SSC

Priory

Philippines

Blessing and opening of St. Benedict’s Home, the new retirement house

Start of St. Scholastica’s College of Health Sciences, Tacloban City

Feb 26:  Series of bombings aboard Super Five express left 41 dead by Muslim separatist rebels

Mar 2:  40 NPA's kill 10 soldiers

Mar 16:  Rebel-army troops battle leaves 23 people dead in Lanao del Norte Ocampo, Vice President of Equitable Bank, testified to the false papers before an impeachment court

Mar 20:  Abu Sayyaf rebels seizes 50 hostages from 2 schools in Basilan for ransom

Apr 10:  Government troops attack MNLF Camp Belai; 278 rebels and 18 soldiers die in the encounter

Apr 28:  Government troops gain control of rebel stronghold in Basilan Island after a  week of fighting

May 3:  In Zamboanga, Mindanao, the MNLF takes 100 hostages, leaving 4 dead

Aug 28:  Abu Sayyaf guerrilas abduct Jeffrey Schilling, their first American hostage

Sept 17:  Military forces kill 6 Abu Sayyaf guerrilas and captures 20

Oct 19:  Nine (9) persons are killed and 11 MNLF guerrilas wounded

Nov 2:  President Estrada offers to let the people decide his future in a referendum as more members of the cabinet resign

Nov 4:  Tens of thousands rally in Manila calling for President Estrada's resignation

Nov 9:  Perfecto Yasay, the former SEC Chairman, accuses the president of forcing him to resign and attempting to influence the investigation of an Estrada friend.  Yasay also had tried to block the sale of a controlling stake in Philippine Long Distance Telephone

Formation of the Consortium of Women’s Colleges (CWC) with SSC, Maryknoll College, Assumption College, St. Paul College of Manila and College of the Holy Spirit as members

CWC Memorandum of Agreement signing, October 12, 2001

New immersion community at Mati, Davao Oriental.  Emphasis on sustainable agriculture; “masipag” farming; farmers’ education

St. Scholastica’s College—Westgrove opens.  First building a donation of Ayala Land, Incorporation

St. Scholastica's College, Westgrove

Formation of Centennial Committee to plan for priory centennial 2006.  Archives- Museum to be set up

SSC-Priory Museum-Archives Perspective

Jan 20:  Estrada steps down.  His Vice President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is sworn as president

2001-present

Feb 6:  President Arroyo names Sen. Teofisto Guingona as her Vice President

Feb 7:  Citizens files a lawsuit against former Pres. Estrada for possessing $400 million in unexplained wealth, and reclaiming the amount for the government

March:  The MILF declares a ceasefire and its readiness to hold talks with the government

Mar 2:  The Supreme Court affirms the legitimacy of Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and denies immunity to former Pres. Estrada

Apr 25:  Estrada is arrested and placed in custody.  The ousted Philippine President Joseph Estrada became the country's first eader to be arrested for alleged corruption in office

May 1:  Pres. Arroyo declares a “state of rebellion” and orders the arrest of 2 senators and several military officials loyal to former Pres. Estrada.  Forty thousand (40,000) protesters march in Malacañang Palace

May 6:  Pres. Arroyo lifts the “state of rebellion” order

May 14:  Midterm elections are held for half the Senate and the entire House of Representatives.  The Communist leaning party nation first party wins 3 seats

May 27:  Abu Sayyaf abduct 21 people from Dos Palmas Resort.  Missionaries Martin and Grace Burnham are among the kidnapped

Jun 22:  Government signs a peace agreement with Moro Islamic Liberation Front

Jun 24:  Mayon Volcano erupts; 7,000 villagers flee

Aug 7:  The Islamic and National fronts sign separate unity pact to bridge their 23 year split.  Only Abu Sayyaf is left fighting the government

Sept 19:  Court rules the return of $627 million from Marcos to the government

Oct 18:  Opposition legislators files a resolution for the impeachment of Pres. Estrada for taking bribes.  Some 15,000 people call for Estrada resignation

