History
Foundation as Marikina Academy
To understand how Roosevelt College metamorphosed from what was then the Marikina Academy of 1933 to what it is today, we need to bring to light some significant precedent events that place within a span of 6 decades. Roosevelt College was born in 1945 as Roosevelt Memorial High School along the busy J.P. Rizal Street in Barrio San Roque, then a part of Rizal province. Marikina used to be an agricultural town. While the old folks had so much to do in the rice field and vegetable farms, majority of middle-aged and the young would readily find themselves busy and enjoying a century-old shoe making industry. It was almost a common sight to see families working together under their respective thatched roofs from early dawn to late evening busy attending to their handcrafted pairs of shoes.
Obviously, because of the nature of this cottage industry, families grew to be well-knit and clannish. Popular education, however, was limited to the "Katon Kristiyano" and to the primary and elementary grades available in a few barrio schools. A few affluent families would easily send their children to high school and college in Manila while those who had hardly enough would still need a lot a time and money to leave shoe making and take trips to and from Rizal. It was natural that a good number of boys and girls missed their secondary and tertiary schooling.
Such was the life of the residents of Marikina then. With a meager income from shoe making and farming and no public secondary school to go, many children were left without the benefits of formal education. Mayor Wenceslao C. dela Paz, pre-war town executive of the late 1920s foresaw that the town will not remain agricultural for long. It was his obsession to let the young go beyond grade school and learn something more than shoe making and farming.
Realizing the futility of seeking public financial support for a town high school, Mayor dela Paz used his own family resources and established in 1933 a secondary school he called Marikina Academy as a self-sustaining, non-sectarian private institution of learning.
During the first year of operations, only 23 students enrolled, all children of shoemakers. The school was housed at the old residence of the then Congressman Emilio dela Paz. Head of the school was Engr. Quiterio Q. Marcos who, because of his work as an engineer in the government, was replaced by Mr. Rosendo de Guzman a year later. The first teachers who were handpicked from the community were Mr. Irineo M. Cruz, Miss Teofista O. Cruz, Mr. Leon Florencio, Miss Aurora Joseph and Mr. Hilario G. de Asis. The following year, enrollment increased to 54. The first graduation exercises took place in 1936 with only 10 "pioneer" graduates. In an examination given by the government for recognition purposes that year, the Marikina Academy placed 19th among the 70 private schools all over the country. By 1941, enrollment swelled to 272. This necessitated the transfer of the school from its original site in Barrio Sta. Elena to a rented old "Hacienda-type" house in Barrio San Roque.
The school was closed on December 8, 1941 when World War II broke out. Later in mid 1942, the school was reopened for those who wanted to carry on their education under the Japanese regime. In September 1944 when the American battle for the liberation of the Philippines was almost in the Greater Manila area, the school was again closed as mandated by the Japanese military authorities.
Later that same year, amidst turmoil and destruction of lives and properties, sad news broke out that Mayor Wenceslao C. dela Paz, founder of the Marikina Academy, was arrested and incarcerated in Fort Santiago on charges of treason and guerrilla activities. Nobody can surely tell where he was imprisoned and how he died. His body was never found.
The Marikina Academy ceased operations after the death of its founder. Meanwhile, a group of prominent citizens and educators, anticipating the enormous task of postwar reconstruction and rehabilitation felt that, more than ever before, the town of Marikina needed a secondary school. They moved to revive the Academy and invited all concerned to join them in the noble effort.
Roosevelt Memorial High School
In 1945, and in keeping with the trend of the times, a corporation was organized to operate a Secondary School in the same, old hacienda house. It also absorbed all records and the resources of the old academy and brought in new ones. It likewise retained the services of the teachers. In a gesture of loyalty and gratitude to the Americans, the school was named Roosevelt Memorial High School in honor of the late wartime US President, Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Engineer Deogracias F. dela Paz, one of the incorporates was elected first President of the Board of Trustees, a position he held for 33 years. Other members were the widow of the founder of the old academy, Mrs. Felisa Mallari-dela Paz, Mr. Leonardo P. Santos, Sr., Mrs. Miguela Gonzales and Mr. Rosendo de Guzman. Mr. Irineo M. Cruz was designated as its School Director.
