Page 2 - ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL

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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.
The Educational Decree of 1972 promulgated on September 20, 1972 set another
direction for the educational system as it (the decree) declared a government policy to re-orient
the educational system for an accelerated national economic growth and social development.
During this time, the province of Isabela was also experiencing growth in many aspects. As the
province saw the need to accommodate the results of its growth and to the call for national
development through education, it felt the need to integrate and convert the institutions of higher
learning into one effective and efficient state university. Presidential Decree (PD) 1434 then
merged two state colleges – the Isabela State College of Agriculture in Echague and the Cagayan
Valley Institute of Technology (CVIT) in Cabagan to become the Isabela State University. This
also transferred the college level courses of the Isabela School of Arts and Trades in Ilagan; the