College of Education

COLUMBAN COLLEGE INC.

OLONGAPO CITY
Research Locale
History of Olongapo City
Olongapo was first inhabited by the Aetas before it was discovered by the
Spaniards. It was then a small fishing village of Subic with the majority of the
people getting their livelihood through it. When the Spaniards came and
conquered the town on 1884, this small fishing village with its deep, protected
natural harbour had attracted the attention of Spanish explorers, and was chosen
as a port for their ships. Over time, the base developed as the headquarters for a
sizable naval fleet and the site of a major shipyard, as their navy settlement.
King Alfonso II declared Subic Bay as Spains stronghold in the Far East
because of its notable deep water harbor and the protection provided by the
mountains surrounding the place against strong winds.
From the time the Spanish arrived in Olongapo, the history of all of the
Subic Bay area was shaped by foreign occupation. A few decades later, during
WWII, Japanese forces occupied the facilities they found here, and utilised the
shipyard to produce patrol boats. Throughout the war and in the period
following the end of WWII, the area experienced a growing military presence
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College of Education
COLUMBAN COLLEGE INC.
OLONGAPO CITY

that required increasing numbers of civilian support staff, factors which

contributed significantly to the local economy.
After 14 years of Spanish-American War, Admiral George Dewey took
Olongapo and Subic Bay, making the bay area and the whole Olongapo as U.S.
Military reservation. Millions of dollar was spent converting the base.
Estimated cost spent was $170 million. But after 8 years, the Filipino citizens
demanded that Olongapo be returned to the governance of the Philippines.
The small provincial village of Olongapo had soon grown into a bustling
community. Thus in December 7, 1959 Olongapo was turned over to the
Philippine government and changed into a municipality by virtue of Executive
Order No. 366 by issuance of President Carlos P. Garcia.
Seven years later, President Ferdinand E. Marcos signed Republic Act
No. 4645 on June 1, 1966 making Olongapo as a chartered city. In 1983,
Olongapo City became the highly urbanized city in Central Luzon.
On June 15, 1991, Mount Pinatubo erupted causing extensive damage at
the U.S. Facility and in Olongapo City. It was also noted that in this year, the

College of Education
COLUMBAN COLLEGE INC.
OLONGAPO CITY

Senate of the Philippines rejected the Treaty agreement between the Republic of
the Philippines and the United States of America.
A year later, President Corazon Aquino signed R.A. 7227 creating
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and appointed Mayor Richard J. Gordon as
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. On November 24, 1992, the U.S. Naval
Facility was turned over to the Philippine Government, and Subic was turned
over to the governance of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).
By 1966 Olongapo was declared a city, becoming the first area of central
Luzon to become urbanized.
The city has continued to grow, and in recent years has begun to attract
diving enthusiasts from around the world. The shipwrecks at the bottom of
Subic Bay provide seemingly endless opportunities to explore the ruins of 27
ships, most of which sank during WWII. In addition, the variety of attractions
and the natural beauty of the mountainous and jungle terrain continue to lure
international tourists to the region
Olongapo citys land area is mountainous, thus urban development can be
quite expensive. The total built up area is about 2,600 hectares or 14.05% only
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College of Education
COLUMBAN COLLEGE INC.
OLONGAPO CITY

of the total land area which is 18,500 hectares. The city is bounded on the north
by the town of Subic, Zambales, on the east by Bataan province, and on the
south by Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and on the west by Subic Bay. It has a total
land area of 185 square kilometers.
Olongapo's story has a number of variations, but the most widely touted
is the tale of a beloved chieftain by the name of Apo, who was beheaded and
impaled on a bamboo pole in a small fishing village. His tribe was demoralized
by his demise and the gruesome discovery, but this act rallied them to become
more unified. Their lovely village on the shores of Subic Bay took its name
from the event Ulo ng Apo, which translates as 'head of the chieftain'.
Considering the continued development of the Subic Bay Freeport
especially with the completion of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, there is
no doubt that Olongapo City offers a lot of opportunities for entrepreneurs. Two
areas of investment can be the priority namely: tourism and real estate. Hotels,
resorts, commercial and residential buildings would be in great demand as more
and more tourists and businessmen descend on the freeport. For small and
medium enterprises, the production of items needed by the visitors are

College of Education
COLUMBAN COLLEGE INC.
OLONGAPO CITY

encouraged. Jewelry, garments, fashion accessories, furniture and fixtures,

souvenir items, and giftwares are some businesses to be engaged in.

Figure 1. Map of Olongapo City

History of Columban College, Inc.
The institution was first known as Naval Reservation Junior College. It
was passed by Joben Admana family in 1961 to the Columban Fathers. The first
director of Columban College was Rev. Thomas L. Convery with Rev. Fr. Paul
O'Malley SSC as his assistant.

College of Education
COLUMBAN COLLEGE INC.
OLONGAPO CITY

Columban Sisters were assigned in 1962 to assist in the administrative

and teaching programs. During the same year, the Parish of St. Columban was
inaugurated with O'Malley as its parish priest. In 1965, Convery was succeeded
by Rev. William F. Sullivan, SSC as school director. Rev. Fr. John Curry, SSC
took over in 1971, followed by Rev. Fr. Edward McKenna from 1973 to 1975.
From 1976 to 1982, Rev. Fr. Richard Cannon SSC was the school director. He
was succeeded by Rev. Fr. Vincent Lyons from 1982 to 1983. In 1983, the
administration of the college was handed over by the Columban Fathers to the
Vincentian Fathers. Rev. Fr. Constancio Gan was appointed school director.
The Daughters of Charity took over when the contract of the Vincentians
expired in 1989 when Sr. Stella Real D.C. was appointed school director.
In 1993 Most Reverend Bishop Deogracias Iniquez Jr., the head of the
diocesan schools, took over the administration of Columban College. Like in
any diocesan school, the director of an institution comes from the diocesan
clergy assigned in the diocese in Iba.
Rev. Fr. Daniel O. Presto was appointed as school director in 1993 and
later became the president until October 2005. He was succeeded by Rev. Fr.
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College of Education
COLUMBAN COLLEGE INC.
OLONGAPO CITY

Roland M. Almo and then by Rev. Msgr. Crisostomo A. Cacho, who is presently
the school president.

Figure 2: Map of Columban College, Inc.