The Origin and its Development - The forerunner
of the DWCL, is the Liceo de Albay, a Diocesan parochial
school for boys owned and managed by Rev. Fr. Juan
Carullo, a native of Malinao, Albay. Fr. Carullo
was a retired Army Chaplain, and when he left the
military service his retirement pay and other personal
money were all invested in a school which he himself
has founded and devoted the rest of his life managing.
This was about 1958-1959. At the beginning, the
school was exclusively for high school boys as St.
Agnes was the high school for girls. Among the associates
of Fr. Carullo were Msrg. Justiniano Romano, Fr.
Alfonso Molina, Fr. William Rehante, and Fr. Rustico
Burce, among others. Sometime in 1952 a very strong
typhoon visited Albay which brought about so much
untold sufferings to many people and among those
affected was the Liceo de Albay which was badly
damaged by the typhoon. Because of the effects of
the typhoon, the living conditions of the people
became very difficult, and operating the school
was becoming untenable. It was also at this time
that SVD was looking for a place to put up a school
here in Albay. According to a very reliable informant,
a certain Fr. Joseph Bates kept coming back and
forth sometime in 1959-1960 to the Bishop and was
arranging and negotiating for the acquisition of
the Liceo de Albay. Circumstances at the management
level of Liceo seemed to be no longer favorable
to continue the management of the school due to
problems related to finances. So it was evident
that God interceded for the transfer of the ownership
of Liceo de Albay from its former owner, Fr. Juan
Carullo to the SVD's led by Fr. Joseph Bates. In
1959 the formal transfer of ownership and management
was affected. It was allegedly for a consideration
of Php30,000.00. Reconstruction now began to shape-up.
Fr. Joseph Bates poured in his personal finances
and brought money from that of his family and friends,
from the United State of America. He was a very
good fundraiser for the reconstruction of the school.
Meanwhile the SVD's and Fr. Bastes were now in Legazpi
for good and while he was here, he brought many
people form Bohol and other personalities who altogether
helped him build and ran the Liceo de Albay. When
the Bicol Association of Catholic Schools (BACS)
was formed, Fr. Bates was chosen as its chairman.
Then, another priest by the name of Fr. Honesto
Moraleda, who was the parish priest of St. Micahel
Parish in Oas, Albay came to know Fr. Bates in the
course of their jointly running the affairs of the
BACS, including the holding of the very successful
BACS Meet. The two (2) came to know each other very
closely and so, Fr. Bates invited Fr. Moraleda to
join him in the school and with the permission of
Bishop Flaviano B. Ariola, Fr. Honesto Moraleda
officially joined Fr. Bates and became the 1st High
School Principal while Fr. Bates was the Director.
In 1961 the Liceo de Albay became the Divine Word
High School, later to become Divine Word College
of Legazpi.
Underlying
Pioneering Philosophy - When the project of starting
a school was decided by the SVDs, the pioneering spirit
was its mission of spreading a Catholic Education
and in so doing, provide a wide latitude of opportunities
to boys in this part of the region. To start with
was the most trying times because, the situations
or conditions obtaining at that time were such that
only a man with firm resolve will attempt to do. The
Liceo de Albay was facing financial difficulty due
to dwindling enrolment. The physical state of the
building which was purchased at a cost of Php30,000.00
was not yet ready to admit an influx of new enrollees.
In fact, Fr. Bates and Seminarian Flor Camacho would
sleep after a day's work dog-tired. Paraphrased in
another way as seen by others, the pioneering philosophy
was a "make or break" attitude, and to do
otherwise would mean nothing but frustration. The
tandem of Fr. Joe, as he is often called and the Seminarian
Bro. Flor Camacho did the impossible ("at the
Foot of Mayon" - by Fr. Flor Camacho).
The
Administrators - The formation of the DWCL was the
combined participation of Bishop Nestor Cariño,
Msgr. Jose Molina, Msgr. Jose Diokno, Msgr. Ralph
Salazar and Msgr. Honesto Moraleda. Recognition was
given by the Bureau of Private Schools. The first
School Director was Fr. Joseph Bates, and the 1st
Principal was Fr. Honesto Moraleda.
