdes. After having the first batch of elementary graduates, Father Codog, as the Board Secretary, made a final proposal to the Board of Trustees (BOT) of Our Lady of the Pillar College-Cauayan (OLPC) to open a branch in San Manuel. Thus, on July 24, 2009, the BOT finally approved the establishment of OLPC branch in the municipality.
On August 12, 2009, Father Codog together with Msgr. Marino D. Gatan, OLPC president, Mr. Exuperio V. Flores, Jr., OLPC executive vice president, and Engr. Bautista paid a courtesy call to Hon. Reynaldo P. Abesamis, M.D., mayor of San Manuel for the project. On August 19, 2009, the group submitted the necessary documents to the Sangguniang Bayan Council of San Manuel for the approval and special hearing.
On September 9, 2009, Most Reverend Joseph A. Nacua, OFM.,Cap., Bishop of the Diocese of Ilagan, graced the laying of the cornerstone of the school building during the groundbreaking ceremonies of Our Lady of the Pillar College-San Manuel Campus. The two-storey building was situated in a 4.8 hectares of land. The event was attended by the members of the Board of Trustees of OLPC-Cauayan, the administration and staff headed by Msgr. Gatan and Mr. Flores as well as the student representatives from the different departments. Present in the affair were the local officials of the Municipality of San Manuel headed by Mayor Abesamis, M.D. and Vice Mayor William Mapatac together with the constituents of the town. DepEd officials were also present in the event headed by Dr. Lilian Pasion, District Supervisor of San Manuel. A Day after the groundbreaking, the work started in full blast as the construction of the school building was expected to be completed by April 2010 in time for the opening of classes for the school year 2010-2011.
In January 2010, Mr. Ronald R. Dancel, MBA, Director of the OLPC Human Resource and Marketing Department together with a group of college instructors and selected students started the career campaign for prospective students to enroll at OLPC-San Manuel. The school accepts enrollees for Kindergartens 1 and 2, complete Elementary level from Grades 1 to 6, First year high school level, and the Tertiary level offering courses in Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with majors.
On June 1, 2010, Msgr. Gatan led the OLPC family and the community of San Manuel in the blessing and inauguration of OLPC-SM by the Most Reverend Bishop Nacua. The school was to be called “Bishop Joseph A. Nacua Campus” which housed 20 classrooms. The affair was again attended by the members of the BOT, OLPC-C administration, faculty and staff, and some pupils/students. Making the occasion more memorable was the presence of Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Regional Director Dr. Evelyn Pascua who did the ribbon cutting assisted by District Supervisor Dr. Lilia Pasion, and Hon. Vice Mayor William Mapatac on behalf of Hon. Reynaldo Abesamis.
On June 7, 2010, classes in the College department formally opened. It was followed by the opening of classes in the Elementary and Secondary departments on June 15, 2010 with a record of 481 students/pupils comprising 43 pupils in the Kindergarten, 184 pupils in the Elementary, 39 students in the High school, and 215 students in the College.
Since then, the number of enrollees grew larger and new employees were added to the faculty and staff of Our Lady of the Pillar College- San Manuel. After more than a year of hard work, a four- storey building now stands high housing the College Department and most of the administrative offices. This building was inaugurated and blessed by the Most Reverened Bishop Joseph Nacua on Septempber 11, 2013.
Now, Our Lady of the Pillar College San Manuel Branch has a total of 686 enrollees: 428-college students, 108- high school students, and 150- elementary students.
The school still continues its legacy: Catholic and Quality Education, and perseveres to edify people that would somehow contribute to the welfare of the society.
This dictum embodies Our Lady of the Pillar College from its self-effacing beginnings as to what it is at present as it formally opens its new campus, the OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR COLLEGE – SAN MANUEL (OLPC-SM) in District 3, San Manuel, Isabela.
Way back in March 2004 when the Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in San Manuel, Isabela was turned over to the Diocese of Ilagan, former Bishop Sergio L. Utleg pulled out Rev. Fr. Floyd C. Codog from his assignment as parish priest of St. John the Evangelist in Quirino, Isabela and assigned him to be the first diocesan pastor of the Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in San Manuel taking over from the La Salette Missionaries.
It is Father Codog’s love for education that has started to what has become the OLPC-SM now. Not everybody knew that he was a college instructor before he became a priest. For eight years he taught at St. Ferdinand College in the City of Ilagan and for three years at St. Paul Seminary in Makati.
