Heritage Series: St. Paul School of San Antonio, Nueva Ecija

Oddly, I equated our town fiesta with St. Paul School, just because the old school grounds or the patio used to be where the rides would be put up every San Antonio feast day celebration. With pride, I always say that I was privileged to enjoy one of the best secondary schools in our town. I would always cherish the discipline and the teachings instilled by our teachers, as well as the St. Paul sisters who used to handle some of our subjects like Religion and English.

​Saint Paul School of San Antonio is a private Diocesan Catholic School located on Cando Street, Poblacion, San Antonio, Nueva Ecija. The school was founded in 1969 by Bishop Vicente Reyes with the help of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres (SPC), namely Sr. Caritas de St. Paul Sevilla, Sr. Mary Asella Cariaga, Sr. Marie Edissa Conel, at Sr. Jeanne de Rossaire Marquez.

On the other hand, Fr. Pedro Balagtas, who was the parish priest of San Antonio at the time, took the lead in handling the paperwork and overseeing the construction of the facilities for St. Paul School.

​The school opened on June 17, 1969, with 32 kindergarten students and 88 first-year high school students, using the old rectory.

​Past school heads:

​Since May 2010, the SPC sisters have turned over the full administration of SPS to the Diocese of Cabanatuan.

In the early to mid-1990s (if my memory serves me right), St. Paul School embarked on an expansion project. New buildings were erected, some large open spaces were converted into activity areas, and the facilities were modernized.

Currently, these are the buildings inside the St. Paul School campus:

This is the original and the biggest building in St. Paul School. As such, this is the building that has stuck with me throughout the years.

It was named after the school’s founder, Bishop Vicente Reyes, and this is where you’ll find all the key offices, namely the principal, director, registrar, finance, guidance counselor, and faculty. It also has the clinic, the alumni office, the elementary library, the AV room, and a mix of classrooms from kindergarten to senior high. Basically, if you’re looking for someone important or a quiet spot to study, this is your go-to.

Tucked away on the east side of campus, this building is home to the Grade 8 and Grade 9 classrooms. It’s also where the science lab and high school library are; perfect for experiments and those moments when you need to cram for exams.

Located just behind the stage on the north side, this building is all about Grade 8 and Grade 10. With five Grade 8 classrooms and all of Grade 10 here, it’s always buzzing with energy.

The newest addition to the campus, this one’s right near Bishop V. Reyes. It’s got the school canteen (hello, snacks!), computer labs, and classrooms for Grade 2 and senior high. Modern and functional, it’s a favorite hangout spot for techies and foodies alike.

A cozy one-story building near Pere Chauvet, this is where all the Grade 1 classrooms are. Small but mighty, it’s perfect for the little learners starting their school journey.

When I was still a student at St. Paul School, I was most curious about what it looked like inside the School Convent because, once the home of the Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres, this building now serves a dual purpose. It houses the TLE (Technology and Livelihood Education) room and provides living space for some staff members who live far from campus. A quiet, tucked-away spot with a lot of history.

***Some information was from Wikipedia.

If you are a Paulinian or even a former teacher at St. Paul School, San Antonio, I’m sure you also have a lot of fond memories about our school, considered one of the iconic landmarks of our hometown, San Antonio, Nueva Ecija. 

Would you be kind enough to share your most memorable moments at St. Paul in the comments section below?

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