A Brief History of Education in Danao Long before the Spaniards reached to our shore, there were already existing structures of societies in the Philippines with their respective religion, culture and tradition. The existence of these structures of societies evidently bears the fact that education had already been transpired during this period - though informal it was. A century before Magellan planted the seed of Christianity in the Philippines, the brave ruler Sri Lumay in the early 1400s organized Cebu island into 3 kingdoms and even assigned his magalamags (wise men) to teach his people to read and write ancient letterings. But it was only during the Spanish period that formal education started in the Philippines. During the Spanish colonial era, formal education started in the country but only the elite population had access to it. Though, parochial schools under different religious orders were built that offered free primary-school education, but still, only the learners of the elite families felt its benefit. In Danao, Padre Manuel Fernandez de la virgin del Rosario built two schools for boys and girls (still existing) at the back of the church in 1863 - the year that system of free primary-school education was introduced by the Spanish colonial government in the country. The church ran these two schools in Danao for more than 3 decades and only ceased the operation when the Americans came to the Philippines. After the United States gained control of the Philippines in 1898, a strong emphasis was placed on public education. In 1901, public school system was established in the Philippines at the behest of the Taft Commission that was apparently abolishing the Spanish system of education. Schools then, patterned after its American model, were opened in different parts of the country of which at the outset majority of the teachers were Americans - who aboard on the army transport Sheridan on June and transport Thomas on August. But as more Filipinos became qualified later, American teachers were being replaced gradually. Education in the Philippines under the Americans was free and compulsory for children ages 6 through 12. Filipino and English were the primary languages of instruction. Americans encouraged children to enter school by giving them school supplies and candies. In 1902, the primary school in Danao was opened. The old and prominent teachers who served during the last years of the Spanish Era were recruited to teach. At night, they were trained in English by the Thomasites and at daytime, they taught English lessons to the pupils. Children of school age were forced and obliged to attend classes. Danao Elementary School (now Danao City Central School) which started its operation in 1902, can be considered as the first public elementary school in Danao. The school occupied, even until today, the two parochial schools built of thick solid stone walls for boys and girls during the Spanish Era in the year 1863. These two old buildings were used by the Americans in 1902 when they forced children of school age to attend classes. The first graduates of primary education were also recruited to teach children in the barrios. As the number of enrollment grew annually due to the encouragement demonstrated by the Americans for Danawanons to embrace education, other public schools were opened. Guinsay Elementary School was established in 1909 and Guinacot Elementary School in 1910. After the second world war, a number of public schools in the coastal and mountain barangays were established. Different private elementary schools were also established at the last quarter of the century. Today, all barangays in Danao have a public elementary school that obviously give the people, particularly in the hinterland, access to education. There were no secondary schools in Danao at the start of Public School System in the Philippines. Elementary graduates of Danao, especially those from well-off families would have to enroll at Cebu Provincial High School in Cebu City if they wanted to pursue a secondary education. It was not until 1948, when Danao Visayan Institute (now UV – Danao Branch) was opened that Danao finally has a secondary school. The school, owned by late Don Vicente Gullas, was considered as the first secondary school in Danao. The school, at the outset, was located of what is now C.M. Enriquez street in barangay Suba and transferred in 1968 to its present site located at P.G. Almendras St., in Cambiohan. In 1949, Danao Provincial High School (now CTU - Danao) was established by the authority of Danao Municipal Resolution during the incumbency of then Mayor Pedro Sepulveda. The school which was opened on June 1949, had a staff of one principal and three teachers and an enrollment of 83 first year and second year students. The school temporarily occupied the old building built during the Spanish Era (still existing - now the Police Headquarters). In 1957, the school was converted to Danao National Vocational School pursuant to Republic Act No. 1907 sponsored by then Congressman Ramon M. Durano Sr. (Manong Amon) of which the original offering of general secondary curriculum shifted into the secondary trade curriculum. In 1964, seven years after its conversion and as an effect of Republic Act No. 1907 sponsored by Manong Amon, the school transferred to its new site after finally securing an 8-hectare lot in Sabang, Danao City through the effort of then principal Mr. Antonio Cabrera and the support of then Danao City Mayor Beatriz D. Durano. The new site had one related subject building and two shop buildings equipped with shop machines donated by the Colombo Aid from the government of New Zealand. In 1962, a year after Danao became a chartered city, Division of Danao was created