METROPOLITAN INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
Twenty six years ago, our beloved pastor saw the need of starting a Christian school that would provide the crucial Bible-based education for the children of the members of the church. He first saw this need through his own children, who were just about to enter their formative years in their studies as elementary and pre-elementary levels. The threat of humanism and immorality pervading the schools at that time all the more compelled the pastor to start a Christian school. Thus the Bible Baptist Educational Institution was born in 1985.
With the guiding verse of the school found in Proverbs 22:6, the BBEI’s focus was not just about educating the kids about the three R’s of education, namely, reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic, but more importantly, the fourth R–responsibility. The guiding principle of the BBEI is to mold the minds and shape the character of its learners with the Word of God as its central text.
On its first year, the BBEI had 41 student enrolees, handled by 3 teachers and 5 teacher-aides. Mrs. Marie Paz Abante, the school directress, recalls how that the first years of the BBEI were done as a “labor of love, faith and sacrifice.” It wasn’t long before God began to reward these labors through the students it graduated. Seven years later, in 1992, the DECS (now DepEd) granted full recognition to the elementary department.
At first, 80% of the total student population were the own children of the church members. This figure continued on for the first decade of the school. By the middle and towards the end of 90′s, however, the ratio member’s children to non-member’s children had changed. Without any formal advertising of any kind, the school’s name and reputation began to spread through mere “word of mouth,” and by 1998, there were more students who were no longer children of members, than kids who were the children of the members.
This provided the proper venue for the school to take on a new name that would reflect the school’s thrust of meeting the demands of a more highly-competitive society. In June of 1999, the BBEI was renamed Metropolitan International Christian Academy (MICA). At the same time, the school opened up its high school department, giving its elementary graduates the opportunity of completing a full cycle of ACE-based curriculum. Seven years also passed after BBEI renamed to MICA, the high school department gained its full-recognition.
The Lord’s goodness remains evident as He continues to give the school fresh batches of students, and the school, by God’s grace, serves as the appropriate venue for harnessing the God-given talents each student has. Over the years, MICA has participated in the annual School of Tomorrow Junior, National and International Student Conventions.
More than a thousand students coming from other SOT Curriculum-based schools join this week-long event, which feature competitions in music, arts, academics, sports, and many others. We praise God that each year, MICA has emerged as one of the top Christian schools in the country.
The school also provides intramural activities that further cultivate the skills, talents and personalities of our students. Events like annual musicals and mini-cantatas bring out the best of our schools talents in singing and instrument playing. Sports festivals hosted every year also help bring out the spirit of healthy competition and sportsmanship among the student groups. In the area of student leadership, we have the MICA Student Council, which allows for students to take a more pro-active part in taking leadership responsibilities in their capacities as pupils. They are allowed to convene together and organize school-sponsored events such as fundraising programs, cleaniness drive, and many others.
Indeed, MICA has gone a long way from its humble beginnings in 1985. We praise God for what He has done and continues to do through the MBBC’s educational ministry. Our prayer and desire is to continue to provide quality Bible-based education as the Lord tarries his coming.
