Introduction and History

Bob Hughes Christian Academy is one of the ministries of Bible Baptist Church. The school offers holistic training designed to develop the spiritual and academic qualities of its students.

It was in 1978 when Dr. Armie F. Jesalva founded Bob Hughes Christian Academy. The aim of putting up a school as one of the ministries under the auspices of Bible Baptist Church Cebu City was to carry on the vision and legacy of American missionary Rev. Robert “Bob” Hughes.

The school was named Bob Hughes Christian Academy as a tribute to Rev. Bob Hughes who founded Bible Baptist Church Cebu City in 1957. It was the vision of Rev. Hughes to have a Christian school that would train boys and girls of the church. When Rev. Hughes left for the US, the torch of leadership for the growing church was passed on to Dr. Jesalva, a medical doctor who gave up the medical profession to become full time pastor of Bible Baptist Church in 1969.

Since Bible Baptist Church was founded in 1957, it took some 21 years for the vision of a Christian school to take shape and come alive as Dr. Jesalva saw the vital contribution a Christian school would have in educating and training boys and girls in God’s ways.

In 1977, Dr. Jesalva heard of the Accelerated Christian Education Curriculum, an individualized, non-graded program from the United States. He also learned that the program’s formulator and founder, Dr. Donald Howard was in the Philippines promoting the program and conducting training.

A meeting with Dr. Howard convinced Dr. Jesalva of the soundness of the program. He was especially impressed with how the ACE curriculum placed importance on building the character and strengthening the spiritual life of children. He believed that it was God’s plan to put the program in place in Bible Baptist Church.

Although the school was subsidized with church funds, it still encountered financial constraints. Being a man of vision and faith, Dr. Jesalva sold his car to finance the training of the staff in Manila, the construction of student offices, the buying of school materials and supplies and the payment of staff salaries. The core staff included Dr. Jesalva as principal, his wife Mrs. Liberty Jesalva as the Supervisor, Mrs. Sarah Soria, Mrs. Daisy Saja and Miss Rafaelita “Pie” Navaja as monitors.

In 1978, the core team worked with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports to obtain a permit to operate. The school was organized and was granted recognition by then Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports. Named, Bob Hughes Christian Academy, the school was formally found and made fully operational in 1978 with 80 students. Of this number, 20 were in the Upper Level and 60 in the Lower Level. A year later, a pre-school was opened with the name, “The Self Pronouncing Alphabet.” (SPA) During this time, the school became the second Accelerated Christian Education School nationwide. In 1981, BHCA produced its first batch of graduates.

Through the years and with the increase in student population, more buildings were constructed. In 1998, construction started for a three-storey building. Upon its completion in 2002, the building was able to house six learning centers, two offices, a mini library, and an Audio Visual room.

For some forty years, some 600 graduates completed their secondary education at Bob Hughes Christian Academy.

The school changed its name from Bob Hughes Christian Academy to Cebu Bob Hughes Christian Academy with the creation of a new set of officers under the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A testament to how BHCA students live out our school's mission, vision and core values, we made a huge impact both at the most recent NSC 2019 and JSC 2020!

Mission

It is the mission of Cebu Bob Hughes Christian Academy to instill Biblical character, truth and wisdom in the lives of students to prepare them for a life of service to God, their families and their communities.

Vision

Anchored on Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”, Cebu Bob Hughes Christian Academy envisions to be a dynamic and exciting center for Christian learning that develops individuals who will impact their communities and the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the Glory of God.

Core Values

In sallying forth its vision and carrying on its mission, Cebu Bob Hughes Christian Academy was founded on the value of creating a Christian impact on civil society. Impact stands for Intimacy, Moral Excellence, Preference, Accountability, Commission and Tenacity.

I – Intimacy means close personal relationship with the God of the universe that unites His people with Him.

M – Moral Excellence is manifested in personal righteousness that demonstrates God’s power in a person and for which he is held in high esteem.

P – Preference means proper respect for God and others that produces a culture of peace.

A – Accountability entails a strong sense of responsibility to God and authorities.

C – Commission involves a deep inner compulsion from God for the reproduction of disciples.

T – Tenacity is a demonstration of rigor which displays a supreme effort to represent God in everything that an Academy student does.

Goals

  1. Develop spiritual and scripturally-based discernment while acquiring knowledge by presenting the Bible as the revelation of the work and character of God.
  2. Develop Christ-centered behavior, speech and demeanor by leading students to recognize their sinful state and to accept Christ which produces Christ-like behavior.
  3. Develop critical thinking and understanding in learning and acquiring knowledge.
  4. Develop and imbibe competencies as provided for in the School of Tomorrow System and the Department of Education.
  5. Design a curriculum that blends School of Tomorrow System and the Department of Education curriculum.