Colegio San Agustín – Makati, also referred to by its acronym CSA or CSA-Makati, is a private, Catholic, co-educational basic education institution run by the Augustinian Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus of the Philippines of the Order of Saint Augustine in Dasmariñas Village, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines.
The school is one of the most diverse in the Philippines in terms of nationality, with 11% of the student population coming from over 40 countries. Like its sister schools (Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod, Colegio San Agustin-Biñan and Colegio San Agustin-Bulacan), the students of CSA-Makati are called "Augustinians" (Filipino: Agustino).
History
In 1967 the Augustinians, with the approval of the Fr. Santos Abia y Polvorosa, the Augustinian Regional Superior, purchased from Ayala y Cía eight hectares of land in Dasmariñas Village, Makati, with an option to buy four (4) more adjacent hectares within ten years. On November 24, 1976, nine years later, they received as donation from Ayala y Cía, two of the four hectares stipulated in the option agreement. In turn, they released the last two hectares of land to Ayala y Cía, for the latter to sell to other parties. By then, Colegio San Agustín already owned ten hectares: eight through purchase and two through donation.
To organize a new corporation, the Augustinians used an existing organization, Colegio San Agustín (Bacolod), Inc. to acquire the land, agree to the option and make initial payments. Fr. Ambrosio Galindez of Colegio San Agustín (Bacolod), Inc. and Mr. Miguel Ortigas of Makati Development Corporation (now part of Ayala Corporation) signed the agreements in January 1967. The agreements stipulated that within six months the purchaser had to submit a development plan to the owner that would include the setting up of elementary, high school and college facilities within the area, upon which detailed plans for the buildings to be constructed would be based.
When the new corporation emerged, the president, Fr. Ambrosio Galindez, transferred the rights from Colegio San Agustín (Bacolod) to San Agustín College (Makati), Inc. on April 25, 1967.
Auxiliary Bishop Bienvenido Lopez, D.D., blessed the cornerstone of the first CSA building on September 1, 1968. Ten months later, on July 7, 1969, the school opened its doors to the first enrollees, both male and female, numbering 652. On August 28, 1969, Cardinal Rufino Santos blessed the first buildings constructed by architect Manuel T. Mañosa Jr.: the administration building, which served as the priests' residence, and the grade school building, phase 1, which temporarily housed kindergarten, preparatory, elementary and high school levels. At the start, only two priests, Frs. Ángel Rodríguez and Horacio Rodríguez, ran the school with the help of twenty-four lady teachers. The levels offered then were kindergarten, preparatory, grades one to six, first and second year high school. The addition of grade seven, third and fourth year high school came in subsequent years. Today, there are six Augustinian priests and nearly four hundred employees in CSA. Classes from nursery to preparatory, grades one to twelve (implementation of the K-12 program), serving a student body of more than 6,100.
School enrollment increased significantly, requiring rapid physical expansion in the early years: the bull-ring-shaped kindergarten building in 1972; the ultra-modern CSA chapel, phase 1 of the covered basketball courts, the grade school canteen and phase 2 of the grade school building in 1973, and the sports complex in 1974.
Given the need for expansion, CSA embarked on expansion projects under Architect Jose O. Dizon: the high school building in 1977, the theatre in 1980, the high school annex in 1985, and the grade school southeast wing in 1986.
In 1992 the administration pushed for the construction of the Polysport and the cafetorium. In 1995 the school equipped itself to handle computer systems.
Air-conditioning of classrooms at all levels was implemented in 2002, the year the streetlight project was completed and the vertical extension of the grade school covered walk fence added.
In 2004 architect Ireneo Jasareno conducted a major renovation of the CSA theatre, which was inaugurated on November 25, 2005, and of the Sta. Rita de Cascia Hall (grade school lecture room), which was blessed on June 30, 2006. He also was responsible for the technical supervision of the construction of La Pergola de Maria, Mary's grotto, on January 17, 2008.