Maco de Oro College began with a dream as articulated in this poetic and melodious refrain from the Maco Hymn. “Our prayer…. your growth and progress…” For years, the leadership of the Municipal Government of Maco, recognizing the vital role of the youth in development and nation-building, and desirous to promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being, has exhausted all efforts to invite schools and state colleges to establish a school in the municipality. Realizing that no one else has the passion to bring it to fruition, the LGU under the helm of Municipal Mayor Hon. Alvera Veronica R. Rimando, finally decided to take matters into their own hands, so to speak.
Maco de Oro College was created by virtue of Municipal Ordinance No. 04 series 2019, the “Ordinance Establishing a Local College Institution in the Municipality of Maco, Province of Davao de Oro to be known as Maco de Oro College”. It is the charter of the college whose creation was an integral part of the collective social development thrust of the local government unit under the administration of the Municipal Mayor. The Vice-Mayor, Hon. Arthur Carlos Voltaire R. Rimando, the Chair of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB), gave impetus to the brainchild of the Chief Executive.
Immediately thereafter, the LGU sought the imprimatur of both the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); and began the intricate process of complying with the requirements for Institutional Recognition. On July 22, 2020, the highest governing body of the institution referred to as the Board of Trustees (BOT), was organized. The BOT, who took their official oath of office last August 3, 2020, is composed of the following: Hon. Mayor Alvera Veronica R. Rimando, as the Chair; Dr. Eufrosina P. Mines, the College Administrator, as the Vice-Chair; Hon. Councilor Florante Z. Astillo (SB Chair, Committee on Education), Hon. Councilor Jorlan Bon Sacay (SK Federation Chair), Eng’r. Ferdinand Dobli (Business Sector Representative), Ms. Rowena Salino (Business Sector), Mr. Benedicto Ayop (Business Sector), Dr. Judy P. Noces (Academe) and Dr. Noel B. Canales (Academe), as pioneering Board Members. Ms. Jiesyl Mae N. Tan is the Board Secretary.
At present, Maco de Oro College hopes to open its doors in August, 2021 with three (3) Academic Programs namely Bachelor of Special Needs Education (BSNEd), Bachelor of Culture and Arts Education (BCAEd) and Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA). During its first year of operation (school year 2021-2022), it shall house its first batch of students in its transitory campus – the recently renovated and spruced-up Old Motor Pool Building along the high way. The said site shall be home to the local college pending the completion of the MDOC Building which shall rise at Barangay Hijo, just about two kilometers away from its present temporary site.
With its vision of becoming an institution recognized for quality and holistic education promoting total human development and responsive to the needs of a fast-changing society, Maco de Oro College commits itself to provide quality transformative education that will produce competent, value-driven, service-oriented and culturally-sensitive professionals and citizens of the country and of the world. Maco de Oro College is the concretization and realization of a long-cherished dream of the Local Government Officials and the Municipal Mayor, Hon. Alvera Veronica R. Rimando, to make quality and affordable tertiary education, accessible to all particularly the low-income sectors of the municipality, the youth of the indigenous and home-grown Macoenos.