Immaculate Heart of Mary College-Parañaque

Immaculate Heart of Mary College-Parañaque

File:Seal of Immaculate Heart of Mary College - Paarañaque.png Seal of Immaculate Heart of Mary College-Parañaque
Former names	Immaculate Heart of Mary School-Parañaque
Motto	"My God and My All"
Type	Roman Catholic, Private College
Established	1979
Affiliation	Roman Catholic Church
President	Sr. Lydia O. Cañon, SFSC
Location	City of Parañaque , Philippines
Hymn	IHMC-P Hymn (Hail Holy Queen)
Colors	White, Blue, Red

Immaculate Heart of Mary College-Parañaque (IHMC-P, formerly known as Immaculate Heart of Mary School-Parañaque; colloquially, "Imma") is a Private, Roman Catholic, educational institution run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Hearts. It is located on a 2.5 Hectare Lot on both sides of St. Dominic Savio Street in Better Living Subdivision, Parañaque City. The college was established in 1979 offering elementary education, then in 1983 it opened its doors to its first batch of high school students. The College Department was established in 2002. Admission is open to students of different religion and nationality.

History

Inspired by the apostolic mission “pedagogical formative activity in education institute” and providing “sanctification and formation of infant and youth” (Const. Part Ch. V #21), the SUORE FRANCESCANE DEI SACRI CUORI(Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Hearts), established Immaculate Heart of Mary School-Parañaque on June 1979, the first of the many educational institutions bearing the same name spread out all over the Philippines by the congregation. The school was planted at a two and a half hectare lot at Dominic Savio Street, Better Living Subdivision, Barangay Don Bosco, City of Parañaque.

The Blessed Mother's Building, inaugurated 1985 by the late Cardinal Sin

During the first year of its operation IHMS had only two sections of Grade 1 and one section of Grade 2 for eighty boys and girls with only three teachers, more and more teachers applied in the following years. In Academic Year 1982-1983, kindergarten classes were opened thus completing the elementary education that it offered. That academic year marked the first commencement exercises in the Elementary Department and the granting of government recognition for complete elementary education. In 1983 the Phase One of a new building (known today as the Blessed Mother's Building) was blessed and the secondary education started with one section for freshmen. In 1985 the Prep students building was blessed and inaugurated by the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, it housed the Nursery, Kindergarten and Preparatory classes

File:Saint Francis of Assisi Building, IHMC Paranaque.jpg

The St. Francis of Assisi Building, housing the Junior High School, Learning Resource Center and some College Classrooms and Offices

Government recognition for the High School department was obtained in 1987 when the first batch of high school students graduated. In the early 90's onward The school had to expand. new Facilities flourished such as a gymnasium, Audio-Visual room, covered walkways from buildings to the school gates, laboratories, etc. The Prep Building was torn down to make space for the bigger St. Francis of Assisi building. Additional classrooms and offices were constructed. in the Mid 2000s air-conditioning units installed in all the classrooms and offices to facilitate a better learning process. Computer units and Speech Laboratories were also installed for the benefit of the elementary and high school students.

Due to the high demand of tertiary programs, IHMS worked for the renaming of the school to accommodate tertiary education. It started with a TESDA permit in 2002, offering two (2) year course in Associate in Computer Technology and Care-Giver Certificate Program. In 2003 during its 24th Founding anniversary, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the favorable recommendation of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) granted a Certificate of Recognition, changing the name of the Immaculate Heart of Mary School-Parañaque to Immaculate Heart of Mary College-Parañaque.

Tertiary Programs currently offered by the school (as of Academic Year 2014-2015) are:

• Bachelor in Elementary Education major in Early Childhood Education
• Bachelor in Elementary Education major in Special Education
• Bachelor in Secondary Education major in English
• Bachelor of Business Administration
• Bachelor of Science in Accountancy
• Bachelor of Science in Psychology
• Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
• Various TESDA Courses

It aims to offer in the upcoming years more programs.

Since then, enrollment continued to rise from Pre-elementary to College along with a staff consisting of 158 teaching and non-teaching personnel including the nuns. However, due to the financial crisis of the recent years, there was a decline in enrollment for the last three (3) years. Such a decline was felt not only at the school but almost in all private schools all over the country. In answer to the dilemma The Immaculatinian Learning Community joined hands last school year 2011-2012 for an aggressive marketing and promotions campaign to spur more new Immaculatinians and the effort was rewarded with a total of 169 new students coming in.

The Father Simpliciano Building that replaced the Old Gymnasium and Home Economics Building, that currently houses the new Gymnasium and College Library and will be the future location of the Office of the President, College Department Office, Faculty Room and some Classrooms.

Due to its growing student population, the school is constantly upgrading its building and its facilities. Maximizing the limited space left from the 2.5 hectare lot it stands. The old St. Francis Gymnasium, and the Home Economics building was torn down to give way for the Father Simpliciano Building which now houses the new Gymnasium and College Library and will be the future locations of the Office of the President, College Library, College Department offices and Faculty Room, some college classrooms. It has other three buildings and these are aptly named as the Blessed Mother's Building., the St. Francis Building., and the Mother Giovanna Building.

The school presently caters mostly to students coming from nearby subdivisions in Parañaque. But some students especially in the College Department also live from nearby Municipalities and Cities.