Tagum City National High School - History

History

Retired Schools Division Superintendent Eulalia B. Besañes in her visiting and observation of classes at Pantukan Provincial High School (Pantukan National High School) in 1967 spotted Ms. Gloria Gazmen. Miss Gazmen was then a regional demonstration teacher and facilitator in English. Upon Mrs. Basañes incessant prodding of Ms. Gazmen to transfer to Tagum Community High School, she left the established school to gamble her fate to then still shaky institution aside from a clear decrease in her salary. She had no choice but to yield to the order of the boss whose vision was to established and strengthen a public secondary school in the province’s capital town.

Mrs. Besañes, then Assistant Schools Division Superintendent informed Mrs. Basilisa Zamora, Tagum District in-charge who was the first administrator supervising Tagum Community High School about Miss Gazmen’s designation as school in-charge in 1970.

There was then a strong clamor to establish a public secondary school that would cater to the need of the poor and middle-class families who could not afford sending their students in the public schools. Former Magugpo Barangay Captain Prospero Estabillo and members of the Barangay Council persistence fought for the approval of a Barrio Charter for the creation of a barangay high school despite conflicts and pressures. The Barrio Charter was approved on February 14, 1967, and Tagum Community High School was established. The school’s formal opening was in June 1967 with 68 First Year and 54 Second Year students. The maiden graduation rites was set on March 1970.

The first Parents Teachers Association was organized by Mr. Narzal Conception. Mrs. Rosa Lucero was elected President and Mrs. Pelagia Conception as Secretary.

At the opening of school year 1967–1968, the pioneering teachers were Mrs. Hermina Selga, Mrs Aida Jain – Alcid, Mr. Nazal Conception, Mr. Silvestre Padilla with part-time teachers namely Mrs. Evangeline dela Cruz and Miss Bagara. Some of the above-mentioned teachers were transferred, hence the appointment of Mrs. Elizabeth Juarez, Mrs. Irenea Jumat, Mrs. Anecita Pondoc-Caral and Mrs. Armanda Bermudez. The following year, Mr. Rolando Castronuevo and Mrs. Betty Vinson were hired.

Seeing that the barangay had a difficulty in financing the school, the late Schools Division Superintendent Hermogenes Hipolito called a meeting with some PTA officials, Former Mayor Herminigildo Baloyo, members of the barangay council and Mrs. Gloria Gazmen née Tan to solve the problem. Finally, Magugpo Barangay Captain Dionisio Quirante, with his barangay council, Barangay Secretary Silvestre Padilla and Barangay Treasurer Nicandro Suaybaguio then prepared a resolution to convert Tagum Community High School into Tagum Municipal High School. The Resolution of Acceptance by the Municipal Council was made by Municipal Secretary David Aguinaldo from the motion of former Vice-Mayor Gelacio Gementiza and duly seconded by Councilors Antonio Lagunzad and Lucio Rallos. Finally, in 1972, Tagum Community High School was converted to Tagum Municipal High School. The Municipal Council later approved the release of funds for the physical facilities for the construction of classrooms at the old Municipal Gym, where the Freedom Park is now located, for the occupancy of the increasing population.

In the school year 1976-1977, PTA President Mr. Manuel Suaybaguio, Jr. and the rest of the officers with the assistance of Mrs. Gazmen-Tan worked in the acquisition of a permanent school site since the school was occupied a portion with Rizal Elementary School in the old Municipal Gym. Three members of the PTA Board of Directors who negotiated for the acquisition were Mrs. Natividad Manzano, Sgt. Antonio Francisco Sr., and Sgt. Sergio Pendon Sr. Finally, Mr. and Mrs. Climaco Maurillo made a monumental decision in their lives by donating a 20,003 square meter lot to the municipal government during the administration of the former Mayor. Gelacio Gementiza Sr. as the permanent site for the high school. It was on October 4, 1982, that the present school site was finally occupied by Tagum Municipal High School.

