Baybay City Division History
Baybay City Division was a most welcome by-product of one visionary leader’s marvelous dream of a better and progressive Baybay. When then Congresswoman Carmen L. Cari filed a bill for the conversion of Baybay City, it irreversibly sets events in motion that will totally change the municipality of Baybay, specifically the education sector.
Several months after the passage of RA 9389, an Unnumbered Regional Memorandum was issued on July 17, 2008, which laid out the order to “Commence Operation of the Interim Baybay City Division…”
With the commencement of the division’s operation, a Ceremonial Turn Over of the Key of Responsibility was held on August 15, 2008. It was immediately followed a week later by the momentous launching of the division and Oath Taking of Baybay City Division Personnel which was administered by the Regional Director Sol F. Matugas, CESO III.
Pedro T. Escobarte, CESO VI took his oath as OIC Schools Division Superintendent. Designated personnel to serve as support staff to the OIC SDS also took their oaths.
Though everything may not be smooth sailing and the office may have its rough and bumpy rides but nothing prepares it and its personnel from the trial that would be the retraction of the Supreme Court’s decision and consequent declaration of Baybay’s cityhood as unconstitutional on November 18, 2008.
With that downturn, Baybay City Division experienced a hiatus and a downhill ride which peaked in its deactivation as a division office and its establishment as a Sub-office of Leyte Division. However, while the designated personnel were advised to return to their former post, special orders were issued for them to continue to act and serve on the capacity they were previously assigned to do.
On the fateful day of February 15, 2011, the SC upheld its initial ruling with finality and declared Baybay, together with 15 other municipalities, as a city. It terminated the seemingly endless vacillations regarding the legality of Baybay’s cityhood as well as sealed the destiny of the division.
But it was not until December 6, 2012, that Baybay City Division had its soft launching and at the same time installation of Dr. Edita D. Vale as OIC-Schools Division Superintendent by Deped RO 8 Director, Dr. Luisa Bautista-Yu. The occasion was graced by Hon. Congressman Jose Carlos L. Cari, Hon. Mayor Carmen L. Cari, key city officials, and DepEd Personnel. And it’s during the launching that the new composition of designated personnel was introduced.
And on January 8, 2013, DepEd Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro, FSC, issued an Unnumbered Memorandum which orders the “Establishment of City Schools Division of Baybay, to separate from its mother division, the Division of Leyte, Pursuant to Sec. 49 of RA 9389…” Thus began the events for Baybay City Division to finally take its place in the annals of DepEd’s history.