The Founding of Tabuk Institute

By Felicisimo B. Munda, Sr., Class ‘52

Before the outbreak of World War II in December 1941, young people in Tabuk who desire to pursue their education went to Lubuagan, then the capital of the Subprovince of Kalinga, where two mission high schools – the Kalinga Academy which was operated by the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) and the St. Theresita’s School of the Roman Catholic Church – are located.

When World War II broke out, schools nationwide were forced to close. They only reopened after the liberation of the country by the American Forces in 1945. The pre-war high school students from Tabuk had to go back to Lubuagan to continue their schooling. As there were no public transport at that time, students have to hike 56 kilometers to and from Lubuagan bearing their provisions on their backs.

This difficulty of hiking set the Rev. Buenaventura Munda, Sr., the first minister of the EUB Church of Tabuk, to thinking of possibly establishing a secondary high school in Tabuk. He then approached the prominent men in the community whom he believed could be of assistance in the putting up of the school. These men were receptive of the idea and readily made commitments of material assistance. Unfortunately, however, when he approached them for the second time to finalize plans of establishing the school, these men backed out from their previous commitments.

Undaunted by the change of heart of the first group he approached, Rev. Munda turned to the elders in his congregation. His proposal was met with enthusiasm. Plans were then made of coming together to formally organize. As they were not familiar with the intricacies of how private schools are established and maintained, the church elders invited Rev. Clayton Witmer, then Director of Kalinga Academy, for guidance. Rev. Witmer heeded the invitation and in the evening of February 18,1948 at the residence of Rev. Munda, Rev. Witmer met with the elders of the Tabuk EUB Church, namely, Pedro Balacang, Leon Bangisan, Dalmacio Bayudang, Serafin Cacatian, Marcos Diasen, Fructouso Gallema, Evaristo Libed, Marcos Malaggay, Emilio Tablada, Francisco Viloria, Sr., Gavino Dacanay, Rev. Munda and some others whose names this writer could not readily recall.

Rev. Witmer informed the group that the first thing to be done is to organize a Board of Trustees which will be the policy-making body of the institution. Next is for them to formulate the Articles of Incorporation and By-laws by which the institution shall be governed and operated; register with the Securities and Exchange Commission to legalize the operation; then apply with the Bureau of Private Schools of the Department of Education for a permit to operate.

The necessary steps were then taken and that the first Board of Trustees organized with Marcos Diasen as chairman and Antonio Luyaben, Rev. Munda, Leon Bangisan, Francisco Viloria, Sr. and Pedro Balacang as members. Mr. Balacang was elected as the first treasurer as required by the Articles of Incorporation.

The initial financial requirements for the establishment of the Tabuk Institute were then met through the donations made by the following: Jose Anniban, Leon Bangisan, Gavino Dacanay, Emilio Tablada, Francisco Viloria, Sr., Felimon Pasikin, Flagencio Candelario, Dalmacio Bayudang, Thomas Tubban, Miguel Kibara, Ceferino Ramirez, Calixto Cacho, Marcos Diasen, Antonio Luyaben, Aldrico Reyes, Pedro Balacang and Lorenzo Gao-ay.

Rev. Onofre Fonceca, Conference Superintendent of the North Luzon Conference of the EUB, was instrumental in the accomplishment of the other requirements.

In determining who should be employed to head the school, Mr. Diasen suggested the name of Gregorio Ariz who was then with the Baguio City High School. The suggestion was not, however, given favorable consideration for the reason that the salary requirement of Mr. Ariz may not be met by the newly established school which was self-supporting. Rev. Witmer then advised to have in the meantime Lauro Arizala, a classroom teacher in the Kalinga Academy who also happened to be a homesteader of Tabuk. His advice was given due course to that it was then from Ariza to Arizala.

On receiving the approval of the application to open a secondary school and with Mr. Arizala accepting the invitation to head the school, the announcement was made of the opening of the first secondary school in Tabuk, the Tabuk Institute.

In it deemed significant to mention her that since there was no building to house the high school established, classes were then held in the cogon-roofed and split bamboo-walled EUB Chapel then located south of the present United Church of Christ in the Philippines cemetery.

At the opening of the classes on July 1948, Tabuk Institute opened her door to 21 students namely, Anita Bartolome, Rosita Bentayen, Elizabeth Gallang, Inocencia Gallema, Severina Gallema, Vivencia Munda, Francisco Aquino, Jaime Bakiadan, Anastacio Bartolome, Felix Bayudang, Fermin Buaquen, Ruperto Carbonel, Theodorico Fallorina, Bernardino Lagonte, Alejo Liagao, Mateo Melchor, Doroteo Nera, Manuel Padingit, Alfredo Sarol, Victoriano Sebastian and this writer.

Mr. Arizala was the only fulltime teacher, and automatically, the Principal. He was assisted by Mr. Thomas Tubban as part-time teacher in World History. Miss Teofista Cortez, deaconess of the EUB, handled the Bible classes.

This writing only shows how the Tabuk Institute was founded and not to give her history, which if done so, this very limited space will not allow. Anyway, her history is indelibly written and could be read in the lives of the man and women who have gone through her portals.

For more informations, please visit this page: http://tabukinstitutealumni.org/tabukinstitute_2.html