HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL

Long time ago, Bantayan is one of the most progressive barangays in Tabaco. It is a 10-minute ride by jeepney or motorized tricycle from the poblacion which is 9 kilometers away. Daily, it hums with economic activities like the buying and selling of root crops and different kinds of fruits and vegetables. The residents are mostly office workers, home industry workers, small time businessmen, farmers and laborers.


To a stranger who has been to this place for the first time, this barangay whose name was derived from the word “bantay” meaning “to guard it from rebels during the Filipino- Spanish war” could be mistaken for a town because it has a public market, health center, post office, gasoline station, concrete houses and prominent residents more or less ten years ago.

And now starting to re-structure and develop through the help of Hon. Ronnel R. Borromeo, the City Councilor and formerly SK Chairman of Tabaco and the Barangay Council headed by Hon. Arsenio Biglete, the Barangay Captain. Against the backdrop, Mrs. Salvacion Andes-Obias, former Municipal Councilor and the native of the place saw what was lacking in the growing community which could provide the children of the poor with high school education-a Barangay High School. She articulated her dreams seeing a high school in Bantayan during PTA meetings when she was the active president for several years.


That day in January 1981, Mrs. Obias personally approached Miss Thelma M. Bueson then the Head Teacher of Bantayan Elementary School to open a high school. After consulting DECS officials like Mr. Martin Morosa who was then the Private School Area Supervisor for Albay and Mrs. Clementina C. Bongon, General Education Supervisor II of the DECS Region V, the lady Head Teacher (now the Schools Division Superintendent of Tabaco City) briefed Mrs. Obias, Barangay Captain Inocentes Rocha and Councilwoman Carmen Bigayan were ready with the petition signed by the parents from the five sitios of Bantayan and three neighboring barangays while the other required papers were prepared by Miss Thelma M. Bueson.

By June 2, 1981, the permit was approved by the Regional Offices. Thus, on June 13, 1981, the Barangay High School fifty-five first year enrollees. The class was housed in the Multi-Purpose Building in the Elementary School Site which was repaired and painted through the efforts of Barangay Captain Inocentes Rocha. Although the tuition fees of the students came in trickles, the first teacher assigned, Mr. Teofilo Gonzales did not experience delayed payments of salary because the Rocha’s and Aramburo’s ( the prominent families who helped the people in the barangay) were ever ready to make a deposit at the Municipal Treasurer’s Office so that he could withdraw his monthly salary on time. The following school year 1982-1983 saw the influx of second year students. The continued guidance of Miss Gloria Brondial, the Principal of Tabaco National High School and Mrs. Jovena C. Borero, District Supervisor of Tabaco North District, enable the school to go on with its approved missions of providing the youth with the quality secondary education.

The school has its first classrooms just adjacent to the elementary school covering an area of 5,000 square meters donated by the late Mr. Simeon Arciga Aramburo through the joint efforts of the PTA and Barangay Council. The dedication and commitment of the administrators assigned here enabled the school to pass the acid test and turn out its first graduates in 1984-1985. Worthy of mention of the following administrators:

Miss Thelma M. Bueson - Assistant Principal - 1981-1982 Mrs. Jovena C. Boreero - Assistant Principal - 1982-1987 Mrs. Paz A. Canafe - Assistant Principal - 1987-1988 Mrs. Belly M. Basilio - Officer In-Charge - 1988-1989 SCHOOL PERSONNEL Mr. Pablo A. Balabis Mrs. Belly M. Basilio - Teacher In-Charge Mrs. Sonia B. Buarao Mr. Cesar B. Camata Miss Angustia O. Jacob Mrs. Elenita A. Loteria Mrs. Josefina B. Buendia

In 2004, Mrs. Myrna B. Gonzales, Principal I of the school was able to ask help from Hon. Krisel Lagman-Luistro, then the Congresswoman of the First District of Albay, Hon. Alex A. Burce, the Tabaco City Mayor, Dr. Amy o. Oyardo, Schools Division Superintendent and the Barangay Council of Bantayan headed by Hon. Martin Ocampo to purchase a 1.22 hectare land for the school’s new site which is about 200 meters away from the original high school.

When Mrs. Myrna B, Gonzales was promoted as Education Supervisor I in Science, Mrs. Rosa C. Jarlego was assigned as Principal I of the school from July to October 2004 and she continued working for the papers of the purchase including the last payment at the Development Bank of the Philippines. Before the end of October 2004, Mrs. Rosa C. Jarlego was promoted to Principal II at San Lorenzo National High School, so she turned over her leadership of the high to Dr. Genera A. Perol who was also promoted from Officer In-Charge of Mariroc High School to Principal I on November 2, 2004 to date. With the new school head, the purchased site was surveyed through the help of former City Mayor Alex A. Burce and Engr. Noel Bonaobra, the lower part was cleared and bulldozed through the help of Hon. Ronnel R. Borromeo and his uncle Johnny Rocha.


In this lower part of the land, three classrooms were built through the PROJECT CARE: the first classroom was built last school year 2006-2007 by DPWH and the two additional classrooms were built on August 1, 2007 through the PROJECT CARE- all through the efforts of Hon. Edcel C. Lagman, Congressman of the First District of Albay.

With strong leadership and well-trained faculty, the school was able to withstand the tests of time with the support of the GO’s and NGO’s, stakeholders, PTA and friends of education, it continues to educate students not only from Bantayan, but also from the neighboring barangays such as Buang, Buhian, Comun, Tabiguian, Quinstillojan, Oras and Sua-Igot. From these barangays, our graduates can proudly say that they have received life long learning and quality education.