Page 1 - 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.