Nov 13:  The House of Representatives approves an impeachment trial to address corruption charges against Pres. Estrada.  Earlier, on November 14, some 20,000 march in Manila for the ouster of Pres. Estrada

Nov 20:  Senate presents Pres. Estrada 270-page articles of impeachment for corruption and constitutional violations

Dec 30:  Five (5) bomb blasts hit Manila killing 22 people.  Seven (7) Muslim guerrilas are indicted including Salamat Hashim, chairman of the Moro Liberation Front.  The Jemaah Islamiyah, a militant group linked to Al Queda is involved in the train bombing

Additional fields of specialization for degrees in music introduced:  composition, guitar, pipe organ, strings, winds, voice.  Similarly, ladderized Certificate programs

SSC granted autonomy by the CHED

Accent on work for the poor; interfaith dialogue

“Bahay Lila” set in operation: shelter for abused women and children

Bahay Lila

Jan:  US marine joint exercises with Filipino military signals a new phase in the war against terrorism

Jun 7:  Martin Burnham, an American missionary and Filipino nurse Ediborah Yap are killed when troops stormed an Abu Sayyaf outpost in Mindanao

Aug 23:  An anti-graft court in the Philippines freezes the assets of former president Joseph Estrada in connection with illegal accumulation of 4 billion pesos ($76.48 million) during his 31-month rule

Nov 4:  China signs a landmark agreement with Southeast Asian countries (Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam) on avoiding open conflict in the disputed South China Sea Spratly Islands

Nov 21:  The United States and the Philippines sign a controversial agreement which would allow U.S. Forces to use the Philippines as a supply point for military operations

Alternative education for Aetas to be worked out and formalized

Feb 2,8,19:  Encounters between the government forces and the NPA, Abu Sayyaf rebels leave 54 dead

Feb 20:  Pentagon officials offer to send 1,700 U.S. Soldiers to the Philippines over the next few weeks to fight Muslim extremists.  The Philippine government rejects the offer

Mar 4-Jul 22:  Five (5) bomb explosions, 2 attacks, 1 ferry collision and 2 tropical storms killing 86 persons and displacing 2,227 people were reported

Jul 18:  Government signs ceasefire with MILF ahead of planned talks in Malaysia

Jul 27:  In Manila, some 300 mutinous Philippine troops seize downtown residential shopping and later surrenders, ending a 19-hour standoff with government forces. President Arroyo declares a state of rebellion, which lasted until August 11

Oct 18:  U.S. President Bush addresses a special joint session of the Philippine Congress in Manila.  Bush promises to help the Philippines defeat terrorism.   Thousands of university students and activists march to protest Bush's visit to Manila already tense over security concerns

Dec 16:  Pres. Bush signs a measure that make WW II Filipino American veterans eligible for full Veterans Affair health care.

Dec 19:  Landslides and floods have kill at least 127 people, and 150 others were missing and feared dead

“MAKAPAWA” (Community–Based Health Program) on its 25^th year to publish history and experiences, especially with “Under-Fives Program”

Jan 10:  Three rebels and 4 soldiers die when the guerrila New People's Army attached a power plant south of Manila

Jan 12:  A huge fire in a Manila shantytown hurts at least 23 people, destroys thousands of homes and leaves about 25,000 residents homeless

Jan 22:  A Philippine tribunal orders the immediate transfer to the government of $683 million of illegally accumulated funds from Swiss bank accounts of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos

May 10:  President Arroyo narrowly defeats Poe, taking 39.5% of the vote to his 36.6%, according to the unofficial count

May 18:  A powerful typhoon slams into the Philippines, causing at least 19 deaths on the eastern islands in the archipelago

Jun 20:  A Philippine congressional committee announces election of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

Jul 3:  Tropical storm Mindulle, kills at least 31 people in the Philippines

Jul 13:  Filipino Angelo Dela Cruz is freed by Iraqi kidnappers after Philippine troops withdraw from Iraq.