Other
Faculty members included:
1.
Mr. Protacio Borlogdan
2. Ms. Ruperta Ungay (later became Ms. Altabano)
3. Ms. Lydia Platon
4. Mr. Jun Peñalosa
In
1965, the 1st college courses were opened with the
corresponding enrollees to wit:
Commerce
- 73
BSE - 16
BSEED - 92
AB - 51
Secretarial - 7
or a total of 239 students.
Development - From these beginnings, the institution
began its development and never looked back. In 1969
it produced its 1st batch of graduates in Commerce,
Education, High School and Elementary. In 1971 a tie-up
with the St. Gregory the Great Seminary was forged
to enable its graduates from the Minor Seminary of
Tabaco to pursue the College level. The AB Department
offered Philosophy. In 1974, a 2-year Accounting Aide
and Salesmanship were also offered followed by the
Civil Engineering Course in 1976. In 1978 the Graduate
School was added was added to begin with an MBA Course.
In 1981, the 1st batch of civil Engineering graduates
passed the Board Examination with a passing score
of 91.6%. In 1983, DECS Region V recognized the DWCL
as the "Center for Commerce/Business Education."
By school year 1983-1984, computer subjects were integrated
into the Commerce Curriculum. By 1984, the DWCL produced
its 1st topnotcher and 4th placers in the Junior Geoditic
Engineering Board Exams. By SY 1984-1985, DWCL became
the pilot Center for "Associate in Commerial
Science- Government Accounting and Auditing",
a 3-year course. In 1985 it became a CPA Review Center.
By 1987 the two Education courses, BEED and BSE, which
were temporarily closed were re-opened. In 1988 the
College produced again a 1st placer in Civil Engineering
given by the PRC. In 1989 as award was bestowed by
the DECS region V as "Center of Development of
Commerce and Business Education." By 1993 the
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and Computer
Secretarial Courses were opened. In 1994 the Bachelor
of Science in Secretarial Administration (BSSA) was
likewise opened. Due to a clamor for new offerings,
at the second semester of SY 1995-1996, DWCL offered
a graduate program major in Public Management (MPM).
In addition, another graduate program was opened Master
in Business Education (MBE). By 1997, the Commerce
Department recommended the opening of a new major
within its program. This is Entrepreneurship, so,
the same became one of the added majors of BS Commerce.
Likewise the Accountancy Department produced a 9th
placer in the CPA Board Exam. Among these Board Placers
were:
1.
May 1982 Civil Eng'g. Board - 13th Place, Emilio Torrella
2. August 1982 Jr. Geodetic Board - 4th Place, Emmanuel
Gilpo
3. 1984 Jr. Geodetic Eng'g. Board - 1st Place, Engr.
Alex Lorayes - 4th Place, Endr. Roberto Ricamunda
4. May 1987 Civil Eng'g. Board - 12th Place, Ferdie
Reburiano
5. 1988 Civil Eng'g. Exam - 1st Place, Engr. Jose
Paulo Sabal
6. August 1988 Jr. Geodetic Board - 4ht Place, Ferdie
Reburiano - 8th Place, Herbert Health - 19th Place,
Marcial Bitangcor
7. February 1994 Jr. Geodetic Board - 9th Place, Ramon
Gabito
8. 1997 CPA Board Exam - 19th Place, Dennis Llarena
9. 1999 CPA Board Exam - 14th Place, Ms. Joy Bonggao
By
the end of 1999, DWCL had produced none (9) Board
Placer in different fields of discipline, and the
latest is the selection of Ms. Mercy Rebua as one
of the Ten Outstanding Rizal Model Students if the
Philippines of the Millennium. The award was given
on December 23, 2000 at the Headquarters of the Order
of the Knights of Rizal in Manila.
All
these remarkable achievements of the institution were
made possible through the hard efforts of the administration,
faculty and personnel.
The
Father Presidents - In forty years of DWCL's service
to the region and the country as a whole, there were
eleven presidents who took terms in running the operation
of the college. They are (in chronological order):
1.
