Intro to OBMCI

Let me introduce to you my alma mater.

O.B. Montessori Center Inc.
"Seipsum Facit Persona"
(MAN MAKES HIMSELF)

O.B. Montessori Center Inc. (OBMCI) - This is the link to the official website of the school. "OB" means "Operation Brotherhood".

The President and the CEO of the school is Dr. Preciosa Silverio Soliven who is the wife of the late journalist Maximo Villaflor Soliven.

Dr. Soliven is also the UNESCO Representative in the Philippines.

I admire this school because it has imposed dignity of authenticity that this is the only Montessori school in the Philippines that is recognized by the AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) if I am not mistaken.

The School is using the method of education devised by the 1st Female doctor in Italy with the name of Dr. Maria Stoppani Montessori.

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I have been studying in that school from 1995 to 2007 (12 years of Montessorian Education) I would choose to call it as an "Era of Major Transition".

There are 4 branches of OBMCI.
1) Sta. Ana, Manila (Oldest existing) (SA)
2) Greenhills, San Juan (Main Branch) (GH)
3) Las Piñas (LP)
4) Angeles (AN)

For pictures and info, pls. click the link above. Everything is in the official site.

I studied in Sta. Ana Branch.

Here are the levels:
1) CASA (Spanish for House) (It refers to the original Casa Dei Bambini)
1.1) Junior Casa (JC)- Nursery Equivalent
1.2) Junior Advanced Casa (JAC)- Kindergarten Equivalent
1.3) Advanced Casa (AC)- Preparatory Equivalent
2) Grade School
2.1) Primary (Grades 1 to 3)
2.2) Intermediate (Grades 4 to 6)*
3) Secondary (OBMCI Professional High School) (yr.1 to yr. 4)
4) Tertiary (College)- Only in Greenhills
*Grade 7 was abolished when High Schools were established in the Branches. It was abolished on the year 2001.

I was JAC in 1995 and graduated from HS in 2007.

Grade School Curriculum is AKA Cosmic Curriculum because it analyzes the fundamentals of humanity on year.

Starting 2004 or 2005, OBMCI has established an exclusive version of BSP and GSP (Boy Scouts of the Philippines and Girl Scouts of the Philippines respectively).

The Famous Alumni are:
1) Aiza Seguerra
2) Lea Salonga
3) Rep. Darlene Custodio-Antonino of General Santos City. (SA)

The School holds so many events and activities that student life as a Montessorian will not be boring.

The Uniform for CAT-1 Cadets was modelled after the USMA Uniform in West Point, Virginia.
The CAT Instructors are reservists of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines). Mostly ARESCOM (Army Reservists Command).

Presidents Day or TPR (Testimonial, Parade and Review) is in honoring Amb. Soliven with the use of manual of arms and military skills. It usually happens on Feb or March.

The Batch of 2007 (My batch) is named Sanlingan by the COCC (Cadet Officers Candidate Course) headed by my classmate.

COCC- is an intensive LT course for students who wanted to be the officers of the corps. It requires deep training.

As you noticed, most statues in GH are modelled after the archetypical image of Amb. Soliven. These are the School-invented icons that serves an inspiration for the students. I would call these images as the "Soliven Virgins".

O.B. Montessori Center, Inc. was founded in 1966 by
Preciosa S. Soliven. It is a non-stock, non-profit,
educational institution belonging to a worldwide movement
whose primary aim is to promote and further the Cause of
the Child. This is to assist him to develop into a man and
protect and defend him as the creative social factor in
the building of our civilization. The school adheres
faithfully to the educational method discovered by Dr.
Maria Montessori who has shown that each child is gifted
with a psychic nature peculiar to him. He has a mind with
an enormous capacity to absorb impression and knowledge
from the environment and the power to construct himself.

The school's mission is "SEIPSUM FACIT PERSONA".
Specifically, the school's mission is to transform all
students into independent and contributing members of the
society. The school aims to provide education that will
make the children aware that they are not to exist only
for themselves but are to care for others. Each child
likewise becomes aware of his own power to construct
himself into the "citizen of the world, a complete human
being, able to exercise freedom and self-discipline, will
and judgment, unperverted and undistorted by fear."

The Montessori System was founded by Dr. Maria Montessori
in Italy in 1906. Montessori system provides a "Prepared
Environment' that spurs your child to learn during his
most receptive stage from 3-6 years old - a period when
his mind leaps to growth. This environment is modified to
suit his later development needs between 7-12 years, 13-16
and 17-20 years of age.

The passage was taken from a Friendster profile of the school.

Really, there are so many positive things too say about the school that I couldn't finish in one post.

The following is my personal comment on the school

"ADOLORE AD GLORIAM! From Pains to gains! Ad astra per aspera to the butterflies. Kudos to the Graduates and the alumni. Grand gracias to the sovereign of Genuine Philippine Montessorianism. Angelique Victoria, the main vein of symbolism. This school has the great basis of prestigious professionalism in education. In behalf of HS Batch of 2007 Sta. Ana Branch, we would like to owe our allegiances to this alma mater which has been the abode of God-given perseverance of "Seipsum Facit Persona" for 42 years. VIVA OBMCI."

I did this as if I am praising the school for its existence.