ACADEMIA DE SAN ISIDRO LABRADOR

1256 J. Bontuyan Street, Talamban, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu, Philippines

History

Academia de San Isidro Labrador (formerly: San Isidro Parish School) was founded by Reverend Veronico S. Salvador in 1964. From the date of its foundation to 1969, the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM Sisters) administered the school. Mrs. Cleopatra Portes, the first School Registrar, helped facilitate the issuance of the government recognition of the fledgling school. In 1970, the Franciscan sisters gave up the management of the school. Fr. Salvador himself with the help of his coadjutor, Msgr. Sindulfo D. Iriarte, had to administer the school.

1971 saw the coming of the Sisters of Mercy as the appointed administrators of the school because Fr. Salvador had been appointed parish priest of Talisay, Cebu. Their term ended in 1975. In 1976 Father Firmo S. Dayao was appointed school head but soon after had to give up the position on the account of his appointment as formator in the San Carlos Seminary College in Mabolo, Cebu City.

Corollary to this development and because of the death of the ASIL Founder, Archbishop Manuel S. Salvador was constrained to take the helms of administration with the assistance of the Daughters of St. Teresa. Mrs. Isabel E. Oljol was appointed as the first lay principal of the school. During years 1989 to 1993, a library and a one-storey concrete structure, the Padre Veronico S. Salvador Building, were built. The wooden building that was originally one-storey was renovated and made into a two-storey edifice in order to cater to the needs of the growing school populace.

After the sudden death of Archbishop Salvador in 1996, the Archdiocese of Cebu delegated the administration of the school to by the Daughters of St. Teresa. Sr. Ma. Therese Sombrio, DST was the first DST school head.

Upon the retirement of Mrs. Oljol in 1997, Sr. Ma. Esterlita L. Lauros, DST was appointed as the first DST principal of ASIL. One of the challenging realities faced by the new administration was the fact that one-fourth of the school’s total lot area was only rented. Later when that parcel of land was offered to the school for acquisition, the Archbishop of Cebu helped the school to procure the said lot area.

In the year 2000 the Pre-Elementary Department was established. Subsequently, the Elementary Department in the year 2001 was also opened in order to address the felt need to provide the ASIL clientele complete Basic Education.

The strength of ASIL’s educational leadership and the resilience of the school community were put to the test on February 11, 2002 when a blaze burned down the two-storey wooden building. With the Divine Providence at work in the indefatigable resolve of the ASIL Family to beat all odds, the concrete four-storey Santa Teresa de Avila Building rose from the ashes of the catastrophic event.

A new apostolate brought Sr. Lauros to Trinidad, Bohol in 2003. She was replaced by Sr. Ma. Irene Macaraya, DST as school principal. The following school year, Sr. Lauros was reappointed principal with Rev. Fr. Eduardo O. Ventic, from the Archdiocese of Cebu, as interim school head. More blessings were showered upon ASIL during this time: procurement of a school vehicle and additional parcels of land to increase the lot area of the campus as well as the opportunities for faculty development and personnel welfare.

A new school head was appointed in the year 2006 to oversee the daily operations of the school. Fr. Arnie Z. Visitacion, S.T.L. started the impetus of the much needed reform in the school’s accounting system. This led to the beginnings of a comprehensive institutional review and the transition from the DST educational leadership to an exclusive and direct Archdiocesan administration and supervision.

The year 2008 witnessed a new era in the life and ministry of ASIL when the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cebu appointed three archdiocesan seminary fathers to bring about timely reforms in and create new situations for the ASIL educational system in response to current trends and issues in educational management: Fr. Crescenciano T. Ubod, J.C.L., as school treasurer; Fr. Joseph C. Yntig, M.A.P.M., as school principal; and Fr. Jesper John R. Petralba, Ed.D., D.M., Ph.D., D.P.A. as school director. Just a few months into their educational ministry, the triumvirate of priest-administrator with the blessing of the newly constituted ASIL Board of Trustees implemented a new organizational set-up responsive to the demands of academic excellence characterized by a strong Catholic trademark and by a commitment to high order learning for all.

Blessings came in abundance during their pastoral ministry: the rewiring and re-piping of the entire campus in 2008; the construction of comfort rooms in all existing classrooms, the construction of the four-storey Jubilee Building and the revision of the Administrative, Faculty and Staff Manual in 2009; the construction of the Isidorean Gymnasium and the Santa Maria De La Cabeza Food Court as well as the Government Recognition of the ASIL Pre-Elementary and Elementary Department in 2010; the revision of the Manual of Academic Life for Pupils and Students to promote quality of life and holistic formation and the renovation of science laboratories and the school garage in 2011 – just to highlight a significant few.

This school community believes that all this served as a prelude to the solemn celebration of its Golden Foundation Anniversary on 12 March 2014. School Year 2014-2015 welcomed the arrival of the new ASIL Basic Education Principal, Fr. Christopher C. Amores, M.A.P.M. The year 2017 saw the visit of the Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Fatima in preparation for the Centennial Celebration of the Fatima Apparitions, the procurement of new service vehicles, the repainting of the entire campus, the installation of bleacher canopy and the construction of a Monument of Devotion in celebration of the emancipation of the school from necessary indebtedness. Fr. Jerald N. Pinay, M.A.P.M. became part of the administrative team in 2018. In 2019 Fr. Joel P. Oriesga, PhD, DevEdD, Fr. Sherwin Leo O. Ferrater, JCL and Fr. Conrado C. Sedillo, Jr, DM were appointed as the new Director, Basic Education Principal and Treasurer respectively.

