1971- Manresa School- A New Educational Mission in the South of Manila

By the early 1960s, the Hijas de Jesús were looking for a new site for a school in Manila. As the city’s population was increasingly expanding toward the south, the Sisters were advised by Don Jesus Cabarrus to consider a portion of his property near the border of BF Homes and Alabang Hills.

Don Jesus Cabarrus offered three hectares of land, with half to be donated and the other half made available for purchase. This generous arrangement made possible the establishment of a new educational center of the Hijas de Jesús. Ten years after the initial search began, Manresa School opened its doors.

The first school year began on June 19, 1971. The school initially developed its elementary program, which became complete by 1975. In 1977, the high school department opened to both boys and girls. Four years later, on March 26, 1981, Manresa School celebrated the graduation of its first group of sixty high school students.

From its beginnings, Manresa School sought to combine academic education with the broader mission of the Congregation. Although the school served a predominantly upper-middle-class population, the Sisters’ apostolic activities extended beyond the school community. They were involved in charitable institutions, catechesis in economically disadvantaged areas, outreach programs through school organizations, liturgical ministries, and collaboration with the parish council. Thus, the establishment of Manresa School brought the educational mission of the Hijas de Jesús into a rapidly developing part of Metro Manila, while the Sisters continued to reach beyond the school itself to respond to the needs of the wider community.