1912
Founded in 1912, is the only Catholic School and the oldest existing private educational institution in the town of Baliuag, Bulacan. It is owned and administered by the Religious of the Virgin Mary, better known as the RVM Sisters.
1912
This sectarian school began as COLEGIO DE LA SAGRADA FAMILIA or HOLY FAMILY SCHOOL. It was put up by Fr. Benito Sebrero for the Sisters to provide education and religious instruction to young girls and at the same time to serve as the Catholic school of the parish. Originally located a few blocks from the Catholic church, it acquired its present site through the generosity of Fr. Victor Enrile, the parish priest then. Its pioneering years in Baliuag were “years of financial crisis, trials and deprivation.” It was only Fr. Enrile’s fatherly solicitude and Doña Dorotea Francisco’s magnanimity that encouraged the Sisters to go on.
1916
On September 15, 1916 the Archdiocese of Manila, through Rev. Jeremias J. Harty, granted the Religious of the Virgin Mary (then headed by Superior General Mother Ma. Efigenia Alvarez), perpetual and gratuitous use of that parcel of land along what is now known as Racelis Street
1933
In the beginning, the school offered only primary course, piano lessons, and catechetical classes. Intermediate classes were opened in 1933. When World War II broke out, classes were suspended and the Sisters evacuated with the townspeople. Japanese soldiers occupied the school house until the eve of liberation.
1945
In 1945, the Sisters hurried back to town and reopened the school. This time, complete elementary and secondary courses were offered. Boys and girls were admitted in the grade school and only girls in the high school.
1946-1949
The elementary course was granted government recognition in 1946 and the secondary course in 1949.
1954-1958
The high school tried admitting boys in 1954 but this co-educational experiment lasted only until 1958 because there were other non-sectarian schools in the vicinity that provided secondary education for boys.
1959
To accommodate the rapidly growing population, S. Ma. Filomena Arjona started the construction of a new building which was finished through the initiative of S. Ma. Geronima Perez. This was blessed on June 30, 1959 by Fr. Amado Paulino, then the Assistant Parish Priest. In the same year, the Holy Family School was renamed ST. MARY’S ACADEMY (SMA).
1961-1967
From 1961 to 1967, SMA achieved an appreciable degree of progress and expansion through the leadership of S. Ma. Fideliz Dar Santos who spearheaded the construction of the annex building. This housed the Sisters’ cloister, chapel, interns’ dormitory, library, and science laboratory. The extension of this building was completed by the succeeding Superior-Principal, S. Ma. Felisa Declaro. The building housed the Principal’s and cashier’s offices and high school classrooms. These improvements spurred an influx of more students. For more effective teacher supervision, academic coordinators were assigned beginning in mid-1970: Ms. Herminia Demetrio for the grade school department and Ms. Ofelia delos Santos for the high school department.
1985-1986
During the administration of S. Ma. Celedonia Amper, a four-storey building was constructed along Racelis Street in 1986. This was named St. Joseph Building. In School Year 1985-1986, at the request of the parents, SMA readmitted boys in the high school department.
1990
In 1990, another four-storey building named Mother Ignacia Building was constructed to complete the school front of four-storey buildings, now a landmark in the town of Baliuag.
1994
In 1994, with S. Ma. Luz dela Cruz at the helm, another significant mark was added with the completion of a four-storey bilateral building to replace the old grade school building. Named Assumption Building, this has 28 classrooms, a bigger chapel, a spacious library, a functional science laboratory, a modern audio-visual room, the Guidance Center, and administrative offices.
1995
In response to the thrust for lay empowerment, the first lay High School Principal, Mrs. Myrna Bondad, was appointed in June 1995. S. Ma. Lilibeth Monteclaro was also assigned as Grade School Principal.
School Year 1996-1997
S. Ma. Violeta Acosta took over in School Year 1996-1997. Under her leadership, the school embarked on having the school accredited by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU).
1999
Both the grade school and high school passed the preliminary visits with flying colors in 1999 and 2000, respectively. In June 1999, Mrs. Elizabeth Chico was appointed the first lay Grade School Principal. Through her leadership, the elementary department passed the first Formal Visit in September 2000.
School Year 2000-2001
Starting School Year 2000-2001 SMA shifted and explored other innovative teaching-learning techniques and introduced the use of strategies that cater to the students’ divergent learning capacities and modalities. The school can claim to be the first in Baliuag to advocate the use of classroom activities based on Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences and Dunn and Dunn Learning Style Model.
School Year 2001-2002
Beginning School Year 2001-2002, S. Ma. Marissa Viri took over as the school’s Directress. In October of the same year, the High School Department was granted accredited status by PAASCU. In March of 2002, the school applied for tertiary level programs and was renamed St. Mary’s College of Baliuag with S. Ma. Marissa Viri as its first President.
