Philippines: Mindoro’s Oldest Catholic School Celebrates 89 Years, Honors Indigenous Heritage

Celebrating nearly nine decades of pioneering missionary education, Holy Infant Academy (HIA), the oldest Catholic educational institution on Mindoro Island in the central Philippines, marked its 89th founding anniversary on Oct. 31 with a grand cultural festival showcasing local traditions and Indigenous Mangyan heritage.

The anniversary event brought together students, parents, faculty, and alumni in Calapan City, the provincial capital of Oriental Mindoro located south of the main island of Luzon.

Founded on May 26, 1937, by Bishop Wilhelm Finnemann, SVD, the first Prefect Apostolic of Mindoro, HIA was established to advance the evangelization and social development of the island. At Bishop Finnemann’s request, the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS) sent pioneer missionaries to open the institution's first kindergarten and primary classes.

In 1997, ownership of HIA transferred to the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan, with management entrusted to lay administrators in a model of collaborative lay leadership.

“HIA is committed to the holistic formation of our students,” said HIA Principal Alona Cueto. “We actualize their academic preparation and character-building in school and at home, closely partnering with parents to ensure shared values and goals.”

The anniversary featured a festival-inspired field demonstration with student presentations highlighting the distinct cultural heritage, agricultural livelihoods, and religious devotions across all municipalities of Oriental Mindoro.

Performances included Baco's Banana Festival, Puerto Galera's De Galera Festival, Pinamalayan's Bahaghari Festival, and Calapan City's Kalap Festival, performed by parents and alumni.

Significantly, Grade 9 and Grade 12 students presented dances representing the Mangyan Festival and the Pakapya-Agtike Festival, honoring the ancestral heritage, land rights, and traditions of the Indigenous Mangyan people who inhabit the mountainous interior of Mindoro.

School Director Fr. Andy Peter M. Lubi noted that the celebration also serves as the official launch pad for the academy's upcoming 90th anniversary in 2027 and its eventual centennial, under the theme: "Honoring the Past, Igniting the Present, and Anchoring the Future: Setting Sight on 100 Years and Beyond!"

"HIA aims to sustain its legacy as the heart of Catholic education in Mindoro by forming generations of students who live out the values of Christian faith and service," Fr. Lubi said, emphasizing the institution's core values of Loving Service, Integrity, Faith, and Excellence (LIFE). He added, “HIA’s missionary outreach through its support for Paminhian Iraya Mangyan School, located in the hinterland of the municipality of San Teodoro, aims to preserve and promote Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) education.”