When he came to San Manuel, he established a kindergarten school, then known as the School of Our Lady of Lourdes and is being operated by the parish. From then on, Father Codog had to make sure that everything was in order for the school. He applied for permit to operate every year and had the school registered in the Security and Exchange Commission on September 20, 2007.
Having started with only 32 pupils in two classrooms, he was able to completely establish the elementary within the span of four years.
The parents’ clamor to have the complete elementary level lingered on as he was able to have the first batch of graduates of the School of Our Lady of Lourdes. After having the first batch of elementary graduates, Father Codog, as the Board Secretary, made a final proposal to the Board of Trustees (BOT) of Our Lady of the Pillar College-Cauayan (OLPC) to open a branch in San Manuel. Thus, on July 24, 2009, the BOT finally approved the establishment of OLPC branch in the municipality.
On August 12, 2009, Father Codog together with Msgr. Marino D. Gatan, OLPC president, Mr. Exuperio V. Flores, Jr., OLPC executive vice president, and Engr. Bautista paid a courtesy call to Hon. Reynaldo P. Abesamis, M.D., mayor of San Manuel for the project. On August 19, 2009, the group submitted the necessary documents to the Sangguniang Bayan Council of San Manuel for the approval and special hearing.
On September 9, 2009, Most Reverend Joseph A. Nacua, OFM.,Cap., Bishop of the Diocese of Ilagan, graced the laying of the cornerstone of the school building during the groundbreaking ceremonies of Our Lady of the Pillar College-San Manuel Campus. The two-storey building was situated in a 4.8 hectares of land. The event was attended by the members of the Board of Trustees of OLPC-Cauayan, the administration and staff headed by Msgr. Gatan and Mr. Flores as well as the student representatives from the different departments. Present in the affair were the local officials of the Municipality of San Manuel headed by Mayor Abesamis, M.D. and Vice Mayor William Mapatac together with the constituents of the town. DepEd officials were also present in the event headed by Dr. Lilian Pasion, District Supervisor of San Manuel. A Day after the groundbreaking, the work started in full blast as the construction of the school building was expected to be completed by April 2010 in time for the opening of classes for the school year 2010-2011.
In January 2010, Mr. Ronald R. Dancel, MBA, Director of the OLPC Human Resource and Marketing Department together with a group of college instructors and selected students started the career campaign for prospective students to enroll at OLPC-San Manuel. The school accepts enrollees for Kindergartens 1 and 2, complete Elementary level from Grades 1 to 6, First year high school level, and the Tertiary level offering courses in Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with majors.
On June 1, 2010, Msgr. Gatan led the OLPC family and the community of San Manuel in the blessing and inauguration of OLPC-SM by the Most Reverend Bishop Nacua. The school was to be called “Bishop Joseph A. Nacua Campus” which housed 20 classrooms. The affair was again attended by the members of the BOT, OLPC-C administration, faculty and staff, and some pupils/students. Making the occasion more memorable was the presence of Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Regional Director Dr. Evelyn Pascua who did the ribbon cutting assisted by District Supervisor Dr. Lilia Pasion, and Hon. Vice Mayor William Mapatac on behalf of Hon. Reynaldo Abesamis.
On June 7, 2010, classes in the College department formally opened. It was followed by the opening of classes in the Elementary and Secondary departments on June 15, 2010 with a record of 481 students/pupils comprising 43 pupils in the Kindergarten, 184 pupils in the Elementary, 39 students in the High school, and 215 students in the College.
Since then, the number of enrollees grew larger and new employees were added to the faculty and staff of Our Lady of the Pillar College- San Manuel. After more than a year of hard work, a four- storey building now stands high housing the College Department and most of the administrative offices. This building was inaugurated and blessed by the Most Reverened Bishop Joseph Nacua on Septempber 11, 2013.
Now, Our Lady of the Pillar College San Manuel Branch has a total of 686 enrollees: 428-college students, 108- high school students, and 150- elementary students.
The school still continues its legacy: Catholic and Quality Education, and perseveres to edify people that would somehow contribute to the welfare of the society.
Credits:
Ronald Mayo
Diana Rose Limos
“The Pillar”
Ronald Mayo
Diana Rose Limos
“The Pillar”