Notre Dame of Marbel University

History and timeline

• 1949 The first Graduation Exercises of the Notre Dame of Marbel High School had 37 men and 16 women graduating.
• 1950 Br. Edmund Conrad Paradis, FMS, took over the direction of the boys, while Mother Maria Ronquillo, RVM, took care of the girls. Fr. Matthew Casey, OMI, remained as the school director.
• 1951 The Marist Brothers completely took over the management and ownership of the Notre Dame of Marbel from the Oblate Fathers. Br. Paradis became the director-principal of boys and girls department. The RVM Sisters left the school and the management of the girls was later taken over by the OP Sisters of Siena in the beginning of the school year 1959-1953.
• 1952 Bro. Paradis and Mo. Josefina Burgos, Prioress-General of the OP Sisters, made a contract to build a library and administration building using permanent materials. The cost would be shared 50-50 and to be built on the boundary of two properties. This would become the first cement hollow block building in the campus. The Dominican Sisters of Siena took over the care of the girls from the RVM Sisters, which became the ND of Marbel Girls' Department. The Marist Brothers continued to take care of the boys and known as the ND of Marbel Boys’ Department.
• 1954 The Brothers residence was completed and blessed by Fr. Marcy, SJ, during the annual retreat of the Brothers.
• 1955 Opening of the college department with course offerings in Education, Liberal Arts, Pre-Law, Pre-Nursing, Commerce and Secretarial. Br. Herbert Dumont, FMS, was its founder and first dean. The school now assumed the name Notre Dame of Marbel College, coeducational except in the high school department.
• 1957 The first graduation exercises of Notre Dame of Marbel College, 89 graduates: 78 CSS, 8 AA general, and 3 AA Pre-Law.
• 1962-1964 Opening of the elementary department for boys with Br. Regis Xavier Creegan, FMS, as its first principal. The enrollees were from the Girl’s Elementary first to fourth grades. The Sisters retained the fifth and sixth grades. The agreement was to phase out the girls as they graduate and to retain/enroll only boys in the future.
• In 1964, the first elementary graduation has undergone under the care of the Marist Brothers with 26 boys and 15 girls graduated. These pupils started their schooling with the OP Sisters.
• 1965 Completion of the two-storey concrete college building, now known as SLR Hall, which houses the library, laboratories and classrooms.
• 1966-1967 The first time the title “President” was used to designate the head of NDMC. Brother Norman J. Roy, FMS, was conferred with such title for two consecutive years.
• 1967 NDMC was chosen as one of the center colleges of NDEA to start the faculty development program to train teachers of both public and private in various subject areas.
• 1967 Opening of the Graduate School of Education with offerings in Master of Arts in Education, major in Educational Administration. It started with 44 students; Br. Joseph Damian Teston, FMS, was its founder and first dean.
• 1968 First PAASCU accreditation of the three programs: Education, Commerce, Liberal Arts.
• 1969 First graduation exercise of the Graduate School with one candidate: Mercedes Amoroso, MA in Educational Administration.
• 1970 Opening of Master of Arts in Teaching: Mathematics, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and

• 1973 Opening of the Mindanao Institute for Development of School Administrators, a three-year scholarship grant from the Asia Foundation and the Filipinas Foundation for MA program for 31 high school administrators coming from Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao City, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and Lanao del Sur. Opening of the apprenticeship program for the training of out-of-school youth, funded by Asia Foundation.
• 1975 Launching of EAMA, a 21-month masters program for 27 participants from ethnic groups from provinces of Mindanao.
• 1976 Started the construction of the NDMC gymnasium by MCDC. In the later part of 1976, NDMC became one of the two NDEA Regional Development Centers. It trained teachers in Communication Arts and assisted in the textbook project of the Education Program Implementing Task Force.
• 1978 NDMC was chosen as one of the six Notre Dame colleges in the South Cotabato region to pilot-test the Circuit Rider Program, an on-site upgrading of teachers competence through mobile teams of local subject experts in communication arts, science and mathematics. It also starts the Para-Teachers Program, an innovative program for elementary school teachers in the cultural community areas of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, and South Cotabato and the resurvey of the colleges of Commerce, Education, and Liberal Arts for PAASCU accreditation.
• 1980 First kindergarten graduation with 72 boys graduating.
• 1981 Development of 15-hectare Demonstration Farm in Barangay Paraiso, Koronadal, for training, field demonstration, and practicum of the students enrolled in agriculture. It is also a dispersal center for goats to local farmers.
• 1982 Start of the Dairy Goat Dispersal project at the demo farm with an initial grant from OXFAM.
• 1983 Construction of a three-storey, 14-classroom college building to accommodate the growing population of the college. It was intended to house the engineering classes and lab.
• 1984 PAASCU resurvey of the colleges of Commerce, Liberal Arts, and Education for re-accreditation.
• 1986 Expansion of the NDMC demo farm to 35 hectares to meet the growing needs of agriculture students and the extension programs of the college.
• 1987 NDMC became the sister school of Notre Dame College of Shepparton, Australia. Two groups led by Br. Columbanus Pratt, FMS came to visit school.
• 1988 Hosting of NDEA Silver Jubilee Athletic Competitions. Start of the construction of the science-building complex with grant from the USAID-ASHA of the United States through the FMS Esopus Province sponsorship.
• 1989 Teston Hall, part of the Science Complex, which accommodated the Physics Lab, Computer Lab, Mathematics Lab, and Champagnat Hall, was ready for occupancy.
• 1990 Purchase of a 3.5-hectare land as a site for the elementary and high school departments in Barrio Two and a three-storey building was completed nine months later.
• 1991 Completion of the one-storey, two-classroom building in the Demo Farm, Barangay Paraiso, Koronadal City.
• 1992-1993 In 1992, NDMC was granted a university status and given the name Notre Dame of Marbel University. Br. Eugene Pius Tajo, FMS became the first university president. The blessing and formal turnover of the Science Complex building to NDMU by Compex Construction was done during this year.
• In 1993, the turnover of the administration of the university to the lay with Dr. Leonor P. Pagunsan as the first woman president.
• In 1994, start of the construction of the new elementary school building in Barrio 2, Koronadal, South Cotabato.
• In 1996, the blessing and turnover of the new elementary school building to NDMU administration.
• And in 1999, Bro. Crispin Betita, FMS took over the reign of government of the university from Dr. Pagunsan, who completed her six-year term as president.
• 2001 CHED grants full autonomy to ND Marbel University, one among the 30 schools throughout the country and one among the four in Mindanao.
• In 2018 - 2019, NDMU started to apply Bachelor of Laws in LEB and Supreme Court. LEB granted NDMU to offer Law School in the City of Koronadal which is the first Law School in the City and in South Cotabato.
• In 2019, the blessing and the opening of the three-storey building for the Senior High School Department which was named as the Montagne Hall during the Celebration of the Year of the Youth. Groundbreaking ceremonies also happened for Under Construction New Marista Building, and the NDMU IBED Multi Purpose Gymnasium, and Business and Registrar Extension for Senior High School. Among present where South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr, City of Koronadal Mayor Eliordo Ogena, and DEPED Region 12 Director Mosqueda who lead the blessing, cutting of ribbon and ground breaking ceremonies.
• In 2019, NDMU started the 75th Diamond Jubillee celebration countdown with the Marist Hope Center for Justice and Good Governance and the Announcement of the NDMU IBED Chapel Construction

