Notre Dame of Cagayan: Evangelization Through Education

History

The Notre Dame of Cagayan is located in a far distant island called Mapun, Tawi-Tawi. It is one of the Notre Dame schools founded by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in the Sulu and Tawi-Tawi archipelago to respond to the literary education needs of the local people. Among the Notre Dame schools, NDC is one of the farthest if not the most challenging mission area of the oblates particularly with regards to transportation.

The Notre Dame of Cagayan was founded by the OMI Fathers in 1958. Fr. Maurice A. Hemann, OMI was its first school principal and director. During that time, the Notre Dame of Cagayan (NDC) was the only high school in the island municipality of Mapun. That is why most of the professionals coming from Mapun are graduates of NDC. The school in its long-standing influence through education has already produced doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, architects, a lawyer, businessmen, entrepreneurs, a priest, and many others.

The Notre Dame of Cagayan is known for its clear vision which is to help the “Jama Mapun” or the people of Mapun in education and not to proselytize. Thus, NDC exemplifies discipline and academic excellence all throughout its existence.

 

New discoveries

Majority of the people in the municipality of Mapun practices Islam. Only a few numbers are Christians coming from Dumaguete, Bohol, Cebu, and Zambaonga provinces. This follows that majority of NDC students are Muslims.

Notre Dame schools among the Muslims is not unusual. Although some would think that it is not appropriate to have Notre Dame schools in the far, isolated, and small islands, the OMIs remained committed in bringing closer quality education into these places.

 People living outside Mapun would surely think that this is a scary place. The transportation from Bongao, Tawi-Tawi or from Zamboanga City or from Palawan only allows boats like “lantsa,” a small ship, and “Kiring-Kiring,” or smaller lantsa which often used in transporting fish and some goods. While travelling on sea, the fast-changing course of the sea current coupled with the long travel at sea with its old boats often overloaded with all kinds of materials are definitely insane.

Anyone will just be amazed how the people of Mapun were able to adapt the situation or simply maybe because they have no other choice. One good thing though is that there are two private planes available for transportation. One is owned by the Adventist whose priority are the patients that need to be transported to other islands. The other is available when there are enough passengers. It means it has to be fully packed with passengers in order to leave. The problem is that most of the time the plane has some problems with the plane parts so most of the time it is unavailable. These two planes are small ones with only 4 to 6 seaters. The fare from Zamboanga City to Mapun costs P8,000 while Mapun to Palawan (Bataraza) is P5,000. For ordinary people, it is still very high and costly.

And so, for years, the OMIs assigned in Mapun school in particular Fr. Hemann who was assigned for about 20 years would use a private plane owned by the OMIs. At that time, foreign funding was still very strong so they were able to generate enough resources to purchase a private plane for transportation especially around the islands of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

 

Landmarks

Being at the farthest island in the Philippines, an island which is even closer to Malaysia than to the Philippines is truly a remarkable ordeal and achievement of the OMIs. Fr. Hemann with other priests assigned started from scratch. They put up several classrooms just to accommodate the number of students. They have to pave the area for the building structures with limited tools at that time.

Students would even recall that often they are also asked to help in the preparation of the area for the building, carrying stones to dump in the area. But they were all excited. Imagine having the only high school at that time means people have no other choice but to help build the school.

The structure of the old school can still be seen today. Although much have been improved in the structures, the old convent where Fr. Hemann would stay and have his office is still intact which is now used as the TLE room and AVR room.

The old library is still the same though. The solid wood used in the structure of the old buildings are supremely incredible. For years, the structure stood against strong winds and changing weather.

During Fr. Hemann’s time, there was an area where he would park and land the plane and it’s called “landing.” It is a sea water area covering about half kilometer long near the old fish pond of the school. It was still part of NDC until such time that Fr. Hemann was transferred and there was no use of the landing area. Eventually, people nearby would collect the stones beside the landing area and make them as foundation in their new built homes.

 

Ambitions for the future

It’s been 64 years since the foundation of NDC school and the mission continues. Today, NDC has 816 students from junior to senior high school with 34 teaching and non-teaching personnel. The classrooms have tripled and now the school has a new covered court and a basketball court. The school has also started the building of 2-storey 8-classroom building to address the increasing number of students.

Much have already been given and done. But there are still a lot to accomplish.

Keeping strong to the vision and mission of NDC, the school continues to commit itself in providing quality and excellence in education. This entails addressing all aspects of the institution starting from maintaining and enhancing personnel development to student’s welfare by giving appropriate and pertinent knowledge, skills and services, to providing quality, relevant and upgraded facilities to ensure proper processes while maintaining a closer and stronger relationship with the stakeholders.

All these and more are the tasks and decisions that need to be regularly addressed to ensure the image of OMI evangelization through education in Mapun, Tawi-Tawi.

 - Rock