The school became the rallying point of almost all elementary graduates of the public schools in Marikina, San Mateo and Montalban. Young boys and girls whose parents were willing to pay a minimal amount of fee for the education of their children found themselves studying at Roosevelt. Other students whose studies were disrupted by the war went back to school and took advantage of the abridged curriculum offered by the Bureau of Education. The school was forced to operate in two shifts to accommodate all enrollees.
In pursuance of this mission, the school started to branch out in the peripheral areas of Marikina. As many natives of Marikina migrated to San Juan and settled along N. Domingo Street, RMHS San Juan was established in this town in 1946.
The following year, a second branch was established at the corner of the then Highway 54 (now EDSA) Epifanio de los Santos and Marikina-San Juan Road (now Aurora Blvd.). This became known as RMHS Cubao. To cater to the educational needs of military personnel, a branch was established at the former site of the PA Ordinance Center in 1948. This unit became operational only for one year as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) opened the AFP School for Enlisted Men. Records were then integrated with those of the Cubao Unit.
In 1949, in response to the clamor of the townsfolk of San Mateo and Montalban, RMHS San Mateo Branch was established and started to operate in an old house along the main road. This unit was later renamed Doña Aurora High School, in honor of Doña Aurora Quezon who died in an ambush that same year.
The early 1950s saw the rapid growth and development of the school in terms of population and facilities. The main school in Marikina gave up the old hacienda and moved to a new storey building just a stone's throw away. From then on, the main school became RMHS Administration. RMHS Murphy Branch opened in 1951 and continued to operate as a separate unit it was fused with the Cubao Unit in 1972.
In 1953, RMHS Quirino opened its doors to serve the residents of the newly opened government housing projects 2,3 and 4. In 1954, DAHS in San Mateo moved to a new campus just behind the Catholic Church. The Cubao Branch likewise moved to a two-storey building at a new site along Aurora Blvd., a few meters away from its former site.
The rest of the 1950s were growth years for the RMHS. Enrollment increased by the hundreds every year. School visibility was evident. For the rest of the decade, the school provided the community with education-oriented activities such as the intramural games, the Christmas lantern parade and program, the week-long foundation day celebration highlighted by the coronation of Miss Roosevelt and the parade were subjects of much anticipation by the townsfolk.
College Establishment
The 1960s were characterized by radical transformation. The main school in Marikina, now housed in a three-storey building started to offer collegiate courses in June 1962. From then on, RMHS became Roosevelt College. In the same year, the much awaited school unit of Montalban (now Rodriguez) also opened its doors to serve the educational needs of the town.
In 1964, the Elementary School Division was restored at the main school thus making the Roosevelt College a three-level school. By the same year the need to expand became even more evident as new housing areas started to mushroom in the northern part of Marikina. Initial steps were taken to establish a branch school in the area.
In 1965, a six-room, two-storey building, situated at a reclaimed swamp and along J.P. Rizal St. in Lamuan started operation as an annex to the Administration unit in Marikina. Inspired by the overwhelming public response, a 42-room, three-storey pre-stressed concrete edifice was completed in 1967. This building was to house the Administration offices and the four institutes of the College Division which were transferred from the main school in San Roque, Marikina, in addition to the complete secondary and elementary schools. From then on, this became Roosevelt College Lamuan unit while the mother school in San Roque, Marikina became Roosevelt College, San Roque Unit. In a few years, the combined population of the two schools came close to 10,000 students. Thus, the two schools, instead of competing, actually complemented each other in serving the educational needs of the people of Marikina.
In 1969, RHMS Cubao moved to a new 20-room two-storey concrete building in a sprawling site of 10th Avenue in Cubao. While a 6-room, two-storey building of the same type was constructed at Dona Aurora High School.
The 1970s were marked by enrichment of educational offerings. The Institute of Graduate Studies opened in the early part of the 1970s to cater the teachers who wish to complete their master of arts but were inconvenienced by long trips to schools in Manila. In a positive move to upgrade classroom delivery system, The Research, Publication and Supervision (RPS) Office was created, followed a little later by the English Training Center for teachers.
