ILOILO City – St. Anne College of Iloilo on R. Mapa Street, Barangay Tabucan, Mandurriao district has decided to close indefinitely, citing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as reason.
“Knowing that even at this time no vaccine for COVID-19 is yet in sight, the Board of Trustees of St. Anne College of Iloilo, Inc. (SACI), in a special meeting held on June 4, 2020, unanimously approved to indefinitely close SACI effective this day,” read part of the official statement issued by the school’s president, Atty. Alma Natividad.
She added: “We are saddened by the decision, but we discern that this option will be for the good of SACI in particular and the community in general.”
The school announced the closure through Facebook.
“We apologize to those who are affected either in your education or employment. We seek your understanding,” according to Natividad.
She, however, clarified that, “Our office remains open for those who transact business related to SACI.”
SACI was established in 1986 and known then as the Polytechnic School of Iloilo. It offered the courses Business Administration, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Office Administration, and Accounting Technology.
“COVID-19 brought untold difficulties to education systems…We continue to pray for an end to COVID-19. We look forward to a journey towards healing, rehabilitation and development,” according to Natividad.
SACI became the first private school in this city to close due to COVID-19.
On May 27, the then school administrator of Angelicum School Iloilo Father Maximo Gatela announced that the school was shutting down by July 1, 2020 due to COVID-19.
On May 29, however, the Board of Trustees of Angelicum overruled the announced cessation of operation.
In a “Corrective Statement”, the Board clarified that it and the Provincial Council of the Dominican Province of the Philippines “didn’t approve any cessation of operation.”
The Dominicans, a religious order, operates Angelicum, a Catholic private school here offering preschool, elementary and high school education.
The Board also announced it had accepted the resignation of Gatela.
In announcing Angelicum’s cessation of operation, Gatela cited the difficulty that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created.
Opened in 1978 with 70-plus students and four teaching staff, Angelicum School Iloilo pioneered the non-graded, open-classroom education system in the Philippines.
It is also known for the Lizares Mansion in its compound, a former heritage house and one of Iloilo City’s imposing landmarks.
Gatela’s announcement of Angelicum’s closure alarmed Mayor Jerry Treñas. He expressed fear that more private schools here could shut down, thereby adversely affecting the education of students and economically displacing private school teachers./PN
