History of Holy Cross College Pampanga
Holy Cross Academy was the first private Catholic school established in Sta. Ana, Pampanga. It was founded on November 29, 1945 by the late Rev. Msgr. Fernando Capati Lansangan with the generous support of 41 civic-minded citizens of the town. The move was borne out of the felt need to cater to the educational needs of young men and women through the provisions of opportunities for intellectual and physical growth as well as the inculcation of Christian moral principles and ideals. The school was also a response to the urgent plea of the town people who, due to limited financial capability, cannot afford to send their children to schools located in other towns.
The school was initially housed at the Sta. Ana Parish Convent, Sta. Ana, Pampanga consisting of fourth year class with six students. It was the first Catholic High School in the municipality that used the Convent “Gratis et Amore” as its first building which was approved on August 8, 1945.
The permit to operate as a secondary private school was granted by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports on July 1, 1945. Full government recognition was awarded in 1946. The school was renamed Holy Cross College (HCC) and a permit to offer college courses was secured from the Department of Education, Culture and Sports in 1985. Full Government Recognition was received in 1988.
The HCC High School department started with fourth year class of six students temporarily housed at the Sta. Ana Parish Convent, through the kindness of the Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Osmundo Calilung. The first batch completed their three years of secondary course either in Arayat or San Fernando, Pampanga. They were the first successful graduates of the school in 1946.
In succeeding seven years, an increase in enrolment was noted which encouraged the founders to double their efforts and to acquire the needed resources in putting up a bigger permanent building for the growing population. With this, the HCC Founder Msgr. Fernando Capati Lansangan voluntarily offered the lot located at Barangay Sta. Lucia, Sta. Ana, Pampanga for the construction of a 7-room edifice. Towards the end of the school year 1954 – 1955, the building was successfully completed and all the needed equipment, furniture, and other materials were produced. At the start of the school year 1955 – 1956, the school was transferred from the convent to its present site.
During the school year 1957 – 1958, an increase in enrolment brought about by the supportive action of the community in patronizing the school was recorded. This motivated the school administration to exert more effort and time in generating funds for the construction of more buildings with more classrooms to accommodate the growing population of students. Also, the following buildings with more provisions for classrooms were erected; Quonset (1959), Annex I (1963), Concrete Stage (1967), Annex II (1972), Annex III (1982), Annex IV (1988).
In the middle of the ‘80s, a further growth in population was again noted in all departments, which inspired the school owners to be more aggressive in the development of physical facilities. Through the joint effort and dedication of the officers and members of the incumbent Board of Trustees, a 3-room building for graders was constructed in 1989. In 1994 and 1997, two-story buildings were erected with 23 classrooms, which undoubtedly added to the prestige of the school as a fast-growing college.
In three consecutive school years, there were additional structures that were constructed: SY 2010 – 2011, the School Chapel and additional four (4) classrooms at the right wing of the High School building; SY 2011 – 2012 another four (4) classrooms were added to the center portion of the High School building. In 2012 – 2013, the new Administration building was completed in August 2012.
The college started with four courses: Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED), Bachelor of Arts (AB) with majors in English and Mathematics, Bachelor of Science in Commerce (BSC) major in Management, and a Two-Year Junior Secretarial course. The Education course paved the way for the establishment of the Pre-Elementary and Elementary Department.
With the blessings of God Almighty, the school is gaining success as an institution of learning. The three departments are doing well in the performance of the inherent functions. The College Department which started with a very small population is increasing its enrolment coming from this town and its environs.
Plans were laid down for more courses offering courses suited to the demands of the time aside from the latest recognized education courses. These were Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSE) with majors in Mathematics, English, Physical Education, Filipino, Science and Values Education (1988) and Computer Courses: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) (1999) and Associate in Computer Technology (ACT) (1995), Three-Month Building Wiring Installation, Three-Month Consumer Electronics, Three=Month Computer Maintenance and Software Development Course (2005), Ladderized course for BSCS – Two-Year PC Operations, Two-Year Programming (2006), a six Month Professional Caregiving Course (2004), Nursing Aide, a one-Year course, Practical Nursing (a Two-Year Course) (2006), and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (2007), Hotel and Restaurant Services, a two-year ladderized course in 2007, and BS in Hotel and Restaurant Management (4-year course in 2008) and Two-Year Tourism course. The School also offered short term courses (three months duration) namely: Bartending (NC level 2), Commercial Cooking, Baking/Pastry Production, Food and Beverage Services (NC Level 2), Housekeeping, Tour Guiding and Travel Services, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with majors in Human Resource Management, Financial Management, Marketing Management, Operations Management and the initial operation of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology in 2008.
In compliance with the k-12 curriculum, the provisional permit to operate the Senior High School program (SHS) was acquired in 2015. In the year 2016, HCC offered its first Senior High School with strands in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS), Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM), General Academics (GAS), and Technical-Vocational Livelihood (TVL) Track with strands in Home Economics (HE) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
In the year 2017, Holy Cross College forged a consortium with Bulacan State University (BULSU) to offer Graduate programs including a Master of Arts in Education major in Educational Management and a Master in Business Administration.
The success of the Senior High School translated to a demand in adding up programs in College. In 2018, HCC was granted permits to operate additional courses including Bachelor of Science in Development Communication, Bachelor of Library and Information Science, Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and Bachelor of Science in Criminology. Subsequently, permits to operate were released for HCC to offer a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering for the academic year 2019 – 2020. Having the additional courses and graduate programs at hand, the school is now gearing towards accreditation in order to attain a higher form of Academic Organization to ensure the delivery of the best educational services.
The Holy Cross College, since its founding, has been living up to its avowed vision, mission, and goals as an instrument in the promotion of quality education and the attainment of our higher aspirations of becoming the first University in the Eastern part of Pampanga.