A journey of faith, excellence, and service spanning over six decades
The Beginnings
Mt. Carmel College started as Father Urios High School. Fr. Herman Maalman, MSC, a Dutch priest, founded the school in June of 1957. The construction of the school and the parish was through him; most of the donations came from the engineers of Philcusa.
1957 saw the opening of Father Urios High School as it offered First and Second Year for secondary education. This coincided with the closing of San Francisco Provincial High School after a year of operation. Its school facilities (chairs, tables, boards, etc.) were purchased by Father Urios High School, and students from the provincial school continued their studies there. The convent and the church building were initially used as classrooms; in the following year, a two-classroom ground-floor building was constructed.
The school started with 35 freshmen and 17 sophomores. Three teachers started with the school: Mrs. Conchita Apduhan Jaboneta (major in Filipino, minor in English), Mr. Angel Victorino (major in Physical Education, minor in Mathematics), and Mrs. Aurora Estoque Montaos (major in History, minor in Science).
Carmelite Stewardship
In 1963, the Carmelites arrived in Agusan del Sur to establish their mission. These Dutch Carmelites were Fr. Cervacio Lansink, O.Carm., Fr. Bertino Hendricks, O.Carm., and Fr. Bernard Roosendal, O.Carm., the first Carmelite School Director. The Carmelites bought the property from the MSC Fathers and started running the school in school year 1964–1965.
The school rapidly progressed in infrastructure and educational standards. However, these remarkable developments came to a halt when a mysterious fire broke out in the main school building, turning it into ashes in an hour and losing the pride not only of San Francisco but of the whole of Agusan del Sur.
Growth and Development
Faced with this situation, the community showed its support and encouragement to the administration to continue the operation of the school. Teachers and students held on to their sense of Christian mission, keeping their hearts aflame in continuing the life and mission of the school. The school grew and eventually opened the Elementary Department in 1993, through the initiative of Mr. Vicente D. Lasco.
Establishing the College
The College Department opened in 1997. As the Carmelites renewed their commitment to the school apostolate in their 1996 Chapter, opening the college became an important concern. Fr. Perfecto Ll. Adeva, O.Carm., the Director and Superintendent of the Carmelite Schools, led the opening of the College. Sr. Emeliene Acosta, MSM, Ph.D., the first Dean of the College, together with Ms. Mercy Subibe, contributed significantly to the beginnings of the College Department.
50 Years and Beyond
In 2007, the school celebrated its Golden Jubilee: a thanksgiving and a testament to the school's faithfulness to its mission, bearing fruits of progress and development. As the school matured in experience, its infrastructure also grew to better serve its stakeholders. At present, the college is managed by the Order of Carmelites, headed by the school president and its council under the guidance of the board of trustees of the Carmelite Schools in the Philippines together with the School Superintendent.
Key Developments
- Titus Brandsma Building (1994) — serves as the high school building
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Building (2001) — the physical structure for the College Department
- Fr. Herman Maalman, MSC Building (2006) — established for the Elementary Department
- Father Saturnino Urios Cultural Center (2013) — center for community-wide gatherings
- Arch of Virtues (2013) — the MCC institutional insignia
- Titus Brandsma Hall — houses the Center for Theological and Pastoral Formation and the Institute of Christian Education
- Fr. Bernard Roosendal, O.Carm. Learning Resource Center (2014) — built for the navigation of knowledge in print and on the worldwide web
