The Divine Word College of Calapan, as a Catholic institution of higher learning, traces its roots back to the missionary work of Fr. Benito Rixner, SVD and other missionaries of the Society of the Divine Word in Mindoro. Mindoro Junior College, as the school was originally called, was established in April 1946. The formal opening of classes in first year Normal Education, Liberal Arts, Pre-Law, a
nd special short-term courses in Typing and Stenography was on July 1, 1946. The first floor of the old bishop’s residence was used for classrooms by the students and ten faculty members. The biggest room served as library with around a thousand volumes coming from other SVD schools and the rest from donations. The regular residence rooms were used as classrooms while the smallest room became the Registrar’s Office. Athletic activities were held at the church plaza. In 1953, Fr. Albert Cook, SVD who was the Director at that time constructed a two-storey building on a lot purchased adjacent to the two original buildings. Construction was completed just in time for the school year 1953-1954. By that time, there were three buildings being occupied by about a thousand students. The buildings functioned until the summer of 1964. From 1954 to 1964 there was a steady increase in enrolment. Through the efforts of Bishop William Duschak, SVD, DD, who went to Europe to ask for donations from friends and benefactors, the dream of a modern college in a spacious compound materialized. During the school year 1964-1965 all classes were moved to the new campus. About the same time, the Elementary Department was inaugurated by virtue of the Temporary Permit No. 96. In 1975, the President, Fr. Eleuterio S. Lacaron, SVD, also introduced the School Campaign Program. In 1976, permission was granted by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (MECS) for the revival of the Graduate School program which was phased out in 1972. Meanwhile the college curriculum was further diversified with the inclusion of the short- term courses and the offering of traditional fields of concentration in the degree programs. In 1980, the course in Master in Business Administration (MBA) was opened by virtue of Temporary Permit No.132, s. 1985 dated July 1980 with 47 students and three professors. Recognition was granted on June 1985 and signed by the Minister of Education, Culture and Sports, Jaime C. In January 1981, the name of the college was changed from Mindoro College to Divine Word College of Calapan; thus, making it more representative of the educational apostolate of the Society of the Divine Word in the province of Oriental Mindoro. In 1987, having met the standards of the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU), the Divine Word College of Calapan was granted Level II accreditation for five years. On April 2, 1993 another Level II accreditation was granted. A re-accreditation was given in 1998. A non-degree program in Computer Science was opened during the administration of Fr. Joel L. Maribao, to give the youth the opportunity to learn the new technology. The Associate in Computer Data Processing (ACDP) was recognized during the school year 1994-1995, while the two-year course in Computer System and Business Management (CSBM) was given Permit No. TV-P 059, s. 1994. In 1995, the Civil Engineering Department was acknowledged as Number 1 in the regional level (Region IV) and Number 10 in the National level on account of the high percentage of board passers. This was published in the Philippine Star dated June 13, 1995. Another honor was received by DWCC as per CHED Memorandum No. 76, s. 1995, where DWCC was selected as Center for Excellence in Teacher Education in Region IV. It was also during the time of Fr. Lacaron, SVD (1994–1995), that DWCC was selected by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) as Institute of Local Government Academy (ILGA) in Oriental Mindoro. During the administration of Fr. Romeo P. Bancale, SVD, the Graduate School Department was granted permission to offer two new graduate programs, Master in Public Administration and Doctor of Philosophy in Management, by virtue of the Government Recognition Nos. 27 and 28, s. 1997, and made effective in the school year 1997-1998. It was also in that same year that the High School Department moved out from the main campus to the Janssen campus located in Brgy. Pachoca, Calapan City. The campus has been renamed Freinademetz campus. In 2000, during the term of Fr. Ernesto F. Vitor, SVD, Government Permits were granted to offer courses in Bachelor of Science in Office Administration, Bachelor of Science in Tourism and Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management as well as Associate Courses in Office Administration, Tourism, and HRM using the ladderized curriculum. In 2002 the Elementary Department building located adjacent to the High School Department building at the Freinademetz campus was completed. In the succeeding year the Elementary Department transferred to its new site, thus housing together the Basic Education Department in that campus. A milestone for the institution was again achieved when the DWCC-SIFE team of the Student In Free Enterprise (SIFE) was acclaimed the national champion in the SIFE National Exposition held at the Holiday Inn, Manila in February 2002. Later, the champion team represented the country in the prestigious SIFE World Cup in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in September of the same year. In 2005 Jose Lemuel Dimaunahan topped the November 2005 Electronics and Communications Engineering board examination while Heidi Libed topped the 2005 Licensure Examination for Teachers in Region IV. The year 2006 marked the 60th founding anniversary of the Divine Word College of Calapan. Themed ‘Word in a Changing World’, DWCC, under the administration of Fr. Nielo M. Cantilado, SVD, renewed its commitment to continue to provide quality education. Pursuant to its thrust in research, DWCC launched the Center for Mindoro Studies in July, 2006. As a resource center the Center for Mindoro Studies studies the cultural heritage of Mindoro; and promotes respect for the indigenous culture of the Mangyans. As a center for research it aims to organize a repository of research and historical material relevant to the studies of parochial schools, parishes, and municipalities in the provinces of the Island of Mindoro. In the second semester of school year 2006-2007, through the assistance of the Technical Education and Skills Authority (TESDA), and under the auspices of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo scholarship programs, DWCC began offering certificate courses in Contact Center Agent Training, Medical Transcription and Commercial Cooking.
