Pillarican Senior High School Connect

From its establishment in 1956, our Lady of the Pillar College -Cauayan (OLPCC), has metamorphosed into the only school in central Isabela accredited level II by the Philippine Accrediting Agency of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) and one of the most respected institutions in Cagayan Valley today catering to the needs of the youth and responding to the demands of the times.

In its 60 years of offering quality Catholic education, OLPCC is determined to continue serving the nation in keeping with its status as a Catholic school anchored in integral evangelization, academic excellence and community service.

Guided by the principles of peace, love, piety, justice and environmental stewardship, the school continuously fires the devotion of serving others, of becoming the evangelizing arm of the local church and of producing diamonds of the best kinds in the youth and people.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Fr. Roque N. Fidel, then the parish priest of Our Lady of the Pillar, founded Our Lady of the Pillar Institution (OLPI) in 1956. Supported by his dream and vision, the school went underway as a secondary school with Mr. Vicente Talosig as principal having seven teachers and 90 enrollees originally located at the Parish Church compound with a three-story wooden building. With its extent of being an evangelical arm, it has become a household name among many Isabelinos- a legacy that many generations will forever be grateful for.

In 1979, a two-hectare lot was donated by the late Eufronia B. Tomaneng to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ilagan for educational purpose, particularly the possible expansion of OLPI to tertiary level of educational endeavor. It was just opportune that on that same year Msgr. Marino D. Gatan who was then parish priest and OLPI director applied for the school’s expansion to tertiary level.

Important years followed OLPI’s promising start. In 1979, the school opened its College Department with Bachelor of Arts in Sociology as the lead course. Shortly after, it started to offer Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Accounting.

After a year, the grade school department was established offering kindergarten; however, after eight years it was closed due to financial constraints brought about by low enrollment.

Then in 1984, OLPI produced its pioneer graduates who are now employed into different fields and places. Some even have gone abroad. This is indeed a living proof that OLPI’s selfless endeavor paid off far and wide. And it will never stop serving the people. The following year, OLPI scored a milestone achievement when its students garnered 100 percent passing rate in the Licensure Examination for Certified Public Accountants.

As there had been equally growing demands for other fields, OLPI added new courses such as Bachelor in Secondary Education (BSEd), Bachelor in Elementary Education (BEEd), majors in Science and Mathematics, Computer courses, and additional majors in Bachelor of Arts, and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

With the opening of education courses, the pre-school and elementary level opened in 1993 as laboratory school for the college of Elementary Education where Mrs. Pilar C. Fidel was appointed as principal.

In 1996, the school became a member of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU) which paved the way for the opening of its graduate courses in Master in Business Administration, Thesis and Non-thesis programs, Master of Arts in Educational Management, Master in Public Administration and Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. After few years, Engineering, Criminology, and Nursing programs were offered.

TOWARDS IMPROVEMENT

Notably, each year brought great improvements in the school. The continued increase in enrollment led to monumental changes. A three-story building is now occupied by the college department and new three-story building by the grade school and the Nursing department. The existence of modern and highly advanced physical facilities of Science and Computer Laboratories and internet access are now in place for better learning. In 2000, the institution was renamed Our Lady of the Pillar College – Cauayan (OLPCC) from Our Lady of the Pillar Institution (OLPI).

The Junior High School Department now moved to its new site- the Father Fidel Campus located just a few meters away from OLPCC Eufronia campus. This was blessed by Archbishop Antonio Franco, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, on August 20, 2002 and was formally inaugurated by Rev. Bishop Sergio L. Utleg, the former bishop of Ilagan, on December 8, 2002. At the same time, on May 31, 2002, PAASCU granted the high school department Level I status under the leadership of Sr. Lucy Gumiran, SFIC as principal.

The increasing number of students flocking to OLPCC challenged the administration to make a huge leap from mere semi-permanent infrastructures to well-furnished ones. Through its continued concern for quality education, OLPCC was granted Level I Accredited Status by the PACU-COA on October 15, 2002 in the Accountancy and Education programs and was also granted Level II Accredited Status in the Business Administration program in 2005. The high school department was also granted Level I Accreditation status after meeting the requirements set by the PAASCU. On May 31, 2008, Level I re-accredited status was conferred under the principalship of Sr. Prescila R. Gapuz, SFIC.

Responding to the demands of the time, OLPCC expanded its programs by offering more courses like Nursing, Engineering and Criminology courses with a separate building for the College of Nursing having rooms and Nursing skills laboratory equipped with modern facilities and equipment. The school continuously strives to further render services necessary to make education affordable and accessible without sacrificing quality and excellence to the less fortunate members of the community.

On December 14, 2009, the PAASCU gave the elementary department candidate status. However, in March 2010- college department, PACU-COA granted Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) its Level I Status.

TRANSFORMATION CONTINUES

While there were further expansions and developments, OLPCC extended its arm to cater to more students in the second congressional district of Isabela comprising Aurora, San Manuel, and Roxas respectively. This, through the late Fr. Floyd Codog’s daring initiative, gave birth to OLPCC’s sister school in the humble town of San Manuel in June, 2010. This definitely brought milestone to OLPCC not to mention that the new campus had more than 200 students for its first year of operation. A promising start indeed!

