Assumption College of Davao

Infobox_University
name = Assumption College of Davao
established = 1958
type = Private Pre-school, Tertiary, Secondary, College, Vocational, Roman Catholic
location = J.P. Cabaguio Avenue, Davao City, Philippines
website= [http://www.assumptiondavao.edu.ph/ www.assumptiondavao.edu.ph] |

The Assumption College of Davao (ACD) is a private Catholic academic institution in Davao City, Philippines. It was established in 1958 by the Daughters of Mary of the Assumption or FMA. It is currently owned and managed by the Missionaries of the Assumption (m.a.). It was formerly named the Assumption School of Davao (ASD) and renamed Assumption College of Davao (ACD) in 1998 on its 40th anniversary. The 50th Anniversary celebration is scheduled for August 2008.

History

*1958 - The Assumption Academy of Davao (AAD) was established by two members of the Daughters of Mary of the Assumption, or F.M.A. – Sr. Elodie Marie Richard (Mother del Annunciacion) and Sr. Oveline Doucet (Sr. Gaetance) – of Campbelton, New Brunswick, Canada. The AAD was an exclusive school for girls with elementary and high school departments.

* 1961 - The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports granted permission to AAD to open the college department. However, barely twelve years later it had to be phased out due to lack of teachers holding masteral degrees.

* 1978 - The school was renamed Assumption School of Davao (ASD).

* 1982 - The FMA in the Philippines underwent a process of “soul searching”, learning the more progressive approach to integrating community life and mission from social exposures and awareness seminars. Hence, the Statement of Mission and Thrust of the Congregation attained a “unique expression of their charism” in the service of the Church in the Philippines. This gave it impetus and greater freedom for a sustained social involvement, which continued to bear its mark to date, trying to make sense of the avowed “preferential option for the poor” and the Vatican II’s call for integral evangelization and education for justice all meant – in praxis. Being an educational apostolate, the school then underwent re-orientation of its curriculum and school program. Reputedly, it is the first among its ministries to have implemented in concrete the Congregation’s Mission Thrust.

* 1989 - Following its virtual separation from mother congregation of FMA, a local congregation was formed, known as the Missionaries of the Assumption (M.A.) and took over ASD’s management and operations. This resulted from a long process of discernment on critical intra-Congregation issues. The Missionaries of the Assumption has designed and offered a quality and yet affordable Catholic education to the poor but deserving working youth through the Sunday High School Education Program (SHSEP). This is in obedience to their renewed and contextualized appreciation of their charism of preferential option for the poor, that is, the materially poor. With this, the famous “Assumption education” has simply become accessible not only to middle and upper classes of the Metropolis but to the poor sectors of the local community as well.

* 1998 - On the occasion of its 40th anniversary, the institution was renamed Assumption College of Davao (ACD), marking the re-opening of the College Department after it was phased out two decades ago. Inspired by the same of spirit of its founders, the ACD ventured into continuing the ACD formation in the professional level. With highly competent and qualified college faculty and staff this time, it offered undergraduate degree courses such as AB English, AB Sociology, BEED and BSED. Later, the department had added 2-year technical and vocational programs in Computer Programming, Computer Secretarial, Computer Technology and Hotel and Restaurant Management. The above-mentioned 2-year technical and vocational programs were also extended to the Sunday College Department as more and more working youth aspired to pursue their college education in the same institution.

* 2004 - A new building which houses some of the administrative offices, the Sunday High School Education Program (SHSEP) and the libraries was fully constructed. ACD continues to abide by its aims of achieving “quality education for holistic growth and responsible citizenship” and providing the child the learning experience that is student-centered, relevant and transformative.To date, SY 2006-2007, the combined student’s population of regular Grade School and High School Departments is two thousand four hundred twelve (2,412). The regular College Department has two hundred twenty-eight (228) students while the newly opened Sunday College Department has two hundred five (205). And, the Sunday High School Education Program has two thousand two hundred forty-five (2,245).

Women at the Helm

The ACD’s educational program mission and vision were set by a succession of distinguished women who served as school heads: Sr. Elodie Richard, fma; Sr. Lorraine Gallant, fma; Sr. Lourdes Abapo, fma; Mrs. Ma. Iris A. Melliza; Mrs. Ma. Mercedes P. Buduan; Sr. Concepcion P. Gasang, m.a.; Sr. Aurea E. Quiñones, m.a. and Sr. Milagros L. Gimeno, m.a. The current ACD President is Sr. Marietta B. Banayo, m.a.