The Sagada Postboy

NEWS 2003

Changes in SMS to take place

November 11, 2003
Now that SMS is incorporated, changes may soon take place.

First and foremost, the school will now have to be managed like a business enterprise. Thus, it should among others have enough revenues to cover its capital and operating costs. Unlike stock corporations, however,excess revenues will all go towards improving school facilities and fund future expansion, instead of going to stockholders as dividents.

The school will remain as an Anglican/Episcopalian institution, but should promote ecumenism and seek to attract students from other faiths. It will remain as a general high school and not be called a science high school, but we envision it to have a strong emphasis on science and technology, so its graduates can compete effectively in the global market. We will ultimately have to increase tuition fees after we have demonstrated that the school is indeed an institution where parents will opt to send their children for quality education, even if they have to pay higher tuition fees. Those interested only in free secondary education will just have to go to the public schools.

While the current SEC registration allows SMS to offer only high school and vocational education, we are being encouraged to apply for permission to offer tertiary education, as the private colleges/universities in the Cordilleras are already too congested and some are of doubtful quality. Among others, we hope to be able to put up a school of nursing and other health service professionals.

These are just some of the things that the officers and trustees are currently thinking of. It will take some time and we will need the continuing support of the alumni and all other stakeholders of SMS for us to fufill our mission and achieve our vision. However, we are pleased to point out that just the last few months, the image of SMS in the community has already started to change for the better ever since a new acting principal and a good science teacher were hired and SMS students have started performing very well in recent academic competitions. SMS was particularly No.1 in Chemistry and I was told that the relatively much better equipped library and laboratory facilities of SMS had helped a lot. Also, for the first time in probably several decades an erring faculty member has been disciplined. These are all small steps, but as the Chinese say, the journey to a thousand miles starts with one step.   Rufino B. Bomasang

Bomasang elected chairman and CEO

November 2, 2003
Rufino B. Bomasang unanimously elected chairman and CEO of of the newly-incorporated St. Mary's School of Sagada, Inc (SMSSI) during the organizational meeting of the board of trustees.

Alumni donations reach $18k

October 6, 2003
Actual cach received since May 2003 totals $18,786.46 as pledges and donations for SMS.    Inez Killip Saley, SMS '55

SMS incorporation gets SEC approval

October 1, 2003
The incorporation of St. Mary's School of Sagada, Inc., finally secured SEC approval. Incorporation papers were previously approved by the St. Mary's Alumni Association during the last alumni homecoming. An organizational meeting will be held on November 2 in Sagada. R.B.Bomasang

NEWS ARCHIVES

Postboy 50th Anniversary Issue (2002-2003) read articles

Indepth analysis, fiction, rewind
Building fires, digging wells

6th SMS Alumni Homecoming: April 2003   read articles   more articles

Incorporation of school to be discussed

Postboy December 2001 read articles
Postboy November 1969 read articles

Rev. Archie C. Stapleton, new chaplain for St. Mary's
Mr. W. Richard Hughes, former principal, addresses students

BLOGS

PEOPLE