School Year 2002-2003
The first batch of college students were admitted in Academic Year 2002-2003. The following courses were offered: Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Secondary Education, and Bachelor in Elementary Education.
2003
In February 28, 2003, a new structure, Sacred Heart Building that would connect St. Joseph and Assumption Buildings was inaugurated. This would house the College Library, two (2) Computer Laboratories, Speech Laboratory, Audio-Visual Room, Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) Room, and the College Offices.
2003
In June 2003, the bridge that now connects the Mother Ignacia and St. Joseph Buildings was completed. The space generated by the bridge provided rooms for the new offices of the High School Principal on the third floor and the High School Guidance staff on the fourth floor.
School Year 2003-2004
In School Year 2003-2004, the College Department added two more courses: Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management. This same year, the CISCO Program was offered to Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) students as well as to the 3rd year High School students. The Grade School Department also started offering nursery classes for three-year old kids. In September 2003, the Grade School Department had its first PAASCU re-visit and was granted Five-Year Accredited Status.
School Year 2004-2005
The following school year, 2004-2005 the High School Department was revisited and was also granted a Five-Year Accredited Status.
School Year 2005-2006
The following lay administrators were appointed in School year 2005-2006: Mrs. Myrna Bondad as the Director for Academics and Research (DAR) and at the same time Dean of College; Mrs. Elizabeth Chico as the Director for Administrative and Support Services (DASS); Mr. Rogelio dela Peña Jr. as the High School Principal, and Mr. Perfecto Austria as the Grade School Principal. The first Capping and Candle-lighting Ceremony of the Nursing Program was held on June 7, 2005 and the first graduation of the College Department was held on March 19, 2006.
2005-2006
To accommodate the increasing enrolment, an additional five-storey building, the Immaculate Heart Building (IHB), was constructed in November 2005 along Año Street. This was finished and blessed in December 2006. The new building houses the canteen and bookstore in the ground floor while in the second floor up to the fourth floor were for the High School offices, Instructional Media Center, classrooms, and two (2) Science laboratories. In the fifth are the school’s auditorium and audio visual room and a portion of the western end of the roofing was made into a view deck. An elevator was installed to facilitate the going up and down the fifth floor.
2007
In 2007, the college started offering short–term technical and vocational courses. Students of the Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management (BSHRM) program were also sent to On-the-Job training to Singapore.
2008
In June 2008, S. Ma. Marisa Rebosura was appointed the second President of SMCB. In September 2008, SMCB partnered with Gawad Kalinga (GK) and became the GK Builder’s Institute in Bulacan. The following year, the first ever GK village was established in Piel, Baliuag and the school was given a block of thirty housing units called St. Mary’s Village.
2009-2010
On February 24-25, 2009, the Grade School Department underwent its PAASCU Revisit and was granted Level II re- accredited status. With Mrs. Ma. Clara Sepacio as the new Principal, the High School Department underwent its revisit on August 26-27, 2010 and was also granted Level II Re-accredited status.
2012
With the theme “Rekindling the Spirit,” SMCB celebrated its 100 years in 2012. The celebration highlighted the school’s looking back with pride and deep gratitude to the Foundress of the RVM Congregation, the Venerable Mother Ignacia Del Espiritu Santo. She, who started to rekindle the fire of FAITH, EXCELLENCE and SERVICE, among the first group of beatas who in turn had perpetrated and caused the blaze to spread until our present time.
- By rekindling the spirit of FAITH, SMCB has nurtured among its students a solid belief in Almighty God.
- By rekindling the spirit of EXCELLENCE, SMCB has developed the passion of students to always strive for the best.
- By rekindling the spirit of SERVICE, SMCB has sown the burning desire for the students to be of help to others, especially the poor.
On December 12, 2012, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the school celebrated its Centennial Jubilee. On the same day, SMCB was consecrated to our Lady.
Physical improvements done during the centennial year included the putting up of the school museum and Mother Ignacia cornerstone; improvement of the school façade, expansion of the school chapel, transfer of the Guidance and Testing Center, Registrar and Cashier’s offices to the ground floor of Mother Ignacia Building. The High School TLE Laboratory was also renovated. St. Mary’s College of Baliuag, trusting in God’s providence, has continued to ignite the three (3) Ignacian core values of faith, excellence and service as it journeys beyond its first 100 years.
