03/02/2026
DR. DOROTEO MONTEDERAMOS SALAZAR
Engineer. Educator. Visionary. Builder of Dreams.
Happy 90th Birthday in Heaven Dr. Doroteo Montederamos Salazar.
Your life continues to inspire generations whose dreams you helped shape and whose futures you helped build.
Dr. Doroteo Montederamos Salazarโfondly known as Engr. Dodoโwas a man whose life story reads like a quiet epic of brilliance, sacrifice, faith, and service. He was not only the Founder and Former President of Salazar Colleges of Science and Institute of Technology (SCSIT) at 211 N. Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City, but also a mentor to generations, a nation-builder, and a living testament to what diligence and compassion can achieve.
Early Life: Excellence Born of Humble Beginnings
Born on February 4, 1936, in Maasin, Southern Leyte, Dr. Salazar grew up during a time of war, scarcity, and hardship. Even as a child, excellence marked his path. He graduated Valedictorian in both primary education at Sogod Elementary School and secondary education at St. Thomas Academy (now St. Thomas Aquinas College) in Southern Leyte.
Despite coming from a family of ten children, with a father who later suffered from tuberculosis, young Dodo learned early the value of work. He sold ice drops and peanuts, shined shoes, and did whatever honest labor was neededโnever allowing hardship to extinguish his dream of education.
Academic Brilliance and Scholarly Triumph
Armed with his valedictorian diploma, he entered the Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT) as a working scholar. He scrubbed floors, washed dishes, and tutored classmates in Algebraโalready teaching peers at just 17 years old.
Four years later, in 1957, he graduated Summa Cum Laude, earning the distinction of CIT King of Engineers, the highest honor among all engineering graduates of his batch. He completed BS Civil Engineering and BS Geodetic Engineering, setting a benchmark of academic excellence that would inspire generations.
He later earned:
Masterโs in Education
PhD in School Administration โ Cebu Doctors University
Doctor in Educational Management โ University of the Visayas
A Board Topnotcher Beyond Borders
Dr. Salazarโs intellect was not confined to classrooms. He topped and placed in multiple national and international licensure examinations, including:
Civil Engineering Board Exam (1958) โ 2nd Place
Geodetic Engineering Board Exam (1968) โ 1st Place
East-West Fulbright Asian Examination (1971) โ 1st Place
Professional Civil Engineering Exam, California, USA (1982) โ 2nd Place
Educator, Reviewer, and Author
Immediately after graduation, he was appointed Head of the Mathematics Department and Engineering Review at CITโthe only student in CIT history to assume such a role right after graduating. His leadership and mentorship led to CITโs exceptional board performances, earning the proud banner: โCIT TOPS AGAIN.โ
He authored seven engineering textbooks, founded the Salazar Engineering Review, and later established the Salazar Construction Engineering Review (SALCON) in 1958. What began humbly soon became a prestigious and trusted engineering review center, synonymous with competence, integrity, and board success.
Love, Partnership, and Family
Dr. Salazar was married to the late Zenaida โNaidingโ Figuracion Salazar, a woman of equal strength and dedication. Together, they raised six children: Alden, Beth, Cherrie, Doris, Edwin, and Frederick. Their partnershipโrooted in shared hardship, faith, and visionโbecame the foundation of their educational mission.
From Review Center to Educational Institution
In 1983, amid national economic turmoil, Dr. and Mrs. Salazar took a leap of faith and opened Salcon Institute of Technology, initially serving secondary students in the technical curriculum. The institution evolved:
Salcon Institute of Technology
Salazar Institute of Technology
Salazar Colleges of Science and Institute of Technology (SCSIT) on May 2, 2004, to meet expanding academic offerings in science and higher education.
SCSIT was never just a schoolโit was a lifeline for poor but deserving students, a place where opportunity met compassion.
Public Service and National Recognition
Dr. Salazar also served as Municipal Mayor of Madridejos, Cebu, where his leadership earned national acclaim:
Most Outstanding Professional โ Civil Engineering (1980)
Papal Award for Distinguished Community Service โ conferred by Pope John Paul II (1982)
Most Outstanding Municipal Mayor of the Philippines (1998)
Galing Pook Award (1999) for rural sports development, marked by the construction of the only Olympic-standard track oval in any Cebu town
In 1996, during his mayoral term, SCSIT Madridejos Campus openedโextending scholarships, Kโ12 education, and college programs to underserved communities.
A Favorite Line, A Lifelong Philosophy
At every graduation, Dr. Salazar would smile and remind students with words that became legend:
โBahalag TOP basta pasar!โ
A line filled with humorโbut grounded in humility, perseverance, and compassion. For him, success was not about ego, but about finishing the journey, lifting others, and never giving up.
Legacy
Dr. Doroteo M. Salazarโs life was a symphony of intellect and heartโwhere brilliance walked hand in hand with compassion. He was resourceful in the face of adversity, generous in moments of success, and unfailingly kind-hearted in leadership. From humble beginnings to towering achievements, he never lost sight of his mission: to uplift others through education.
Though he passed away on July 23, 2017, his spirit lives onโin every graduate who walks across the SCSIT stage, in every working student who dares to dream despite limitations, and in every educator who believes that excellence is best achieved with kindness. His legacy endures in every engineer who builds with integrity, every teacher who teaches with love, and every life transformed by the opportunities he so selflessly created.
He built more than buildings.
He built people.