Department of Education – Schools Division Office of Bulacan

It was thru the efforts of the American military servicemen that the first schools in the Province of Bulacan were opened in 1900 in their desire to be understood by the natives of the province. The first classes were housed in big rented private residences (based on the book authored by Francisco Calalang, History of Bulacan, 1971).

Classes in Grades I to VII were offered as elementary course in a campus put up in Barrio Tibag in the town of Baliwag with Mr. Guy Clinton as the first principal. Mr. William A. Prequitt was cited as Bulacan’s first school superintendent in 1901. In the accounts made by Don Antonio Bautista as published in Ang Malolos sa Dahon ng Kasaysayan by Jose P. Santos. It became conclusive that the institution or office which is now called Department of Education (Division Office) was established in that year, 1901.

The first year of the secondary course was opened in 1906 when Mr. H.A. Bordner took the stewardship of the school as Division Superintendent. The classes of the high school were later transferred to the provincial capitol town of Malolos.

The Education Office popularly known as Division Office (DO) was first housed in what became the Bulacan Prison House or Lex. Few months after, it was transferred to Bulacan High School (now Marcelo H. Del Pilar High School) near the Provincial Capitol Building. It is said that the Department of Education, Division of Bulacan was officially established under a Republic Act promulgated sometime in 1945.

In 1965, the Office was transferred to the Provincial Capitol Building. From 1967 to 1981 it was housed in the BPSTA Building (Bulacan Public School Teachers Association) located in Provincial Capitol Compound. It was then called Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (MECS). It was then during this period, the Central Office changed the name of the agency, from MECS to DECS (Department of Education, Culture and Sports). Finally, the D.O. had its own building which was constructed and completed in July 1982. Meanwhile, the name DECS was changed to DepEd (Department of Education) in 2002. The said building was occupied until January 2017. Presently, the Schools Division Office (SDO) of DepEd Bulacan is housed in a three-storey building opposite the Provincial Jail Building.

DepEd SDO Bulacan has 33 districts covering 331 elementary, 87 junior high school, 75 senior high school and some 372 private schools.

On March 28, 2018 a milestone was achieved when its office was audited and declared as ISO 9001;2015 Certified.

NORMA P. ESTEBAN, EdD, CESO V is currently at the helm of DepEd SDO Bulacan.