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St. Scho News

The St. Scholastica's Advantage

From the Manila Bulletin, Jan. 7, 1999 

FIRST Philippine woman president Corazon C. Aquino...National Artist Lucrecia R. Kasilag...former Supreme Court Justice Cecilia Muņoz Palma... outstanding teacher Doreen G. Fernandez...and investigative journalist Ma. Ceres P. Doyo - women who all bravely broke new ground virtually on previously uncharted territory in Asia, opening new frontiers for other women leaders in the region.

Graduates all of St. Schlolastica's college, they serve as living proof of the excellent quality of a Scholastican education.

Former President Corazon C. Aquino showed the strength and mettle of the Filipina when she rose from deep personal tragedy and courageously accepted the burden of national leadership in a time of crisis.

Named one of five UNESCO International Artists in 1993, Dr. Lucrecia R. Kasilag has over 350 musical compositions described as "a blend of the Oriental and the occidental, merging indigenous instrumentation and style." A pioneer in the search of the Asian roots of Philippine music, she was president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines for 17 years, and currently, is head of the Bayanihan Folk Arts Foundation, the National Music Competitions for Young Artists, and the League of Filipino Composers.

Cecilia Muņoz Palma holds the distinction of being the first woman justice of the Supreme Court. She was president of the 1986 Constitutional Commission which drafted the 1987 Constitution, and a recipient of over a hundred awards and citations and six Doctor of Laws honoris causa from here and abroad. Today, she is chief of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, together with another achieving Scholastican leader, Sister Christine Tan, who is a PCSO director.

Writer, columnist and former chairperson of the Ateneo de Manila University Communications Department, Doreen Gamboa Fernandez continues to break new literary ground with the books she writes or edits.

Ma. Ceres Peralta-Doyo's articles have consistently displayed courage, her mighty pen wielded against the dictatorship and oppressors of tribal groups, human rights, and Filipinos at large.

"St. Scholastica's College, with over 90 years of experience in education, prides itself in preparing young Filipinos to be the best that they can be," says SSC president Sister Mary John Mananzan.

Scholastican education, according to Sister Mary John, "is a blend of tested pedagogy and innovation." Classroom instruction is supplemented with field trips, immersion activities and hands-on programs, enabling students to experience life from the perspective of the majority of Filipinos - the poor and the oppressed.

Opportunities for academic and professional growth likewise abound in SSC's consortium arrangements and linkages with local and foreign universities, allowing for student cross-registration, faculty sharing, and library networking, among other benefits.

Providing substantial support to St. Scholastica's academic programs are the school's facilities, rated to be among the best in the entire nation: classrooms convertible to multipurpose rooms, science laboratories with the latest learning equipment, music and art rooms, a little theater, a concert hall, open field and covered court, two fully air-conditioned libraries, one for music, including a listening room, and a large chapel.

The wonders of the universe, as early as grade school level, are laid out for students. Powerful telescopes for stargazing, ethnic musical instruments to play on, and microscopes and computers to manipulate, warrant a rich and exciting learning experience.

"Guided by the ethic ora et labora, prayer and work, Scholastican's are encouraged to explore new possibilities. They are given the freedom to think, to analyze and to challenge their teachers' views without fear or reprisal," says Sister Mary John.

Products of student-centered and innovative approaches to learning, Scholastican's deliver outstanding results in a range of board examinations. Grade school students perform outstandingly in the National Elementary Assessment Test. They have likewise become accustomed to winning awards in Speech and Chefs on Parade competitions, among other coveted prizes won.

"To succeed, to make a mark, to make a difference - that is Scholastican education," Sister Mary John concludes. To lead Asian women, too, where others have not ventured.