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CHAPTER I

ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY

Historical Background

The Isabela State University traces its humble beginning in December 1918 to a farm
school – the Echague Farm School, constituting of a 4-room academic building and a home
economics building established through the pioneering efforts of an American supervising
teacher Mr. Horatio Smith, under the provisions of the Compulsory Education Act.

With only ten teachers to run the school, it accommodated 100 pupils from grades five to
seven to take up elementary agriculture. Soon after, growth was gradually seen when the 100
enrollees increased to 300 necessitating the hiring of more home economics teachers and a
farm manager as was provided by the same provision. Subsequently, more infrastructures
were gradually conducted in 1925 to include a modest library building, a granary, a poultry
swine building, garden houses and a nursery.

More developments soon followed with the conversion of the farm school into a rural
high school in 1928. This progress provided for the opening of higher academic levels – the
first and second year classes, and the third and fourth year classes thereafter. In response to
increasing demands for appropriate higher education programs, the secondary agricultural
education and home economics courses were made fully operational.
The year 1935 brought in another development for the Isabela State University when
the Municipal Council of Echague, Isabela withdrew its support from the gradually progressing
rural high school. Consequently, the school was transferred to Jones, Isabela where it saw
the reverting of its status to a farm school again until the World War II.

When the liberation period came in 1946, the farm school was named Isabela
Agricultural High School and was relocated to Echague, Isabela. In 1952, it was renamed
Echague Rural High School. As the course in forestry was integrated into the agricultural
courses of the school in 1960, it was deemed appropriate to rename it as Echague Agricultural
and Forestry School. Soon, the school began to gain recognition when in 1963 it earned the
status of an agricultural school in the region. With the status came a broader sphere of
responsibility as it was now expected to respond to the needs of its clientele not only in the
provincial but also in the regional level. This seemed to have served as the cue for more
innovations to follow.

More academic programs were offered as demanded by its regional school status
supported by the timely reorganization of the administrative advisory structure of the newly
created Bureau of Vocational Education which gave greater freedom to the agricultural, trade
and fixture schools to plan and implement their educational programs. Concurrent with the
agricultural school status, in 1970, the Echague Agricultural and Forestry School was also
designated as the Manpower Training Center for the region.

The filing of House Bill 2866 during the Seventh Congress of the Philippines continually
elevated the status of the school. The bill made possible the conversion of the Echague
Agricultural and Forestry School into a state college. The conversion move was approved by
the Lower House on April 17, 1972 and was subsequently passed by the Senate on May 30,
1972. However, its presidential approval was made pending. But shortly after the declaration
of Martial Law, the bill was finally signed and the now state college was named Isabela State
College of Agriculture. With its new status, the programs in agriculture, forestry and home
economics were expanded and engineering, agree-business and post-secondary 2-year
courses were opened.