History of Immaculate Conception Academy Dancalan Inc.

I studied junior and senior high school in Immaculate Conception Academy Dancalan Inc. and
graduated at the year 2017. My school was located at Barangay Dancalan, Ilog, Negros Occidental,
during my high school years there are almost 800 students enrolled in Immaculate Conception
Academy. Immaculate Conception Academy Dancalan Inc. is a Catholic School offered secondary
education and also a kinder school.
Immaculate Conception Academy Dancalan Inc. was founded on June, 1954 by Rev. Fr. Bernard
Callanan, a Columban Missionary. Three years after Recognition No. 99 series 57 (to be exact April 27,
1957) was granted by the government. Although a sectarian parochial high school, this welcomes non-
Catholic students who take Religion as a subject needed by any Christians; however they are free to
attend or not the religious activities of the church. During school year 1954-55 few students from
Dancalan and neighboring barangays were enrolled. This school was opened to the first year and second
year students only. The first graduation was on April, 1957 with only twenty four students surviving, the
enrollment continuously increased every year. During the year 1979-1987 this was the alumni officers
during that time:

President...................................Atty. Danilo P. Tabat

Vice-President..........................Mrs. Merlinda T. Cuachon
Secretary...................................Miss Gloria D. Gena
Treasurer..................................Mrs. Nelita G.Villegas
P.I.O...........................................Mr. Pedro Aloro
Auditor......................................Miss Tessie P. Padilla

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
 Dr. Belen I. Ayala
 Mrs. Carmelita S. Tucay
 Miss Carlita L. Teovisio
 Mrs. Cynthia A. Coscolluella
 Miss Aruela M. Bando
 Miss Beatriz Garanganao
 Mr. Cezar L. Teovisio Sr.
 Mrs. Linda A. Dela Cruz
 Miss Seise Millendez

Directors who are parish priests at the same time come and go. At the start they belonged to the
society of St. Columban. Now ICA has a Filipino priest as director. After several years of existence,
many changes have taken place just like the additional classrooms and renovation of buildings.
However, the tragic fire on April 12, 1987 razed the school to the ground. Out of the five buildings and
twenty classrooms, only two were left. With the help of the director that time Rev. Fr. Patrick Hurley,
classrooms were ready at the beginning of the school year 1987-88, although the main building that
consists the office of the principal and cashier, the faculty room, library, CAT office, clinic, etc. was
built the following summer. On September 18, 1988 the new ICA was blessed. The school is proud to
have opened the Learning Center to small kids. Before, this was just a temporary room inside the school
campus and later due to lack of classrooms of the high school, it was transferred to the space under the
convent. Another ICA pre-school is also operating in Tabu, Ilog, Negros Occidental.
School year 1997-1998 is marked with the turnover of Rev. Fr. John Doohan, a Columban priest to
Rev. Fr. Jose Gerson P. Te-ad, a Filipino priest. When the term of Rev. Fr. Jose Gerson P. Te-ad ended,
Rev. Fr. Fernando E. Villanueva, Jr. took over as a Director on May, 2006 to date.
In the succeeding years the school was overflowed with so many blessings. On September, 2008, the
staff and students from Aquinas College, Perth, Western Australia had their first Immersion
Program. Through the efforts of the soliciting committee, the alumni, Australian friends and Dr. Rinly
R. Gecosala,they made the dream of the school come true to built a second storey in the fourth year
building.
Starting June 2009, the names of the class sections were changed from letters to the names of the
saints to inspire the students of the virtues of the holy persons and to change the grouping to a
heterogeneous one.
Immaculate Conception Academy is such a great school to those students who lives in the
municipality of Ilog.
 History of the Municipality of Ilog

Ilog was one of the biggest municipalities in Negros Occidental, belongs to the Sixth Legislative
District of Negros Occidental.. Ilog was founded by the Augustinian friars Gerónimo Marín and
Francisco Bustos on May 16, 1584, it was the first capital of the historical military district/province of
Negros in the late 18th century. The name Ilog (or Ylog, Tagalog for "river") was recommended by a
Tagalog guide of the Spaniards because the place was entirely surrounded by the longest river on the
whole Negros Island, the Hilabangan River. The first inhabitants of Ilog are mostly migrants from Panay
Island. This river may now be a shell of its glorious past but there is no doubt that it has effectuated the
island’s economic, political and social life. Hiligaynon is the major language of the city, with differences
in tone and accent from the Hiligaynon used in Bacolod. Filipino and English are widely taught.
According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), Ilog is now a second class
municipality, earning P45M to P55M annually. Ilog is politically subdivided into 15 barangays,
Andulauan, Balicotoc, Bocana, Calubang, Canlamay, Consuelo, Dancalan, Delicioso, Galicia, Manalad,
Pinggot, Barangay I (Poblacion), Barangay II (Poblacion), Tabu and Vista Alegre. According to the
2015 concensus Ilog has a population of 57,389 people. In the year 1903 the population was about
10,626 while in the year 2000 the population was about 46,252. We can see that the municipality of Ilog
is keep on growing.

Ilog has so many wonder that we need to discover from its people and to the natural resources that
it can give. Ilog was known for its delicious oysters. Every 25th of March the people of Ilog was
celebrating The Kisi-kisi festival. Kisi-Kisi was started by Mark G. Vargas to help Ilog's tourism. “Kisi-
kisi” is a Hiligaynon term for the fast movement of crustaceans such as fish, prawns, crabs and shrimps
that is abundant in the municipality. The town fiesta honors the Señor Santo Niño as their patron saint
that is why, before the dance parade a re-enactment of Sinulog is staged to show how their village was
saved from the Moro pirates. The main attraction of the festival is the Kisi-Kisi street dancing parade
competition among barangays that pays tribute to its rich marine resources. Another exciting event to
look forward during the opening day of the Kisi-Kisi Festival is the "eat-all-you-can oysters" (referred
by tourists as Ilog Talaba Festival) which is open to all visitors. Freshly steamed oysters are served on a
long bamboo table for those who would like to savor the seafood.