History

BRIEF HISTORY OF MOTHER OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE SCHOOL
1986 – 2020

1986

• The first two Angelic Sisters of St. Paul from Milan, Italy: Mother Alessandra Sala and Sr. Teresa Bianco arrived in Manila.

1987

• The construction of Mother of Divine Providence Convent and the future Preschool started.
• Mother Alessandra Sala submitted to DECS NCR the application for permit to operate Nursery and Kindergarten.

1988

• Inauguration and blessing of the Mother of Divine Providence Convent by the Bishop of the Diocese of Antipolo, His Excellency, Msgr. ProtacioGungon, D.D. and Rev. Mother Armanda Ponsiglione, Superior General of the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul.
• Required documents for Government Permit were endorsed. The official name of the school was Mother of Divine Providence Montessori–Agazzi Learning Center. MotherAlessandraSala, ASP was named the Directress and Sr. Teresa Bianco as Principal.
• The school officially opened with 91 pupils: 33 piccoli (nursery), 47 medi (kinder), and 12 grandi (prep) 4 lay teachers and 3 classroom aides. Classes were held at the 1st floor of the Sisters’ Convent. The method used was patterned after the pedagogy of Maria Montessori and the Agazzi sisters: Carolina and Rosa, thus the name Montessori-Agazzi Learning Center.
• The First Foundation Day was celebrated at the convent’s foyer (now, the Junior High School building).
• DECS granted the school government permit to operate Nursery and Kindergarten.

1989

• The first Parent Teacher Association (PTA) was organized. Elected President was Engr. Manuel Belmonte. PTA’s existence was short lived. It became inactive from School year 1990 to 1993.
• The Securities and Exchange Commission approved the School’s application for registration.
• The land adjacent to the convent was bought by the Sisters to be the site of the future elementary building.

1990

• Mrs. EstrellaDaral was appointed Principal. She was the first lay principal.
• DECS granted the school Government Permit to operate Grade 1.
• Construction of the elementary building started.

1991

• The school transferred to its new location. Grades 2 and 3 were added. Sr. Ruby Diva, ASP came back from Italy and was appointed Principal.
• The Board of Trustees passed a Resolution approving the change of corporate name from Mother of Divine Providence Montessori–Agazzi Learning Center, Inc. to Mother of Divine Providence School, Inc. The decision stemmed from the fact that an eclectic approach is being adopted now by the school. For the Administrators, the Montessori–Agazzi approach otherwise known in Italy as “scuolamaterna”is less appropriate for elementary level.
• The new elementary building was blessed and inaugurated by His Excellency, Bishop ProtacioGungon, D.D.

1992

• The Securities and Exchange Commission approved the change of the corporate name of the School,thus its official name now is Mother of Divine Providence School.
• The Nursery and Kindergarten program was granted Government Recognition by DECS.
• The first issue of the MDPS Journal was released.

1993

• Mother Alessandra Sala died of cardiovascular arrest, seven years after she arrived in the Philippines.
• Mother Alessandra was interred at the Convent grounds in deference to her wish that she be buried in the Philippines.
• Sr. Teresa Bianco was appointed Directress.
• The parents’ organization was revived and was registered with SEC under the name Parents Advisory Council. Mr. Aurelio Agcaoili, Jr. was elected president.
• The covered court and stage were completed. The facilities served as venue for Masses, programs, and assembly area of the student body.

1994

• Government Recognition was granted for the MDPS complete elementary course.

1995

• Commencement exercises of the first batch of elementary graduates – 11 boys and 12 girls. Special guest of honor during the graduation rites was the Superior General of the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul – Rev. Mother Armanda Ponsiglione, ASP. The Mass was presided by Rev. Fr. Rene Javellana, S.J.

1996

• The dream of Mother Alessandra to put a high school was realized - Secondary Course was opened with 37 students

1997

• MDPS celebrated its 10th Foundation Day Celebration

1998

• Sr. Ruby Diva, ASP, concurrent High School Principal, was appointed Directress vice Sr. Teresa Bianco who returned to the United States. Sr. Ma. FlorLomibao, ASP was appointed Principal of the Grade School Department.

1999

• MDPS applied for PAASCU Accreditation and it was granted an Applicant Status. In the following two years MDPS attempted to work on the initial preparation but it was deferred by the Administration due to some changes in the organization.

2000

• Commencement Exercises of the 1st batch of High School Graduates – 6 boys and 21 girls. Rev. Fr. Ivo Anselmi, Provincial of the Camillian Fathers was the Presider of the Eucharistic celebration. Guest of honor was Rev. Mo. Maria Grazia FusarBassini, ASP Superior General of the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul.

2002

• The construction of the Tanghalang Zaccaria was completed.
• Sr. Margie Lamaton, ASP was installed as Directress vice Sr.Ruby Diva who went on Sabbatical leave in Italy.
• Declared a Jubilee year for the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul and the Barnabite Fathers in honor of the 5th Centennial of the birth of their founder, St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria. The grand celebration culminated in the staging of a musical – “The Man, the Saint and the Founder”. The cast was composed of the faculty, students, Barnabite seminarians, and alumni under the direction of Professor Rogelio J. Juliano, Jr. of UP College of Arts and Letters.

2003

• Sr. Ruby Diva, ASP came back from Italy. She assumed the post of superior of the school community vice Sr. Teresa Bianco who was reassigned to the USA.

2004

• Sr. Ruby Diva, ASP was reappointed Directress and Principal. Sr. Florwas transferred to Makati.

2005

• The Angelic Sisters community in Makati was closed and Sr. Flor was reassigned in Marikina and reappointed Principal of MDPS.

2006

• The PAASCU Accreditation Project was launched. The Project Consultant was Dr. Jesus C. Palma,and designated as Project Coordinator was Mrs. Fe Perez.

