St. Louis School - Don Bosco
A. Its roots from Italy to the Philippines
The first school began in 1853 in Turin. The first trade house outside of it was Mirabello. Gradually as years progressed establishments of schools spread to Genoa in France and at San Nicolas de los Arroyo and Buenos Aires in Argentina. The Salesians of Don Bosco were determined to cross frontiers to spread the founder's apostolate. Seen as a fertile ground for the propogation of St. John Bosco's apostolate was the East-Asia. And so in 1918, after crossing the oriental frontiers, they opened a mission in Shiu, the province of Kwang Tung in China - today the People's Republic of China. Just like the biblical mustard seed, the Salesian work grew on to become a big tree which bore fruit abundantly. This missionary work went on unhampered for almost three decades. But with China becoming a communist state with the rise of Mao Tse Tung in 1949, it was impossible to keep the mission alive. Those who survive the Maoistpurge in the religious sought new frontiers until some of them came to the Philippines. However, the first sons of Don Bosco to set foot on Philippine soil were two Salesian Fathers. They came in 1912 and for a short time ran the parish of the Nuestra de los Remedios in Malate. Ten years later, the Rt. Rev. Msgr. William Piani and Rev. Morrow, both Salesians were appointed Delegate and Secretary, respectively. They however, came to the Philippines for the direct service of the Church and not as Selesian missionaries.
The Salesian mission in the Philippines took a definite shape upon the designation of Fr. Charles Braga as the First Provincial. He paved the way for the establishment of a permanent Salesian Society in the Philippines. The first Salesian presence was Don Bosco Technical Institute Tarlac in 1951; Don Bosco Technical Institute Victorias Negros Occ. came second in 1952; third to be established was Don Bosco Technical College, Mandaluyong in 1953, Don Bosco Technical Institute Makati and Don Bosco Technology Center, Cebu in 1954, San Ildefonso Parish Makati in 1956, Our Lady of Lourdes Cebu in 1957, Don Bosco Academy, Pampanga in 1958, Don Bosco College Seminary, Canlubang in 1963, Don Bosco Youth Center, Tondo in 1968, Don Bosco Center of Studies, and Mary, Help of Christians Shrine Paranaque in 1972 St. John Bosco Parish Makati and and Don Bosco Missionary Seminary, Cebu in 1976, Immaculate Conception Parish in Laguna in 1978, Don Bosco Press and Salesiana Publishers Makati in 1981, Don Bosco Center of Spirituality, Batulao in 1984, St. Louis School - Don Bosco, Dumaguete City in 1986, Don Bosco Hostel Quezon City in 1988, Don Bosco Boy's Home Cebu in 1988, Don Bosco Granada Negros Occ. in 1989, Don Bosco Retreat House, Mambucal, Negros Occ. in 1991, Don Bosco Training Centers in Mati, Davao Or., Nueva Ecija and Borongan in 1993.
B. 1967 to the present
St. Louis School - Dumaguete had it's beginning when a CICM priest, Fr. Paul de Middeleer came to Dumaguete and started the institution. Through the help of the late Governor Mariano Perdices, the CICM missionaries bought this school camput about 10 hectares wide from Atty. Miciano at 90 centavos per square meter. It was with the understanding with Monsignor Surban that the school for boys and girls would be opened on the Secondary level. The first building was constructed in the months of May and June, 1966.
It was on June 1, 1966, that St. Louis School - Dumaguete first opened for enrolment. The first enrollees were Elvesa Jumalon and Ernesto Bao. June 25 marked the arrival of the first four teachers from Baguio. They were Miss Josephine Domingo and Miss Linda Bocasan for the High School, Miss Ella Cabreras for the Kinder and Miss Guadalupe Jimeno for Grade one.
On Monday, July 1 classes were opened. There were 20 children in the Kindergarten, 22 in Grade one, and 52 students (30 boys and 22 girls) in the first year. During the first year of operation, Mrs. Salome Pastor becane principal for both high school and elementary department.
It was in June of school year 1970-1971 that fourth year high school was finally opened. The first 46 graduates recieved their diplomas on April 22, 1971. Prompted by a new assignment in 1982, Fr. George de Busschere, CICM, replaced Fr. Paul as School Director with Mr. Imelda Partosa as Principal.
In the later years, certain circumstances made it necessary for the CICM to hand the school over to a new administration, the Salesians of St. John Bosco. It was in this year that Father Mariano F. Tarrosa, SDB a representative of the Salesians, began making periodic visitrs to the school.
At the start of the school year 1987, it was already under the new administration, with Father Tarrosa as the First In-change of the school. Under his leadership, the school then became ST. LOUIS SCHOOL - DON BOSCO and it saw the development of the Salesian Retreat Center (SRC) as a center for animating the spirituality of students in neighboring public schools. Two other priests assisted him in managing the school, Fr. Dante Sacchi as the administrator and Father Hilario G. Tamonan as confessor.
In 1988 Fr. Hilario Tamonan started the new apostolate for the poor in the field of diversified and integrated farming in cooperation with USAID.
In 1991 with the complete set of Salesians assigned in St. Louis School - Don Bosco, Fr. Hilario G. Tamonan became First Rector, Fr. Peter Porio was the Administrator and Fr. Luis Badilla was assigned as the Spiritual Director. In 1992, Fr. Cesar Y. Manlosa Jr. joined them as the School Principal. In 1994, Fr. Matthew Adukanil came as the Spiritual Moderator.
With the new community of Salesians, the school started to expand with the construction of the annex building, It saw the opening of the new avenues for apostolate. Aside from its Primary, Intermediate and High School, SLS-DB has Savio Hall, a dormitory for boys. It also offers skills training for out of school youth and farmers in Agri-Technology (Diversifies and Integrated Farming Training Program in cooperation with the Alger Foundation); retreats and recollections at its Salesian Retreat Center (SRC); Catechism and Recreation during its weekend at the Don Bosco Youth Center (DBYC); Masses during Sundays for the public at its Mary Help of Christians Chapel; and Day Care Center is made available to poor families around.
In 1996, Fr. Hilario Tamonan was joined by two new priests, Father Ronald Guiao as the administrator and Fr. Norman Broderick Segovia as the spiritual moderator. Together with Mdme. elna Cabrera as the school principal, the Salesian brothers in practical training, with the assistance of the Faculty and Staff and the collaboration of the PTA Board, the Salesian system of Education, as inspired by its founder ST. JOHN BOSCO, continues to educate the young towards its total development, namely: to become good Christians and honest citizens.