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Aldersgate College
November 2006
The fountainhead of pride and
treasure
The socio-cultural background of the community prompted the late Pilar
Danguilan Galima, educator, businesswoman, and one of the strong pillars of
the Solano United Methodist Church, to conceive a school for Solano and nearby
towns in Nueva Vizcaya. Galima nursed her brainchild – a high school where
adolescent children should be educationally cared. She believed that a child’s
formative should be given importance during his/her adolescence. The late Mr.
Castulo Villanueva, a member of the church council of the Solano United
Methodist Church, gave his strongest support to the establishment of the high
school together with the Board of Trustees.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Thus, the Nueva Vizcaya-Ifugao-Quirino District Conference, of which the
Solano United Methodist Church is a member, decided to spend the World War II
reparation money it received for the establishment of a Methodist high school,
as it will benefit many instead of apportioning it among the member churches
concerned. The Board, through the leadership of Galima, purchased the lot of
Esperanza Danguilan Villegas, her sister, for this purpose.
Aldersgate College, Inc. was thus organized in 1965 under the auspices of the
Northern Philippines Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. It was
registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a non-stock,
non-profit educational corporation on March 19, 1970 with SEC Reg. No. 40822.
The Aldersgate College in Solano, the commercial center of the province of
Nueva Vizcaya. Towards the south, the college is 5 kilometers from the
provincial capital town of Bayombong, 21 kilometers from the vegetable trading
center of Bambang, and 50 kilometers from the southernmost municipality and
entrance to the Cagayan Valley, the town of Sta. Fe. Solano is at the center
of Nueva Vizcaya, a valley surrounded by the Caraballo mountain ranges to the
south, the Cordillera mountains to the west and northwest, and the Sierra
Madre ranges to the east and northeast.The school was named Aldersgate College
after a street in London where John Wesley, the founder of Methodism felt his
heart strangely warmed, and realized that the path to Christian perfection can
be fully achieved only by the grace of God through Christ Jesus. For the seeds
of spirit are best planted on verdant fields of human struggle, they germinate
as soon as the mind absorbs the efficacy of rational analysis; then grow
rapidly, nurtured by a mass of knowledge and fertilized by a continuous flow
of experience. They are ready for harvest as soon as the chaff of wordly
imperfection becomes separable from the grain of wisdom and holiness. And when
finally harvested, it shall be by the grace of God.
It has become the vision of Aldersgate College to ensure that whosoever passes
its portals will be totally transformed, to become morally upright and
spiritually awakened—a brave and sagacious soul with an enlightened mind, a
compassionate heart and able and ready hands.
In June 1965, Dana K. Tyson, an American Missionary and educator, came in as
the first Executive Dean of the college. She put emphasis on the rounded
growth and development of students during her term. The college offered the
first and second years of the Liberal Arts and Education courses: BSE and
BSEEd during the school year 1965-66. Tyson left at the end of the school year
in 1966 to resume her missionary and evangelical work in Virginia, USA.
Rev. Pedro F. Daludado came in June 1966. He exemplified the immediate
objectives of the college as he took reins of the administration for the
school year 1966-1969. The school got its recognition in 1969 and 1981.
Tyson took over again in school year1969-70. She could be relied upon and
ready to take over, every time there was a need for her services as dean of
the college. Her administration developed harmonious relationship with the
outreach program, the Christian Children’s Fund Inc., which supported
Aldersgate Family Life Program. This program brought better and closer
relationship of the school with the community and nearby towns. Benjamina
Quilang was taken to succeed Ms. Tyson, in 1970-1971.
Origen Pascua managed the college for one year in the school year 1971-72.
In June 1972, Elmer Vigilia came in. He was able to help upgrade the
development of the curricula.
The rigodon of deans ended when Raquel Fernando came in November 1973. She
stayed for four and a half years during which term the enrolment in the
elementary and high school department increased, reaching the one thousand
mark. The school’s effort to help the community was further strengthened
through the Human Skills Development Program of the National Manpower Youth
Council (NMYC). This gave rise to the offering of vocational courses during
her administration.