2007

• Conference-Workshop for the review of the school’s vision-mission-goals was held at St. Francis Spiritual Center, Marikina Heights. 35 representatives from the faculty, staff, parents, students, alumni, and the administration participated in the workshop.
• The updated Vision-Mission-Goal Statement was launched.
• Forty (40) teachers and staff participated in theSeminar-Workshop on formulating the departmental goals.
• A new Organizational Structure was adopted; Sr. Alma Tirol, ASP was installed Principal
• MDPS celebrated its 20th Foundation Day Celebration

2008

• The musical “New Attitude” was staged; It was written by Rev. Fr. Mike Mancusi, CRSP.
• Opening of the Jubilee Year of St. Paul, marking his 2000th birth anniversary
• PAASCU Consultancy Visit by Ms. Priscilla Faraon

2009

• PAASCU Preliminary Visit (Aug 27-28)

2010

• PAASCU Preliminary Visit Result was released. (Feb.1)
• The MDPS Planning Conference – Cycle II was held in the MDPS Campus
• MDPS received the Certificate issued by the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) granting Candidate Status to the Integrated Basic Education program.

2011

• The school organizational structure was revised and streamlined into “management block” to accommodate the management block system. The block system consisted of three sub systems, namely academic, finance and general services. Under the academic block, Subject Area Coordinators (SAC) were tasked to ensure effective curriculum delivery.

• Education Service Contracting (ESC) certifiers visited MDPS for survey. They were Mrs. PetronaAgcaoili, Ms. Rosalinda Caubic, and Mrs. Lolita Ocampo.
• The PAASCU Accreditors visited MDPS for first Formal Survey.
• MDPS launched the year-long celebration of its silver jubilee year by unveiling the 25th Anniversary Commemorative Logo during the Eucharistic Mass in celebration of the 24th anniversary that ended on November 17, 2012.
• MDPS received the Certificate of Accreditation for Integrated Basic Education – Level 1 status from PAASCU.
• The 2nd Grand Alumni Homecoming tagged as “BalikTanaw, Balik MDPS” was held.

2012

• Sr. Ma. Flor J. Lomibao, ASP one of the four assistants of the Mother General of the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul in Italy, came back to the Philippines and took office as the new Principal and Directress for the SY 2012-2013.
• The ESC/FAPE scholarship grants were given to seventeen qualified students from Grade 7, the first of MDPS students to avail the grants.
• Strategic Planning was held in Assumption Antipolo with Dr. Palma
• MDPS visited St. Scholastica’s Academy, Pampanga for benchmarking.
• MDPS celebrated its 25th Foundation Anniversary.
• Transition Management Plan and Grading System of K-12 Seminar Workshop was held with Dr. Cynthia Arcadio.

2013

• Sr. Rossel Ma. V. Gorro, ASP took over the Principal/Directress position for SY 2013-2014.
• MDPS students, parents and personnel sent the earthquake victims of Bohol forty-four thousand three hundred eighty-eight pesos and seventy-five centavos (PHP44,388.75) financial assistance.

• Designation of Ms. Rosie Moscoso as PAASCU Project Consultant, and Mrs. Maria Theresa Parayno as the PAASCU Coordinator.

2014

• MDPS students, parents and personnel sent the victims of Yolanda PHP 55,867 financial assistance.
• The PAC Project extension of the canteen was blessed.
• Three senior teachers were installed to office as Academic Cluster Heads during the Mass of the Holy Spirit. The three clusters were Cluster A from Nursery to Grade 2, Cluster B from Grade 3 to Grade 6, and Cluster C from Grade 7 to Year IV.
• The newly merged and relocated Grade School and High School Library at the high school ground floor was inaugurated after the celebration of the Mass of the Holy Spirit.
• Rev. Mo. IvanaRaitano, ASP, the Mother General of the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul paid a school visit to MDPS.

2015

• Groundbreaking Ceremony of the SHS Building in the occasion of MDPS 28th Foundation Day
• MDPS was granted Level 2 PAASCU Accreditation for Integrated Basic Education Program.
• Designation of Mrs. Marytes S. De Guzman as the PAASCU Project Coordinator and Ms. Rosie Moscoso as the Consultant.

2015

• Three Assistant Academic Administrators (AAA) were designated to manage the academic block. Each was assigned a cluster. The clusters were Cluster A from Nursery to Gr. 2, Cluster B from Gr. 3 to Gr.6, and Cluster C from Gr. 7 to Gr. 10.

2016

• Construction of the SHS Building began.
• Introduced Phoenix Aralinks Teachnology in the classrooms.

2017

• Inauguration of the SHS Building.
• MDPS 30th Foundation Day – Sr. Teresa Bianco, the co-founder of the school came to celebrate the school’s 30th Foundation

2018

• Musical show tagged as “MDPS radio” was presented in commemoration of MDPS 30th anniversary.
• MDPS reinstituted the subject area coordinators into its academic administrative system.
• Partnered with Phoenix’s New Generation School (NGS) program in order to integrate technology in the classroom.
• Held MDPS’s 3rd Alumni Homecoming tagged as SIKAP (Sabik na Ibalik mga Kahapong Pinagsamahan).
• Commencement Exercises of the First Batch of Senior High School Graduates

2019

• MDPS received the Visionary and Strategic Leadership Award from Phoenix Aralinks Award 2019.
• MDPS received the Excellence in Professional Practice Award from Phoenix Aralinks Award 2019.

2020

• March 5 & 6 Re-accreditation Visit
• MDPS received the certification of LEVEL II Re-accredited Status issued by the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) on July 7, 2020.
• MDPS adopted the MDPS CARES (Curricular Alternative Resources and E-Learning System), a Learning Continuity Plan designed for online distance learning during the pandemic crisis.