Nov 30:  The death toll from landslides and flash floods in the eastern Philippines jumps to 41 nearly 340 with 150 other missing, after a second rainstorm hits a region

Dec 2:  Back-to-back storms kill at least 842 people and leaves 751 missing.  1,100 are feared dead in the wake of Typhoon Nanmadol

Dec 14:  Fernando Poe, Jr., former Philippine actor and presidential candidate, dies

Dec:  The Philippine Supreme Court rules to allow foreign firms to run mines in the Philippines, overturning a negative decision last January

The Philippine budget deficit is 3.9% of GDP.  Its consolidated public-sector debt is almost 140% of GDP and some fear a default

Establishment of two new Institutes:  the Institute for Emerging Technologies and the Institute for Catering Management and Hospitality Technology

Development of new courses continues as “autonomy” provides greater opportunities for creative innovation

Sept 14:  Start of the year-long celebration of the centennial of the Manila Priory and the arrival of the first Benedictine Sisters

Laying of cornerstone of St. Scholastica Archives-Museum

Dec 3:  Start of the celebration of the centennial of St. Scholastica’s College.

Community Development Center (CDC) approved to be a juridical community to continue work started by the former CDCI

Sept 14:  Start of year-long centennial celebration of St. Scholastica’s Priory and St. Scholastica’s College

Opening liturgy.  Laying of cornerstone for Archives-Museum.  Grand concert.

Pres. Corazon C. Aquino and Deputy Head of Mission of Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Rolf Saligmann lower the commemorative capsule.  Assisting in the activity were (L to R) Mr. Vicente Pijano, III, Overall Coordinator of the Event, S. Lumen Gloria Dungca, OSB, Sub-prioress,  Sr. Josefina G. Nepomuceno, OSB, SSC President and M. Mary John Mananzan, OSB, Prioress of the Missionary of Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing

Dec 3:  Kick-off of year of centennial celebration of St. Scholastica’s College

Jan 1:  Philippines forecast: 4.5% annual GDP growth with a population at 87.9 million and GDP per head at $1,010

Feb 7:  Hundreds of armed followers of a jailed former Muslim rebel leader attacks government troops and occupy one army Twelve (12) soldiers killed

Feb 14:  Three bombs jolt Manila and two other cities, killing at least 12 people and  wounding more than 100 others.  The Muslim extremist group Abu Sayyaf claims responsibility for the blasts

Mar 15:  Some of the country's most hardened terrorists are killed in a failed prison uprising; 28 people die

June:  An audio file, allegedly wiretapped by military intelligence becomes available with President Arroyo speaking to COMELEC Virgilio Garcillano (Hello Garci Tape)

The crisis first became public on June 6, 2005 with the press conference held by Presidential Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye. Here he is pictured showing CDs containing wiretapped conversations

Jun 11:  Thousands of protesters demand President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to step down for allegations for fixing last year's election and receiving gambling kickbacks

Jun 21:  Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jaime Sin dies.  Cardinal Sin, an outspoken advocate of democracy who played a key role in the “People Power” revolts (1986, 2001) that ousted two Philippine presidents

Jul 8:  Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's presidency is in tatters: her base of support eroding, calls for her resignation over an election scandal is gaining support

Dec 3:  SSC CENTENNIAL

Association of Benedictine Schools puts out new CLE sourcebooks for all grade and year levels

Sept 14:  PRIORY CENTENNIAL

Opening of St. Scholastica’s Archives-Museum

Feb 4:  The PhilSports Arena stampede happened at the PhilSports (formerly ULTRA) football stadium in Pasig City, Metro Manila killing 74 people and injured about 400

Feb 17:  As many as 1,000 people are feared to have died in a mudslide which engulfs a village on the central island of Leyte

Feb 24: President Arroyo declares a state of emergency after the army says it has foiled a planned coup.  The decree was lifted on March 3, but still without any credible evidence of any alleged coup attempt involving, allegedly, a combination of Communists and right-wing army officers