ZNSAT to JRMSC History
 

Republic Act No.3002 was authored by Congressman Alberto Q. Ubay of the province of Zamboanga del Norte, which gave birth to Zamboanga del Norte School of Arts and Trades. It was on November 20, 1961 when first classes were formally opened in this school. From then on, ZNSAT has been progressing amidst various leaps and bounds as one of the seven vocational schools in this province.

To start with, Zamboanga del Norte School of Arts and Trades had only an initial appropriation of Php 50,000.00 for its operation, barely enough to meet the many necessities of a pioneering institution. Thirty-two hard-working students had chosen to transfer to this school to acquire vocational training. There was only a low one-story building to house the classes for the academic and the administrative staff. Later, how­ever, this building underwent renovations and was com­pleted as a two-story structure.

Almost all the odds of an infant vocational school were intelligently met and solved by the energetic and persevering educators whose zealous desire was to spread the gospel of trade technical education in this part of the Zamboanga peninsula. Year after year enrolment has been increasing, compelling the school authorities to increase its teaching and administrative staff, as well as its buildings.

The list of school administrators who had come and gone included Mr. Mariano Albayalde who was the first principal in charge of the school. He was at that time the principal of the Rizal Memorial National Vocational School (RMNVS) now Jose Rizal Memorial State College – Main Campus (JRMSC) in Dapitan City. The first to set foot as a teacher of ZNSAT was the late Mr. Alfredo Curabo who transferred from the Zamboanga del Norte Provincial High School. He took charge of the related subjects while the late Mr. Ramon Limosnero; a faculty member of the RMNVS was detailed in this school and taught the vocational subjects.

The promotion of Mr. Albayalde to Zamboanga School of Arts and Trades in Zamboanga City made Mr. Andres Villamoran the second principal in-charge for the school in addition to his main assignment as school principal of RMNVS. In June 1962, ZNSAT had its first appointed principal, Mr. Isabelo Gatchalian, who was formerly with Palawan School of Arts and Trades in Cuyo, Palawan as its school principal. Not long thereafter, Mr. Gatchalian was transferred to RMNVS, and it was the second-time around for Mr. Andres Villamoran to head ZNSAT. This was in 1962 as a full-pledged school principal.

Among the early and “First Tradeans” were Mr. Biliardo V. Ligayo, the Vocational Department head; Mr. Lino Amor, Collecting and Disbursing Officer; Mr. Pascual P. Cardenas, the Bookkeeper; Mr. Heriberto M. Flores, the Clerk; Mr. Angel Sabolboro, the Auditing Examiner; Miss Purificacion L. Ochotorena, English teacher and later became an Electricity Teacher; Mr. Engracio M. Guinto, Science, Chemistry and Physics teacher; Mr. Rodulfo Cabajon, Drafting teacher; and Mr. Carlos R. Buenavista, Sheet Metal teacher.

Sometime in 1963, Mr. Antonio Sorronda joined the school as Watchman along with other pioneering teachers like Mr. Ulysses N. Mamigo, as Automotive Mechanics teacher; Mr. Lionel Villavieja as Industrial Electricity teacher; Mr. Antonio M. Zamoras as Furniture and Cabinet Making teacher; Mrs. Araceli Arquiza Belmonte, for Food Trades and Garments. Later, Mr. Francisco Estrella came in ­as School Janitor; Mrs. Myrna Barinaga, the Public Health Nurse, and Mr. Concordio Camazo, an added Watchman. Mr. Marciano Cunanan joined the faculty leaving the S.O. position in an acting capacity to Mr. Heriberto M. Flores. The promotion of Mr. Flores as a Disbursing Officer in 1964 left the S.O. position vacant that was later occupied by Mr. Andres C. Paloma.

Local, national, and foreign aids poured in during the incumbency of Principal Andres Villamoran. The New Zealand Government through the Colombo Aid Plan donated equipment and some pieces of machine. In 1965, however, Mr. Villamoran left the school as a CLEF scholar at the University of the Philippines. The school was left under its officer in charge Antonio M. Zamoras and then became the Vocational Department Head. Late December of the year 1965, a new principal Medardo P. Santos came into ZNSAT. The promotions were fast for the ZNSAT administrators. On May 1968, another principal was assigned to head this school. He was Mr. Felipe M. Rallos and he stayed for only a semester because of his promotion to the Abellana National Vocational School in Cebu City.

During the second semester of 1966-1967 until February 20, 1973, school Principal Antonio Cabrera headed ZNSAT. On February 21, 1973 Mr. Juan Acejas was designated in charge of the school until the appointment of Mr. Antonio M. Zamoras as Principal. That was on May 24, 1974, after having been School Principal of Siocon Vocational School in the Municipality of Siocon and the Rizal Memorial National Vocational School in Dapitan City that Mr. Zamoras made a comeback to ZNSAT. Mr. Acejas was then appointed Principal of RMNVS.  

On June 1975, ZNSAT opened its Two-Year Trade Technical Education with five Junior College instructors to start with. They were Mr. Ulysses N. Mamigo, Mrs. Araceli A. Belmonte, Mr. Jesus M. Sebastian, Mrs. Socorro P. Jacinto and Mr. Emilio Ramas. Extension classes for BS in Industrial Engineering were later opened in 1978 under its mother school, the Zamboanga School of Arts and Trades in Zamboanga City.

Academic freedom, an ingredient to a progressing institution is felt within after a major makeover on June 11, 1996 as ZNSAT…that's how she was fondly called is now the Annex branch of JRMSC of Dapitan. Still standing proud in serenity on a nearly 3-hectare site in Turno, Dipolog City and along the national highway, just about a mile away from the very heart of the city, the new JRMSC is continuously heading its way to academic and vocational progress with Mr. Jesus J. Macario as the School Director.
 

Source: Extracted from ZNSAT’s 1986 Silver Jubilee Souvenir Program. (Some words have been adequately modified to best suit this presentation)

JRMSC, Dipolog Campus established under Republic Act No.8193 integrating the Rizal memorial National Vocational School, Zamboanga del Norte School of Arts and Trades and the Siocon National Vocational School with the main campus at JRMSC, Dapitan City through the efforts of Romeo G. Jalosjos (Principal Author Representative, 1st District, ZDN), Cresente Y. Llorente (Co-Author Representative, 2nd District, ZDN), Angel M. Carloto (Co-Author Representative, 3rd District, ZDN)

The House of Representatives and the Senate finally passed this act, which originated in the House of Representatives, on May 7, 1996 and June 6, 1996 respectively.

Neptali A. Gonzalez (Signed)
President of the Senate

Jose De Venecia, Jr. (Signed)
Speaker House of Representative

Fidel V. Ramos (Signed)
President of the Philippines

Approved: June 11, 1996