and started its operation of overseeing the educational institutions of the city. The Division office occupied the upper part of Danao City Central School building in front of the old city hall. The first Schools Division Superintendent of Danao was Leocadio Momongan. When Mr. Momongan retired, Catalino de Lana was appointed as the second Schools Division Superintendent. It was in 1973, during Simon Fernan, the third Schools Division Superintendent, that Division of Danao City was dissolved. After 10 years of operation, the Division was dissolved and was merged to Cebu Province Division due to the number of teachers that could not met the DepEd’s minimum requirement of 500, resulting to the deployment of its academic supervisors and personnel to the different offices in DepEd Region VII. But after 30 years of merging to Cebu Province Division, DepEd Secretary Edilberto S. de Jesus formally declared the restoration of the Division of Danao City in January 22, 2003, during his speech at the Danao Civic Center attended by city officials headed by Mayor Ramon “Nito” D. Durano III and DepEd Region VII officials headed by Director Carolino B. Mordeno. Dr. Michael M. Cono, chief of ALS of DepEd Region VII, took his oath of office as the first Officer In-Charge of the Interim Division of Danao City which was administered by the Secretary of Education. Division of Danao City again temporarily occupied the upper part of Danao City Central School building near the old city hall. The restoration of the Division of Danao City in 2003 was through the concerted effort of then Mayor Ramon “Nito” D. Durano III and the Sangguniang Panglungsod, and then Congressman Joseph Ace H. Durano. It was during the time of Dr. Cono, in 2004, that the first CVIRAA (February) and the first Regional PRESS CON (October) were held in Danao. In 1964, Sto. Tomas School (now Sto. Tomas College) was established. After the city council of Danao under then Mayor Beatriz D. Durano passed a resolution establishing a Catholic school in the city which was considered by the Archbishop of Cebu, then Most Reverend Julio Rosales, and after negotiations among Father Cesar Alcoseba, parish priest of Danao, Mother General Evangelista de San Agustin, OSA and the city council, the school, using the old convent beside the church, finally started its operation in school year 1964 – 1965 with first and second year high school classes. The lot, used as school site was owned by the parish of Danao but with an agreement that the lot would be leased and renewed every 25 years. Sto. Tomas School is the only school in Danao that provides Catholic Christian Education. It is a private sectarian school run by the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation. The name of the school was changed to Sto. Tomas College in 2006 when it offered tertiary program after the approval from CHED to operate a College Education Department. In 1974, Lawaan Barangay High School, the first barangay high school in Danao, was established. It is located in Lawaan, one of the distant mountain barangays in Danao. The school not only caters students from Lawaan, but also from its neighboring barangays. At the start, the school used only the rooms in the elementary and later transferred to its present site. In 1983, Cabungahan Barangay High School was opened. It is located in Cabungahan, another mountain barangay in Danao. The school was founded by Virginia Songcal, the then principal of the elementary school in Cabungahan. At the outset, the school used only the rooms in the elementary and only transferred in 1991 when its first building constructed in its newly acquired site was completed. These two schools offered secondary education to the youth population in the hinterland which was denied to them for decades. In 1992, the said two barangay high schools were legislated pursuant to General Appropriations Act and Republic Act 7180 and became national high schools. These two schools then, receive their budget from the national government. Other public high schools followed later that today there are 13 national high schools scattered in different barangays in the city that obviously made a tremendous impact in education of Danao. Graduates from Danao who wanted to pursue college education would have to study in Cebu City for there were no colleges in Danao. It was not until 1975 that Danao finally has a college institution when Danao Vocational School (formerly Danao Provincial High School) offered the two – year technical curriculum. In 1978, the school offered another tertiary curriculum, the Associate Marine Engineering. In 1983, by virtue of Batas Pambansa 412, the school was transformed into a tertiary institution with tertiary program. The name of the school was changed to Cebu State College of Science and Technology – College of Industrial Technology, Danao City Campus (CSCST – CIT, Danao Campus). In 2009, the school was converted to Cebu Technological University (CTU – Danao). In 1990s, other college institutions were opened in Danao. Today, there are 43 public elementary schools and 10 private elementary schools in Danao and is growing. There are 13 public secondary schools and 8 private secondary schools and a growing number of college institutions. Pre-schools are offered both in public and private elementary schools. The outpouring of educational institutions in Danao is monumental for it gradually eradicates illiteracy in the city. Education greatly improves the quality of life to Danawanons. It is instrumental in the improvement of political, social and economic conditions of the City. By: Ericson L. Batulan August, 2011
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 00:13:07 +0000
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