Excluding the learning institutes organized by the government, the educational landscape during American colonial rule in Davao City and the years after the liberation was largely the playground of sectarian and private schools.
Salvador L. Pacis, who wrote ‘Davao: Its Progress and Future,’ (1951), the first book-length historical account of Davao’s educational growth, came out with interesting details about the early schools in the region during School Year 1949-50, which he sourced from notable academicians connected with existing institutions.
In his table of Catholic schools, he enlisted nine schools with their year of founding and enrollments based on levels. First is Immaculate Conception College, erstwhile known as Colegio de San Pedro, inaugurated in 1905 as Escuela Catolica de San Pedro. During that year, it had an enrolment of 746 pupils in elementary, 250 in secondary, and 150 in collegiate, or a total of 1,146. At the time, it was the only institute offering tertiary education in the region.
The other Catholic schools mentioned are Our Lady’s Academy of Baganga, Davao Oriental, organized in 1935 and had 151 elementary pupils, followed by Holy Family Academy of Caraga, Davao Oriental, which also opened that year with 174 elementary enrollees. Ateneo de Davao, formed in 1947 and exclusively catering to boys, had a total enrollment of 538, divided into 254 for elementary and 184 for high school.
Saint Peter’s High School of Toril, a co-ed institution, had 252 secondary students. Holy Cross of Digos, opened to boys and girls, had 757 elementary pupils and 150 high school students. Holy Cross of Tagum, meanwhile, had 246 secondary students while Holy Cross of Calinan had 150 high school enrollees. Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy in Mati City, had 157 elementary pupils. Including Ateneo de Davao, all the schools following it were organized in 1947. Except for the ICC which was exclusive for girls and Ateneo for boys, the other Catholic schools in the 1949-50 enrollment roster were opened to boys and girls.
On the other hand, there were five private schools classified as non-sectarian in the school year 1949-50, led by Davao Chinese School, entered as being founded in 1934 instead of the popularized 1924. At the time, the institution had 746 elementary pupils and 62 high school students. Though chiefly opened for the children of the Chinese community, it also admitted Filipinos who were exempt from paying tuition fees.
Four other non-sectarian or private schools were listed, namely Mindanao Colleges (now University of Mindanao), Panabo Institute, Rizal Memorial Colleges (RMC), and Samal Institute.
Mindanao Colleges, founded in 1946, became a force in the educational arena in just three years. After it opened its main building with 352 elementary pupils, 2,164 high school enrollees, and 1,158 undergraduates, or 3,674 students, in 1948 it inaugurated its secretarial, technology, and vocational buildings. By 1949, its Digos branch was opened with 197 high school students and 114 college enrollees. A year later, its Santa Ana branch (along Francisco Bangoy Street, Davao City) was launched with 152 elementary pupils and 131 high school students.
In 1948, the Panabo Institute began in Panabo City with 125 students. That same year, RMC opened its gates; it leased four buildings, namely the Soriano and Gempesaw buildings along Anda Street (now Iñigo), the Sexon building along Magallanes Street (now Pichon Sr.), and Joseph building, along San Pedro Street. When it opened, it had 147 elementary pupils, 872 high school enrollees, and 267 tertiary students. The next year, it opened a branch in Santa Ana.
Samal Institute opened also in 1948 with 40 elementary pupils and 150 high school students.,
