Don Bosco Academy, Pampanga

For schools of a similar name, see Don Bosco School.

"Luctor Et Emergo"
Motto in English	I Struggle, I Win
Established	1956
Type	Private, Salesian
Rector	Fr. Felino S. Gueco Jr., SDB
Principal	Fr. Jose Armando Cortez, SDB
Location	Mabalacat, Pampanga, Philippines
Campus	4 hectares
Website	www.dbapamp.com

Don Bosco Academy (also called "Don Bosco Pampanga" or simply "DBA") is a private Catholic educational institution for boys run by the Salesians of Don Bosco in the Philippines. Its campus is located in Mabalacat, Pampanga, Philippines.

This school was named after St. John Bosco whom the Catholic Church has proclaimed as the "Father and Teacher of Youth." St. John Bosco dedicated his life to teaching. To continue this work, he founded a religious society of priests and brothers - the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB). It is also the only not fully technical Don Bosco School in the Philippines.

History

Don Bosco in the Philippines

(Ferrando Best Section ever) The presence of Don Bosco in the Philippines began in 1912 when two Salesian priests arrived in the Parish of Nuestra de los Remedios in Malate, Manila. Ten years later, the Rt. Rev. Msgr. William Piani and Rev. Morrow were appointed Delegate and Secretary respectively. The Salesian mission in the Philippines took a more definite shape with the designation of Rev. Fr. Charles Braga, SDB as the first Provincial Superior. He paved the way for the establishment of a permanent Salesian Society in the country.

The first Salesian educational institution, St. John Bosco Academy, was founded in 1951 in Tarlac, Tarlac. A second institution was established in 1952 at Victorias, Negros Occidental, and was followed by other schools in Mandaluyong in 1953, in Cebu and in Makati in 1954 and eventually Pampanga in 1956.^[1]

Development

The years that followed saw an ever-increasing enrollment of students that paved the way for the construction of more buildings and facilities inside the DBA campus.

The grade school curriculum offering expanded to add Grades 3 to 4.

In 1963, a fourth edifice was added. This was the two-story Juniorate or Salesian School for Minor Seminarians, a seedbed for many future Salesian priests and lay brothers in the Philippines. A large multi-purpose gymnasium was also built on the same year to house the sports and cultural facilities of the school.

As DBA's fame grew, it saw a continuous expansion of its campus facilities and a significant increase in student population to a point that the school had to regulate enrollment admissions in the form of entrance exams and interviews. In less than a decade, a young school exclusively for boys, seminarians and out-of-school youth flourished rapidly to meet the growing interest in the charism of Don Bosco.

Relocation

The complete devastation of the school did not stop the Salesians in the Philippines and those abroad in their noble mission. Much like the persistence of its founder, Fr. Roozen, Don Bosco Academy was given a second founding in 1996 in the northern town of Mabalacat, Pampanga.

Generous benefactors in the form of the heirs of the late Mr. & Mrs. Tomas and Maria Dizon donated a four-hectare land in Barangay, Mabiga of this town to the rebuilding of Don Bosco Academy. By moving to the north of the province, the Salesians of Don Bosco have expanded their presence and service to more Kapampangan.

In June 2009, the School opened its newest wing, consisting of the St. Francis Auditorium, where some events are held. The Savio Hall holds meetings or some classes if the rooms are not available. Lastly, the General Science and the Biology Laboratories have been moved to the newest wing.

School Seal

The school seal appears in the school uniform of the students and on important documents.

The TREE (Bosco in Italian), represents Don Bosco, the patron saint of the school, whose Preventive System of Education based on reason, religion and loving kindness serves as the fundamental basis of the school’s discipline.

The MORNING STAR represents Mary, the Help of Christians, who is always there for protection and guidance.

The BOOK symbolizes the knowledge, attitudes, habits, and skills, which the students must acquire in order to think and act intelligently and ultimately be of greater service for God and our country.

The TORCH symbolizes sports and recreation, which help develop the physical dimensions of students and give them opportunities to learn the traits of sportsmanship and leadership.

The great ANCHOR stands for the three theological virtues: faith, hope and charity to which the educational system is anchored.

The seal is an adoption from the Latin words “Luctor Et Emergo” which means “I Struggle, I Win”.

Vision-Mission

We, the Educative Pastoral Community of Don Bosco Academy – Pampanga, envision the young to be integrated persons who are Servant-Leaders in the Church of the Poor.

We Commit Ourselves:

•To give preference to the young who are poor, abandoned and in danger;

•To provide them a holistic and integral Christian Catholic Education;

•To provide them a quality education within the context of the Salesian Preventive System;

•To instill in them the love of family, community and country;

•To collaborate with all forces that work with the young;

•To mold them into persons who utilize their power of choice;

•To harness their giftedness and become catalysts of social transformation and

•To equip them with technological knowledge and skills as means to become productive members of Society

Clubs

Each student is invited to join various clubs, student organizations and committees, which hope to develop and nurture his potentials and leadership qualities.

Religious Clubs

• Auxilium - The club with the highest record of membership among the other school clubs.
• Knights of the Altar (KOA)
• Savio Friends
• Juventus

Interest Clubs

• Siuala - has been the official publication of Don Bosco Academy Pampanga for more than twenty years. The school paper has housed the best writers and artists of the Academy and has been a training ground for students who share the passion for writing and the visual arts. Siuala is derived from a Pampango term which means voice. It serves as an instrument of communication between the students, parents, alumni, faculty, Salesians and the rest of the Academy.
• Teatro Busko - This school organization develops the student's skills in acting, singing, dancing and creative thinking.
• Music Ministry
• Catechists
• Dewey's Peers
• Choir
• Photoguild
• Bayung Pluma

Academic Clubs

• Kamfil (Filipino Club)
• Math Club
• Science Club
• English Club
• Com-Arts (Computer-Arts)
• Araling Panlipunan Club (A.P. Club)

See also

• Don Bosco Technical College, Mandaluyong
• Don Bosco School, Manila
• Don Bosco Technical Institute, Tarlac
• Don Bosco Technical Institute, Victorias

References

1. ^ Don Bosco Pampanga official website