School Year 2012-2013
For school year 2012-2013, the school underwent another major change. With the implementation of an institutionalized management and supervision system, an Integrated Basic Education Department was born where there is one only Principal, Academic Coordinators and Subject Area Coordinators for both departments. For the merged set-up, Mrs. Myrna Bondad was appointed as the first IBEd Principal and Mrs. Ma. Clara Sepacio and Mrs. Gloryfiel Entendez as the HS and GS Academic Coordinators, respectively. The same school year also signaled the implementation of the K to 12 curriculum in Grades 1 and 7. In the same academic year, Mrs. Marita Fiestada was appointed Dean of College and Head of Administrative and Support Services.
2013
In June 2013, air conditioning units (ACUs) were installed in all classrooms and learning centers. Exterior painting of the buildings was also done. With the school’s adoption of the GENYO E-Learning Management System to replace the CISCO Program, a new computer laboratory was added for the purpose. The high school computer laboratory was moved to the 2nd floor of St. Joseph building. A new program, Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management (BSIT), was offered in the College Department.
School Year 2014-2015
School Year 2014-2015 was marked by the following milestones: 1) The PAASCU Resurvey of the Integrated Basic Education Department on October 23-24, 2014 and the eventual granting of another five-year reaccredited status until 2019; 2) The granting of ISO 9001:2008 Certificate by TUV Rheinland from May 2015 until May 2018; 3) The Department of Education’s (DepEd) granting of the provisionary permit for SMCB’s Senior High School Program (SHSP) which would be offered beginning SY 2016-2017. Physical improvements included the merging of the Basic Education and College libraries; a provision for a satellite canteen and a multi-purpose hall at the Sacred Heart Building; a wellness center and Kid’s Care room in the ground floor of Holy Family Building. CCTV cameras were also installed in strategic places for security and monitoring purposes.
School Year 2015-2016
In school year 2015-2016, SMCB welcomed S. Ma. Paula G. Adaoag as its third President. The following were the appointments and reappointments of that year: Mrs. Myrna Bondad as the Head for Administrative and Support Services (HASS) and Quality Management Representative (QMR); Mrs. Ma. Clara Sepacio as the IBEd Principal; Mrs. Mercedita Dungo, as the IBEd Academic Coordinator, and Mrs. Marita Fiestada as the College Dean. In preparation for Senior High School, Mr. Perfecto Austria was also assigned as Senior High School (SHS) Ad Hoc Coordinator.
2016
On November 7, 2016, SMCB was formally awarded its ISO 9001:2008 Certificate by TUV Rheinland. Fiber glass railings along the corridors of all four major buildings were installed for security purposes; the two (2) Science laboratories and stockroom located at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Building (IHMB) were renovated to conform to safety requirements. The College Department opened a two-year Teacher Certification Program (TCP) and the Bachelor in Tourism Management was given government recognition by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
School Year 2016-2017
For school year 2016-2017, SMCB welcomed its first batch of Senior High School (SHS) students in the Academic and TechVoc Tracks. For the Academic Track, the following strands are offered: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Accounting, Business and Management (ABM), Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS), and General Academic (GAS). Technical- Vocational Track includes specialization in Home Economics (HE) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). For the school’s facilities, a library for Senior High School is provided and a new state of the art Speech Laboratory has been installed.
On the other hand, one class of the Munting Paaralan ni Madre Ignacia Del Espiritu Santo (MPMIDES), an outreach program of the school’s Community Involvement Program (CIP) was transferred to the SMCB campus in June. This program provides free education to deserving Kindergarten pupils. For quality assurance, The Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) granted the school’s Basic Education Program Level III Re-Accredited Status after having satisfactorily met the standards and fulfilled the requirements of the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU). The certification was given on July 18 and is valid until November 2019.
In October of the same year, S. Ma. Ceferina Bodiongan was designated as the new President due to the untimely demise of the S. Ma. Paula Adaoag. Mrs. Myrna Bondad was also appointed as the Executive Vice President.
2017
On March 1, 2017, TUV Rheinland had its second Follow-Up Audit that SMCB where the audit team concluded that the school “has established and maintained an effective system to ensure compliance with its policies and objectives” and therefore recommended the maintenance of the existing ISO Certification. SY 2017-2018 signals SMCB’s transitioning to ISO 9001:2015 Standards.
School Year 2017-2018
For school year 2017-2018, welcomes the new batch of grade 11 students as it prepares for the first Grade 12 graduation in March 2018. Mr. Perfecto Austria was appointed as SHS Academic Coordinator with Mrs. Annabel Gonzales as the first SHS Prefect of Discipline. With all these provident signs of progress, St. Mary’s College of Baliuag on its 105th year and trusting in God’s assistance, looks forward with hope to brighter years of service towards the formation of Christ-centered leaders empowered to serve their fellowmen and contribute to the transformation of society.