St. James Academy (Malabon)

Contents

St. James Academy (SJA) is a private Catholic school located in Malabon, Metro Manila, Philippines.[1][2] It is owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalookan[3] and currently managed by the Dominican Sisters of the Trinity.[4]

Founded in 1926 by the Maryknoll Sisters,[5][6] the school is known historically as the first Maryknoll school in the Philippines and the birthplace of Miriam College.[7][6][8][9] The school offers kindergarten through senior high school programs and is a member of the Kalookan Diocese Schools Association (KADSA),[3] Manila Ecclesiastical Province Schools Systems Association (MAPSA), and the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP).

History

Early years and Maryknoll Administration (1926–1980)

In 1926, Archbishop of Manila Michael J. O'Doherty invited the Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic to the Philippines to establish a Catholic teacher-training program. The sisters utilized an Augustinian convent beside the San Bartolome Parish in Malabon to house the Malabon Normal School.[8]

This site served as the first mission of the Maryknoll Sisters in the country.[10] In 1936, the collegiate department was transferred to Isaac Peral Street in Manila, and later to Quezon City, eventually becoming Maryknoll College.[6][8]

The Malabon campus continued to operate with elementary and high school departments. In 1936, it was renamed St. James Academy after Bishop James Anthony Walsh, co-founder of the Maryknoll Fathers.[6]

During the World War II, the school was shut down by the Japanese forces and the nuns were interned at the Los Baños internment camp in Laguna and at the Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila. The lay teachers, on the other hand, continued conducting classes at the nearby Punzalan Residence.[11][12][13]

The Maryknoll Sisters reopened the school in 1946[7] and continued to manage the administration of the school until 1980.

Dominican Sisters' management (1980–present)

In 1980, the Maryknoll sisters transferred the ownership of the school to the Archdiocese of Manila and handed over its management to the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena.[13]

In 2002, the Siena sisters established a night high school program designed to serve students from low-income families in the vicinity. From its inception until 2022, this program utilized a five-year junior high school curriculum.[13][14] The program remains active today but has since transitioned to the standard four-year junior high school curriculum.

Following the creation of the Diocese of Kalookan in 2003, the ownership and jurisdiction over the school was transferred to the new diocese.

In 2010, the administration of the school was transferred to the Dominican Sisters of the Trinity,[15][4] who continue to manage the daily operations and religious formation of the students under the superintendency of the Diocese of Kalookan.

Campus

The school is situated in Rizal Avenue Extension, Barangay San Agustin, Malabon, adjacent to the San Bartolome Church and near the city hall, Ospital ng Malabon, and Malabon Central Market.

The campus accommodate the preschool, elementary, junior high, and senior high school levels. Facilities include two gymnasiums, a convent, a chapel, and an auditorium.

Academics

St. James Academy follows the K-12 curriculum mandated by the Department of Education.[2]

The academic program is organized into four main divisions: Preschool (Kindergarten), Elementary School (Grades 1 to 6), Junior High School (Grades 7 to 10), and Senior High School (Grades 11 to 12).[1][2]

The Junior High School division offers two distinct programs: the Regular School Program and the Night High School Program. The Night High School, originally established in 2002 to assist students from low-income families,[13] previously followed a five-year curriculum but has since transitioned to the standard four-year Junior High School curriculum.

The Senior High School program offers the Academic Track, which includes strands in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM); Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS); and General Academic Strand (GAS).

As a Catholic institution, the school integrates religious formation into its curriculum, making Christian Living Education a compulsory subject for all students.

