HISTORY

 

 

In the early 50’s Barrio Malanday, with its lush greenery and pristine river teeming with fish became a haven of settlers.  Education then was the least of their priorities.  They were too busy tending their farms as their source of livelihood.  Those who wanted to experience formal school had to walk more than a kilometer to reach Concepcion Elementary School.

 

But as the population started to get bigger, the residents clamored for a public school where their children could avail of a free yet quality education.

 

It was in the mid 50’s that the request for a school in Barrio Malanday was realized.  A four-classroom Gabaldon type building was erected to provide shelter to grades Grade I-IV pupils.  Mrs. Carolina Santos was then the teacher in charge.  Six years later, it became a complete elementary school and had its first batch of graduates in 1963.

 

Since the enrollees had increased each year, the Schools Division Superintendent of Rizal through the collaborative efforts of the Principal, Dr. Pedro Ramos, and the District Supervisor, appealed for additional buildings.  While that request was being studied, the head of school rented houses where classes in the lower grades were held.

 

Construction of Munding and Rodriguez type buildings came soon so all classes had to be held within the four walls of the concrete classroom.  The school administrator was Miss Aurora G. Reyes in 1970 and was succeeded by Mrs. Purificacion Senga in 1974.  After a year, Mrs. Senga was promoted and took the helm of the District Office.  Her promotion paved the way to Mr. Marino Calibara’s appointment as head of 48 teachers of this school.

Few years later, the pupil-population of Malanday elementary School had soared due to the influx of people from the provinces.  Again, this school was in dire need of more classrooms and teachers as well.

 

Early part of the 80’s, Marikina became affiliated with the Schools Division of Quezon City.  Four school heads had the chance to steer this school to greater heights in terms of academic achievements.  Miss Rebecca Santos had tried her mettle as school administrator in 1983.  After two years, Dr. Angelita Sta. Ana took the rein of leadership vacated by Dr. Santos, which lasted for about three years.  She got promoted and had to be assigned in another school. Mr. Calibara came back as he was reassigned to head more than 70 teachers.

 

In a span of ten years, the national and local government through the support of the people from the education department who served as intermediaries in the negotiations, granted this school additional buildings.  Each grade level then had less than ten sections but classes had to follow a two-shift plan. The additional buildings had also become fortress of evacuees from flood-prone residential areas near the school.

 

When one of the areas in Malanday was turned into a relocation site for informal settlers, the enrollees suddenly ballooned and that drastic change had compelled the school administrator to go for three-shift sessions in grades one and two.  That started in the early 90’s when Marikina was under the Schools Division of Pasig, Marikina and San Juan and Dr. Myrna Alberto was the school principal.  She was followed by Dr. Melquiades Calugay in 1995.

 

This kind of set up continued even after the creation of the Division of Marikina City.  Mr. Rubi Parungao was the first principal of this school when Marikina became an independent Division.  During that time there were already 104 teachers and over 4000 pupils.  Dr. Rolenda Sarmiento took his place during the revamp of school heads in 2000.  Two years after, Dr. Erico Habijan got the post after Dr. Sarmiento bowed out from the service.  It was during his term that classes were decongested when the city ordinance barring non-Marikina residents from enrolling in any of the public schools in Marikina was strictly  enforced.  But his stay was short-lived after he was assigned Officer in Charge of Tanong High School and later as President of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina.

 

To fill the void since there was a freeze in the mobilization of school principals, Dr. Buenavista Topacio was detailed officer-in-charge from July 2003 to March 7, 2004.

 

Starting March 8, 2004, Dr. Aurora Divino, District Supervisor, took her place and dispensed with a very important role in the efficient and effective management of the biggest school in Marikina District I in terms of enrolment.  With her strong leadership, there was an improvement in terms of facilities bebefitted 118 teachers and 5038 pupils.

 

Three months after the opening of classes in 2004, Dr. Erico M. Habijan took back the post he once vacated due to reassignment.  His kind of leadership created a big impact on the enhancement of learning environment and in developing the character of the school constituents.

 

Leaving this school again became inevitable when he got promoted to Principal 4 and had to move to Parang Elementary School.  Dr. Adora S. Marcelo, who also got promoted to Principal 3 filled the post he vacated.  It was during her leadership when MalES, worst hit by typhoon ‘Ondoy’, forged strong link with USAID which provided tremendous support to affected teachers and pupils, and became instrumental in the rehabilitation of the school.

 

In 2010, another movement of school principals was undertaken by the Schools Division Superintendent.  Dr. Marcelo was assigned at Sto. Nino Elementary School and to take her place was a touted ‘action man’ Mr. Lino P. de Guzman.  He has earned admiration from his superiors and colleagues for his unparalleled accomplishments in improving the physical plant of the schools he has been privileged to manage.  In his less than three years as principal of this school, he has been able to install power supply to a three-storey building which had been ‘powerless’ for the last seven years.  He has also initiated the construction of a gymnasium through the PDAF of Party-list Gabriela which has made it possible for this school to host big events.  He has a lot of accomplishments both in the academic and non-academic aspects which shall serve as his legacy when he takes a bow and retires from the service on December 11, 2013.