While remaining grateful for the lessons of the past, ASIL looks forward with hope to the realization of her vision-mission in the appointed time. She does not know what the future holds for her, but she knows WHO holds her future. She is inviting us to join her writing the chapters of her ongoing story.

San Isidro Labrador

St. Isidore the Farmer was a simple man of the earth, who attended the daily Catholic Latin Mass and demonstrated love of people and animals by his many acts of kindness and mercy. Isidore spent Sundays and holidays visiting the churches of Madrid and nearby towns. He offered food to those poorer than himself, and often did not eat himself until they had finished. Following his death, King Alphonsus of Castille had a vision of Isidore in the Pass of Navas de Tolosa during a battle with the Moors in 1211 A.D. In the vision, Isidore showed King Alphonsus an unknown pass that enabled his men to flank the Moors position and defeat them. Already Patron Saint of Madrid, Pope Pius XII declared Isidore Patron of farmers.

Saint Isidore was born of poor parents in Madrid, Spain during 1070 A.D. He farmed the fertile land of John de Vergas, a wealthy Madrid nobleman, throughout his adult life. Isidore married Maria de la Cabeza, a girl as poor as he, who bore him a son. The son died early in life, and afterwards they lived in perfect continence. She too became a saint.

Isidore was deeply religious, and would rise early to attend daily Mass, often at Churches dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was favored with celestial visions. Known to pray while working in the fields, he spoke daily to his guardian angel and the saints. Co-workers sometimes complained he was late because of lingering in Church. Once his employer, John de Vergas, accused Isidore of neglecting the farm and Isidore replied, "I know, sir, that I am your servant but I have another Master as well, to Whom I owe service and obedience." Later Vergas saw two strangers plowing for Isidore with a team of oxen and realized they were angels who were helping Isidore make up for work missed while at Mass.

John de Vergas grew to love Isidore and offered him riches. Isidore declined, asking the money be given instead to the poor for whom he had great love. Once, when he had invited some poor people to dinner, he was able to satisfy them all with the portion of food that had been saved for him. On another occasion during a hot summer day, he made water spring up from the ground by striking it with a goad-stick, thereby quenching his employer's thirst.

He was known for his love of the poor, and there are accounts of Isidore’s supplying them miraculously with food. Isidore was also concerned for the welfare of animals, making sure the Oxen and other animals he worked with were treated well. Once while traveling to the mill, and upon seeing several birds cluttered in the snow suffering a lack of food, opened his sack of corn and emptied out half for them. He continued on to the mill, where he found the sack full, and the corn produced twice the normal yield.

Survived by his wife Maria, Isidore died May 15, 1130 and was buried in the St. Andrew cemetery. Later his body, still incorrupt, was moved to the church and given a place of honor. He was declared a saint in March 12, 1622 by Pope Gregory XV with Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila and Philip Neri. Together, the group is known in Spain as “the five saints.” He is the patron of farmers, and his feast day is May 15th (www.saintisidore.org/st-isidore.htm).

School Seal: Significance & Explanation

This school seal is the insignia of Academia de San Isidro Labrador which is represented by the symbols and limned by the key words contained in a shield. At the background are the blue and white stripes. In the left half of the shield is the book of life, on which is superimposed the pen of wisdom. Above it is the word “Pax”.

The wide-open book of life signifies the school’s Catholic educational mission of providing unlimited opportunities for integral growth and development to all those who consider her their alma mater in their journey towards becoming worthy of the grace of being written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 21:27). The pen of wisdom denotes the school’s commitment to empower her clientele to write the pages of their life-stories not with words of human wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:17) but according to the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God (Romans 1:28), which sanctified Saint Isidore the Worker – the Patron and Titular of this learning community – and his wife Saint Maria Torribia. The latin term “Pax” recalls the post-resurrection blessing of peace bestowed by the Risen Lord upon his followers (John 20:21-22), enabling them to witness to His life and ministry.

The right half of the shield bears the symbol of the Archdiocese of Cebu, indicating the school’s sworn duty as an archdiocesan institution of learning to further the pastoral vision-mission of the local Church of Cebu in all her undertakings. The lion also recalls the Prophet Isaiah’s premonition of the reign of peace (Isaiah 11:6-7). The blue and white stripes highlight the centrality of the person of Jesus Christ and the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Basic Ecclesial Community of Academia de San Isidro Labrador. Gold proclaims the fact that ASIL has stood the test of time.

At the topmost portion of the shield is the motto, “Hoc Fac Et Vives” (Do This And You Will Live) – Luke 10: 28. This line verbalizes the prayerful resolve of the school to carry out the ideals expressed by the symbols, words and colors of the seal. In the words of St. Paul of Tarsus, the Apostle to the Gentile: My deep desire and hope is that I shall be full of courage, so that with my whole being I shall bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For what is life? To me, it is Christ (Philippians 1:20-21).