  Marist Brothers

Facilities

• Library
• Cafe Marista
• Bro. Renato Cruz Hall
• Administrative Building
• Alumni Center
• Museum
• SMC Hall & Gymnasium
• Clinic
• NDMU Diagnostic Laboratory
• Marist Mansion
• HRM Laboratory Building
• Nursing Laboratory
• Crime Laboratory
• Science and Technology Building
• Lorenzo Hall
• Dumont Hall
• Creegan Hall
• CBA Recreation Area
• St. Marcellin Champagnat Hall
• 4 Audio Visual Rooms
• NDMU Chapel
• SMART SWEEP Laboratory
• Athletics and Fitness Center
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Sunphotometer and Weather Station

  Colleges

• College of Education
• College of Business Administration
• College of Engineering & Technology
• College of Arts and Sciences
• Graduate School
• College of Law
• Champagnat Community College Community Extension Program

  Curriculum

Postgraduate

• Ph.D. in Educational Management
• Ph.D. in Science Education

  Graduate

• Master in Education
• Master of Arts in Library Science
• Master of Science in Biology, Chemistry, Crop Science, Mathematics, Physics
• Master of Science in Rural Extension and Development
• Master in Business Administration
• Master in Public Administration
• Master of Science in Information Technology
• Master in Biology, Chemistry, English, Information Technology, Mathematics, Physics

  Law School

• Bachelor of Laws

  Five-Year Courses

• BS Accountancy
• BS Civil Engineering
• BS Computer Engineering
• BS Electronics and Communications Engineering
• BS Electrical Engineering

  Four-Year Courses

• AB Philosophy
• AB Political Science
• AB Psychology
• BS Elementary Education
• BS Secondary Education
• BS Accounting Technology
• BS Biology
• BS Chemistry
• BS Business Administration
• BS Computer Science
• BS Information Technology
• BS Criminology
• BS Hotel and Restaurant Management
• BS Medical Technology
• BS Nursing
• BS Environmental Science
• BS Social Work

  Three-Year Courses

• Associate in Industrial Technology

  Two-Year Courses

• Diploma in Computer Technology
• Associate in Computer Technology
• Associate in Hotel and Restaurant Management
• Associate in Business Administration

  Special Programs

• Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency & Accreditation Program
• Champagnat E – Skills & Technical Program

  IBED Campus

• Kindergarten
• Elementary & Junior High School Department
• Senior High School Department

• Kindergarten Building
• Elementary Building
• Junior High School Building
• Montagne Hall - Senior High School Building
• Science Building
• Soccer Field with Reviewing Stand
• Student's Center

• NDMU IBED Multi Purpose Gymnasium
• Marista Building - Senior High School Cafeteria and Auditorium
• NDMU IBED 75th Year Diamond Jubillee Chapel

• Indoor Swimming Pool
• NDMU Hospital

  NDMU Farm

• Recollection House
• Two one-storey buildings
• 12 hectares of land with crops of mango, rice and corn for agriculture-related courses

  NDMU Complex

• NDMU Main Complex comprises a two-storey building that houses Internet cafes, pharmacies, clinics and offices
• NDMU Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory, officially opened December 2005, it is a clinical and diagnostic lab for health sciences students
• NDMU E-biz Building houses a 24-hour RCBC E-Biz Bank
• Marian Building is a two-storey building that has pharmacies, offices and stores
• NDMU Marist Center for Hope and Good Governance - Non Profit and Non Stock Organization for the protection of the Environment and Indigenous Peoples in South Cotabato

Presidents

Other Notre Dame Schools in the Philippines

• Notre Dame University - Cotabato City
• Notre Dame of Dadiangas University
• Notre Dame of Jolo College
• Notre Dame of Kidapawan College
• Notre Dame of Greater Manila
• Notre Dame of Tacurong College
• Notre Dame of Midsayap College