THE HISTORY OF THE DIVISION OF SOUTHERN LEYTE

 

The Division of Southern Leyte was established on October 2, 1960, three months after the creation of Southern Leyte as a province on July 1, 1960 by virtue of R.A. 2227. On that time, the newly created division was on its interim stage with seven (7) personnel headed by a superintendent in a person of Supt. Camilo Rosello. These seven personnel were Elpedio Gonzales as the Supply Officer, Bernardino Olayvar Sr., a classroom teacher and was detailed as fiscal clerk; Gaudencio Estafia as finance officer; Venancio Bañes as in-charge of Records, Evaluation and Guidance; Victoria Loreto, H.E. field supervisor and Atty. Servilliano de la Cruz as Administrative Assistant. Since then, Mr. Rosello had been accomplishing the different requirements needed with the help of the Late Alfredo K. Bantug who was the governor of the new born province for the making of the division into a full-fledged one.The sacrifices and efforts were not turned into futile because on August 6,1962, an unnumbered memorandum signed by Dr. Benigno Aldaña, the Director of Public Schools during that time for and on behalf of the Secretary was issued creating the Division of Southern Leyte as a distinct and a separate entity from its mother Division of Leyte. There were only seven (7) districts during that time namely: Maasin, Macrohon, Malitbog, Sogod, Cabalian(San Juan), Liloan and Hinunangan. Other districts were created later to cater the needs of the learners, teachers and the educational system as a whole. To be exact in the 70’s, Padre Burgos, Bontoc, Tomas Oppus, Libagon, Hinundayan, St. Bernard and Pintuyan and the splitting of Maasin District to Maasin I and Maasin II were made.

In June 30, 2000, the district of Silago was established extracted from the mother District of Hinunangan by virtue of an unnumbered memorandum signed by Dr. Cirila Villegas, the DepEd Regional Director during that period.

In August 10, 2003, the City of Maasin was chartered, taking the Districts of Maasin I and Maasin II from the names of districs to compose the division of Southern Leyte. Lately, 2012 to be exact, the new districts were created namely: San Ricardo, San Francisco, Limasawa, Anahawan, Bontoc I and Bontoc II (Former Bontoc district) , Sogod I and Sogod II (Former Sogod district). Thus as of this date, the Division of Southern  Leyte has already twenty (20) districts, all these were approved by Director Sol F. Matugas and Director Rose Marie Saet. These districts are composed of 294 Public elementary schools and 27 private, a total of 323; and 42 Public Secondary Schools, one is still annex (Villa Jacinta Annex: Sto. Rosario, Padre Burgos) and 13 private, a total of 55. A grand total of three hunded seventy eight (378) schools. As years went by since the birth of the division, the different field supervisors, superintendent, assistant superintendent and office personnel were appointed and assigned to operationalize the basic educational services. Likewise, Public Schools District Supervisors were installed to serve the schools within the said districts. Moreover, support staff were hired to facilitate the different financial, human and physical resources of the system.