The infant college had grown from a junior college to a full-fledged college
offering three four-year collegiate courses in school year 1969-70 with its
first graduates in AB, BSE, and BSEEd. It received full recognition in
February 1969 for all the offerings from Elementary to the College department.
The year 1978 marked the first expansion era under the administration of Rev.
Benjamin A. Justo. (now the incumbent bishop of the Baguio Episcopal Area of
the United Methodist Church.) He came in with his idea of streamlined
administration replete with benefits for teachers and enriched school
offerings before he left for Geneva, Switzerland in 1978 on a six-month study
grant. Meanwhile, Mr. Eduardo Magalued became the OIC-Director of the college.
President Junifen Franco Gauuan took over as the Director of the college in
November 1982. He improved the Management Control System; initiated the
optimum use of limited facilities, renovated the buildings, actively promoted
the college, which increased enrolment and revenues, and widened the scope of
his fund resource program. His first extensive research and comprehensive
project proposal resulted to the establishment of a three-storey building, the
EZE (Evangelische Zentralstelle Fur Entwicklungshilfe), in December 1985.
The offering of new courses is the result of the college administration’s
effort to keep abreast with the changing needs and demands of the present
times. In 1993, the Graduate in Midwifery course was opened. It was followed
by the Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering in 1994 and 1995
respectively. The great demand of nurses here and abroad pushed Aldersgate
College to offer Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1996.
In 1998, the Graduate School started its operation with its Master in Public
Administration and Master of Arts in Education programs. This paved the way to
teachers in neighboring schools and employees to enroll at AC.
In 2003, two courses were opened, the Bachelor in Business and Information
Technology and the Bachelor in Criminology.
Aldersgate College commits itself to the total development of the youth and
uplifts the living condition of the community by playing a dynamic role in the
cultural, social, economic, and educational growth. This is made possible
through the concerted efforts of the Board of Trustees, the Administration,
Faculty, and Employees that compose the Aldersgate College Family. They work
hand in hand in keeping and maintaining the institution to become a center for
academic excellence, social relevance, and spiritual nurture.
PRESENT TIMES
The Aldersgate College today functions not only as an educational catalyst in
its surrounding locality but also as a significant pillar of growth and
development. In the past, it already served as feeder of competent workers
both in government and private sectors through its graduates. Still at present
this institution continues to strengthen holistic development of the youth and
the community in general through its linkages with local and national agencies
in order to fulfill its mission and goal.
As a non-sectarian private institution, Aldersgate College operates with its
mission of Academic Excellence, Social Relevance, and Spiritual Nurture.
Aldersgate Elementary School pupils compared with other elementary pupils are
a step ahead where information technology is concerned. Their computer
education starts in Grade I. Once they step in high school they will have
learned the ins and outs of Flowcharting, Powerpoint and Excel making them
more prepared for the demands of a rapidly changing environment in this cyber
age.
The high school is an active department with its well-run academic program and
extra-curricular tasks. Students have always been encouraged to participate in
annual journalism workshop and competition, quiz bee, math olympiad, science
fair, leadership training, musical and sports activities. More often they
bring significant if not outstanding awards, which add to the merits of the
school, the teachers and the students themselves.
In the tertiary, while its emphasis is on academic excellence, Aldersgate
College realizes that the student’s overall development must be its ultimate
concern. Thus, it encourages the students to engage in as many and as varied
co-curricular and extra curricular activities as his time, interests, and
abilities would allow him. The Office of Students Affairs plans, coordinates,
and implements coherent and meaningful co-curricular activities for students.
The AC students participate actively and won accolades in various local,
regional and national seminars, workshops and contests such as the Tourism
Quiz Bee, the National Super Quiz Bee, the Higher Education Regional Athletic
Association, (HERAA), Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA), Palarong
Pambansa (Region II), Regional Tertiary Press Conference, Luzonwide Higher
Education Press Congress, and the National Congress for College Students.