Rev. Fr. Joseph L. Bates, SVD - Founder, 1961-1970
2. Rev. Fr. Donald Malrenan, SVD - OIC, 1968-1969
3. Rev. Fr. Florantes S. Camacho, SVD - 1970-1973
4. Rev. Fr. Valentino D. Darunday, SVD - April 1973-1979
5. Rev. Fr. Alfredo A. Reyes, SVD - June 1979-1985
- June 1989-1990
6. Rev. Fr. Eleuterio S. Lacaron, SVD - October 1985-1989
7. Rev. Fr. Restituto A. Lumanlan, SVD - June 1990-1993
8. Rev. Fr. Joel Thomson Ll. Maribao, SVD - May 1993-June
1994
9. Rev. Fr. Jose M. Calucag, SVD - June 1994-1998
10. Rev. Fr. Ignacio C. Joaquin, SVD - OIC, 1998-1999
11. Rev. Fr. Michael O. Padua, SVD - June 1999-2002
12. Rev. Fr. Francisco T. Estepa, SVD - May 2002 -
Present
DWCL
Contributions to the Diocese - In 1961 when the former
parochial school of Liceo de Albay was bought by the
SVD Fathers, there was no other Catholic School in
the province of Albay. Aquinas University came in
the late 1967, when the former Legazpi College of
the Erquiaga's Family rounded Catholic Christian College
Education in Albay and perhaps in the entire Eastern
Side of the Bicol Region, whit the exception of Ateneo
de Naga. For a while, when St. Gregory the Great Seminary
was not yet complimented with a College, the Diocese
had a tie-up with DWCL for the graduates of the St.
Gregory the Great Minor Seminary in Panal, Tabaco.
Most prominent of all its now the Bishop of the Diocese
of Masbate, who finished his AB-Philosophy at DWCL.
He is Most Rev. Joel "Bong" Baylon, DD.
Other students who later became priest for the Diocese
are:
1.
Rev. Fr. Rene Realuyo
2. Rev. Fr. Eusebio Tabale
3. Rev. Fr. Amador Abundo
4. Rev. Fr. Manny Balute
5. Rev. Fr. Efren Borromeo
6. Rev. Fr. Abraham Opida (+)
7. Rev. Fr. Herminigildo Benites
8. Rev. Fr. Antonio "Pope" Bongalon
9. Rev. Fr. Leandro "Lines" de la Cruz
10. Rev. Fr. Interno Prudencio Jr.
11. Rev. Fr. Limneo Zamora
12. Rev. Fr. Alexis Talde
13. Others who may have became priest on the later
date but not known to DWCL.
Religious
sisters are also studying in DWCL which provides scholarships
for recommended of the Bishop of Legazpi. The present
program of the Bishop on BEC is highly supported by
the DWCL, Many Catechist and lay leaders of the Diocese
have been educated/graduated at the DWCL.
Others
Contribution to the Community - Aside from the formation/molding
of spiritual and religious leaders, DWCL have also
produce Christian Political Leaders and other public
servants who have made of their chosen fields. The
following are a few of them, since DWCL by now lack
the information of the whereabouts of the rest of
the graduates:
1.
Al Francis Bichara - now incumbent Governor of the
Province of Albay
2. Danilo Azaña - now Atty. Danilo Azaña
and former Vice-Governor of Albay
3. Carlos "Chito" Ante - former City Councilor
of Legazpi
4. Cicero Caño - now Municipal Councilor of
Castilla, Sorsogon
5. Noel Rosal - Mayor, Legazpi City
6. Luis Adornado - now Atty. Luis Adornado and former
Vice Mayor of Legazpi City
7. Felipe Berces - now Atty. Felipe Berces and incumbent
Member of the Province of Albay.
Other
graduates without information as to its present status.
Finally,
DWCL is one institution that can make a very firm
stand, especially on issues involving moral aspects
and good governance of public leaders. So, after 40
years of its mission to serve, DWCL has all the reasons
to thank the LORD. |
