About

HISTORY OF SICAT

The Southern Isabela College of Arts and Trades (SICAT) formerly the Santiago Vocational and Industrial School (SVIS) of Santiago City was created on June 18, 1964 by virtue of a small Bill sponsored by the late HON. DELFIN C. ALBANO, the congressman of Isabela. The Bill was approved into law known as RA 3922. Its first operation started on July 3, 1967 in a two rented community center buildings at Barangay Calao East, Santiago, Isabela, under the leadership of Mr. Manuel Damaso, the Principal. Four teachers, seven office personnel and thirty-two (32) first year enrollees marked the birth of Santiago Vocational and Industrial School.

The following years marked a considerable increase in enrollment prompting the pioneers to relocate the school into a wider area. The school acquired without cost a very ideal and conducive site at Barangay Calaocan, Santiago, Isabela, its lifetime intensive domain after making some intensive development.

The numerous obstacles it encountered during the early years of existence was a real uphill climb for SVIS. Lack of funds, inadequate facilities, shortage of classroom, insufficient laboratory equipment and crowded offices among others characterized the critical first decade of the school. But through the years, SVIS managed to survive, corrected its deficiencies and sustained a smooth sailing yet satisfactory operation.

Empowered by its commitment to respond to the demands of ever growing and booming towns of Cagayan Valley, the school finally reached its dream to become a college when House Bill 562 lapsed into law and became RA 8075. This paved the way for the institution to fully realize its goal of assisting the acute imbalance of supply and demand of certain types of skills and manpower to cope up with fast technology changes and global competition.

The institution implemented its Ten Year Development Program as conceived by the Technical and Vocational Advisory Council of the newly born College. With its desire to keep its pace in congruent to the rapid development, the need to enrich its present programs with a thought of specializing a single distinctive area of competence as suggested by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) became a prevalent goal of the college.

SICAT continuously work hard for quality and excellence. As a result, SICAT received a Commitment Award from the Philippine Quality Award.