HISTORY

ISABELA SCHOOL OF ARTS AND TRADES

The Isabela Provincial Shop, a school for boys, later called the Isabela Trade School, the forerunner of Isabela School of Arts and Trades, was founded on 1908 by the first
American teachers, the Thomasites sent to Isabela. It began as an intermediate school known as the Isabela Provincial Shop and offered woodworking as shopwork. The school
was one-storey building built at Centro, Ilagan. In 1910, a tobacco warehouse at the western part of the town was rented and used as school-house. Nine years after, a semi-
permanent shop building was constructed at the western part of the Isabela High School.
The school opened its first secondary course with thirty students in 1924-1925. In 1928, it became a complete secondary trade school and held its first commencement
exercises. The year after, it offered Auto Repair and Building Construction as shop courses. Isabela High School faculty handled its academic subject instructions, supervised by the
Principal while Trade-Vocational courses were taught by Trade teachers and supervised by the Trade School Principal.
On September 28, 1937, Isabela Trade School became independent from the Isabela High School and was solely supervised and controlled by the Isabela Trade Principal.
Due to World War II, the school closed on 1941 and was reopened on August 1945 with a 4-room building constructed by the Provincial Government but was destroyed by a
strong typhoon on 1948.
The Provincial Government then allocated a 7.2 hectares land from the center reservation in Calamagui 2 nd and appropriated P 17, 500.00 for a 6-room Related Subjects
building on 1954. Through the Bureau of Public Schools, under the ICA-NEC program, Isabela Trade School became a recipient of various tools and equipment, and on 1955 was
given another 2-room building intended for both Shop and Related Subjects.
Due to an increase in enrollment in 1956, Practical Electricity, Sheet Metal Works and Machine Shop Practice were added with the funds handled by the National
Government.
Hon. Congressman Delfin B. Albano, on 1957, pushed to rename the school as Isabela Regional School of Arts and Trades (IRSAT).
In 1958, the Provincial Board transferred without cost the Provincial Jail Building to house the Guidance Office, some Related Subjects, the Sawdust (school paper) office, the
Drum and Bugle Corps and the Library.
Another leap came from the following year when the school opened its doors to female students and offered Garments Trade
In 1960, it was again renamed ISABELA SCHOOL OF ARTS AND TRADES and offered Two-Year Technical Courses in Furniture and Cabinet-Making (FCM) and Building
Construction. Cosmetology was introduced to the high school department on 1963 and Automotive and Electronic Courses were offered to the tertiary level in 1965.
Since college courses were offered, the school needed a Superintendent, by virtue of RA No. 3742 creating the Bureau of Vocational Education, and was pioneered by Mr.
Pedro Obien in 1963.
Superintendent Leoncio T. Manarang became the next ISAT leader on 1964 until he transferred to Cavite College of Arts and Trades on July 1972. Under his able
leadership, the Administration Building was completed, a Superintendent’s Cottage and a Technical Trade Building were erected, the first batch of Bachelor’s Degree (BSIE and
BSIA) graduated on 1971.
Mr. Bonifacio S. Arzadon from Palawan School of Arts and Trades continued the leadership. Through him, vacant positions were filled with qualified and exemplary teachers
and office staff, promoted those who are deserving, teaching innovations were introduced, three faculty members became scholarship grantees of UP-BE Faculty Development Plan
of the UP-Diliman.
July 1978 divided the school into two (faculty and land area) when Isabela State University absorbed the college department and the high school department retained its
name, ISABELA SCHOOL OF ARTS AND TRADES, under the principal Mr. Manuel Q. Damasco, followed by Mr. Solomon G. Dela Cruz in 1979 where he finished what Mr.
Damasco started – completion of the Automotive Building Annex, lighting on the stage, completion of Administrative Building ground floor annex. Mr. Dela Cruz also sent teachers to
seminars and workshops, gave them scholarship study grants, launched them to contests and competitions. He also renovated the Superintendent’s Cottage, concreted the path
connecting the Trade Building and the gate, prepared the vacant northern part of the school compound for the ISAT Athletic Oval and Gymnasium, promoted 28 teachers to Master
Teachers I and II.
Evening Opportunity Classes were also offered to working people and out-of-school youth with courses such as Automotive, Tailoring, Industrial Electricity, Electronics,
Garment, Cosmetology, Furniture and Cabinet Making and Building Construction.
On his untimely demise in March 1984, Mr. Reynaldo D. Ducusin took over the principalship and continued the unfinished plans and projects of his predecessor that led to a more
progressive
September 1985 again marked an occasion when Mr. Alejandro T. Simon took the post as principal. Under him, the school acquired an outdoor stage, medical and dental
clinic, three pergolas, a new Superintendent Cottage, 3 pre-fab buildings; repair and rehabilitation of the former Provincial Jail Building, Supply Office, RAC classroom, Boys’ and
Girls’ Trades Building.
