9/24/08

SMA's 70th Birthday

In 2010, the SMA community plans to celebrate the school's Diamond Jubilee, five years shy of the costumary 75 years. The reasoning behind is that it is common practice now and perhaps there is truth in in the maxim that "a good idea now is better than a great idea tomorrow" and everyone seems to be enthusiastically behind it. I myself could have waited for the beatification of Mo. Consuelo Barcelo, who in 1939 along with a sister companion went to the Bicol Region looking for a place to put up a school. SMA would have been blessed with a co-founder with title of "Blessed" before her name. The other hero of the founding of SMA is Rev. Fr. Florencio Gonzalez or fondly, "Padre Inciong" who did not let the chance to slip of having the Augustinian Sister's first school in the Bicol Region put up in Baao. He started the school on his own expense at the then huge sum of P18,000.00 so it could open immediately the next school year of 1940.


Padre Inciong at the time of SMA's opening and as a young priest.
The school's main building being built by Vicente Fernandez
and workers. The name of the school was "Colegio of Baao"
Padre Inciong (far left in eyeglasses), his Coadjutor
Padre Ochoa and the pioneer Sisters pose with
SMA pupils. The school's name, "Escuala Parroqial
de Baao"(the school building still lacked its window panes)


Rare Photo of the Pioneer Sisters

The SMA building during its glory days

This photo of SMA students and pupils was taken
November 30, 1941, 15 days before the Japanese entered
Baao.

6 comments:

EyRa said...

Until now, wala pa rin sariling website ang SMA...

may nakaisip na ba umimbento kahit domain name man lang...?

rosadel said...

Hi Eyra,
I'm so glad you noticed it too. It's so frustrating.

There is an SMA page in the public library website but it is empty.

Is there not one SMA alumnus who is computer literate to take on this task?

Unknown said...

Now I'm sure that I'm in this picture because I was in kindergarten at this date and I also remember the day when the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor came. Pay Juan and May Danding were newly married (I was the flower girl) and I think he was an army officer so he had to leave to join them and everybody was crying.

The problem here is - I can't find me. I look like every kid and they look like me !!!

Unknown said...

The builder of the school was VICENTE FERNANDEZ, my GRANDFATHER. He was a carpenter and that he was very good at his craft according to one of his colleagues who became my patient (who was already old at that time). My grandfather died long before I was born. Mama (who is 85 now) stiil have vivid memories that his father, VICENTE FERNANDEZ, built the school, the church, the old spanish houses of Baao, the "bilog-na-baak" in the plaza etc.

Unknown said...

This is DR. CHARITY FERNANDEZ BOTOR-BESINIOšŸ˜

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