Notre Dame of Greater Manila - History

History

In 1946, the missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate (OMI) began establishing the parish of Grace Park in Caloocan City upon the suggestion of Michael O’ Doherty, the Archbishop of Manila. The Grade School Sector was first opened in 1963 with one building around the original 5.6 hectare campus before the neighboring Our Lady of Grace Academy of Caloocan City, a former all-girls school, administered by the RVM sisters, acquired with a two-and-a-half hectare property bought from the Archdiocese of Manila. Father McGrath of Notre Dame of Greater Manila (NDGM) opened the Elementary Department with only 266 students from Kindergarten to Grade Five. Two years later, the High School Department was opened. Then years passed, student population steadily increased. The first High School seniors graduated in 1969. By 1975, NDGM opened its doors to the indigent but deserving students and offered them five years of night high school. NDGM opened its doors for them with the same academic, expertise, and facilities. In 1980, the first batch of night school graduates received their high school diplomas together with their fellow day school graduates. Two years after, the Grant-in-Aid Program (GIAP), offering a graduated tuition fee discount, replaced the night high school program. In 1983, the High School Department set its sights on accreditation by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU). On October 2, 1985, the High School Department was officially granted accreditation status by PAASCU, which is an accrediting body composed of different private educational institutions that stamp other private schools with a quality standard attained with regard to their programs. The Grade School Department prepared for the Formal Visit of the PAASCU Team. From January 25 to 27 in 1988, it was noted that the Grade School Department manifested wholesome community relationship, which facilitated an accreditation status for three years. After a year, the construction of the school chapel, new Science Laboratory, Campus Ministry office, Speech Laboratory, Electronic Data Processing of school operations, and relocation of the canteen was undertaken. The Community Extension Services Program (CESP) was officially launched on September 2, 1989. It started with activities such as the Grade School’s Bagong Barrio Outreach Program, Saint Eugene de Mazenod Street Children Apostolate (BEMSCA) and “Day with the Urban Poor of Stotsenberg, Caloocan City". In 1990, The CESP soon included free medical-dental health care for the depressed communities of Grace Park Parish, donations to victims of typhoons, floods and Mt. Pinatubo’s eruption and a Bahay-Lingap Drop-In-Center for Street Children. Notre Dame of Greater Manila offered courses in Electronics, Computer Secretarial and Automotive Mechanic, through its De Mazenod Skills Training Center (DMSTC). On 21st-20th of February 1991, the Re-Survey Visit was successfully conducted and a unanimous recommendation of re-accreditation status for three years was granted to the High School. On April 10, 1992, the Grade School was awarded a five-year PAASCU re-accreditation status. On July 31, 1998, the re-survey was conducted on the Grade School Department and PAASCU granted another five-year of re-accreditation. The High School Department was re-accredited for five years on May 31, 2001. On November 21, 2003, PAASCU granted the Grade School for another five years of re-accreditation.

At present, NDGM contains 10 buildings - Grade School Main Building, Grade School Annex, High School Main Building, High School Science and Technology Building, DMSTC Building for vocational students, Gymnasium, High School Canteen, Kinder School Building, the air-conditioned School Chapel, and the Campus General Services Office. A continuous education process through seminars, recollections, retreats and the like is undertaken for a deeper understanding of the Vision-Mission. Serving as a guide, the Primer is envisioned to aid the community in refreshing the true Notre Dame spirit in its basic programs and activities, its staff and graduates.