Maryknoll College of Panabo

A group of American Maryknoll Sisters, headed by Sister Mary Rhoda, founded the school in 1960. Sister Rhoda, who also acted as its principal, named it St. Mary’s High School. Initially, it started with four classrooms only, accommodating 60 students. Through the generous donations of her friends abroad, she was able to put up a two-story building housing four (4) classrooms, a library, a science laboratory, offices and the Sisters’ Convent at the second floor. The side fronting the highway was converted into a stage used for the flag ceremonies and other programs.

Two years later, Sister Rhoda, was transferred to another place, replaced by Sister Mary Concepcion. This time, the enrollment had already reached the 2oo mark. In succeeding two years, the student population had gone up to 350. With this enrollment growth, additional classrooms had to be constructed to accommodate more students this eventually gave way to the completion of the four year high school course.

On April 3, 1965 the school had been renamed Maryknoll High School Of Panabo, apparently in honor of its founding Maryknoll Sisters, allowed under the provisions of the Corporation Code, Republic Act 1459. Its mother school in Quezon City, The Maryknoll ( now Miriam) College had inspired the adoption of the new name. Sister Corde Maria acted as its new principal, continuing the services and leadership of the Maryknoll Sisters for the next five years.

Sister Corde presided over the expansion and progress of the school, as more classrooms and facilities had to be put up. It was during the time that the school earned a distinction of being the leading educational institution in Panabo, known for its good academic instruction, firm discipline and sense of Christian values and leadership. There were two other principals who came after Sister Corde Maria.

Believing that the school could already stand even without them and in order to answer more missionary calls, the Maryknoll Sisters turned over the management of the school to lay people. Mr. Pio J. Galagala was given the reign as principal, the first and only layman who had such an opportunity. He had made serious efforts to answer the formidable challenges left before his shoulders, especially in keeping up with the reputation of the school. Improvement of the school’s instruction and facilities had been his priority considering the increase of enrollment. In SY 1976-77, the last term of his office, there were 599 students enrolled.

In 1977, the school was hand back to a religious order; the Daughter of the Assumption, Sister Maria Aurelia Berdenas, fma was the principal whose leadership made possible the erection of annex, five classroom building to 1978. A year after a new canteen connecting the main building was built to accommodate 858 students. The science laboratory was renovated and additional textbook and library references were provided.

The sister of the Assumption gave the management of the school for some reasons and the bishop of Tagum decided to tap the services of the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines to handle the school. The first Dominican sister to handle the principal was Sister Maria Virgilia Rivero, O.P.. During her term more improvements of the school were effective such as renovation of the old building, library, laboratory, faculty room, and classrooms. A mini-auditorium and faculty dormitory were constructed and the school fence. More textbook were acquired to deal with the students numbering to around 1,000. In 1981, Kindergarten classes were also opened as an initial step towards the creation of an elementary department.

The school has undertaken the following endeavors to improve its five major key areas of management and development to measure up to the standards of total quality management, monitoring, and evaluation.[1]

Today the school has plenty of buildings and teachers. It now has a gymnasium for entertainment, sports and recognition purposes. The 2nd three-storey building is situated in front of the Gaisano Grand Panabo and behind the city's market. While the fully air conditioned six-storey building which is currently occupied by the seniors is still queued on construction.