Divine Word College of Legazpi

The Origin and its Development - The forerunner of the DWCL, is the Liceo de Albay, a Diocesan parochial school for boys owned and managed by Rev. Fr. Juan Carullo, a native of Malinao, Albay. Fr. Carullo was a retired Army Chaplain, and when he left the military service his retirement pay and other personal money were all invested in a school which he himself has founded and devoted the rest of his life managing. This was about 1958-1959. At the beginning, the school was exclusively for high school boys as St. Agnes was the high school for girls. Among the associates of Fr. Carullo were Msrg. Justiniano Romano, Fr. Alfonso Molina, Fr. William Rehante, and Fr. Rustico Burce, among others. Sometime in 1952 a very strong typhoon visited Albay which brought about so much untold sufferings to many people and among those affected was the Liceo de Albay which was badly damaged by the typhoon. Because of the effects of the typhoon, the living conditions of the people became very difficult, and operating the school was becoming untenable. It was also at this time that SVD was looking for a place to put up a school here in Albay. According to a very reliable informant, a certain Fr. Joseph Bates kept coming back and forth sometime in 1959-1960 to the Bishop and was arranging and negotiating for the acquisition of the Liceo de Albay. Circumstances at the management level of Liceo seemed to be no longer favorable to continue the management of the school due to problems related to finances. So it was evident that God interceded for the transfer of the ownership of Liceo de Albay from its former owner, Fr. Juan Carullo to the SVD's led by Fr. Joseph Bates. In 1959 the formal transfer of ownership and management was affected. It was allegedly for a consideration of Php30,000.00. Reconstruction now began to shape-up. Fr. Joseph Bates poured in his personal finances and brought money from that of his family and friends, from the United State of America. He was a very good fundraiser for the reconstruction of the school. Meanwhile the SVD's and Fr. Bastes were now in Legazpi for good and while he was here, he brought many people form Bohol and other personalities who altogether helped him build and ran the Liceo de Albay. When the Bicol Association of Catholic Schools (BACS) was formed, Fr. Bates was chosen as its chairman. Then, another priest by the name of Fr. Honesto Moraleda, who was the parish priest of St. Micahel Parish in Oas, Albay came to know Fr. Bates in the course of their jointly running the affairs of the BACS, including the holding of the very successful BACS Meet. The two (2) came to know each other very closely and so, Fr. Bates invited Fr. Moraleda to join him in the school and with the permission of Bishop Flaviano B. Ariola, Fr. Honesto Moraleda officially joined Fr. Bates and became the 1st High School Principal while Fr. Bates was the Director. In 1961 the Liceo de Albay became the Divine Word High School, later to become Divine Word College of Legazpi.