St. Scholastica's Academy-Bacolod

FATHER ANDREAS AMRHEIN - Founder of the Congregation of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters (MBS) of Tutzing. A Monk of the Abbey of Beuron, Germany, named Andreas Amrhein, born in 1844 in Luzern, Switzerland, dreamt of founding a Benedictine community living the monastic life with the original charism of bringing Christ especially to those who do not yet know Him. His heart went out particularly to the people in Africa at that time. Accordingly, he sought approval for the monastic group he had in mind, and on the Feast of St. Peter and Paul 1884, Pope Leo XIII, approved the founding of the mission seminary of St. Otillien for the training of candidates for the priesthood and brotherhood. Seeing the need for sisters to help in the mission work of the Fathers and Brothers, Fr. Amrhein started the Sisters’ congregation in Reinchenbach. Years later, the Sisters had so increased in number that their Congregation was named the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing, Germany. Through succeeding years, the Congregation spread to East Africa, Brazil, South Africa, Southwest Africa, Bulgaria, Korea, the United States, the Philippines, Australia, Spain, Uganda, Kenya, Angola, Portugal, China, India and Argentina.

The first five Missionary Benedictine Sisters arrived in Manila on September 14, 1906. They came from Tutzing, Bavaria, Germany at the request of the Apostolic Delegate to the Philippines. They started in Tondo with 8 paying students and 50 poor children in a free school. They later moved to its present site which became St. Scholastica’s College. Proud of the education that they had received and eager to pass on the benefits of a Benedictine Education to their children, graduates of SSC requested the Missionary Benedictine Sisters to establish a branch school in Bacolod City. In 1975, a 4.8 hectare piece of land within the Capitol Subdivision was donated by Mr. Alfredo Montelibano, Sr. for this purpose. An additional 2.5 hectares were acquired in later years, partly donated by Mr. Jose Maria Locsin. In 1958 St. Scholastica’s Academy started classes from Kindergarten to Grade 7 in temporary quarters at the Bacolod Shopping Center, while the permanent buildings were under construction at the present site. The High School opened the following year and in 1963 the first graduates, numbering 11, received their diplomas. In 1969 SSA-B became the first high school in Western Visayas to be accredited and thereby became a member of the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU). The Grade School Department was accredited in 1980. Seeing the need for providing a good Catholic education for the less privileged, the Sisters and some socially-oriented parents, alumnae of SSA, put their heads together to plan the establishment of a school for poor girls. In 1966 the Holy Family Vocational High School (HFVHS) was constructed on a one hectare lot in Sum-ag donated by the family of Mr. Raul Torres. An annex was constructed by the German Federal Republic. From 1970 till 1998 the 300 students enjoyed a free Catholic education through German sponsorships. To supplement the institution’s and Congregation’s services to the community, a social action center, KAUSWAGAN, was erected at one end of the SSA campus in 1976 with financial assistance from the German people. The center’s main concern is the development of people. The principal activities at the center have been spiritual renewals, human development seminars, short-term courses, meetings of groups of people, particularly the poor, who have no facilities of their own. In 1980 some parents, alumnae and friends of the school started the St. Scholastica’s Academy Scholarship Fund to enable the school to accept financially poor but academically capable students. In 1981 the St. Benedict Human Development Foundation was formed with members of its board from among the Benedictine Sisters and lay leaders of the community. The foundation has enabled the school to accept more applicants into its study grant program, besides funding community projects aimed at human development. In 1988 the SSA-B started to accept boys for Prep, Grades 1 and 2. Three boys were among the Grade 6 graduates in 1993. In 2008 the school celebrated its Golden Jubilee with the theme “Soaring High and Reaching Out”. This milestone documented the great strides SSA-B has taken as it continues to achieve its educational mission. Celebrating its successes and recognizing its failures, the school has much to be thankful for, as it saw itself gaining more ground as a Catholic institution, serving the needs of its community of young Negrenses. In December 2008, SSA-B became the first grade school in Western Visayas and the ABS (Association of Benedictine Schools) to be granted PAASCU Level III accreditation status and one of the three schools in the Visayas. In recent years, construction of new buildings, improvement of facilities and re-arrangement of administrative offices were done. Among these are the improvements in the expanded canteen with a mezzanine and offices, the pergolas from HS to the administrative offices and the front pergola with the waiting area, the front fence, the GS and HS annexes, the Sr. Ildephonsa Covered Court (SICC). In SY 2014-2015, there is the newly constructed structure known as the GALILEE which serves as the model house for HELE and TLE classes. Surrounding In SY 2015-2016 the High School Department opened its doors to Grade 7 boys. Only those who have been with SSA-B/ABS Grade School Department since Grade 1 until Grade 6 will be admitted. In SY 2015-2016 the High School Department opened its doors to 39 Grade 7 boys. They have been with SSA-B/ABS Grade School Department from Grade 1 to Grade 6 in consonance with the guidelines. In the same year Robotics was introduced to all students. There were 70 girls who graduated from the Senior High School last SY 2017-2018, the first batch of SHS graduates of the school. in the following year, SY 2018-2019, the first set of Junior High School Boys received their certificate of completion. Out of 39 boys, there were 35 of them who completed their Junior High School in SSA-B and 30 out of 35 were the first set of boys who moved up to the Senior High School in SY 2019-2020.

St. Benedict, twin brother of St. Scholastica, was born in Nursia, Italy, in 480 A.D. As a young man, he studied in Rome, but after a few years there, he decided to abandon the decadent Roman society and seek God in solitude. Later he established a monastic tradition based on his “Monastic Rule”. Benedict founded the monastery in Monte Cassino, and has been named the Patriarch of Monasticism in Europe. Because of the missionary activity of his monks in evangelizing the different European countries, the Church has given him the title “Patron of Europe”. During his earthly life, St. Benedict had a fervent devotion to the Cross of our Lord and by virtue of this sign wrought miracles and overcame the devil and his temptations. The name of St. Benedict came to be intimately associated with the Cross of Christ, and in the course of time a medal was struck in his honor. At the center of the Benedictine medal is a cross with letters on and around it. The letters in the angles of the cross - CSPB - stands for the words: CRUX SANCTI PATRIS BENEDICTI (The cross of the Holy Father Benedict). On the perpendicular bar are the letters CSSML - CRUX SACRA SIT MIHI LUX (May the Holy Cross be my light). On the horizontal bar are the letters NDSMD which means NON DRACO SIT MIHI DUX - (Let not the dragon be my guide). Above the cross is the word PAX, the peace of Christ, the motto of the Benedictine Order, to denote a blessing of peace which the medal brings upon the devout wearer.