Don Bosco Philippines South Province

September 7, 2018. Don Bosco Liloan, Cebu City.

The partnership between Don Bosco Liloan and the Department of Education (DepEd) through its “Adopt-A-School” program was further extended for another 25 years. The Memorandum of Agreement was signed by the DepEd regional director for Region VII, Dr. Juliet Jeruta and on the side of Don Bosco is the provincial superior, Fr. Godofredo T. Atienza, SDB, New to the renewal of the MOA are some of the following amendments:

1. Since the school is administered by DepEd, although utilizing the land owned by the Salesians, the school will now be a separate school and no longer be simply an extension of the Liloan National High School. By next school year 2019-2020 it will be a complete separate Junior and Senior High School with a separate school head and it will be called Cotcot National High School (CNHS).
2. The Salesians will be working in close collaboration with DepEd through the School’s Governing Council (SGC) which has as its aim shared leadership in the education and formation of the students. Therefore, on the part of Don Bosco, it still has assigned a Salesian coordinator who will work hand in hand with the school head.
3. The Salesian system of education will still be honored in this renewed agreement particularly through campus ministry and the integration of values and spiritual formation that is very much appreciated by the teachers and by the community (Barangay) as manifested by the parents and the students themselves from the past years.
4. Integrated in this MOA is the partnership also with Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) who is also finalizing an agreement with DepEd and Don Bosco particularly in putting up a building in the campus and adding a Senior High School (SHS) track, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT), to the existing other two- General Academic Strand (GAS) and the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) strand, giving more choices for the SHS enrollees.

According to Dr. Juliet Jeruta, this partnership is “opening gates of opportunities for poor students.” She also manifested that this partnership with the Salesian Fathers will give the students excellent behavioral competencies and Bosconian standards, “Tatak Bosconian” (The Bosconian Brand) which in turn will give quality high school life and prepare them for a better future.

After the short speech of Dr. Jeruta, Fr. Atienza in turn followed stressing the fact that we are a family of educators where in many young people will benefit in this partnership and he encouraged everyone to continue to work together towards the mission and ministry God has entrusted to us, the care of the youth. He ended his short message by invoking the blessing of God especially through the prayers and blessing of St. John Bosco, the Father of the Youth and the blessing of Mary Help of Christians.

The event of the renewal of partnership were also witnessed by the present principal of Liloan Nation High School, Dr. Pegarido, who said, “I am opening  my support in whatever way we could just to put in place the starting days of this dream school.” Dr. Pagarido was assisted by his Vice Principal. Present too were the two Barangay/village councilors one of which is a full-fledged Salesian Cooperator, Ms. Fe Pilapil. Dr. Jeruta’s entourage includes the DepEd provincial lawyer, Atty. Orville Dela Cerna, who drafted the MOA and facilitated the signing. He is also assisted by Dr. Leah Apao of the DepEd Division office of Liloan. On the side of the Salesians, Fr. Ronel R. Vilbar, SDB, Rector of the Don Bosco Boys’ Home Liloan, signed the document as a witness to the historic event. He was assisted by Fr. Rhine Marco Bollozos, SDB, the present Vice Principal of LNHS-Don Bosco Campus. Still, also present are those assigned members of the provincial focus group, present since day one of the discussions and clarifications, who helped make this renewal possible – Fr. Joriz F. Calsa, SDB, Commission on Youth Ministry (CYM) and Fr. Cesar Manlosa, SDB, CYM’s Sector on School head.

As we head for a new joint partnership we would like also to express our gratitude to Mrs. Luzviminda Los Banes who is one of the pillars of the school as assistant to the Vice Principal for five years, that as she retires may the many good deeds and words she left among teachers and most especially students bear fruit. May God bless her and may she always be in the pink of health. Madame Los Banes, we thank you!