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Andres Bonifacio College
March 2007

Providing accessible and affordable quality education in Zamboanga and Mindanao

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Inspired by Andres Bonifacio, the revolutionary hero known as "The Great Plebeian," Amando Amatong founded the ANDRES BONIFACIO COLLEGE (ABC) – originally the Andres Bonifacio Institute – in 1940. It was established primarily to provide accessible, affordable, and quality education to the people of Zamboanga and nearby areas in Mindanao.

The "ABI," as it was known before, started as a small learning institution offering first and second year high school and vocational courses in typing and stenography in rented classrooms. After World War II, it was housed in its own building. In 1968, the institute was renamed the Andres Bonifacio College and moved to its present location in College Park along Quezon Avenue in Dipolog City.

After the founder’s untimely death, Mrs. Felicidad Amatong, fondly called by many as "Manang Edad," a pragmatic and industrious woman of Chinese decent, took it upon herself to raise her eight children and pursue the vision of her husband who founded the pioneering private school in the island of Mindanao.

ABC produced its first graduates in high school in April 1947, Associate in Arts and Elementary Teachers Certificate in 1948, Bachelor of Secondary Education in 1950, Bachelor of Arts in 1952, Bachelor of Laws in 1953, Bachelor of Science in Commerce in 1954, Civil Engineering in 1972 and Geodetic Engineering in 1974.

ABC has its own School of Law now duly recognized by the Supreme Court as one of the top 10 performing law schools nationwide. Based on the passing percentage, it ranked 5th and 7th in the 1995 and 1996 bar examination.

The records of the college in the Licensure/Board Examination are very encouraging, proving that ABC could stand side by side with other schools in the country. Its first and lone commerce graduate landed 10th place in the CPA Board Examination in 1957. More topnotchers landed within the top 10 in Civil Engineering, Geodetic Engineering, and Teacher Education. Prominent among them is Belen James, who tied with a student of the University of the Philippines, grabbing the first place in the 1997 Geodetic Engineering Examination. Last year, Cherry Mae Baguilan, landed 5th place in the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET).

In the National Science Quiz held recently in Baguio City, 4th grader Donna Mai Sevilla emerged as the National Champion, beating participants from 14 regions.

ABC maintains its position as one of the top training centers in world-class health care. The first batch of its nursing graduates last year, 12 of 20 passed the Nursing Board Examination, registering a 60 percent passing percentage, higher than the national passing rate of 49 percent and the second highest in Region IX.

The Andres Bonifacio College anchors its present operation on its vision of being a center of excellence in instruction, research, technology, extension, athletics and the arts and its mission of providing affordable quality education with values in industry, intelligence, integrity, and undertake relevant research and socially-responsive community service using innovative technologies.

At the helm of the College now are the children of the founders who relentlessly continue the legacy of their parents.

Now offering more than 55 degree and diploma programs, ABC continues to expand its courses to keep abreast with the challenging needs of contemporary times. During school year 2002-2003, the college started offering new courses, namely, Office Administration, Electronics and Communications Engineering, and Computer Engineering.

The College takes bolder steps to improve its academic standards to support its quest for quality and excellence in education. It volunteered for Institutional Monitoring and Evaluation for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (IQuAME) Assessment sponsored by the Commission of Higher Education last December 4-6, with assessors from Western and Eastern Visayas. The College is one of the privates school piloted for IQuAME in Region 9. Presently, it is preparing for the Preliminary Self-Survey for the accreditation of three programs of Arts and Sciences, Commerce, and Education.

Infrastructure support has been realized with the completion of the Science and Technology Building, which houses the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering and the School of Nursing. This edifice is equipped with Science Laboratories in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, Computer Laboratories, Speech Laboratory and Soil Testing Laboratory all deemed necessary to ensure higher quality instruction.

Its Research and Extension Office was established to coordinate researches conducted by the faculty, staff and students. Research is an important function of the College for it contributes to the expansion of the frontiers of knowledge. The College likewise gears for socially responsive service to the community through its Extension Office, which is linked with the Center of Governance, Development and Continuing Studies (GODECOST), a sister agency of the College meant to actualize through training, research, and extension work an accountable and effective governance of the people, and self-reliant communities. The College is also a regional partner of the International Ford Foundation Fellowship Program in processing application for scholarships. It offers opportunities for men and women to take up graduate studies here and abroad.

Recent development in the college involves innovative programs and projects that include the functionalization of speaking English in classrooms and offices, the requirement of review subjects in the curriculum of programs with licensure examination. The college has also a new track and field oval which was completed during the College Intramural Meet last September 2006. A four-storey Administration building will soon rise to support the academic stride. A plan to construct a dormitory for poor but deserving students has been approved.

The Andres Bonifacio College takes pride in its Graduate School which offers Master of Arts (MA) major in Elementary Education, Social Studies, and Filipino and other courses in consortium with the UP Open University, with majors in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Other Graduate degree programs include Master of Arts in Educational Management (MAEm), Master of Business Administration (MBA), and Master of Public Administration (MPA).

The Bachelor of Laws (Ll.B.) has been in the line up of course offerings for more than five decades now, producing bar topnotchers like Atty. Leo Lim (11th placer in 1977) and Atty. Elner Jamolod (13th placer, 1995). Most of the judges, prosecutors and practicing lawyers in the sala of trial courts in the province and the twin cities of Dapitan and Dipolog are alumni of the School of Law. The School of Law requires senior students to pass the mock bar examination before they are certified for graduation.

The undergraduate programs include those from the Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Schools of Engineering, Education, Commerce and Accountancy, Engineering, Criminology, and Nursing; and Vocational-Technical Courses.

The CAS offers Bachelor of Arts (AB), with majors in Political Science, Mass Communication, and English and Literature; and Bachelor of Science (BS) with majors in General Science, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Agriculture.

The School of Engineering offers Bachelors of Science in Geodetic Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Two latest courses offered include B.S. in Computer Engineering and Electronics and Communications Engineering.

The Teacher Education courses are offered by the School of Education. These are Bachelor in Elementary Education and Bachelor of Secondary Education, with majors in English, Filipino, General Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Physical Education, Health and Music (PEHM), and Home Economics and Technology.

The School of Commerce and Accountancy offers B.S. in Commerce with majors in Management, Entrepreneurship, and Management Accounting; Office Administration; and Accountancy.

The School of Nursing offers the nursing course leading to the degree of B.S. in Nursing. The first batch of graduates obtained the degree in 2006.

The School of Criminology offers the Criminology course leading to the degree of B.S. in Criminology.

The Andres Bonifacio College, in coordination with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), also offers Vocational-Technical courses in Automotive, Electronics, Electrical and Machine Shop. Other short-term courses include Computer Technician, Junior Secretarial, and the two-year Hotel and Restaurant Management. One-year short-term courses are also offered.

Source: Manila Bulletin Online