Ronda is a small town in southwestern Cebu. There was a time when a number of parents were anxious about the academic future of their children. Such concern was shared by the civil and ecclesiastical leaders of the locality. And so in July 6, 1965, Msgr. Estanislao Villoria, the parish priest, and Mayor Lucio Ortiz went to see Archbishop Julio Cardinal Rosales in order to inform him about the idea of establishing a Catholic High School in Ronda.
In July 6, 1967 the old rectory became the birth place of Academia de Nuestra Señora (formerly: Our Lady Academy). The school opened the first and second year levels with an enrolment of 76 students: two sections for the first year level and one for the second year level. Fr. Francisco G. Silva was named principal with a faculty consisting of four lay teachers. In 1969, the said curricular offerings were given government recognition with a permit to operate the third and fourth year levels. The school received government recognition for its entire secondary course a school year after.
Msgr. Villoria saw the increasing demands of the school. So he went back to the office of the archdiocese and petitioned the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cebu for the construction of a new school building on the parish property across the street from the old rectory. Cardinal Rosales then commissioned the Mother General of the Augustinian Recollect Sisters to supervise the construction of the new school. The supervising team of Sisters had expected to be brought back to their previous assignment after the completion of the building, but they were prevailed upon to stay and manage the school. The Very Reverend Mother General of the Augustinian Recollect Sisters sent the first community of religious women with Sr. Mercedes Jayme, A.R. as the superior.
On April 25, 1970 the First Commencement Exercises were held. On May 28, 1970 Cardinal Rosales blessed and inaugurated the new school building that also housed the sisters ‘quarters. On September 21, 1972 the world witnessed the Declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines. Tensions grew throughout the country due to the disappearance of thousands. But the Augustinian Recollect Administrators, who were true, sincere, and committed in their mission of educating the youth, continued to face the challenges especially in upholding the role of Catholic education.
In 1975, as in all parts of the country, there was tension at Our Lady Academy, but the school did not lose its focus on its avowed mission of educating the youth of the poor. As a result, the next few years of Martial Law saw a slow but steady increase in the school’s enrolment. A new administration headed by Sr. Ma. Leonora Mercado, A.R., put up a bungalow edifice for additional classrooms.
In 1981, Our Lady Academy saw the misfortune brought by the typhoon Nitang. The natural calamity displaced the sands of the beachfront in nearby Moalboal town. In Ronda it wrought havoc on the Academy’s school buildings. But one could say that the world was not wanting in Good Samarians. The foreign mission and the Chancery of the Archdiocese promptly came to the aid of the school, and not to be undone was the congregation of the Augustinian Recollect Sisters. And because of this indefatigable spirit, in 1985 Cardinal Vidal blessed the newly repaired campus with Msgr. Alfeo Manalili, Fr. Benedicto Zafra and sponsors.
SY 1995-1996 was an acid test for Our Lady Academy. The school suffered a record low in enrolment as a number of students transferred to newly opened extension of the National High School at Ronda Central School in Palanas. But the school’s inner strength pulled the institution through trying times under leadership of Sr. Juana Mirasol, A.R. who served as principal until 1998. Fr. Michael Gimarino, with a group of Japanese philanthropists, offered a scholarship program which helped and attracted students to study in Academia de Nuestra Señora.
In 1997 students returned and the school continued its gradual but steady growth. In SY 1998-2004, improvement continued under the supervision of the Sr. Benedicta Marco, A.R. Within this span of time, Fr. Porferio Abadia blessed new classrooms. The Academy saw a change of administration headed by Sr. Pascualina Peral, A.R. Her efforts brought to the school a new chapel, refectory, cloisters for the sisters and comfort rooms for the students. Fr. Agustin Abella, the newly installed parish priest, blessed the said facilities.
During the School Years 2004-2007, Sr. Josephine Ativo, A.R. the new principal of the local A.R. community with the help of Fr. Cosme B. de la Pena managed to gather three hundred thirty seven (337) learners for the school. The new headmaster and her community were able to manage and construct a new laboratory room, comfort rooms for boys and girls. She also spearheaded the improvement of the second floor lobby and stairs with tiles and the expansion of the stage and the canteen.
SY 2007-2008 saw Sr. Zozima Tambanillo, A. R. as the principal. But due to health reasons, she was replaced by Sr. Ma. Dolores Diana, A.R. During this time, the ARSC Office was constructed. From 2008-2010 Sr. Myrna Arcegono, A.R. made some improvements like the installation of the window grills on the ground floor classrooms and landscaping the strategic areas outside the school.
In SY 2010-2011 Sr. Irenea Vergara, A.R. improved also the school by pursuing the re-roofing of the Sisters’ cloister, chapel, refectory and the construction of the Academic Coordinator’s Office. The seventy (70) pieces of plastic chairs were purchased with the help of the parents and alumni. However, this year was a deciding moment for the Augustinian Recollect Sisters: whether to continue administering the school or not. On April 10, 2011during the mass presided over by Fr. De la Pena, parish priest with Fr. Eduardo O. Ventic and Fr. Agustin B. Abella as co-celebrants, it was announced to the faithful of Ronda that the AR Sisters would no longer run the Academia de Nuestra Señora in the following year.
In SY 2011-2012, Fr. Ventic managed the school as Director with Fr. De la Pena as Principal and Fr. Glenn D. Gabunilas, M.A.P.M. as Treasurer. During this time the Opening of the Grade School Department, including preschool, took place. It earned government recognition in 2013. School Year 2014-2015 saw the appointment of Fr. Gabunilas as Director-Principal and Fr. Ruben A. Bajenting as Treasurer. In 2016, Fr. Mariano Dioscoro E. Cuarto, MASL was designated as School Treasurer.
On 06 July 2017, Academia de Nuestra Señora commemorated its 50th Founding Anniversary with a fitting and proper celebration that included the launching of the Jubilee Building Project, the official launching of the school’s loyalty song and the construction of a Monument of Devotion. The inauguration and blessing of the completed Phase I of the Jubilee Building took place in 2018. In 2019, Fr. Daniel S. Daculan, MAPM was appointed as the new Principal-Treasurer.
Up until now, the school struggles hard and well with all the challenges posed by the new normal brought about by climate change and by the demands of contemporary school administration and supervision.
