Remembering and celebrating

It is a well accepted truism that “yesterday is gone forever and tomorrow may never come.” So we should always consider “today as the first day of the rest of our life” and make the most out of every moment in it. As my aging Ateneo Law School classmates would say, “carpe diem” (seize the moment).

But to seize the moment and make the most out of today, we also have to look back at the significant events of yesterday and the lessons they impart. And this can be done by recalling and celebrating those occasions on their anniversaries.

Of course, aside from the significant events contributing to our country’s history which the entire nation celebrates, there are also some events celebrated only by some families, organizations or communities which are worth writing about here and now, especially because they somehow have some impact or benefitted the lives of many others.

One of these events very especial to the people of Capiz, is the centennial celebration of the Capiz National High School this coming April 27, as reported by an alumnus, PR man and fellow Rotarian Anthony (Tony) Vidal, and the committee composed of Ms. Nanette Calixterio, Mrs. Cecilia Balderama, and former principals, Mrs. Narcisa Artates and Josefa Argos.

Originally named Capiz High School, it was completed in 1914 with a teaching staff of Americans providing education patterned after the American system. So at the start, the school had English speaking students wearing Filipino dresses and barongs as uniforms.

The high school offered normal course consisting of History, Biology, Reading Methods, Arithmetic Methods and Music. It also offered general course consisting of History, English Mathematics, Science, Biology and Physical Education. In 1933, the normal course was abolished and in 1935 the vocational courses were offered for first and second year students on an exploratory basis and as specializations for the third and fourth year students.

Capiz High School likewise enabled its students to engage in athletics and sports thereby producing outstanding athletes who competed in regional and national meets even if it had no stadium. Lately it had also responded to the challenge of excellence in visual and performing arts producing talents for global competitiveness after it opened the Special Program in the Arts.

But like other institutions, its normal operation was interrupted during the Second World War when it was used and occupied by the Japanese Imperial forces as their garrison. Thus it was burned down and severely damaged when the American forces came and liberated the place.

In 1957, the high school was closed and became part of the Capiz School of Arts and Trades, now the Capiz State University. It was reopened in 1960 through the initiative of the late Governor Atila Balgos and Assistant Division Superintendent of Schools, Jesus A. Mejorada with Ms. Socorro F. Mejorada as its principal. She was thereafter succeeded by Federico Roldan with Ms. Josefa Argos as assistant principal. In 1972 as the high school continued to grow, several department heads were assigned to assist Ms. Argos.

On February 8, 1982, Batas Pambansa Blg. 137 sponsored by Capiz Assemblyman Jaenito Madamba was enacted converting the school into Capiz National High School. Since then, the school continued to grow and reap successes with Ms. Argos as principal. In 1988, she was replaced by Mrs. Narcisa Artates who initiated a project that gave birth to the Special Science and Technology Class (SSTC) in a tie-up with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) which donated computers used for instruction. So in 1993, it was conferred the Divisional Leader School and Pilot School for Principal Empowerment and was also awarded as the Best Performing School in Region VI. The high school likewise became the beneficiary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Computers for Public Schools Project that led to the opening of the computer-based literacy instruction, the “School of the Future.”

In 2006, Capiz National High School gained international recognition when it won the 4th Grand National Award in Research at Albuquerque, USA for the Science Investigatory Project of Melvin Carlo Barroa. This feat was repeated in 2009 during the stint of Tony Vidal as principal replacing Ms. Artates. Then in 2011 the school once more won the 4th major award in Research at Nevada and the 2nd place in Chemistry Category at New Mexico, USA for the Science Investigatory Project of Ms. Angelie Dy besting 58 other countries.

And so with such a sterling track record, Capiz National High School faces the future confident of attaining new heights in the field of mental, physical and cultural education.

Another event worth writing about was commemorated last April 16. It was the blessing of a room in the famous restaurant for all seasons known to almost every one as the Aristocrat Restaurant still located at Roxas Boulevard where it was first put up. The room is aptly called “Nostalgia” room where the favorite meriendas of its founder “Lola Asiang” Reyes, will be served. The event was organized by the present generation of Reyeses at the instance of Priscilla Reyes-Pacheco and her husband Nandy Pacheco.

The room indeed evokes a lot of nostalgia even with its modern design and amenities simply because most of the guests who came belong to the generation of “oldies.” They came because they missed and would like to savor once more their favorite merienda, like the arroz caldo, pancit luglog, lumpiang ubod, tokwa’t baboy, dinuguan at puto and halo-halo.  That feeling of nostalgia was heightened by learning that this multi-million chain of restaurants actually started operation through the lowly “push cart” that we still see in our streets up to now.

These are two events really worth remembering and celebrating.

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