SJA History
THIS PAGE IS DEDICATED to SJA History which we can, and should, share to our family and friends. Despite the so-called bobbing ’standards’ of the school, there is much more to St. John’s Academy we should know and be proud of. Click on the links to read more.
St. John’s Academy in San Juan, Rizal (now San Juan City, Metro Manila) was founded in 1930. The street where the campus is located was called Valenzuela Street (named after Dr. Pio Valenzuela, a physician and Katipunero). The street is now known as Jose Gil Street.FOUNDERS: The Marquez Sisters, one of whom was Paz Marquez-Benitez, pioneer female modern short story writer in English.The LOYALTY SONG was set to music by Col. Antonio R Buenaventura, National Artist for Music (1988).
SOME NOTABLE ALUMNI
Dr. Potenciano D. Baccay Jr† ['57] was a pioneer in the field of Nephrology and Hemodialysis in the 1960s and served as president of the Philippine Society of Nephrology from 1978-1980.
Dr. Natividad J. Munárriz ['40], an educator, is a founding member of the Philippine Guidance and Personnel Association, Inc..
Dr. Ma. Lourdes Arellano-Carandang ['60], psychologist, educator and book author, whose Filipino Children Under Stress: Family Dynamics and Therapy won the 1988 Catholic Press Award for Best Book, (English category), was cited as the 1994 National Social Scientist by the Philippine Social Science Council.
Letizia Roxas-Constantino ['38], nationalist, educator and book author, together with her husband, the historian Renato Constantino, established the Foundation for Nationalist Studies in 1976, now known as The Constantino Foundation of which she is Chairperson.
Multi-awarded sculptor Agnes Arellano ['66], recipient of SJA’s Outstanding Alumna Award in the field of Art in 1990. | agnesarellano.com |
It would be interesting to know who designed the SJA logo and what the elements represent, or why the official SJA color is green (what shade of green is it, really?).
Page entries updated 20 November 2007
wow! i don’t believe i’ve seen a more dedicated batch to sja than your batch.
i, too, am an alumna of sja batch 93 but i don’t think we have built a website such as yours.
it makes me reminisce about our dear old alma mater.
once a st. johnite, always a st. johnite.
Hello, Charo C.
Thank you for stopping by SJA’82 and your kind remarks. We are celebrating our 25th this year, and a site such as this does help bring the batchmates in touch. Here’s hoping for Batch ’93’s site to soon be online and all the best to you!
- K Villa for SJA’82
I will start by saying “once a johnite, always a johnite”. This is a nice hubbub you started on the internet where johnites (specifically batch ‘82) can visit and gather information about things, past and present. I like that idea – Batch ‘60′ site online. You initiated it and it could just spread like wild fire once word gets around. I graduated in 1960 and have not been back since then. I would certainly appreciate it if you can give me an e-mail address or a contact person at the ST JOHN’S ACADEMY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION where I can write and keep abreast of the latest goings-on, particulary the class of 1960. Thanks! . God Bless! and more power to you and the rest of batch ‘82.
Ned Quemuel, SJA’60
Thank you for dropping by and sharing your thoughts, Nestor. You might want to check out and join the biggest SJA Alumni YahooGroup of which some of us from ‘82 are members. Cheers to you and good luck with your SJA’60 site when it becomes live.
Hey Nestor!
Just read your note. I thought I recognized your name, especially when you mentioned SJA ‘60. It has been soooooo long ago, 47 years, to be exact, since I last saw you (graduation day). I’m glad to read about a co-graduate, finally. I, too, have not been back to SJA since I left the Philippines in 1970. But it’s good to hear there’s someone else from the 1960 group..There were only 17 of us who graduated from SJA in 1960. Regards.
I am curious about the founders of your school, who were the seven Marquez sisters? I know of Paz Marquez Benitez being the author of Dead Stars, is Natividad Marquez, the poet, one of the seven Marquez sisters? Thanks.
Hello, ella. Thanks for leaving a comment. Yes, Natividad Marquez, who wrote “The Sampaguita”, was one of them.
The others were:
Socorro Savallero
Dolores Carballo
Carolina Rivera
Concepcion Gil
(not necessarily in that order)
Can somebody give me the number of st. john and how much is the tuition fee coz i’m looking for a school for my 7 year old child. Is this an international school.
Hi,
I am the President of the SJA Alumni Association of North America and I have organized two School Reunions in Las Vegas in 2005 and 2007. The attendees were any students of SJA regardless of whether they graduated there or not. The purpose of these reunions is to reunite all of us who share the same sentiments of our childhood and educational days.
I am looking for some of my classmates and I hope someone can give me a phone number or e-mail address. I am having a small gathering at my house in Chino, California on August 2nd. where we will also discuss the 2009 School Reunion. If anyone know the following classmates of mine, can you please assist me in getting in touch with them? They are:
1. Florencia “Flora” Roque – Bautista
2. Virginia “Virgie” Parales – Solis
3. Annabella “Bella” Alcasid
Thank You! Long Live the Memories of Old St. John’s, the School We Loved so Dear!
Appreciate it,
Marcia Bundalian-Stephen
(909) 628-2843
marciagenoveva (at) verizon (dot) net
I WAS IN ST JOHN’S IN 1961 AND 1962…..SOME OF MY CLASSMATES WERE TITO GIL, I KNEW TIMMY GIL, BETSY GIL, WAS A MEMBER OF TROOP 36 BOYSCOUTS, OTHERS WERE TINY ANDEN, TITO PAREL, MARIO PAREL, NENITA MARGQUEZ, ETC….
I AM IN SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA…AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME ST JOHNITES……
MY TEACHER WAS MISS MARQUES……ETC….
FRANK “TINY” ALBUERO
whats the meaning of the poem “little sampaguita”??? thanks