ABOUT US

Baan Elementary School was part of Southeast Butuan District for a very long time. Its name was changed to Florencio R. Sibayan Memorial Elementary School around the year 1997. In 2010, Southeast Butuan District was split into two thus, Southeast Butuan District II was born. Florencio R. Sibayan Central Elementary School was renamed and became central school of the newly formed district.

Baan Barrio School had its humble beginnings around 1930’s at the house of Mr. Vicente Burdis located on the lot of Mrs. Anastacia Salte. The teachers during that time were Mrs. Abalos, Mr. Alfonso Hidalgo, Mr. Salvador Bokingo, Mrs. ‘Etim’ Duerme, and Mr. Cacho for the first few years of the school. The school stopped its operations during the World War II. When peace came, the parents and teachers decided to relocate the school where it is easily accessible by most of the learners, so they transferred it at the present location of the Petron Gasoline Station. It was Delgado’s residence which was used as the new schoolhouse.

As time goes by, the number of enrollees increased, and the number of grade levels need to be upgraded. Due to this, there is also a need for a bigger space to accommodate the growing number of learners. At this instance, as stated by the Grade 1 Teacher Mrs. Caridad Tovilla and relayed by her former pupil, Mr. Florencio Reyes Sibayan, a retired US Navy, offered a portion of his land to be the new school location. The catch is that this land was pawned at that moment to Philippine National Bank under Entry No. 2716 ‘in favor of Florencio Sibayan and Dionisia Sibayan’. They need to raise funds to be able to buy off the land from the said bank. The General Parents-Teachers Association that time contributed at least Php2 each (which was a large amount during that time) to come up with the sum of Php 300.

In the attached ‘Memorandum of Encumberances’ attached to the Transfer Certificate of Title No. 2399, it was stated that it was ‘donated in favor of the Bureau of Public Schools. At the bottom paragraph of the same page, titled Entry # 28491, the cancellation of mortgage dated at the City of Butuan and known as Doc. No. 585, Page No. 103, Book No. XIV Series of 1977 of the Notarial Register of Romeo B. Sanchez, Notary Public for and in the Butuan City, August 5, 1977 at 11:00 am. This was because the GPTA of Baan Community School has paid the amount and now owns the land of the school.

In Resolution No. 02, Series 1998, in an excerpt from the minutes of the Regular Session of the Sangguniang Barangay of Baan Km. 3, Butuan City held at 8:00 am, November 7, 1997, it was unanimously approved that the name of the school be changed from Baan Elementary School to Florencio R. Sibayan Memorial Elementary School. This was carried on the year 1998.

By the year 2010, at the division of Southeast Butuan District into two, the school was again renamed Florencio R. Sibayan Central Elementary School and became the central school of Southeast Butuan District II up to this day.

Although the heirs claimed that the land was donated by their great grandfather, in the Declaration of Real Property No. 7265, the stated owner of property is Baan Barrio School in the municipality of Baan Km 3, Butuan City Agusan del Norte. At the back of the said paper, at the bottom left, a faded, typed-in sentence states, “This 1 Ha. Was bought by the P.T.A. of Baan Community School from Mr. Florencio Sibayan.”

At the moment, the school is processing the land title which is a requirement needed by the Department of Education for donation of building.