Our History
CSA-B traces its beginnings to the Casanova School founded by Dona Soledad Locsin, which officially became Colegio de San Agustin de Bacolod on July 8, 1962. It initially offered kindergarten, elementary, and high school education.
In response to the need of a bustling Bacolod City and an expanding sugar industry in Negros for a highly trained workforce, the functions of CSA-B were expanded in 1963 to provide bachelor’s degree programs in Liberal Arts, Education, Commerce, and Technology. It became the first school in Bacolod City to offer Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, and Medical Technology programs. This necessitated the construction of its first structure—San Agustin Bldg., which currently houses the administrative offices. Experiencing a sharp rise in student enrolment in 1969, the School added Sta. Monica Bldg. along 18th Street to serve as the major classroom building. .
The ‘70s and ‘80s saw CSA-B gaining distinction in the field of education, with its students excelling in various local and national competitions and government licensure examinations. The opening of the College of Nursing in 1970 thrust CSA-B into prominence in nursing education. Its sports program also produced outstanding athletes, particularly in basketball. .
The Sto. Tomas de Villanova Gymnasium was built in 1975 to serve as a venue for the school’s various sports, cultural, and other major activities. The east wing of the Sta. Monica Bldg. was added in the same year. Continued growth in its student population in 1987 prompted the construction of another structure—the Santo Niño Bldg. to house the Basic Education Department. In 1995, an annex was added to the east wing of the Sta. Monica Bldg. to accommodate the extensive collection and services of the Learning Resource Center; the west wing was built in 1997. The San Nicolas de Tolentino Bldg., presently housing the College of Engineering, was constructed in 1998. .
CSA-B embarked on further expansion, both in its program offerings and physical facilities, at the turn of the millennium. New undergraduate programs in Computer Engineering and Electronics Engineering were launched in 2001, followed by Information Technology and Tourism in 2002. The period from 2000 to 2003 saw the Sto. Niño Bldg. renovated and extended, the five-storey Alfonzo de Orozco Student Center Bldg. constructed, and the CSA-B Park opened. The Sto. Niño Early Childhood Learning Center, an extension campus in Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod City, was inaugurated in 2003. .
In 2006, the School started to serve as an offshore venue of the Graduate School of the University of San Agustin for master’s degree programs in Business Administration, Nursing, Medical Technology, and Education. In 2008, the school established the Center for Entrepreneurial Formation, and accepted its first students in the Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship program. The Bachelor of Science in Information System and the Bachelor in Library Information Science programs opened in the same year. .
Development at the extension campus began in 2007 with the addition of two more floors to the Sto. Niño Early Childhood Learning Center Building, to house the first-ever virtual laboratory for nursing in Western Visayas. Blessing of the kiddie pool and the covered six-lane junior Olympic swimming pool was held on April 29, 2008. CSA-B main campus now takes on a new look along Benigno S. Aquino Drive with the new Gregor Mendel Bldg., home to the only school-based dialysis center in the country. .
CSA-B is PAASCU-accredited in Nursing, BS Psychology, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Business Administration, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Accountancy, Entrepreneurship, Medical Technology, Computer Science, Information Technology, Chemical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Tourism Management and Basic Education. The excellence of CSA-B’s programs has resulted in outstanding performance of its graduates in the various licensure examinations, particularly for medical technologists, nurses, and accountants for which the school received commendations from CHED and PRC. Through the years, CSA-B has produced 62 top placers in the licensure examinations for nurses (two were topnotchers), five for medical technologists (one topnotcher in 2007), nine for chemical engineers, one for chemist, seven for teachers, two for psychometricians and four for accountants. .
CSA-B has grown into a well-equipped and respected educational institution in Bacolod City. It will continue to develop and offer programs that will allow its graduates to take their place with confidence in a world that is continuously being reshaped by technology. .
From her humble beginnings in 1962, one educational institution pursued her mission of education to the City of Bacolod and the Province of Negros Occidental. COLEGIO SAN AGUSTIN-BACOLOD anchored in her motto “VIRTUS ET SCIENTIA” is.
… Steadfast in her dedication to the Catholic, Filipino and Augustinian formation of the youth; .
….Constant in her commitment to fulfill the mission of the Church by fostering a community life with “oneness of mind and heart intent upon God;” .
….And pursue her educational thrust of vibrant lifelong learners through values formation and academic excellence through research-oriented and scientific-based inquiries and methods. .
Today, Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod is a living testament of a vision and mission that has withstood the challenges of the times. .
A beacon of hope as it moves onwards to continue her role in shaping and preparing young minds and sharpening the skills of generations of young men and women towards greater challenges. .
Sixty-one years of Christian educational commitment …. and more years, moving as one with the Augustinian spirit and zeal towards the future. A future we share with you. The Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod. Truly growing with you! .