HOLY CROSS OF CABURAN, INC.

HISTORY OF THE HOLY CROSS OF CABURAN, INC.

The Holy Cross of Caburan, Inc. in the municipality of Jose Abad Santos was founded in 1960 by Fathers of the Foreign Mission Society of Quebec (PME) upon the direction of the Bishop of Davao. This school was a response to the long felt need of a school which would offer not only a well-balanced academic training of its high school students but also a functional religious instruction which is sine qua non in the proper development of the individual especially in a place bereft of the means to provide for spiritual education of its constituents.

The Holy Cross of Caburan, Inc. is a diocesan and parochial school presently administered by the Carmelite Missionaries under the direction of the Bishop of Digos. Its establishment was brought about by the energetic determination of the first director, Rev. Fr. Ephreme Melancon, PME and the Bishop of Davao who gave the initial capital to establish a school with government recognition. The school started as a Junior High School in 1960 with only thirty six students mostly B’laans and Manobos three teachers under Mr. Cesar Villamor as the first School Principal. The miniature community was housed in a small building that also served as the church and the convent. In 1961, HCC earned government recognition and was later permitted to open the third- and fourth-year courses.

From 1960 to 1984, the PME Fathers had supervised the Holy Cross of Caburan. When the PME Fathers left Jose Abad Santos, the Bishop turned over the administration of the school to the Diocesan Clergy of Digos. The first Filipino Director was Rev. Fr. Rudy Tulibas, DCD, but in the years that followed, because of the lack of Diocesan priest to administer the school, the bishop who is also the president of the Board of Trustees of HCC requested the sisters of Theresian Daughters of Mary (TDM) to administer the school. Sr. Lydia Famor, TDM became the first Directress.

In 1994, even with the help of the government subsidy through Educational Service Contracting (ESC) helping the economically hard-up students but willing to continue to study at HCC, the TDM sisters returned the school to the Diocesan Clergy due to lack of personnel and difficulty of transportation. Most Rev. Generoso C. Camina, PME, DD, Bishop of Digos and President of the Board of Trustees of HCC sent Rev. Joselino Gallopin, DCD to be the School Director; he made renovations on the physical plant. He demolished the girls’ dormitory and made it into a library. Rev. Fr. Leo Pepito, DCD took over the administration of the school when Fr. Gallopin was transferred to the St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao as a Professor. Hence, the bishop realized the urgent need for a permanent administration of the school.

In 1995, Bishop Generosa Camiña invited the Carmelite Missionaries to administer the secondary school of Holy Cross of Caburan. Sr. Socorro Garachico and other sisters went for ocular visits. It was indeed an experience of great challenge to really respond to the said invitation after the visit. Since there was no qualified administrator during the time, the offer was declined. In 1999, due to the persistence of the Bishop and the desire to really work with the poor prompted the Carmelite Missionaries to consider the invitation.

On the 16th of May, of the Great Jubilee Year 2000, there was a eucharistic celebration presided by Most Rev. Generoso C. Camiña PME, DD, Bishop of Digos and concelebrated by the Rev. Fr. Dario Algones, Parish Priest, Fr. Henry Heruela, Parochial Vicar and Fr. Leo Pepito, outgoing Director of the Holy Cross of Caburan to welcome the Carmelite Missionaries for accepting the administration of the school. There was a turn- over ceremony done at the altar of our Lady of Assumption Parish with the presence of Sr. Lourde B. Dizon, CM, Provincial Superior, Sr. Teresita Sindac, CM, Provincial Councilor, Sr. Rebecca Polinar, CM, Provincial Councilor and the Pioneering Sisters namely: Bernabela Galindez as a Guidance Counselor, Salvacion Palomo in charge of the canteen, Zenaida Unson who will teach Christian Living, and Josefina Gestosani as the principal of the school. They accepted the mission with so much zeal and passion to serve the Church. A Memorandum of Intent and Agreement was signed. According to this agreement, the sisters whose specific purpose is the promotion and education of the Manobo and B’laan children and youth in the secondary school of the Holy Cross of Caburan, collaboration in the pastoral ministry catechesis and formation of the laity. In its forty nine years of existence, the success of the school was achieved due to the leadership and dedication of the following administrators during their term.

Due to increasing enrollment every year the school is trying to provide good facilities and other materials required for effective utilization that could promote better teaching and learning conditions. The rapid change in the society created challenges to the Holy Crossians, thus, the school developed certain formation that would mold the students to become “Parish Oriented” who are willing to get involved in their parishes or Gagmay Kristohanong Katilingban or GKK and passionate lovers of Christ in his Church. Today, the HCC continues to serve students with dedication and quality education so that they will become true faith in Jesus Christ, peace loving individuals, rooted in their culture and belief, protector of God’s creation and responsible person.