HISTORY OF THE PAROCHIAL SCHOOL OF DAPITAN CITY

The Zamboanga peninsula during the year 1635 remained under the responsibility of the Zamboanga Jesuit mission. They particularly spent their valuable hours in the conversion of the local folks called Subanen, known to be the original inhabitants of the peninsula. It was said that most of the Dapitanons at that time are pagans who worshiped trees and nature.

The first Dapitanons who were evangelized were, Pagbuaya and his son Manook who served as escorts and soldiers of the Jesuits together with Manook’s daughter Maria Uray who devoted her life to her faith of becoming a good servant of God by becoming and example and showing her good deeds.

The Augustinian Recollects took over their jurisdiction, including the Dapitan mission in the year 1770. The Society of Jesus by the Royal decree of 1852, were allowed to go back to their Spanish lands and returned to the Philippines and resumed their old Mindanao mission.

It was during the 1860’s when the Parochial School was built under the Jesuits administration. This was the only elementary school of the peninsula. Children from Sindangan, Katipunan and other places of Zamboanga del Norte went to Dapitan to earn their lower education; they stayed on the convent as the priest’s assistants.

Catechism is the main objective of having the Parochial School where in reading, writing, arithmetic and religion were the various subjects taught by the Jesuits.

The structure that is visible at present is only a small portion left from its original edifice. It once became an auditorium of the Rizal Memorial Institute (RMI) where most of their programs are being held. Until at present, the administration of Saint James Parish took management of the Parochial School for its very own affairs and gatherings.