BRIEF HISTORY

Polillo Adventist Institute (PAI) was conceived by its pioneers several years before 1948. Those pioneers were elders of the Polillo Seventh Day Adventist church including the late Mr. Teofilo Foliente, Mr. Cosme Culata, Mrs. Jose Leynes, Mr. Gaudencio Hernandez and Mr. Elias Romero.

The establishment of PAI was an answer to the prayer of the Seventh Day Adventist church members whose children at that time were studying at Polillo Academy. The students were given failing grades for not attending classes on Saturdays, the day of rest and worship of the Seventh-Day Adventistist. As parents had seen the struggles of their children, who stood firm in their belief, they decided to put up and operate their own school, through strong faith in God and leadership of the late Teofilo Foliente.

The dream of the pioneers became a reality as the school was opened and commenced its operation at the start of school-year 1948-1949. Addressing the shortage of classrooms in the beginning, Elders Teofilo Foliente and Guadencio Hernandez hosted classes in their houses. As student population rapidly increased, Elder Cosme Culata also welcomed the accommodation of additional classes in their house. The faculty members who pioneered the school was headed by the able and hardworking dynamic principal,   Mr. Romulo Ferrer, and with his dedicated teachers, Mr. Roberto de Angel, Miss Susana Ada, Miss Narcisa Vergara, Mr. Paulino Nebres and Mrs. Angelina Ferrer.

Few years later, more supportive church members including Alfonso Aguilar, Esteban Correces, Adela Ayura, Lorenzo Estuita, Marcelino Pueyo, Eugenio Hernandez, Marciano Mopera, Natividad Mopera, Leon Hernandez, Damaso Cabance, and Bernardo Hernandez joined the church leaders in erecting a school building in Sampaguita. It was a very humble beginning as the school building was made of bamboo, its roof was nipa, and its flooring was sandy ground. Aware that the materials were undurable and the building would not last long, the pioneers planned to construct a more durable one. They then bought 5,244 square meters of land in Barrio Bañadero where a large portion of it was donated by the land owner, the late Adela Ayura. On that property, they erected a two-story concrete building.

Unexpectedly, Polillo Islands was struck by the dreaded typhoon Yoling in the early part of the 1970s. Yoling was so devastating that even the newly erected school building was concreted and built to stand the expected strongest typhoon that may possibly hit the area, such building erected through hardships, determination and cooperation was completely damaged beyond repair. However, despite that tragic experience, classes continued and were again held in the houses of church members and in the church. Again, through the undaunted efforts of the pioneers and early supporters of the school, another school building was erected. It was a 6-room one-storey concrete building, but as another dreaded typhoon pounded Polillo Islands once more in the same decade, that one storey concrete edifice was also turned into rubbles.

In the late 70’s, through the concerted efforts of church members, headed by the School Board Board, and under the chairmanships of Ex-Vice Mayor Honesto Camposagrado, David Azaula, Quirino Atienza and Alfredo Unsay a new school building was built. Learning a lot of lessons from their past tragic experiences and failures in building construction,  they constructed the building with right mixture of cement, durable lumber and right structure, making it possible to stand firm even in the passing of several strong typhoons in the islands. That building is now accommodating forty percent of the student population of PAI.
 
Because the local church of the Seventh-Day Adventist of Polillo has no juridical personality to own a property, such as a school like PAI, the church board has no other choice except to allow the creation of a non-stock corporation as the legally  registered owner of the school.  Through the effort of Mr. Tolentino R. Acquioben, who was the principal of PAI from 1988 to 1996, Polillo Adventist Institute, Inc. was duly registered in 1993 at the Securities and Exchange Commission as a non-stock educational corporation and owner of PAI.  Polillo Adventist Institute, Inc. is now composed of Seventh-Day Adventist Polillians all over the world who are supportive to the educational program and development of PAI.

After 59 years of existence as a Christian educational establishment, PAI has been pursuing hard to institutionalize its overall system of operation. Producing remarkable number of successful professionals such as but not limited to doctors, nurses, lawyers, pharmacists, teachers, ministers and engineers the school is now providing the right breed of men and women that are needed in the international community.

Through the strong  and generous support coming from its alumni and other donors, remarkable physical development has been going on, since 2004,  within the school campus. A three-storey building and additional two building of four classrooms are among the physical development projects that have been accomplished.  The present enrollment is  478, a great number compared to the 167 students during the school year 2003-2004 

Through God’s help, and with the continued support of the church and alumni association, that school which was originally built to serve the SDA young people in Polillo, now serves  all interested students from different barangays and nearby towns in the Polillo group of islands, regardless of their intellectual levels, skills, religion and family backgrounds.

PAI, through its present administrators  who are dedicated to keep the candles of the pioneers in flame, coupled with  their commitment to  transform young people through  Christian education, the school shall continue to wage its banner as “The School of Future Leaders.”

The PAI ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, INC.
with excerpts from Class 1974 Souvenir Program, written by Mr. Ireneo B. Angeles.

Revised and edited by Tiny R. Acquioben