Colegio de San Francisco Javier, formerly Xavier High School was born out of the municipality of Rizal's pioneering settler's desire to get their children secondary education without sending them away to the city or other places.
These religious and civic-minded citizens thought that a Christian education would be ideal for their children and all the coming generations.
On February 3, 1950, Rev Fr. Ubaldo C. Basoc, the first parish priest of Rizal and founder of the school, applied for a permit to open first and second-year levels of academic secondary course.
The administration and the Board of Trustees received the approval to use the 1.6 hectares of public land for the school site and built three classrooms for the first 100 high school students.
The permit was approved by the Bureau of Private Schools in April 1950 to start its school operation in July 1950.
In its third year of operation (1953), School Director Fr. Ubaldo C. Basoc requested the religious sisters to run the school from the very Rev. Mother Maria Andrea Montejo, Superior General of the Religious of the Virgin Mary. She sent Rev Sister Ma. Agalona Gomez as the Superior to manage the school with Sister Ma Lorenza Tabiliran and Sister Ma. Margarita Quevada.
The RVM sisters fulfilled the desire of Fr. Basoc to make Xavier High School an active catalyst in religious activities and the seat of Christian formation not only of the students but also of the people in the community.
Xavier High School shows a succession of mother superiors, three of the longest assignments were those of Sister Maria Sinforosa Ravina, Sister Maria Winifreda Asok, and Sister Maria Erlinda Cabilin.
The administration constructed a larger building to accommodate the students growing population. However, the student population declined until the Religious of the Virgin Mary sisters decided to relinquish it to the diocese.
Msgr. Jose Manguiran heeded the advice of his academicians to accept the transfer of management and to expand its operation to indude a higher education program to augment its income and access its services to poor students in their tertiary and technical education.
In 1988, Rev. Fr. Philip E. Alicayos was installed as the school director of Colegio de San Francisco Javier and the principal of the high school department in addition to his job as the parish priest. Dr. Jose G. Mante, President of the Alumni Association prepared the academic requirements for the offering of the tertiary and technical education program and helped secure permits from the Technical Education and Skills Development (TESDA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The administration appointed Dr. Mante as Academic head as well as dean of the College department.
In May 1989, Colegio de San Francisco Javier received permits from TESDA for the offering of a Two Year Programs in Computer Programmer, Computerized Office Management, and Ten - Week Computer Tutorial Course.
In April 2001, the school received its permit from CHED to offer its Four - Year Programs in Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Computer Education, and Commerce. It was during the establishment of the tertiary level that the school's name Xavier High School was changed into Colegio de San Francisco Javier through majority vote from parents in a consultation conference.
In April 2002, TESDA approved the offering of a Two Year Course in Computer Technician. In May 2003, the school worked with the Dipolog Medical Center for a consortium program on one year Pre-Nursing, Pre-Dentistry, Pre- Medical Technology, and Two-year program in Criminology.
In June 2009, the school offered additional CHED and TESDA courses, to wit Bachelor of Arts major in Economics, ladderized BS Hotel and Restaurant Management, ladderized BS Computer Science, BS Business Administration, BS Social Work, BS Information Technology, Two Year Health Care Services, and TESDA's non-degree short term programs in Housekeeping, Bartending, Food and Beverage Services, Household Services, Commercial Cooking, and Health Care Services.
School facilities and amenities had been constructed, installed, and developed to include an air-conditioned computer laboratory, modem science laboratory, college library, typing, and vocational education laboratories, in service and review hall, study cottages, and a functional canteen. The academic head restructured and improved the academic program to adapt to the academic needs of students as well as the employment requirements of graduates.
The rise of an administration materialized during the directorship of Rev. Fr Noli V. Suarez. The Administration Building composed the Accounting, Director Registrar and Academic Heads offices on the first floor. The school library on the second floor was finished. The school constructed other plants and facilities to satisfy the requirements for the new courses offered. These are the mini-hostel as HRM Training Laboratory. The school clinic was expanded into a Caregiving laboratory for Health Care and Caregiving students. Three Computer Laboratories were provided for Computer Science and Information Technology students, Junior High School students and future Senior High School students. An Internet laboratory was installed for student consumption. The Cebedo benefactors also upgraded the Junior High School Building into a color roofing.
The next school director, Rev. Fr. Rodrigo M. Zafra made an improvement to all these structures, built the Loyola College building and completed the school perimeter fence. He designed the College Park center fountain and logo. He also had the school internet server upgraded by a Manila provider. Bishop Manguiran ordered the retention of the preschool Nursery and Kindergarten in spite of its small population saying that evangelization of the faith should start at this developing slage.
In October 2014, Bishop Manguiran retired as local ordinary and was replaced by Bishop Severo C. Caermare. The latter also became President of the Catholic Diocesan Schools. It was during the following school director Rev. Fr. Salvador P Silim that a three -story building with twelve (12) classrooms was erected by the Prudencio Capili Cebedo Construction for the Senior High School Department and completed in May 2018. Fr. Silim also ordered the renovation of the old library into Director and Program Heads offices.
In 2019, Bishop Severo Caermare, DD relinquished his position as president of Catholic Diocesan Schools to Rev. Fr. Nathanielle A. Denlaoso. In 2019. the President of Catholic Diocesan Schools installed Rev. Fr. Victor Brian L. Catalbas, PhL-MA, EM.D as the Vice-President for Administration. He approved for the transfer of the school flag pole from the outdoor stage to the façade of the Senior High School Building. Renovation of roofing in the college building and the BSHM hostel were supervised by Fr. Catalbas. He also lobbied for the construction of the school covered court. The covered court became finished when Rev. Fr. Rodel J. Agodera took over as VP Administration in the opening of the school year 2022- 2023.
The alumni, local officials, the civic-minded community, the benefactors, and its teachers had been very instrumental in what de Javier is today. Colegio de San Francisco Javier will always stand proud not just as an institution of learning but as a living legacy of collaboration, support, and commitment of the people who always believe in the essence of service, love, and sacrifice.