To mention a few of the co-Curricular organizations which regularly won awards
and honors for the school, they are: The Junior Philippine Institute of
Accountants (JPIA), Junior Association of Management Students (JAMS), AC
Computer Explorer Society, Philippine Nursing Student Association, Student
Nurses Association, Integrated Institute of Electrical Engineers, Philippine
Institute of Civil Engineers, Martial Arts Club, and Scholars and Service
Grantees Society. Youth Community Service Club (YCSC) and AC Artists’ Circle.
Remarkable achievements in Licensure Examinations include: Ma Cherry Carrera,
8th place, Mary Jane dela Cruz, 10th place in midwifery exam; Christian Loria,
4th place in Board Examination for Registered Master Electrician. In the
Search for Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines, Ruchdee Apelado, was a
National Awardee. Among other TOSP Regional awardees are: Katherine Faith
Maddela (BSED), Sheila Moana Marie Gonzales, (BEED); Salustina Guiang, (BSA);
Jake Fabian, (BSN); Jonahlou Galasinao, (BSA); Anita Joy Orpia,(BSA); and
William Magday Jr., BSED).
For the past 41 years, Aldersgate College has produced competent graduates who
are serving the community in their various fields of endeavor.
Development Centers
In addition, the college has Research and Development Centers that cater to
the needs of the students and the community. They are as follows: Integrated
Child Developmet Centre (ICDC), established to become the venue for
community-wide self-reliant effort toward the holistic development of
children, the Nederlands Comitevoor Kinderpostzegels, and the First United
Methodist Church of Anchorage.
Its present programs are the Rural Pre-school Extension, the Aldersgate
Computer Institute (ACI), the Centre for Rural Enterprise and Appropriate
Technology (CREATE), the Reproductive Health Care Center (RHCC), the Center
for Accelerated and Remedial Instruction (CARE) and the Aldersgate School of
Arts and Music (ASAM).
Making wider horizons for the ACIans
To gain world-class service capabilities, Aldersgate College (AC) reaches out
to recognize productivity gains of today’s downsizing companies abroad and to
upgrade the profitability of local workers which thus lessen the burden on
employment in the light of our national development program as mandated and
supported by no less than the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The competitive climate of the ‘90s has advanced the function and importance
of educational institutions like AC not only in the curricular aspects but
also in the research extensions particularly those, which allow its people to
excel in the global scenario through outsourcing.
Cognizant of the relevance of the above extension project of the school, AC
with the able leadership of the College President Junifen F. Gauuan, initiated
the Aldersgate College Global Outsourcing Center (ACGOC) that provides
services by being rendered with industry knowledge and expertise that is
necessary to hire dedicated employees, implement a technology infrastructure
and manage the entire operation. This will allow ACGOC to effectively manage,
retain, and grow business corporations to gain a leading edge in today’s
competitive marketplace at par with giant companies offshore.
Aside from the acquisition of 60 brand new flat-screened computers,
plantronics headsets and direct Internet access, the school created linkages
with call center experts to implement a technology infrastructure that can
sustain the necessities of the entire operation. Drishti Philippinnes provides
a call system through the CRM Software; Biometrix Corporation Philippines
allows calls abroad by hosting the system; and Digitel Telecommunication
Company provides a Direct Internet Access that is peered to Biometrix
Corporation.
The ACGOC, as a teleservice project of the school, maintains and improves
ongoing customer support and training programs envisions broader horizons for
its contact center staff and the ACians as it gears up for full operation. AC,
as it views growth as the key to surviving the crises that we experience in
our nation nowadays, is conceived to be a successful company that is
proactive: recognizing the needs of existing and potential customers and
workers and utilizing management experts to maximize financial opportunities.
As we proceed with this venture, this will prove to be the best avenue for the
local workforce to grow at the quality of the world market.
Source: Manila Bulletin Online
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