University of Mindanao

The University of Mindanao was established in 1946 and is one of the oldest universities in Southern Philippines. It is a non-sectarian school offering the most number of academic programs in this part of the country.^[1] It is located in Davao City.
The University of Mindanao has ten branches spread over thirteen campuses in Southern Mindanao. It has a total student population of 29,765 (SY 2007-08). It is the largest private university in Mindanao with the most number of PACUCOA accredited programs in the country today.[

PWC

On June 9, 1919, what would eventually be the Philippine Women's University opened its first classes. The vision of seven forward-looking Filipino women—Clara Aragon, Concepcion Aragon, Francisca Tirona Benitez, Paz Marquez Benitez, Carolina Ocampo Palma, Mercedes Rivera and Socorro Marquez Zaballero—the nascent university had an initial enrollment of 190 students. The goal was to prepare young Filipino women for a life of service and leadership. The original site was a three-storey house on A. Flores Street, Ermita, Manila.

In 1932, thirteen years after opening, the college achieved university status, becoming henceforth The Philippine Women's University and thus the first university for women in Asia founded by Asians. Two years later, 1934, the University moved to its present site on Taft Avenue.

Historically, the university is credited with a number of 'firsts' and pioneering innovations. Some of the 'firsts' came before the school earned university status. The organization of the Student Council, the first such council in a Philippine private school, in 1922. Pharmacy in 1924. Business Administration, four-year course in a private school in 1926. Home Economics as a bachelor's degree course in a private school in 1928. The Graduate School in 1931.

The tradition of educational innovation continued after elevation to University status. Child Development Center and Social and Civic training in 1938, the latter evolving into the present MSCED (Moral, Social and Civic Education) course required at all levels in all courses and disciplines as a hallmark of PWU education. The College of Music and Fine Arts in 1947. The Institute of Human Relations and the Family Life Workshop of the Philippines in 1948. The Community College, first late afternoon and evening school for working women, in 1949. The Philippine School of Social Work in 1950. Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in 1952.

The University is now completing its ninth decade of institutional life and is moving toward its centenary in 2020. It has coped with many vicissitudes, including being burned and razed to the ground during the battle for the liberation of Manila in 1945. But, phoenix like, PWU arose from the ashes, grew and flourished, even more vigorous, innovative and determined to continue serving the youth of the land to make them be the best they can become.

From the Manila campus, PWU has branched out to two other campuses, Davao City in Mindanao and Quezon City in Metro Manila. The Davao City campus, the Philippine Women's College of Davao, was established in 1954, as the University's expression of its commitment to the youth of Mindanao. The Quezon City Campus was established in 1956. It has likewise assembled a network of

San Pedro College is a nursing college in Mindanao, founded in 1956. It began as a school of nursing of the San Pedro Hospital in Mindanao

Ateneo de Davao University

The Ateneo de Davao University is one of nine schools in the Philippines owned and operated by the Society of Jesus. The school tradition at Ateneo de Davao University is the product of over four centuries of educational experience of the Society. This tradition started with the establishment of a College at Messina in 1547 by St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, and which is now found in very many educational institutions throughout the world managed by the Society of Jesus.

At the request of the Most Reverend Luis del Rosario S.J., Bishop of Zamboanga, which then included Davao, the Jesuit Fathers took over St. Peter’s Parochial School and founded the Ateneo de Davao in 1948. The founding Fathers were led by Fr. Theodore E. Daigler S.J., who became the first Rector of the school. The other founding Fathers were Frs. Alfredo Paguia S.J. and Grant Quinn S.J. and Scholastics James Donelan S.J. and Rodolfo Malasmas S.J. On 20 May 1948, Ateneo de Davao was registered with the SEC with SEC Registration No. 3467 as a non-stock, non-profit, education institution.

When the Ateneo de Davao formally opened in 28 June 1948, it offered Grades V and VI and 1st to 3rd year high school. There were 71 elementary students and 131 high school students who started in a wooden building on a six-hectare lot in Matina.

The Jacinto campus was obtained in 1951 with the generous support of the Most Rev. Clovis Thibault, P.M.E., Bishop-Prelate of Davao. The campus provided classrooms for high school students in the daytime and college courses in the evenings. College course offerings then were liberal arts, commerce, education, associate in arts, pre-law, secretarial and an elementary teacher’s certificate program. There were 130 male college students at the July 1951 start of the College Department, and they were housed in the wooden Bellarmine Hall. In 1953, the Ateneo de Davao College became co-educational. By then, there were 9 collegiate course programs offered.

A credit union for Ateneo de Davao students was organized by one of its faculty members, Ms. Elsa Escaño in 1956.

By 1960, the population of the College Department had greatly increased, requiring the construction of a five-story building, Canisius Hall. The next year, the College of Law was started, to respond to the demand of pre-law students who wanted to have a quality Catholic legal education at the Ateneo de Davao.

Notre Dame of Tacurong College

Notre Dame of Tacurong College was opened in 1950 by Father Joseph Quinn, an Oblate Priest, upon instruction from Bishop Gerard Mongeau, OMI, to establish a Notre Dame school in Tacurong. A wooden structure was built in the 5-hectare land donated by Sabas Buenacosa, a pioneering settler of Tacurong, to welcome 250 high school boys and girls to a Catholic education.
In 1957, the girls were entrusted to the Dominican Sisters (O.P.) while the boys were left under the direction of the Oblate Fathers.
In response to the repeated requests of the people of Tacurong and nearby municipalities, the college and the elementary were opened in 1963. College courses offered were BSEED, BSE and Liberal Arts. A year after, the course in commerce was opened. In 1964, the college administration building was inaugurated and in 1965, the first commencement exercise was held with 35 ETC graduates.
Inspired by their mission to bring souls to Christ, the OMI Fathers, despite difficulties of pioneering works, took no exception to every opportunity that comes if only to push through test and trials the development of Notre Dame of Tacurong. However, in view of other missionary concerns, the OMI’s left the corridors of NDTC in 1974 after 24 years of administering the school.
From 1975 to 1980, the Marist Brothers of the Schools took over the administration of the school. The following year ushered the coming of another wave of administrators, the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Sienna.
Under the OP Sisters, the high school night session was opened in 1982 to cater to the underprivileged out-of-school youth and working students. It was also during this year that the construction of the 3-storey college building was started. In 1987, the construction was finished and acquired occupancy permit for the second and third floor.
The succeeding years up to year 2000, saw the significant development of the school in terms of infrastructure and physical facilities: the construction of the gymnasium, the H.E. building, the nursing laboratory, the three-storey Sullivan building, the NDTC Centrum, the elementary and high school canteens, the computer laboratories for high school and elementary, and the installation of internet.
Considering the adequacy of its manpower and facilities and in response to the demands of the time, the school offered two-year vocational course in computer programming, computer secretarial, computer systems technician, hotel and restaurant management, nursing aide, travel and tourism, four-year course in criminology, computer science and social work.
The OP Sisters administered the school for 22 years. In 2002, the contract of the OP expired and the school was turned over to the Archdiocese of Cotabato, the owner of the school.
The history of NDTC is reflective of its ardent desire not only to keep pace with the changing times but also to serve the needs of the community and play an active role in its development.