Historical Background of Saint Augustine Institute

Posted by Steven Egay

For Gigaquit Civic Club
March 4, 2009

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Submitted by: Ms. Diane Platino through the grace of Sir Nixon Buctuan

The Founding

Gigaquit is a town, which is 58 kilometers away from Surigao City. It is the mother municipality of the towns of Bacuag and Claver. During the early twenties, schools were very scarce. Because of the scarcity of these schools many children were hindered of their schooling especially those that came from the far distant barrios and were children of parents whose combined family income belong to the poverty line. At that particular period, the parents who were conscious of the educational development of their children clamor for the establishment of more schools in the poblacion of Gigaquit. More parents were interested that their children would receive religious institution in school. They believed that their children after completing the second grade could already lead a prayer or the “Novena” at home with the other family members all around joining the repeated recital of the prayers. The parents really believed in the saying “a family that prays together, stays together”.

Heedful of the clamor of the masses for the opening of a catholic school, which would cater to the catholic educational needs of the children in the poblacion and nearby barrios, a catholic institution was established. That institution was Saint Augustine Institute of Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte. Said institution was founded and established by Reverend Father Jose Intven, M.S.C. and four other laymen of Gigaquit who were all Roman Catholic by religious affiliation.

In July 1923, the primary grades - grades one to four were opened for its pupils. Then a year after the opening of the primary grades, the intermediate grades which were the grade five and six, were subsequently opened. Thus in 1924 the complete elementary curriculum of the said institution was opened to the public. World War II temporarily stopped its operation. In 1947, the school resumed its operation and turned over hundreds of graduates from the primary and intermediate curriculum. But most of those graduates did not have the chance to enroll in high school due to financial reasons.

In 1947, the late Reverend Father Jose Croonen, M.S.C. the Director of the school for that year, saw the felt need of opening the secondary or the high school department in order to give chance for those students who were not able to proceed to high school because of financial difficulty and distance of home to school and many other obstacles which hindered the continuance of their studies in the secondary level.

Finally, in the same year (1947) the formal opening of the high school department was done. The permit was issued by the Department of Education.

On July 1, 1951, its existence was made completely legal because the school was recognized (Recognition No. 52. s. 1951) by the Department of Education. From that year, the high school has been in full and continuous operation.

In August 6, 1969, Rev. Fr. Herman Van der Sman, M.S.C., Superintendent of Catholic Schools, invited the directors of Catholic schools to a meeting to organize the Diocesan Schools in order to bring unity and uniformity among Catholic Schools through the introduction of teachers� manual, students� handbook, curricula, syllabi, textbooks, and provide teacher training programs. At that particular period, the Saint Augustine Institute, started following the Constitution of SACS and fully recognized as a member of Surigao Association of Catholic Schools, in the presence of the energetic school director/principal, Rev. Fr. Francisco Van Der Bourght.

April 6, 1976, Msgr. Miguel C. Cinches, SVD, Bishop of Surigao, communicated to all school directors of catholic schools, Diocese of Surigao to a one-day meeting on May 4, 1976 at the MSC Regional House to revive the SACS, that time SACS Constitution and by-laws was amended. The attendant of the said meeting was SAI School Director, Father Gerard Cruijssen, M.S.C.

April 1990, the Saint Augustine Institute, school director Father Gerard Cruijssen, M.S.C., finally turned over the school to the Diocesan Clergy of Surigao (DCS) Priest, Rev. Fr. Felix R. Hora, DCS as newly appointed school director but he served only one year in the school.

June 2001, Rev. Fr. Edito N. Alcala, DCS, the principal and school director of Saint Augustine Institute continued to promote the quality of education towards the students using the 2000 Revised Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) implemented by the Department of Education. Academic year 2003-2004, the school was visited by the evaluation team from PAFE, ESC, headed by George Torres, the PAFE in-charge in Caraga Region, and other personnel from the Division of Surigao del Norte. As a result of the said evaluation, the Saint Augustine Institute received the rating which is “above average” in terms of academic instructional materials and other school facilities.

Year 2008, the Saint Augustine Institute celebrates its 52nd year of founding.

The Founders

Saint Augustine Institute was founded and established by a group of five education-conscious people composed of one ordained priest of the missionary of the Sacred Heart, Reverend Fr. Jose Intven and four other laymen of the Roman Catholic church whose names were Rafael Eliot, Eustaquio Desillos, Julio Legaspi and Cipriano Navallo. They were all residents of Gigaquit and voluntarily associated themselves and form a corporation called “Saint Augustine Institute of Gigaquit Surigao del Norte”. Faculty and Staff Saint Augustine Institute, from the initial period of its existence to the time of writing this report, has been administered by officials with hopes of attaining the objectives for which the school was established. These officials refer to the principals of the institution. The records on file showed that there were 17 principals including the incumbent who took charge of the highschool from the earliest period to the present. The principals and their tenure of office are indicated below:

Principal Office                                                  Tenure of…

Mother Agatona Gomez	1947-1948 to 1950-1951
Sister Ma. Agripina	1951-1952
Mother Ma. Mercedes Sandoval	1952-1953
Reverend Pedro Reichwein	1953-1954 to 1957-1958
Rev. Francis Van der Borght	1958-1959
Francisco L. Gonzales	1959-1960 to 1960-1961
Elias D. Salas	1961-1962
Rev. Francis Van der Borght	1962-1963 to 1964-1965
Antonio R. Nacua	1965-1966 to 1970-1971
Lily C. Legaspi	1971-1972 to 1976-1977
Claudio P. Navallo	1977-1978 to 1986
Jose Beguña	1986-1987
Lucille M. Perral	1987-1991
Rev. Fr. Eliezer N. Mantilla, DCS	1991-1992
Myrna Y. Tabar	1992-1996
Alicia L. Montenegro	1997-2003
Rev. Fr. Edito N. Alcala, DCS	2003 - 2008?

Nickson Buctuan 2008 ~ present?

The philosophy behind the founding and establishing of Saint Augustine Institute was to train the students for higher learning for those that could uphold the dignity of their Alma Mater and be assets to the society and community where they are in. And now the school formulates the new Vision-Mission statement; Vision We, the Catholic Diocesan Schools of Surigao, a community of disciples of Christ, faithful to the teachings and traditions of the Church, form the youth to become Christ-centered, enlightened, and committed Filipino youth for the service of the Church and society with preferential option for the underserved. Mission Guided by the Spirit, with Mary our Mother and model, we commit ourselves to be preferred Catholic educational institution of the poor in the locality. We endeavor to serve as cogent venue for evangelization and the integration of faith, life and culture, through;

• Quality integral Christian formation and academic excellence;


• Dynamic Basic Ecclesial Community building;


• Resource mobilization and sharing.

** Photos courtesy of Mr. Rey Tupal

** Click below related links. . .

SAI Alumni Association

Originally posted by Steve Egay at http://gigaquitnons.ning.com/