Divine Word College of San Jose: Witnessing to the Word since 1960 and an educational institution since 1945!

Divine Word College of San Jose is the oldest school in Occidental Mindoro. The DWCSJ of today was the Southern Mindoro Academy (SMA) of yesterday. Let's trace the rich historical background of DWCSJ as SMA.

It is interesting to note that way back in 1940's, Barrio Siete Central was the center of economic activity in Occidental Mindoro. Why? Because the first sugar mill in the country - Philippine Milling Company - was based in Central, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro! San Jose then was called Pandurucan.

In 1945, when World War II just ended, a visionary man from Romblon, Atty. Gabriel Fabella, a history professor at the University of Philippines, came to San Jose. Together with his new found friends, he envisioned the opening of a school to provide a private secondary education in San Jose.

On August 8, 1945, Southern Mindoro Academy was born and had its opening of classes on the same day in Central with 30 freshmen and 8 sophomores. The original incorporators of SMA were Gabriel Fabella, Raul Leuterio, Isabelo Abeleda, Sr., Cipriano Liboro and Cosme Tria.

The following year, in 1946, the Americans constructed an airstrip in San Jose Pandurucan and the people started to transfer to San Jose. Likewise, the owners of SMA decided to transfer the said school to San Jose and bought a portion of the land owned by the Soldevillas where the present school is now located.

SMA operated for 15 years. In 1960, due to financial constraints, the owners of SMA decided to sell it. Mr. Mena R. Quinto was instrumental in the SVD's acquisition of SMA. Fr. Carlos Brendel, the SVD representative and the parish priest of San Jose Pandurucan, bought SMA. Thus, in May in this same year the SVD's became the new owners of SMA. Still using the name SMA, the secondary department became an exclusive school for boys where St. Joseph became an exclusive school for girls.

Since then, additional undergraduate courses were offered by the school and eventually it got the government recognition for the following courses: Diploma in Junior Secretarial(1978), Bachelor of Science in Accountancy(1993), Two-year Computer Secretarial Courses(1997), Two-year Association in Computer Science(1997), Bachelor of Science in Computer Science(2001).

In the graduate level, DWCSJ started to offer Master of Arts in Education Major in Administration and Supervision as an extension of the Divine Word College of Calapan. Later, the school offered Master of Business Administration also as an extension of DWCC.

On June 29, 1993, government recognition to operate MBA independent of DWCC was obtained. Likewise, on March 15, 1995, government recognition to offer MA in Education independent of DWCC was granted.

In the same year, 1995, the school started to offer three levels of pre-elementary courses: Nursery, Kindergarten, and Preparatory.

Further, starting school year 2000-2001 several academic programs were simultanesously offered by DWCSJ; the AB in Communication, Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management (BSHRM) and Bachelor of Science in Tourism (BST). In the school year 2005-2006, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing was also offered. And Bachelor of Science in Accounting Technology (BSAct) and Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) were offered in the school year 2009-2010.

From SMA in 1945 to DWA in 1961 and DWC in 1966 - this is the present Divine Word College of San Jose. Let's celebrate the richness of the historical and educational bakcground of our institution!