In anticipation of the termination of the lease of the campus site in RC San Roque, a 20-room single-storey building was constructed in 1974 in a 1.5-hectare (3.7-acre) parcel of land along Sumulong Highway in Cainta. Initially, this was called Marikina School and commenced operation after transferring some high school and elementary classes from RC San Roque. In 1976, upon the completion of a 66-room 3 – storey concrete structure, the entire RC San Roque, the mother school of the Roosevelt School System was transferred to this site, thus, necessitating the change of name to Roosevelt College, Sumulong or Cainta unit. College classes were also offered, starting with the Institute of Arts and Sciences, Education and Nursing. The Central Administration Offices which were transferred to RC Lamuan in 1967 were again transferred to the new campus.
In the early 1980s, in a move to rationalize college operations, the Institutes of Education, Commerce and Arts and Sciences were confined at the Marikina Campus while the Cainta Campus specialized in Engineering. The Cainta Campus likewise became the center of the Graduate School Agro-Forestry Extension Program, a non- traditional approach in graduate education offered to teachers within Region IV of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS).
But the most significant developments in the 1980s focused on management systems and processes and in academic contents and delivery system. Massive reforms were effected in planning system, organizational set-up, staffing patterns and practices, financial controls and unit level management procedures. A 5-year academic development program was launched in 1980. The program aimed to improve academic standard of the school by improving the general internal environment systems, upgraded qualification of people element, improvement of school facilities and instructional materials and adoption of a more discriminating student acceptance policy. In 1988, as if to test the effects of the program, initial steps were taken towards accreditation with the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) and the school universal standard which raises the passing score from the usual 50% to 65% and later 70%, was put into effect. If indeed instructional systems have improved, the students are ready for higher level of performance expectations.
Since the 1990s
The decade of the 1990s was greeted by bold steps taken by the Board of Trustees. The Roosevelt College Foundation Center for Teacher Education was established with a substantial amount as initial outlay with no return in investment expected except for the chance to hire teacher education graduates who are highly trained and qualified for the job. It was to become the Roosevelt College's contribution to the improvement of Philippine education. The College Division responded to the country's demand for manpower in the technical level by opening two-year course in Computer Programming, Computer Secretarial and Computer Technician. Meanwhile, training for the professions was maintained at competitive levels by upgrading the engineering curricula and facilities to conform with the Technical Panel for Engineering and Architecture Education (TPEAE) standards. New courses like BS in Computer Science and BS in Commerce major in Management Information System were introduced.
The latter half of the decade ushered in another degree course, BS in Computer Engineering aimed to produce professionals for the Information Technology industries. To handle the growing demand for an effective middle-level work force in the construction industry, Construction Technology was opened in SY 1998–1999. Through the joint efforts of the school and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the course was strengthened through a consortium with the Philippine Constructors Association, Marikina Valley Chapter (PCA-Marivalley), a group which will provide the required industry training for the students.
Capping the decade is the opening of another major under BS Commerce, Business Management and Public Administration. The elevation of Computer Education Department to Institute of Computer Education is another milestone of the period.
An amount of not less than PhP 12 million was appropriated for the renovation of the RMHS San Juan Campus and the Administration Building of DAHS San Mateo. This was followed by PhP 27 million for the new Administration and College Building at the Cainta Campus. Another marked improvement is the newly renovated Roosevelt College Marikina Gymnasium (1998–1999).
As an added measure to make educational offering more relevant, the high school and elementary curricula were made quantitative. Pupils from Grade 2 to 6 were given Basic Computer Skills Lessons. Computer literacy was integrated in the THE 1 and 2, while Educational Computing was offered as a specialized course in the THE 3 and 4; likewise, Computer-Aided Instructions in English, Science and Mathematics were introduced. Advanced Computer courses were also offered as enrichment subjects for high school students while Values Education 3 and 4 were replaced by Trigonometry and Calculus.
Keeping up with recent developments in early childhood education, SY 1998–1999 saw the expansion of the pre-school program with the inclusion of Development Kindergarten room in Roosevelt College Marikina, similar to the one in Cainta was started. It was opened formally, SY 1999–2000.
Activities for 3 to 4 year old-children are made meaningful and open-ended with lessons enhanced by illuminated keyboard and multi-kid. The total program takes into account the learning principles that are based on knowledge of child growth and development.