The school's basic education program possess Level II accreditation (for K-10) and Level I accreditation (for Grades 11 and 12) from the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU).[1]

Alumni

The following individuals attended or graduated from St. James Academy include:

Politics and government

Academe

Business and industry

  • Antonino Aquino, corporate executive at Ayala Group

Religion

Media, arts, and entertainment

  • Armida Siguion-Reyna, actress and singer; former MTRCB Chairperson[7]
  • Evelyn Camus, beauty queen; Binibining Pilipinas-International 1971[16]
  • Eunice Lagusad, actress[20][21]
  • Sara Jane Paez, beauty queen; Binibining Pilipinas-Universe 1989[16]
  • Gary Ignacio, singer and main vocalist of the rock band Alamid
  • Dexter Falcelo, guitarist of the rock band Alamid
  • Ninong Ry, vlogger and chef
  • Mav Gonzales, reporter
  • Doris Dumlao, journalist
  • Vergel Santos, journalist; trustee of Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility[22][23]

Sports

References

  1. 1.[1.2][1.3]"St. James Academy". PAASCU. Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (PAASCU). Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  2. 2.[2.2][2.3]"Private Schools | SDO MALABON CITY". Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  3. 3.[3.2]"ROK Schools". Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalookan. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  4. 4.[4.2]"Education - Dominican Sisters of Trinity". Dominican Sisters of the Trinity. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  5. 5.Silvestro, Jessica Di (March 16, 2022). "Maryknoll Sisters Begin Again in the Philippines | Maryknoll Archives". Archives. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  6. 6.[6.2][6.3][6.4][6.5][6.6]Aragon-Choudhury, Perla (February 19, 2012). "100 years of reaching out, the Maryknoll way". Inquirer.NET. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  7. 7.[7.2][7.3][7.4][7.5]Reyes, Soledad S. (March 23, 2023). Balik-Tanaw: The Road Taken: Memoir of a Literary and Cultural Critic through Filipino Eyes. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 978-1-83764-319-6.
  8. 8.[8.2][8.3]"History and Heritage". Miriam College.
  9. 9.Dumlao-Abadilla, Doris (September 7, 2016). "Henry Sy donates P100M innovation hub to Miriam College". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  10. 10."Journey of a hundred years- UCA News". ucanews.com. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  11. 11."Revisiting the Los Baños Raid". Archives. February 21, 2024. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  12. 12.[12.2]Cordero-Fernando, Gilda (February 4, 2012). "Winning!". Lifestyle.INQ. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  13. 13.[13.2][13.3][13.4]"History – St. James Academy". www.stjamesacademy.edu.ph. Archived from the original on July 4, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  14. 14.Ferrer-Lagera, Pines. "Of golden memories and giving back". Philstar.com. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  15. 15."History - San Pedro College". sanpedrocollegedavao.ph. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  16. 16.[16.2][16.3][16.4][16.5]"Saint James Academy Malabon gathering". Philstar.com. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
  17. 17.Zamora, Fe (June 30, 2012). "The redemption of 'Manong' Johnny". Lifestyle.INQ. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
  18. 18.Davis, Leonard (1989), "Profiles", in Davis, Leonard (ed.), Revolutionary Struggle in the Philippines, London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 70–91, doi:10.1007/978-1-349-19862-7_4, ISBN 978-1-349-19862-7, retrieved January 30, 2026
  19. 19.Almario, Virgilio (November 25, 2025). "Ang Panahong Ginto ni Soledad S. Reyes". Perspectives in the Arts and Humanities Asia. 13 (1). ISSN 2719-0811.
  20. 20.Mendoza, Ruel (July 15, 2025). "Eunice, 27 years old nagtapos ng high school". The Philippine Star. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  21. 21.Mendoza, Ruel J. (December 28, 2014). "Bakekang star Eunice Lagusad makes showbiz comeback via Once Upon A Kiss". PEP. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  22. 22.Alcantara, Alvin (August 11, 2023). "Redeemed by Sister Miriam". The Diarist.ph. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
  23. 23.Dalisay, Butch. "More than homework". Philstar.com. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
  24. 24.[24.2]"New look, new vibes with Perlas' Amanda Villanueva". Philstar.com. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
  25. 25."Green Gallery: Lady Spiker Amanda Villanueva". The LaSallian. November 4, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2026.