San Isidro College was founded by Fr. Joseph Reith, S.J. in July 1949. It was established when Malaybalay was still a young capital town of Bukidnon. He named the school, San Isidro, after Malaybalay’s patron saint, San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of the farmers. Thus, the school logo bears the motto “Ora et Labora”, which means prayer and work.The school started with ninety first year students and thirty second year students with five teaching staff in school year, 1945-1950. Classes were held in a two-storey residential house where now stands the RVM Convent. Fr. Reith, with the RVM Sisters, ran the school.
In 1951-1952, the Principal of San Isidro High School was Sr. Ma. Gertrudis Lim, RVM, the Superior of the RVM Sisters. She was with Sr. Ma. Remedios Tagamolita, RVM, Procuratrix and Sr. Ma. Estrella Lopez, RVM, the Dormitory In-charge. In April 1952, San Isidro High School produced its first batch of twenty three graduates.
The American Sisters of the Congregation of Saint Joseph of Newark took over the administration in 1953. Sr. Mary Redempta McConnell, CSJ administered the school from 1953 to 1971. Her eighteen years of administration was the longest in SIC’s history. She sowed the tradition of intellectual, spiritual and social development of the learners coupled with strict discipline for character formation. Her administration accomplished the following: acquisition of the present site of the school, 12-room school building in 1956, : Villa San Jose (Sisters’ convent) in 1963, gymnasium in 1966, additional classrooms, library and offices in 1969-1970 and the attainment of full College Status of San Isidro in 1969.
The school grew in its academic perspective when it offered a one-year Collegiate Secretarial Course in 1962, Bachelor of Science in Commerce in 1964, Liberal Arts in 1965 and Education in 1965. The one-year Secretarial Course became a two-year Junior Secretarial course in 1970.
When the Sisters of St. Joseph of Newark went back to the United States of America, the school was turned over to Bishop Francisco Claver, S.J. D.D. in 1971. He invited the Marist Brothers to manage the school. The Marist Brothers administered the school from 1971 to 1985. They focused on the development of the faculty, especially the lay administrators, constructed the Sta. Maria Building and covered walks, improved the facilities of the gymnasium, library and laboratories. It was during the administration of the Marist Brothers that the Five-Year Night Secondary Course was granted Government Recognition effective June 3, 1974. On February 5, 1980, Brother Fabian Casidsid, FMS, the Night High School Principal, wrote a letter to the Regional Director asking for approval to reduce the 5-year High School Program to four years. The request was approved and the 4-year Night High Program had been implemented since school year, 1980-1981
After the Marist Brothers, the Missionary Benedictine Sisters managed the school for eleven years from 1985 to 1996. The Chair of the Board of Trustees was Bishop Gaudencio Rosales, D.D. who then became the Archbishop of Manila. After him, Bishop Honesto Ch. Pacana S.J. D.D., the Bishop of Malaybalay, became the Chair of the Board of Trustees. The Benedictines left the following legacies: construction of the Amrhein Building, St. Benedict Building, opening of the SIC Grade School in 1993, scholarship for students, establishment of Computer Laboratories and standardization of processes in preparation for PAASCU Accreditation.
In 1997, Fr. Felimon A. Ares, Jr., a Diocesan Priest and Superintendent of BUACS (Bukidnon Association of Catholic Schools) became the President. Sr. Lilia U. Nuesca, FdCC was the Vice President from 1999 to 2001. From 2002 to 2006, two Canossian Daughters of Charity administered SIC as president: Sr. Lilia U. Nuesca, FdCC in 2002 to 2004 and Sr. Luzviminda G. Mojica, FdCC in 2004-2006. Among the notable events that happened at the advent of the 21st century were the following: PAASCU Accreditations, adoption of Sitio Aquarius as Outreach partner Community (2003), establishment of the SIC Community Outreach Center (2002), establishment of the San Isidro College Research and Development Center (SICRED) (2005), construction of the 4-storey St Isidore Building (2004), acquisition of modern educational technology and equipment for the Fundamental/Skills Laboratory for Nursing, Faculty Development Programs such as the Personnel Study Assistance Program or PESAP, Personnel Performance Appraisal System or PPAS and Personnel Award and Recognition Program or PARP and the revision of the school’s Vision-Mission Goals and Objectives.
In School Year, 2006-2007, the College has its distinguished alumnus, a Certified Public Accountant and Diocesan priest, Fr. Virgilio H. Delfin, as the President. His first two years of administration was marked with the following major accomplishments among others: opening of the Institute of Technical and Health-related Training Programs (ITHRTP) offering TESDA-accredited short courses, establishment of the Fr. Joseph Reith, S.J. Memorial Scholarship Foundation and the opening of the School of Nursing and School of Midwifery. Up to the present, San Isidro College is the only Catholic higher educational institution in the City of Malaybalay. It continues to move on to serve and to respond to the needs of the people and the society, particularly, the people of Bukidnon and the neighboring provinces and cities.
Source: San Isidro College: Its Beginnings, Identity and Mission (BIM)
