HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SMAJ

St. Mary’s Academy of Jasaan, originally called “Escuela Parochia de Jasaan” (Jasaan, Parish Catholic School) was founded in 1909, through the efforts of the early missionary priests and sisters assigned to Jasaan Misamis Oriental. Its existence has played a great part in the history of the early Catholic Church of Jasaan as well as its growth.

Like other Jesuit mission in Mindanao where the RVM Sisters were invited to work with the Jesuit priests, the first batch of RVM Sisters were sent to work with Rev. Father Herrras, a Spanish Jesuit missionary. The parish priest opened a school for children and called it Jasaan Parish Catholic School.

Classes were classified according to gender, age and pace of learning of each child. Its primary objectives were to prepare the children for the first communion and to acquire basic skills in reading, writing, arithmetic and grammar with music integrated in every subject. Girls were taught simple household chores like cooking and handicrafts while the boys were taught how to do a man’s job. Those were gifted and interested to become band members joined the drum corps group.

In 1928, a permit was obtained to open a complete elementary education offering. Pupils of the previous informal school were absorbed. The school was divided into two departments. St. Aloysius for boys and St. Therese of the child Jesus for girls.

The following year when the fifth grade was opened, the public elementary was also opened in Jasaan. This resulted in the decrease of the enrolment in the private school. To save the classrooms and minimize the need for teachers, the two departments were fused and the original name “Jasaan Parish Catholic School” was restored.

In 1930, the sixth grade was opened and with the encouragement of Rev. Fr. Pollok, SJ, catholic families started sending back to their children to the school. The year 1941, saw the opening of the first year high school curriculum but classes were soon disrupted by the World War II. When Liberation time came, high school classes were resumed and the second year curriculum was added in the following year.

The early 1950’s marked the turning over of the established Jesuit Missions and schools in Mindanao to the diocesan clergy. The RVM Sisters continued to teach with the support of the first Filipino parish priest Rev. Fr. Alejandro Mejia and the bishop of Cagayan de Oro, Most Rev. Bishop James Hayes, SJ. Soon after the opening of the third year curriculum in 1956, the management of the school was turned over to the RVM Sisters and the school was named “Mary Immaculate Academy in honor of the parish patron saint, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. The high school curriculum was completed in 1956 marking the first graduation exercises on the following year.

With its enrollment gradually increasing, the school has to focus in its physical expansion in the early 1960’s until 1981. Construction of building and provision of classroom facilities became a necessity. Hence, there was a construction of an annex building connecting the dormitory and the school building. Hand in hand with this construction was the intensification of the spiritual formation program together with the creation of Mother Ignacia Movement (MIM) with members extended from the students to people in the community.

In the School Year 1998-1999, a new principal in the person of S. Ma. Evangeline C. Nakila, RVM was assigned to St. Mary’s Academy of Jasaan. It was her

dream to improve the physical aspect of the school especially the construction of a new school building. When the Superior General, Mother Ma. Clarita R. Balleque, RVM visited the school on August 26, 1998, such dream for the school became a reality and the demolition of old building began. The construction of the new two storey-building started on April 18, 1999. The building was blessed and was first used in May 27, 2000. The renaming of the school from Mary Immaculate Academy to St. Mary’s Academy of Jasaan then followed after consultation with the school’s stakeholders.

The school facilities were continually improved to suit the school’s clientele then later applied accreditation from Philippine Association of Accrediting Schools and Universities (PAASCU) during the term of S. Ma. Severiana Jocelyn D. Jesuralem, RVM and was granted candidate status.

It is noteworthy to mention that the school today is a recipient for educational Service Contracting Scheme (ESC) managed by PEAC (Fund Assistance for Private Education), which has helped in the realization of the mission of the school to enhance its service to poor but deserving students. In its more than a hundred years of service to the community, the school continually upholds the teachings of Mo. Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, consequential from the teachings of Jesus Christ, our Savior, and through the intercession of Mary, the mother of the Church. These teachings have remained and will remain all throughout the existence of the school to realize its vision to transform society.

Today, St. Mary’s Academy of Jasaan continues to produce graduates with Ignacian-Marian spiritually who persist to be men and women for others igniting the spirit of Faith, Excellence, and Service. Certainly, St. Mary’s Academy of Jasaan has contributed to the transformation of the community it serves maintaining the vibrancy of Ignacian-Marian spirit.

St. Mary’s Academy of Jasaan is still soaring high for more than a century. It has been one of the agents to be of great service to government offices both national and local government units through our past and future alumni. They could be found in any parts of our country.

St. Mary’s Academy keeps up its aim to Nurture Faith, Develop Academic Excellence and Humble Service to become Tatak Ignacian Marians.

St. Mary’s Academy of Jasaan is pursuing for the PAASCU Accreditation in aspiring for excellence in Catholic Education to its clientele.