Elisea Kiamzon Belamide was an educator whose contributions have helped thousands of people in her hometown of Silang, Cavite and beyond.
Elisea K. Belamide together with Mrs. Patrocinio Belamide, Mrs. Maria Manalo and a few others rallied around Reverend Michael Donoher, the Columban parish priest of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, in an effort to establish the first high school in Silang, the Infant Jesus Academy (IJA), on June 4, 1945. Elisea, a Home Economics teacher at Silang Elementary School at the time, provided chinaware, cutlery and other kitchen equipment. In addition, she helped hire the first teachers of IJA.
After IJA, Mrs. Belamide’s heartfelt concern for out-of-school youth, made her decide to put up a vocational school. This vocational school became the start of her most enduring legacy – Cavite Institute.
She established Cavite Institute (CI) to help the young people of Silang get a quality education that would enable them to reach their full potential and prepare them for future leadership of the community. She believed that providing education is one of the most effective ways to achieve individual success and become an active contributor to society.
Since then, CI has evolved from a vocational school to a government recognized school which offers primary and secondary education. CI has also opened its doors to differently-abled children through its Special Education Program.
Today, the mission of Cavite Institute mirrors Elisea K. Belamide’s commitment to fostering our country’s future: by providing education that is relevant to the times and meets people’s needs.