Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod is a private, Catholic, co-educational institution of learning owned and administered by the Augustinian Friars of the Province of Sto. Niño de Cebu, Philippines.
The institution traces its beginnings to the Casanova School founded by Doña Soledad Locsin, which officially became Colegio de San Agustin de Bacolod on July 8, 1962. It initially offered kindergarten, elementary, and high school education.
In response to the need of a bustling Bacolod City and an expanding sugar industry in Negros for a highly trained workforce, the functions of CSA-B were expanded in 1963 to provide bachelor’s degree programs in Liberal Arts, Education, Commerce, and Technology. It became the first school in Bacolod City to offer Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, and Medical Technology programs. This necessitated the construction of its first structure – the San Agustin Bldg., which currently houses the administrative offices. Experiencing a sharp rise in student enrolment in 1969, the School added the Sta. Monica Bldg. along 18th Street to serve as the major classroom building.
The ‘70s and ‘80s saw CSA-B gaining distinction in the field of education, with its students excelling in various local and national competitions and government licensure examinations. The opening of the College of Nursing in 1970 thrust CSA-B into prominence in nursing education. Its sports program also produced outstanding athletes, particularly in basketball. The Sto. Tomas de Villanova Gymnasium was built in 1975 to serve as a venue for the school’s various sports, cultural, and other major activities. The east wing of the Sta. Monica Bldg. was added in the same year. Continued growth in its student population in 1987 prompted the construction of another structure – the Sto. Niño Bldg. to house the Basic Education Department.
In 1995, an annex was added to the east wing of the Sta. Monica Bldg. to accommodate the extensive collection and services of the Learning Resource Center; the west wing was built in 1997. The San Nicolas de Tolentino Bldg., presently housing the College of Engineering, was constructed in 1998.
CSA-B embarked on further expansion, both in its program offerings and physical facilities, at the turn of the millennium.
New undergraduate programs in Computer Engineering and Electronics Engineering were launched in 2001, followed by Information Technology and Tourism in 2002. The period from 2000 to 2003 saw the Sto. Niño Bldg. renovated and extended, the five-storey Alfonzo de Orozco Student Center Bldg. constructed, and the CSA-B Park opened. The Sto. Niño Early Childhood Learning Center, an extension campus in Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod City, was inaugurated in 2003.
In 2006, the School started to serve as an offshore venue of the Graduate School of the University of San Agustin for master’s degree programs in Business Administration, Nursing, Medical Technology, and Education. In 2008, the school established the Center for Entrepreneurial Formation and accepted its first students in the Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship program.
The Bachelor of Science in Information System and the Bachelor in Library Information Science programs opened in the same year. Development at the extension campus began in 2007 with the addition of two more floors to the Sto. Niño Early Childhood Learning Center Building, to house the first-ever virtual laboratory for nursing in Western Visayas. Blessing of the kiddie pool and the covered six-lane junior Olympic swimming pool was held on April 29, 2008.
CSA-B has also endured its fair share of challenges and adversity.
The summer of 2014 marked a particularly difficult chapter for the school when fire burned down the old gymnasium, leaving the entire school community in shock. Thankfully, however, no one was reported injured. For many Augustinians, the loss was more than just structural – it was deeply personal. The gym had been a sanctuary of school spirit, athletic triumphs, and countless shared memories. This led to the launching of the Rebuild to Re-live campaign which supported and eventually made possible the construction of the school’s new and improved gymnasium.
The school was also not exempt from the tremendous disruption caused by COVID-19 in 2020. Thus, CSA-B had to adapt to a distance learning system. Innovation in digital learning and teaching, including physical facilities, became the only response and option of the school.
Addressing the needs of education during the outbreak, proper infrastructure in the school was built, like handwashing facilities, isolation rooms, retrofitted classrooms, offices and hallways, directional signages for social distancing, table barriers and many others. In the second half of 2022 when the pandemic was starting to wane, CSA-B began to shift back to the conventional mode of education, from distance learning to full face-to-face modality.
Today, Colegio San Agustin – Bacolod is a living testament of a vision and mission that has withstood the challenges of the times.
CSA-B is duly accredited by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) in Psychology, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Business Administration, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Accountancy, Information Technology, Hospitality Management, Tourism Management, Nursing, Medical Technology, Pharmacy, and Basic Education including Senior High School. The excellence of CSA-B’s programs has resulted in the outstanding performance of its graduates in the various licensure examinations, particularly for medical technologists, nurses, and pharmacists for which the school has received commendations from CHED and PRC.
CSA-B is also certified according to multiple international standards. In October 2024, CSA-B was officially conferred with its ISO 21001:2018 Certification, a testament to the institution’s commitment to quality Augustinian education.
In September 2025, this was further solidified, when CSA-B successfully passed its combined audit according to both ISO 9001:2015, the Quality Management System Standard, and ISO 21001:2018, the Educational Organization Management System Standard.
Over the years, CSA-B has produced many top-placers in different licensure examinations. It has grown into a well-equipped and respected educational institution in Bacolod City. It will continue to develop and offer programs that will allow its graduates to take their place with confidence in a world that is continuously being reshaped by technology.
CSA-B continues to deliver quality education through its main campus along B. S. Aquino Drive and the Villa San Agustin Campus along Burgos Ave. It continues to pursue its educational thrust of vibrant lifelong learners through values formation and academic excellence through research-oriented and scientific-based inquiries and methods.
From its humble beginnings in 1962, Colegio San Agustin – Bacolod has remained committed to its purpose of providing quality education to the City of Bacolod and the Province of Negros Occidental. Anchored in its motto of Virtus Et Scientia, the institution continues to uphold its dedication to the Catholic, Filipino, and Augustinian formation of the youth. It also remains faithful to upholding the mission of the Church by fostering a community life that is of one mind and one heart on the way to God. As a beacon of hope, the school continues to shape and prepare young men and women, honing their knowledge and skills to meet the demands of future challenges.