St. Anthony's College

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Forty-four years hence, the Mill Hill Missionaries were slowly gaining a name as educators in Antique. They were already administering some secondary schools and they also conceived a plan to put up a collegiate institution.

To push through the plan was not that easy though. People had to sit down and put their heads together.

It took the Mill Hill Society great pains to defend their opinion against the plan was not to be given any consideration at all. Then all it needed were people like Rev. Simon van Baars, Superior General of the Mill Hill Missionaries in the Philippines, Rev. Louis Zots and Rev. John Daly, consultors of the Father Superior. The initial step undertaken was buying the Antique Academy at Bantayan and an additional 5-hectare site at Bagumbayan, San Jose, Antique where the college now proudly stands.

Two other people stood, and although they were not officially connected with the college, they had helped considerably through substantial financial assistance. They were Rev. Anthony Verheyen and Rev. Anthony Oomen from whose name, SAC's name was taken. They were considered to be the college's "godfathers". Consequently, St. Anthony of Padua became its patron saint.

The present administration building got a big financial boost through a donation by Rev. Verheyen. On the other hand, Rev. Oomen, as parish priest of San Jose, provided board and lodging to all the priests who were working at the college prior to the completion of the administration building.

When SAC started its operation, Rev. Henry Hienkens was appointed its first Director/President. He as the one responsible for exposing SC to the community and putting on the map. Parades in those days were more glorious than ever. The college even boasted of having its own brass band.

There were some problems though. There were the problems of slowly building up a qualified faculty and establishing certain traditions of the college, of gaining the confidence of the community and so forth.

At Bantayan, the pioneering educators and clientele were eight teachers, two hundred high school, and seventy-eight college students. The first courses offered were the secondary and 2-year liberal arts.

There was a slim chance for physical improvement at the Bantayan site, so in 1959, the college was transferred to Bagumbayan. A 2-year secretarial and a 2-year commerce course were added. The Liberal arts and secretarial courses received government recognition in June 1959; while the 2-year commerce course received recognition the following year.

The year 1960 and 1961 wrought changes in the administration of the college. Rev. August Stockmann replaced Rev. Heikens in 1962. The college was already somewhat established and Rev. Stockmann thought of stressing academic excellence. He worked especially at the formation of faculty, syllabi and course outline in an effort to improve the quality of its graduates. For him, there were no better way of advertising SAC than thru the quality of its graduates. The Bachelor of Science in Edcation (BSE) and the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (BSEEd) were opened and subsequently received government recognition between 1963 and 1965. Now BSE is Bachelor of Secondary Education and BSEED is Bachelor of Elementary Education or BEED.

Not only did Rev. Stockman focus on the curricular but also on the physical expansion as well. The administration building which housed may offices, people, library, laboratory, chapel and priests' quarters was constructed. Compared to other institutions of learning in Antique then, SAC was the summit of luxury.

More attention was given to curricular expansion and faculty development with the arrival of Rev. Harry Jansenn. The high school and the college departments had separate administrative staff starting school year 1962-1963. Rev. Stockmann was the College Presedent and Rev. Jansen became College Director.

In June 1963, primary (elementary department); 2 year secretarial; 2 year commerce; 3 year Normal course; and SACASAT/ROTC units were also opened. Rev. James O'Donoghue arrived and became he Dean of Discipline from 1963 to 1972. He tried to encourage the wearing of school uniform.

Rev. Harry Jansenn took over as president in May 1965. the science building (which include the clinic etc.) and the library were constructed. The Fund for Assistance top Private Education (FAPE) was set up in that year too. SAC was one of the first schools in the Philippines that availed of the benefits of this fund. Three faculty members were admitted to the FAPE scholarship program. It has also provided two more MA degree holders in the later years.

Rev. Leonard Kellenaers succeeded Rev. Jansenn from April 1972-March 21, 1975. The 'signs of times' became well marked during his term. That was the period of 'student unrest'. Students invited a number of speakers from the ranks of politicians, the government sector and in the field of socio-economic.

That led to sporadic demonstration that were characterized generally by sincerity, but often too lack of political know-how. SAC students did not differ from those in the rest of the country until the late Ferdinand Marcos' declaration of Martial Law on September 21, 1972. Schools all over the country were closed. The elementary pupils resumed classes after less that a week but colleges stayed closed until October.

Amendments were made to facilities the transfer of the college from the Mill Hill Society to the Prelature of San Jose, Antique. It was in 1975 when the college received approval for 4-year collegiate commerce course. Kindergarten was started out in a very informal basis mainly to accommodate the young children of the college personnel. It received government recognition in 1978. Rev. Joaquin Dioso, Jr. succeeded Rev. Kellenaers on May 18, 1976. he was the first Filipino priest assigned to the position.

Traditional course offerings no longer satisfied the needs of the students in Antique; hence, new courses needed to be opened and even the prospects of having new departments in the college needed to be deliberated upon. The Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, College and Universities (PAASCU) Self Survey was formed.

A lot of physical had been made during the term of Rev. Dioso. In the following years, the college multiplied its population several times. An increase in the population meant not only building addition classrooms but also the staff with competent people, improving the services to students and so on.

In December 1980, SAC applied for accreditation to PAASCU and received the approval for its application status in March 1981. Rev. Fortunato Abiera was appointed president in June 1983. in that school year, SAC was granted government permit for Bachelor of Science in Engineering. Preparations for the merging of the former San Jose Academy and SAC were also made in that school year. The following year, the actual merger tool place.

Rev. Romeo Lazo took over in June 1986. The following month, the formal PAASCU Survey Visit Team came to SAC. After the said visit, the college attained Level II for three years. Then in June 1989, Rev. Nicolas Rendon replaced Rev. Lazo. The PAASCU Resurvey Visit was held in August 1990. SAC retained Level II accreditation for five years.

Government recognition for 5-year Civil Engineering was granted in 1990; and accounting education leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and computer courses in 1993.

SAC Technical Training Program (TTP), an extension of the school, was put up by the La Mennais Brothers in school year 1994-1995; Hotel and Restaurant Management was opened in that same school year.

Rev. Cornelio Ysulat, Jr. was appointed President on June 5, 1997. Physical improvements continue to exist and the two important events during his term were the installation of the internet system and the constraction of the mezzanine floor of the college library

Sources: The Anthonian '83 Community Extension Services Office

WEBSITE: http://www.sac.edu.ph