Through the Countryside Development Fund (CDF) of Congressman Rodolfo B. Albano and the able workforce of DPWH, nine classrooms were erected for both academic
and shop subjects to cater to the growing school populace. On 1996, Mrs. Vicky G. Crisostomo, Mrs. Leticia M. Toralba, Mrs. Leticia T. Nario, Mrs. Dielicia O. Capuchino,
Mrs. Perlita G. Alejandro, Mr.s Mabel G. Bulan and Mrs. Relita O. Pua thru Senator Ernesto Maceda’s CDF spearheaded the construction of a two-storey 8-room building for
Mathematics and Science and Technology subjects. With these improvements, Mr. Simon became Vocational School Administrator II which led to more promotions of his faculty and
staff. He also made sure that they were updated on teaching innovations and sent them to various seminars and trainings.
On 1989-90, another ISAT milestone was achieved -- the creation of a satellite school at San Antonio, Ilagan, Isabela to cater to nearby barangays. Spearheaded by Mayor
Bonifacio Uy of Ilagan, with the approval of Provincial Governor Faustino N. Dy, Sr. thru the intercession of Congressman Rodolfo B. Albano, San Antonio Agro-Industrial High
School was launched with an 8-hectare school site allocated by the government thru the Land Bank of the Philippines.
Mr. Exequiel T. Bumatay was designated as the Teacher-In-Charge with 5 teachers (from ISAT main) who alternately manned and taught the students. Two years later, 15
teacher items were allocated (RA No. 7068 by Hon. Rodolfo B. Albano) and in another two years, Mr. Bumatay became the first Secondary School Principal of the San Antonio Agro
Industrial High School.
On S.Y. 1989-1990, the DECS Regional and National Office under the guidance of DECS Order No. 147 s. 1987, approved the school’s opening of post-secondary and non-
degree courses – Bachelor of Science in Industrial Education and Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology majors in Automotive Technology, Civil Drafting Technology,
Electrical Technology, Electronics Technology, Mechanical Technology, Welding and Fabrication Technology, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning
Technology, Cosmetology, Apparel, and Computer Technology.
Short-term courses were also offered to working people and out-of-school youth during Saturdays. ISAT was supervised by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
To impart knowledge and technical know-how to low-income families on a wider scale, ISAT conceived of opening a satellite school in Rang-Ayan, Ilagan, Isabela on S.Y.
1999-2000. A resolution of
barangay officials was passed to the Municipality of Ilagan and was approved starting the school with 50 students and Mr. Enrico C.
Bacud, Vocational Subjects Department Head, as its Officer-In-Charge assigned by Supt. Simon. On the next year, the school’s population ballooned to 132 students.
But another transition came about on 2000 when Supt. Simon decided to make ISAT a TESDA Supervised Institution (TSI). A number of the staff objected due to the fact that
ISAT being a TSI would stop accepting high school enrollees.
In July 2001, Mrs. Vicky G. Crisostomo, Master Teacher I, spearheaded the pro-retention group. Meeting with like-minded colleagues, they sat down and drafted a
position paper to support and retain the high school department of ISAT. The paper was then brought to the attention of Barangay Officials, PTCA Officials, stakeholders and
parents. They also sought advice from Cong. Rodolfo B. Albano who wrote a letter requesting Hon. Faustino S. Dy, Jr., Governor of Isabela, to expedite the suspension or
disapproving of the absorption of ISAT to TESDA, the soonest.
On August 13, 2001, before the Sandigang Bayan of Ilagan, during its Regular Session, Resolution No. 068 was presented and approved. The same plight was
presented before the Office of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on Sept. 14, 2001 with the resolution urging the DepEd to take back the administration and supervision of the
Secondary Vocational Curriculum. In the resolution, it was resolved that TESDA will conduct its classes and business within the premises of ISAT until they find relocation and erect
their own
buildings and offices.
On that same year, Hon. Rodolfo B. Albano designated Mr. Exequiel T. Bumatay as Officer-In-Charge of ISAT. With less than 40 faculty and staff to continue, ISAT
celebrated its 93rd Foundation Anniversary on Sept. 2002 and on March 2003 celebrated its first graduation exercises separate from TESDA supervision.
On 2004, Mr. Exequiel T. Bumatay officially became ISAT-DepEd’s first principal. During his leadership, numerous projects were realized — the school gym, two school
vehicles, classroom construction and repair, wash areas, covered walks, concrete fence, front and alternate gates, guard house, water system — to name a few. Promotions of
faculty and staff were also abundant during his time.
Mr. Bumatay’s promotion to the School Governance Operations Division at the Schools Division of the City of Ilagan in 2015 paved way to a new school head — MRS.
EMERITA M. BURGOS, Ph. D.---who started service on August 1, 2015.