“A Century of Excellence, Leadership, and Resiliency”
As we have celebrated the 100 years of existence of our “Alma Mater”, the Davao City National High School, let’s take a look at the history of the school and the highlights of the centennial year celebration through excerpts from various publications.
“WHAT started in 1922 with only 67 students in a nipa hut along Magallanes Street, now 100 years later, in 2022, has over 16,000 students in numerous concrete buildings along Torres Street, now known as Davao City National High School (DCNHS).
On Wednesday, June 23, 2022, the school administration, faculty, teaching, nonpersonnel, students, and alumni from various generations gathered on one special occasion to commemorate the centennial milestone of the city’s oldest and biggest public school.
With the theme, “A Century of Excellence, Leadership, and Resiliency,” various activities were conducted to launch the significant milestone, including a Mass, medical mission, motorcade, luncheon, and a centennial grand program in the afternoon.
DCNHS Principal Evelyn E. Magno shared during the centennial program that the school became a premier public secondary school in the Davao Region and had produced quality graduates, who are not only making a mark in the city but in other parts of the world.
“They also bring validation to the quality of the academic programs installed by the founding faculty and subsequent generations, and by the optimistic entrepreneurial spirit in availability that come to define the City High graduates,” Magno said.
The celebration, she said, not only honors the accomplishments of the past 100 years but also an affirmation of “moving forward and upward” in its future endeavors. Magno also said that the school won’t reach that far, without the trust and confidence of their parents as well.
HISTORY
The story of DCNHS, which has been known as “City High”, unfolded.
The school was first known as the Davao Provincial High School and had its humble beginning in 1922. It was founded under a single province Davao Region.
Dominador Fernandez was the first Officer-in-Charge and later Adolfo Casolan was the Principal with only three teachers to help him guide 67 students who were enrolled at the time.
When the municipality of Davao became a chartered city by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 51, series of 1937, the name of the school was fittingly changed to Davao City High School.
To accommodate the increasing enrollment, a building was constructed at its present site in 1941. Unfortunately, this building was completely demolished by American bombs during World War II in April 1945.
After liberation, classes were resumed temporarily at the Chavez Building at Claveria Street but later in March 1946, the school moved to a more spacious site at Villa Abrille Street.
In 1950, Davao City High School finally transferred to its present site along Florentino Torres Street with an area of 62,657 square meters. Of the spacious site, 28,804 square meters, approximately 3 hectares was donated by the Tionko Family through Tomas M. Tionko on October 30, 1939.
DCNHS has been referred to as the premier public secondary school in the region. It has become a leading school in Science, Math, English, and the Arts. It is an avenue for implementing different thrusts and programs of the Department of Education.
During its existence, it has undergone and overcame various challenges, including the war of the 40s until the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected schools around the entire world and forced them to shift to the digital learning modality.
However, it remains unclear as to when the school was exactly founded. DCNHS Alumni Association President Felizardo Enriquez Jr. said that various research and inquiries were conducted, but no records were found on the exact date of the founding of the school.
Enriquez said that through the alumni association, in coordination with the school administration and the Davao City government, a resolution was passed and approved by the City Council, led by then-Davao City Councilor and DCNHS alumni Maria Belen Sunga Acosta, declaring June 22, 1922, as the founding date of the school.
The celebration marks a century of excellence, leadership, and resiliency. Along with all of the alumni, we all take pride in this achievement!