THE HISTORICAL NARRATIVE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL
A Decade of Humble Beginning Onwards to a Milestone Success
The Agricultural Science and Technology School was established on August 18, 1995 with the concept of revitalizing the curriculum of the Central Luzon Agricultural School. The main objective was to train future farmers the modern ways of farming by applying new technological innovations on it and upgrade the agricultural produce. Armed with this concept, the university, headed by then late president, Dr.Fortunato A. Battad, chose and assigned group of educators to work on the design of the curriculum and figure out the policies of its implementation. The committee was composed of Prof.Edgar M. Ricamonte ( Chairman ), Prof.Cresenciano V. Merculio ( Vice Chairman ), Prof. Luz G. Barza ( USHS Principal, as member ), Prof.Danilla C. Bermuda ( Member ) and Prof. Estrelita T. Gamit).
Through the virtue of the CLSU Board of Regents in its Resolution No. 57-95, the school physically came into being and had its first implementation during the school year 1996-1997 using the three rooms of the old UAS dormitory which served as the classroom, faculty office and mess hall. The right wing of the FAC Dormitory was used as the student’s living quarters. On October 27, 1997 Sec. Ricardo Gloria of the Department of Education, caused the school to construct a three-room building which functioned as faculty office and classrooms.
Dr.Edgar M. Ricamonte, the school’s first principal, headed the six (6) pioneer faculty members, namely: Prof.Cresnciano V. Merculio (Assistant Principal and Agriculture teacher), Prof. Alfredo R. Orpiano (Agriculture and Supervised Farming Program teacher) Prof. Danilla C. Bermuda ( English Teacher ), Mr.Diomedes R. Pagaduan (Farm Manager), Miss Jinky C. Agbayani (Filipino) and Engr. Chito F. Sace (Mathematics),with the first batch of 25 all-male students. These students were provided with ½ hectare farm each in the Supervised Farming Program and ventured into different projects like poultry, piggery, nursery, and goat raising.
After one and half years, upon completing his doctoral degree, Dr. Ricamonte was designated as Dean of College of Education. November 17, 1997, Prof.Cresenciano V. Merculio took over the leadership of the school. On the onset of Prof. Merculio’s term, the school had its maiden issue of the school organ; the Junior Entreprenuer. TESDA in Isabela invited some faculty members to discuss the curriculum to them with the same purpose. Additional faculty members from ULHS- Palusapis in the persons of Prof. Rodrigo L. Nonog and Engr. Eufemio R. Calang Jr. were transferred to the school. At the closing of the year, on March 15, 1999, Dr. Rodolfo C. Undan, the new president of the university, approved the acceptance of female students for the next school year.
On the following school year, 1999-2000, the school added to its history two major events. The First Commencement Exercises was commemorated and the school started to admit female students seeing the needs for training not just farmer/entrepreneur but also homemaker/entrepreneur. With the acceptance of female students some changes went along with it. There was an enrichment of curriculum to meet the required training for the female students; the male students were transferred to San Jan Dormitory for the female students to occupy their vacated quarters. It was also during this time when the school first experienced a semestral break. On February 27, 2000, the school’s unique curriculum and various agricultural enterprises especially so that during the school year ASTS became the breeding center for colored (Sasso) chicken, was featured in Philippine Daily Inquirer and Philippine Panorama and was televised on PTV 4.Renovations and constructions of the school’s infrastructures were evident also on this year .The stage (70,000.00 PhP) rice bodega extension ( 50,000.00 PhP), deer coral and shade (40,000.00 Php) and the solar drier (31,000.00 PhP) were completed.
The school year 2000-2001 enable some students to become scholars of Eduardo L. Joson Foundation which lasted for one (1) school year. Among the changes in line with the student’s organization were the changing of the title of President to Mayor in “ Samahang Mag-aaral ’’ and four brave female students engaged in farming their Supervised Farming Project. It was also during this time when the school was able to completed its big achievement on April 6, 2001 when the 70 square meter Young Farmers Hall (multi-purpose building) amounting to 229,431.50 Php.was completed. This was financed through fund raising campaign of teachers, students and parents in three years. The provincial government and the administration also helped in the completion of the hall.
As the school had a growing population in the passing of times, in 2001-2002, through the benevolence of the then Congressman Simeon E. Garcia, the PhP1.02 million. Two new buildings were put up. The project was inaugurated on August 24, 2001.In addition to the school’s 5-hectare compound perimeter fence was also constructed through donations from high school alumni and friends of ASTS.
The following school year was the time when the first batch of female students graduated. It was also the first time that the school had a separate celebration of the commencement exercises from the university .Through the principal, Prof. Merculio was given additional duties by the president (Chief of Security Force and eventually Presidential Assistant for Internal Development), still his leadership was competent as it was seen in the continuous development of the school. The construction of the girl’s dormitory was initiated and establishment of steel matting between the Yong Farmers Hall and Science Laboratory was realized.
In school year 2003-2004, the land area of the school intended for its production and Supervised Farming Projects was lessened. The university took some of the area for the establishment of the Seed Center and Phil-Sino.
Many developments in the academics, projects, and infrastructures occurred in the following school year .The students started to compete up to the national level, attended seminars and competition in different places and categories, and championed in the FFP-FAHP Local Convention. Additional teaching -learning equipments were purchased , three units of computer , three microscope and a refrigerator for SHP use. The grading system was also revised in compliance with the new policy of Dep-Ed’s RBEC and MAKABAYAN.
The succeeding year gave rise to the need of the school for a new living quarter for its higher year female students as FAC Dormitory was requested to be turned-over to the College of Fisheries being the real care-taker of the building. With this problem, the school designed plans and utilized every possible building to have a living quarter for the students.
For the first time in the school’s history, in the school year 2006-2007. the academic achiever of the graduating class was termed as the Valedictorian changing the used to be term of First Highest Average.
Today, as the demands for global competence in terms of academic excellence business and trade efficacy, and agricultural empowerment and as CLSU passed the centenary, the school serves as the replica of the university’s humble beginning that continuously aims for revisions and developments to produce productive and well-rounded individuals who will be able to meet the strains of this fast changing world.