In June 2012, Dr. Exuperio V. Flores Jr. continuing the legacy of the long tradition of leadership gained the first lay Presidential seat after the approval of the Board of Trustees.

With its aim for excellence and quality Christian education, the elementary department also collaborated and received its PAASCU – Level 1 status through the headship of Mr. Cris Magaoay on December 10, 2012.

In 2014, the school of Sta. Monica in San Agustin Isabela was turned over to OLPCC as one of its campuses with Rev. Lazaro Quintain as the school administrator.

In the same year, OLPCC succeeded in maintaining excellent and quality education through PACU-COA grants of Level II Second Re-accredited Status to  the Teacher Education Programs, Level II First Re-accredited Status to Information and Technology Programs and Level II Re-accredited Status to the College of Business Administration. Likewise, PAASCU granted the junior high school department Level II Re-accredited Status. The College of Accountancy also received its Level II Second Re-accreditation Status in 2015.

In 2017, PAASCU also granted the elementary department Level II Re-accreditation for five years.

PRESENT TIMES

The Our Lady of the Pillar College – Cauayan is at present moving forward in attaining its mission and vision. Being the only Catholic and accredited school in central Isabela, it is living up to her mandate as the evangelical arm of the Diocese of Ilagan.

Today, OLPCC is not only known for its high-quality buildings and facilities but for its quality of instruction, competent faculty members and most importantly, Christ-centered curriculum. Its consistent performance in producing board topnotchers, passers and top performers and achievers in many fields of discipline truly makes the school a pride of Cauayan City retaining its status as one among the most respected institutions in region II .

Moreover, in compliance with the DepEd, OLPCC is also notable for K-12 ready institution as it opened the senior high school department offering the different strands: ABM (Accountancy and Business Management), STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), HUMSS (Humanities and Social Sciences) TVL (Tech Voc, and Livelihood) and GAS (General Strand)

Also, the San Manuel branch is now on its eight year of operation from kinder to college level bringing an immense change in the community.

In the midst of all these, OLPCC’s presence in the community is strongly felt even in the most depressed barangays. The outreach program at barangays San Pablo, San Isidro and Duminit in Cauayan City, and barangay Sta. Rita in San Manuel, Isabela are monumental undertakings that reshape and transform the people in the community at a pace faster than expected. The unselfish efforts of faculty and students are form of self-denial and preferential option for the poor.

This year, through the remarkable leadership of Dr. Exuperio V. Flores Jr., the marker of the Eufronia Tomaneng Campus for the elementary, senior high and college department was unveiled and blessed as graced by Mrs. Chatty Tomaneng- Agustin, Irene Banigan-Maramag and Leticia Canciller-Wisner, family members of the late Eufronia. Significantly, this event symbolically proves how OLPCC welcomes people, brings opportunities, advocates on Gospel and Filipino cultural values and transforms communities to be pillars.

Being “pillars” of the nations, Pillaricans will keep the fire of community service and academic excellence burning and will diffuse God’s light on earth. As such, they can humbly say that they are true-blooded Pillaricans.

For faith and religion, 

For virtue and wisdom 

For God and country, we have come 

To seek and to learn the truth that inspires us 

To raise the banner of Christ 

And now do we pledge forever to fight

And never from thee to part 

For Pillaricans, models of virtue 

We are defenders of our faith 

OLPC! OLPC! Beloved Alma Mater 

Here we are pillars, march as soldiers. 

Fearless, strong and firm 

To you, oh beloved, oh guardian of our school 

This song of praise we now enthrone 

A token of love, a promise of trust 

To raise the banners of Christ 

Again, do we pledge forever to fight 

And never from thee to part

 For Pillaricans, models of virtue 

We are defenders of our faith 

For Pillaricans, models of virtue We are defenders of our faith… 

Listen here: https://youtu.be/y87ipUbwWrs 

Pillarican education is a life-long process towards total transformation through integral evangelization so that everyone becomes a pillar of peace, justice, freedom with love for humanity, with a preferential option for the poor and a deep concern for the environment. 

OLPCC, a catholic college, as an evangelizing arm of the local church, envisions a totally transformed Christian Community.

Thus, OLPCC as sharer in the life and mission of the local church commits to:

Provide equal opportunity and access to quality education integrating Gospel and Filipino cultural values responsive and relevant to the needs of the times.

Create in the school community an atmosphere and opportunity for individual transformation that leads to Christian community living.

Reach out to people enriching their faith-life experience needed in building a just and humane society.

P- People/Person-oriented with preferential option for the poor

I- Insistent passion for Excellence

L- Loyalty to the school and Team-work Oriented

L- Life-long Learners

A- Accountable and Christ centered

R- Responsible Filipino Citizen with Social and Environmental consciousness

It is with great pride and a deep sense of responsibility that we present the Constitution and By-Laws of the Supreme Student Government of the Senior High School Department. This document stands as a testament to our collective commitment to uphold democratic values, foster student engagement, and ensure the effective governance of our student body.  Read more.