About Us

The Divine Word College of Bangued (DWCB) was founded in 1920 by FR. Theodore Buttenburch, SVD who felt the need of a catholic school in Bangued, the capital town of the Province of Abra. With the help of some prominent men in the parish, the school, named Colegio del Sagrado Corazon (CSC) opened its doors in a rented house. It was co-educational from the Holy Spirit (SSpS) who came to establish their community in Bangued. The old convent (the Holy Spirit Academy at present) was given as their cloister and utilized for additional classrooms. The rapid increase in enrollment made it expedient to put up separate boys and girls departments. Father Lawrence Leisring, SVD became the head of the boys department which opened in 1929. The girls department which eventually became the Sacred Heart of Jesus Academy remained under the Holy Spirit Sisters. The boys department was provisionally housed in the carpentry shop of the parish and in a rented private house until the two storey building behind the new convent was finished in 1931 for their use. The girls department sent out its first high school graduates in 1929; the boys department in 1933. Father Leisring wrote the lyrics of the CSC Alma Mater Hymn to the tune of a march which stirs the hearts of its Alumni to stay loyal to the principles of the school. With his transfer in Vigan in 1939, Father Henry Stukenberg, took his place. At the outbreak of World War II in 1941, the Director of CSC was Father Bernanrd Toepfer, SVD. During the Japanese occupation (1942 – 1944), all secondary schools in the province were closed except the CSC Boys Department which opened to both sexes. One class was able to graduate during this period. The liberation period which pushed the Japanese soldiers to Bangued created a very tense situation which necessitated the closing of the school. The High School Building was converted to a Japanese Base Hospital. The bombing of Bangued in March 10, 1945 reduced almost the whole town to ashes. With the concerted efforts of the SVD Missionaries, the CSC under Father Joseph Watzlawik, SVD, opened again in 1946 with Quonset huts as classrooms purchased from the U.S. Army. But the structures were again badly damaged by a typhoon in 1947. Father Joseph Boethin, SVD and Father Carlos Breitenstein, SVD took the herculean task of rebuilding the destroyed buildings. The war and the typhoon did not dampen the progress of the CSC. Popular demand led to the opening of the collegiate department in 1948 by Fr. Carlos Breitenstein, SVD. The courses offered were Elementary Teacher’s Certificate (ETC), BSE and AB. The first collegiate Commencement Exercises took place in 1950 under Father Juan Salzman, SVD. Through his efforts, the Teacher’s Training Department Building was constructed in a lot where the Bishop’s House is now standing. n 1952, Father Carlos Puetz, SVD became CSC Director and known for forming a choir of boys and girls (from the Sacred Heart of Jesus Academy). A boom in the school population brought classes to the sacristy, the Bishop’s House and the ground floor of the convent. This necessitated expansion. To solve the problem, Father Puetz chose a swampy but wide and accessible Church property for the new site of the CSC. This plan was realized by Father William Vergoosen, SVD who succeeded him in 1959. During his administration, Bachelor of Science in Commerce opened in 1960.Father Johannes Glaneman, SVD was the Director from 1961 to 1967. The following could be credited to his administration: Opening of one-year Secretarial Course in 1962; the granting of government recognition to the Collegiate courses (except Commerce); publication of the “Corazonian” the college organ, (the Sparks at present); permit form the government to open the Graduate School and the Science High School (which eventually closed in 1967 due to difficulty); leveling and walling of the DWCB campus; and the construction of a three storey Teacher’s Training Building with an audio-visual hall in 1967 out of a donation from MISEREOR. In 1964, the school became known as Divine Word College to promote and define more fully the vision and mission and the presence of the Society of the Divine Word in the establishment and operation of the school. In June 1967, Father Panfilo Guianan, SVD, the successor of Father Glaneman, became the first Filipino Director of the DWCB. It was during his incumbency that all departments (Grade School, High School and College) were brought to one campus to work together towards its common goal: Scienta et Virtus. In 1969, Father Anselmo Bustos, SVD became the Director. He instituted the Faculty Development Program, the membership of DWCB employees in the DWEA Retirement Plan, the construction of the outdoor stage and bamboo chapel, now the site of the Blessed Joseph Freinademetz Building which houses the Midwifery and Nursing Departments; and the putting-up of the multi-purpose sheds on both ends of the basketball courts. He also changed the title of the school head from Director to President. The school revised its Vision – Mission twice. It affirmed “to educate and touch individuals who will witness to and live the Gospel zealously with the people in the frontier situations and grow through the Divine Word into Evangelizing Christian Communities. Its vision-mission is the kernel of all programs and activities in the school wheter within the four walls of the classrooms and offices or in communities working for the uplift of the poor and marginalized. Degree programs both in the undergraduate and graduate levels were designed, updated and redirected following perceived and spelled out development needs and directions. The implication of this in the teaching-learning paradigm was easily caught by the teaching force. On-the-job training of College seniors in support to classroom experiences are heightened. But so are classroom-based researchers and their resultant outreach projects. All academic programs have computer subjects. College students from First to Fourth year take Religious Education subjects to be enlightened on the love of God. All these to enable them to meet the demands and challenges of a fast-changing century. The library collections and Science laboratory equipment and computer pool have improved immensely. Accessing needed information in the internet is now possible. The classrooms were refurbished. A college gym was built to meet the demands of a growing institution. Community programs and activities like celebration of the Holy Eucharist, sportfest, and outreach activities are now held here. The ground floor houses the academic offices, museum, audio-visual room and archive. Three (3) dormitories were built for safe and secure housing for young men and women. The solicitude for special children made possible the opening of a Special Education Class for the hearing and visually impaired, slow learners and mental retardates. Three (3) teachers were sent to take graduate studies in Special Education at the Philippine Normal University, University of the Philippines and De La Salle University in Manila to be able to minister to these children. Depending on their handicap, these special children are either fully or partially mainstreamed at the Grade School. The Grade School and High School became coeducational. Scholarship programs like the Blessed Joseph Freinademetz Scholarship Program to train secondary teachers for the diocesan schools in Abra and Cagayan, and MISSIO to train Religion teachers for the Catholic as well as public schools were established. Also, poor but intellectually endowed youth are accepted as working students. In addition to a just wage, tenured faculty are granted institutional benefits of 11th and 12th month pay while tenured administrative personnel enjoy their 14th and 15th month pay. At the same time, educational benefits for their children and other family members are provided them. The entire faculty of the school as well as its administrative personnel have formed themselves into the Faculty and Employees Association (FEA). Together with the Central Board of Students (CBS), they are given wider participation in school affairs. Its physical facilities are placed at the service of Church-based and people’s organizations like farmers’ groups, cooperatives, concerned citizens, indigenous peoples and other communities for prayer meetings, Gospel gatherings, Eucharistic celebrations, general assemblies and training. Many of its faculty and other personnel also serve as speakers and resource persons during seminar-workshops and as referees and coaches during sports festival. With their students, they have become active volunteers in outreach programs promoting justice and peace, non-formal education, good governance, clean election, and re-greening. Institutional evaluation and long range planning has become a regular fixture in the school.

Course Details

Institute Details