Pasay City Adventist Academy

Pasay City Academy (PCA) is a recognized junior high school of Central Luzon Conference under the North Philippine Union Conference in the territory of the Southern Asia Pacific Division. The school is in the heart of Metro Manila, currently situated in the compound of North Philippine Union Conference, Pasay City, Philippines.¹ The campus of Pasay City Academy is shared with Pasay Adventist Elementary School, which is the church school of Pasay Adventist Church. Pasay City Academy has a four-story building featuring classrooms, library, a canteen, offices, and a multi-purpose hall. Its fourth floor is used by another Adventist Church, the Pasay Central Church.

Developments That Led to the Establishment of Pasay City Academy

Since the office of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the North Philippines is in Pasay City and Adventist Medical Center Manila is in the same location,² many church members live in the vicinity. With the need for many children to have access to Adventist education, the church decided to start a school. This became a powerful avenue in outreach.

Pasay City Academy traces its beginnings as a church school in 1949 under Pasay Tagalog Church.³ The first teachers at the school were Ms. A. Ordonez and Ms. Lucia Ferrer. Its registered name in the ministry of education then was “Rizal City Adventist School.” The school was housed in the same location as Pasay Tagalog Church, which sponsored it at D. Reyes Street along Libertad Street. Sometime in 1950-51, the school was transferred to a house owned by Mrs. Verzosa, at 217A San Juan Street. This place was later bought by Dr. Anastacio Tamayo who became the chair of the school board from 1958-62. The following were the early chairpersons of the school board, which was under the Central Luzon Mission Education department: Rafael Cruz, Sr. 1949-50; Dr. Isidro Talangbayan, 1950-51; Florentino Rosales, 1951-52; Loreto L. Villanueva, 1952-53.⁴

The Founding of Pasay City Academy

Pasay City Academy was founded as a multi-grade elementary school in 1952, jointly sponsored by the Pasay English Church and the Pasay Tagalog Church, after the school moved from San Juan Street to the “Quonset Hut” behind the Pasay English Church. About 1954 the school moved again to a newly constructed, two-story wooden structure where it stood for 22 years. During this time it was recognized as a junior academy, and was renamed Pasay City Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School.⁵

As Rizalina Tigno-Supit recalled, Pastor Edwin Gibb, then pastor of Pasay English Church, asked her to be the principal when the school moved to the new wooden building in 1954. Mrs. Supit started with three other teachers: Mrs. Gazan, wife of Mr. Gazan, a laboratory technician at Manila Sanitarium Hospital; Ms. Nicerita Tan, who became Mrs. Acang later; and Mrs. Lourdes Kim, wife of Stephen Kim. Later they were joined by more high school teachers: Ms. Rhody Santos, Mr. Napoles, Ms. Efren Carpio, Ms. Candelaria Pechanco, and more.⁶

Other teachers during the first decade of Pasay City Academy were: Aldine Jusay Escara, Rhody Santos Dalusong, Pastor Herminio L. Reyes, Romy Talento, Efren Carpio, Pastor Gil Fernandez, Ester Miguel Peralta, Pastor Leopoldo Baylon, Mario Napoles, Ester Myape, Mariano Timple, Lilia Arevalo, Luz T., Joshua Mendoza, Minarva Arit, Betty Diaz, D. A. Reyes, Edith Moscatel, Ester Salomon, Candelaria Pechanco Tornilla, Dr. Samuel Ladion, Macario Romanes, Maghirang, Abundio Maniacop, and Herminia Manalo.⁷

Development 

In 1958 the school was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippine government as Pasay City Academy. In May of the same year, it was recognized by the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports.⁸ In 1966 an auditorium was built, which caters to school activities like chapel convocations and school presentations. In 1974 Pasay City Academy became a member of the Association of Christian Schools, Colleges, and Universities.

The construction of a fifty-meter-wide highway in 1976, connecting Buendia Avenue to Roxas Boulevard, significantly reduced the size of the academy’s property. The entire old building was demolished, and a new L-shape four-story concrete building was constructed through the joint efforts of members of Pasay Adventist Church and Pasay Central Church.⁹ These churches where both led by Pastor Alberto C. Regoso, who was the chair of the Pasay City Academy building committee at that time. Together with parents and teachers and supported by alumni and their friends, the new building was built phase by phase over several years.¹⁰

Currently, Pasay City Academy is at the corner of Gil Puyat Avenue and Donada Street in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, where the Pasay City Elementary School and the Pasay Central Church are also located. The North Philippine Union Conference office and the Pasay Adventist Church are just adjacent to the school. The school gained an initial accreditation by the Board of Regents (AAA) of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists in 1987.

Basing on the school records, here is the summary of the PCA enrollment.¹¹

School Year	Number of Enrollees
2002-2003	269
2007 – 2008	232
2008-2009	218
2009-2010	209
2010- 2011	225
2011- 2012	224
2012-2013	214
2013- 2014	220
2014 -2015	216
2015 - 2016	206
2016- 2017	195
2017- 2018	194
2018-2019	198
2019- 2020	225

Historic Role of Pasay City Academy

Many of the elected leaders of the church in Luzon either graduated from or were educated at the academy. One of its current staff serves as the barangay captain, the highest elected official in the local district. Community outreach conducted through the school and other entities has paved the way for Adventists to gain the favor of the people in the community and the city. Some members are working in the city government office occupying prominent positions.¹²

The Pasay City Academy Alumni Association is actively engaged in activities that support the school’s vision. Former students of the academy based in the United States of America formed an alumni association in 2009.¹³ They met for planning and updating possible ways to endorse the activities of the school. They also created the eBlazoner, an electronic newsletter to provide updates of alumni and collaborate with various activities that support the school.¹⁴