Prior to the transfer of the site, Mrs. Gazmen-Tan was swarmed with negative criticisms by most parents, for the site was a haven of snakes, a swampy, flood-prone grassland adjacent to a rice field, and to sum it all, not an ideal place for a learning institution. Resisting pressure, she continued her desire to prove that their judgement was wrong and the rest was history.

In 1986, Superintendent Teofilo Gomez requested the municipal government to donate the site to the DECS. It was during the time of the Superintendent Prudencio Mabanglo and Mayor Victorio Suaybaguio Jr. that the request was realized bearing land title number T-62535 approved on June 19, 1989.

TMHS was also chosen as one of the two secondary schools in the Division of Davao of the Engineering and Science Education Project (ESEP) Education Institute of the Department of Science and Technology, because of its academic performance, thus the introduction of the Special Science Classes (SSC) and further improving the school's status as a science-oriented public high school.

The school boasted a very cooperative GPTA and was, even then, a consistent recipient of assistance from national and local officials, It was mainly because of their trust and confidence to the leadership of Mrs. Gloria Gazmen-Tan who steered the school through thick and thin, with the efficiency and competence of its faculty members who were employed after undergoing stiff selection process.

Since the school's foundation in 1967, many PTCA Presidents have contributed in the modernization and progress of the school, to wit:

• Mrs. Rosa Lucero (conversation of Tagum Community High School to Tagum Municipal High School)
• Mr. Manuel Suaybaguio Jr. (acquisition of the present school site)
• former Barangay Captain Benigno Alvar (monetary assistance to teachers)
• Dr. Merolo Abrera (old fourth building)
• Mrs. Norma Pereyras (front fence and gates, industrial fans, water system and sound system)
• Mr. Arthuro Bandong, (completion of school fences)
• Engr. Gideon Ravara, (electrical installations)
• Mrs. Ruth Rala, (construction of PTA Office)
• Mr. Edgar Gante, (completion of PTA Office, Sci-Math Bazaar, School Clinic, Reading Center and Sound System)

The conversion of the Tagum Municipal High School to Tagum National High School took place in June 1998 with the help of the recent city officials with the help of the present mayor.

Mrs. Gloria Gazmen-Tan retired on January 4, 1999 and the Head Teacher Mrs. Rosalinda Fransisquete became OIC until September 1, 2000. Mr. Amadeo Patriarca then headed the school until his retirement on September 1, 2004, where he was succeeded by Mrs. Victoria P. Baquiedra, once a member on the school’s teaching force and served as the founding Principal of the La Filipina National High School, Principal II of Jose Tuason Jr. National High School and Principal-OIC of then-Tagum National High School.

On February 14, 2006, on its 39th Foundation anniversary, under the leadership of Mayor Rey T. Uy and the Department of Education, Tagum National High School was converted into Tagum City National High School and with this transition, TCNHS become the premier secondary education institution in the province of Davao del Norte.

As of 2007 Tagum City National High School gains appreciation and more reward from any institutions of different agencies and has become one of the tourist spots of the Tagum City.

Mrs. Balquiedra then retired on May 9, 2009, after 65 years of service, most of it in Tagum City National High School as Teacher, Principal-OIC and later, as Principal III for six years. She was succeeded by Mrs. Virginia S. Maningo as Principal-OIC who was then succeeded by Mr. Teodorico S. Caballero, Principal IV from Tagum City National Comprehensive High School on July 2, 2009.

The Department of Education - Division of Tagum City also announced during Mr. Caballero's appointment that the school, by the year of 2010, could become the prime institution for secondary education not only in Tagum City or Davao del Norte but in the whole Region XI, with the support from the LGU and DepEd.

The strong support for the ICT integration program paid off when in early of the school year 2010-2011, the school's website (hosted by Smart Communications) has been awarded as "Smart Schools Program's Website of the Month - September 2010" due to the integration of many of the school's important services off- and online, the richness of content, navigation and the inclusion of forums solely created for the students and alumni, plus a "donation" button for the website’s maintenance which can encourage help from visitors all over the globe, thus increasing the transparency and reliability of the school's services to its stakeholders and benefactors, notably the students, alumni and faculty.