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Filamer Christian College,
in a small unpretentious way, was a home for orphans and poor
children.
In August 1904, Rev. and Mrs.
Joseph Robbins were entrusted with care of three little children.
This situation of neglected homeless children touched their hearts
which led to the establishment of Capiz Home school, with the
first building as a gift from the American Baptist Foreign Mission
society.
Miss Margaret Suman joined the
work and he school which was designed for girls, had 26 children
at the beginning.
After the construction of the
New Baptist Home School building, it started to admit boys. The
school made progress and the year 1920 was notable for its record
in high enrolment of 80 pupils.
In 1949, the school was raised
to the high school level. The Capiz Home School became Filamer
Christian Institute in 1952. The unusual name of “Filamer”
is a combination of Filipino and American in establishing and
running this joint venture in Christian education and cooperation.
Filamer Christian College had
a complete training up to the College level. Since then, there
was no stopping its progress and expansion in terms of its population,
the increase in number of professional courses offered, and the
acquisition of properties and new buildings.
Year 1983-1984 were trying years,
as the institution faced financial problems. With God’s
help Filamer emerged strong again as it came under an interior
management by Central Philippine University.
It was in 1985 that Filamer Christian
Institute became officially known as Filamer Christian College.
Associated with the early history
of the school are such unforgettable missionaries as: the Misses
Celia Sainz, Margaret Suman, Freida Appel, Emma Nicolet, Mabel
Stumpf, Mayme Goldenburg, Irene Dolby, and Arcola Pettit. Then
we had Miss Winnifred Stanford who faithfully served the school
from 1963 up to 1998. She served as the "spiritual fortress"
of these halls for almost 36 years. Ms. Stanford is now serving
as Baptist missionary at Minnesota, USA.
Even with the changes in leadership
through the years Filamer Christian College has still maintained
its three-pronged promise of student development – intellectual,
physical, spiritual. ‚
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