Mission to be Fulfilled

The mission of the school is to “Push the boundaries to equip students with lifelong learning skills through intensive and intentional programs and activities that are harmonious with the Adventist international educational system.”¹⁵ This can only be achieved through the combined effort of the conference leaders, school board, school administrators, and teachers supported by their students. It is the responsibility of the school to “maintain good relationship with the community and parents to attain our goal of quality education for all enrolled students.”¹⁶

The school is situated along the major road in the city. For the safety and security of students, leaders envision constructing a new building, complying with government standards, in the rear portion of the North Philippine Union Conference lot, just a few meters behind the existing building.¹⁷ It has also been proposed to change the name of the school to include the word “Adventist,” and thus adhere to the direction of the world church in branding.¹⁸

List of Principals

Rizalino Tigno Supit (1952-1962); Samuel Ladion (1962-1963, 1964-1965); Benjamin Salvador (1963-1964); Justiniano Tawataw (1966-1968); Benjamin Sanidad (1968-1969); Salvador Miraflores (1969-1971); Ruben Budayao (1971-1973); Rodolfo Evangelista (1973-1974); Espiritu Guadiz (1975-1976 2nd semester); Juanito Afenir II (1976-1980); Antonio Botabara (1980-1981, 1984-1990, 1991-1992, 2nd semester 2003); Ray Barizo (1981-1984); Juanito Afenir III (1990-1991, 1st semester 1992); Lily Faderogaya (2003-2006); Reily Leonardia (2006-2008); Luzviminda Saramosing (2008-2016); Caliph Mindalano Jr. (2016-2018); Ponciano Cudiamat (2018-2019); Dolores Malabad (2019-present)

Sources

Botobara, Antonio B. Administrators, Faculty and Staff Handbook, Pasay City Academy of the Seventh-day Adventist Institution, Revised 1997, Pasay City Philippines.

Bunyi, Merilyn Gonzales. A speech delivered during the 65th founding anniversary celebration of the Academy. History of Pasay City Academy. March 7, 2017.

Employees Handbook of North Philippine Union Conference, March 2020, Pasay City, Philippines.

Eblazoner: An Electronic Newsletter of the Alumni Association of Pasay City Academy. PCA 65^th Anniversary Celebration. Accessed July 28, 2020, https://www.facebook.com/pg/officialpcaAlumni/posts/

Registrar’s Record, Department of Education School Form 1 (SF1), Pasay City Academy, July 24, 2020.

“Pasay Adventist Academy.” Accessed, June 20, 2020, https://www.pasaycityacademy.com/.

Rastrollo, Joseph. President’s Message in the United to Serve Christ, Souvenir Program of the Ninth Convocation of the Alumni Association of Pasay City Academy in Azusa, California, October 5-7, 2018, Azusa, California.

Student Handbook, Pasay City Academy, Pasay City, Philippines, 2015.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

United to Serve Christ, Souvenir Program of the Ninth Convocation of the Alumni Association of Pasay City Academy in Azusa, California, October 5-7, 2018, Azusa, California: Alumni Association of Pasay City Academy.

Notes

1. Employees Handbook of North Philippine Union Conference, March 2020, Pasay City, Philippines: North Philippine Union Conference, 7, 12.↩

2. “North Philippine Union Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, 2020. Accessed, July 11, 2021, https://www.adventistyearbook.org/entity?EntityID=13431.↩

3. “Pasay Adventist Academy.” Accessed, July 11, 2021, https://www.pasaycityacademy.com/.↩

4. Merilyn Gonzales Bunyi, “History of Pasay City Academy.”. A speech delivered during the 65th anniversary celebration of the academy, March 7, 2017. Bunyi is a former treasurer of the Pasay City Academy alumni association.↩

5. “Pasay Adventist Academy.” Accessed, July 11, 2021, https://www.pasaycityacademy.com↩

6. Merilyn Gonzales Bunyi, “History of Pasay City Academy.”↩

7. Ibid.↩

8. “Pasay Adventist Academy.” Accessed, July 11, 2021, https://www.pasaycityacademy.com↩

9. Antonio B. Botobara, “Administrators, Faculty, and Staff Handbook.” Pasay City Academy, Revised 1997, Pasay City Philippines, 3.↩

10. “Pasay Adventist Academy.” Accessed, July 11, 2021, https://www.pasaycityacademy.com↩

11. Pasay City Academy Registrar’s Record School Form 1, 2020.↩

12. Dolores Malabad, Pasay City Academy principal and school librarian (2019- present), interview by the author at Pasay City Academy, May 9, 2019.↩

13. Joseph Rastrollo, President’s Message in the United to Serve Christ, Souvenir Program of the Ninth Convocation of the Alumni Association of Pasay City Academy in Azusa, California, October 5-7, 2018, Azusa, California: Alumni Association of Pasay City Academy, 4.↩

14. Eblazoner: An electronic Newsletter of the Alumni Association of Pasay City Academy, Pasay City Academy 65th Anniversary Celebration. Accessed, July 28, 2020, https://www.facebook.com/officialpcaAlumni/.↩

15. “Pasay Adventist Academy.” Accessed, July 11, 2021, https://www.pasaycityacademy.com↩

16. Student Handbook, Pasay City Academy, Pasay City, Philippines, 2015, 2.↩

17. Ponciano Cudiamat, Pasay City Academy principal (2018-2019), interview by the author, the North Philippine Union Conference on April 11, 2019.↩

18. Ibid.↩