Introduce to Holy Cross High School

Holy Cross High School
Its Past and Present

Holy Cross High School was originally established as Dumaguete Chinese School on July 15, 1928.

It came into existence through the efforts of the Dumaguete Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the moving spirits behind which were the men who composed its Board of Directors of 1926-1928 and who have since then been considered as the founders of the school, namely, Mariano L. Uy Matiao (President), Abdon Velez(Vise-President), Cang Yuco(Treasurer), Que Teck Tuen(Secretary), Gregorio Pascual(English Secretary), Uy Yao Khun, Ong Chiong Chi, Sun Ug Son, Santiago Chiu Bontin, Hoo Wing, Yu Yiok Lin, Jo Tian Sang, Tan Tang Sia, Sun Un Po, Tan Ching Tak, and Du Quinco(Directors).

The purpose of establishing this school then was to give the youth of the Chinese community in Dumaguete as well as in the Province of Negros Oriental an opportunity to learn not only a primary knowledge about the Philippines and the rest of the world, but also to acquire knowledge about China and its rich culture which emphasizes the need of cultivating desirable traits and virtues in the development of one’s character.

Located at the corner of Santa Catalina and Noblefranca Streets, the school started its operation in 1928 as a primary school with one principal, three teachers and 40 pupils. The schoolhouse was a small, modest one-storey wooden building with scanty furniture and equipment. A shanty-type house built of wood and nipa served as the dwelling for the principal. Between the schoolhouse and the house was a vacant lot which was used as the playground. The late Santiago Chiu Bontin was then the chairman of the school’s Board of Trustees. The late Mr. Chiu Yu Po was the school principal.

From such a humble beginning, the school has gradually grown, developed and has now become one of the best equipped and well-known high schools in our locality.

Here are some of the important developments that took place during its last eighty years of existence.

THE SCHOOL NAME Founded as Dumaguete Chinese School in 1928, the school was renamed Dumaguete Chinese High School after its high school department was created, which took place during the administration of the late Mr. Chi-sin Tsai, the principal who served from 1949 to 1956. The school was again renamed Holy Cross High School in 1968, during the incumbency of Reverend Father Joseph Wang as the principal. The renaming was made to correct the wrong impression of the public that the school is only open to students of Chinese ancestry.

SCOPE OF INSTRUCTION Originally established as a primary school, the school has become a high school after the high school department was added to its scope of instruction during the tenure of the late Mr. Chi-sin Tsai. Since then, the school has been offering: 1) a two-year kindergarten class in Chinese; 2) a six-year elementary course in Chinese and English; 3) a three-year junior high school course in Chinese; 4) a four-year high school course in English.

SUBJECTS In compliance with the requirement of the Ministry of Education and Culture, all subjects that are being taught in all the private schools throughout the country in elementary and secondary levels have been similarly included and updated in the curriculums of this school. The Chinese subjects which are offered as a foreign language include Chinese language, Composition and Literature.

BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES In 1949, the old, one-storey wooden schoolhouse and the old house used as the principal’s dwelling were all demolished. In 1950-1951, through the efforts of the Board of Trustees, under the chairmanship of the late Mr. Tan Un Jo, new buildings were erected in the school campus.

The main school building, a concrete, modernized two-storey structure with a roof garden, provides spacious, well-ventilated working offices for the administrative and teaching staffs, classrooms and rooms for other uses.

A three-storey wooden dormitory for girls and another three-storey wooden dormitory for boys, constructed at the back of the school campus, provide not only sufficient rooms for such purpose, but also rooms for use as: living quarters for the School Director, lodgings for lady teachers, working-class room for Home Arts Department for girls, Citizen Army Training (CAT) and Scout’s room, working-class room for Practical Arts Department for boys, laboratory room for chemistry, biology and physics classes, storeroom for school equipment, janitors’ living quarters and kitchen.

In the center of the ground and second floors of the boys’ dormitory building, a two-storey high stage has also been erected for use to hold commencement exercises, musical and literary programs. The stage faces a large, sheltered, light-equipped, cement-floored gymnasium which also serves as a basketball court. Adjacent to it is an open-air cement-floored volleyball court which is also used as playground for primary-grade pupils, exercising ground for CAT trainees, practicing ground for the drum and bugle corps. Behind the volleyball court, a renovated toilet with separate divisions for girls and boys, has been daily and sanitarily maintained.

In the second floor of the main building, a library which faces the sea, provides an atmosphere conducive to reading books and other reading materials such as encyclopedias, magazines and newspapers which are orderly displayed. The library is also used once every month at night time by the school’s Board of Trustees and the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Dumaguete City’s Board of Directors for their regular meetings.

The roof garden atop the main building, renovated with a rooftop through the efforts of the Board of Trustees during the chairmanship of Mr. Que Teck Tuen, provides an airy, capacious space for the school to conduct P.E., Health Education and Scouting classes for girl’s Youth Development Training (YDT). It is also used as a social hall for activities like the Juniors-Seniors prom.

ADMINISTRATORS The late Mr. Chiu Yu Po served from 1928 to 1931; the late Mr. Lim Yet Min served from 1931 to 1941; the late Mr. Co Siongchi served as acting principal from 1945 to 1949; the late Mr. Chi-sin Tsai served from 1949 to 1956; the late Mr. Lianghong Po served from 1956 to 1958; Rev. Fr. Joseph Wang served from 1958 to 1969 as the School Director; Rev. Fr. Bartholomew Sun has been serving as the School Director since 1969; Mr. Francisco Macasieb has been serving as the School Principal since 1965.

ENROLLMENT AND FACULTY From the initial number of 40 pupils in 1928, the enrollment has substantially and impressively increased from year to year. From the initial staff of three teachers in 1928, the faculty members has soared to the present number of 20 teachers in the English Department and 6 instructors in the Chinese Department.

STUDENTS’ ACTIVITIES Aside from participating in the required CAT, YDT, and YCAP programs, the students of Holy Cross High School have also joined the school’s basketball team, drum and bugle corps, science club, scout camping and the youth and children’s choir organized under the guidance of their teachers. During the past few years, some students have brought honors competitions in provincial, regional or national levels involving singing, drawing, essay-writing, oration, science quiz bowls and science project making.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES--- 1976 The highest policy-determining body of Holy Cross High School is the Board of Trustees. It is composed of a group of prominent businessmen and outstanding civic leaders in our community. Occupying the top post as Chairman of the Board is Mr. Julio O. Sy, Sr.. Atty. Antonio S. Ramas Uypitching, Sr., and Mr. Gregorio E. Uymatiao, Sr. were elected as Vice-Chairman and Treasurer respectively, with the former elected also as the Board Secretary. Since then, under their able leadership, the board has made some significant innovations that have greatly improved the administration of the school. Among the innovations are: 1) A monthly board meeting is held during which problems affecting the operation of the school are brought-up and as a result, solutions are worked out; 2) Resolutions have been adopted to: (a) to update the standard of teaching; (b) to adjust the salaries of the teachers to their required level; (c) to employ well-qualified and competent teachers; (d) to expand the working office of the administrative and teaching staff; (e) to acquire more equipment for use in the office; (f) to convene from time to time a teacher-board joint meeting with a view of airing problems and seeking solutions to such problems; (g) to offer scholarship to poor but deserving students.

PTA Through the encouragement of the Board of Trustees, a Parent-Teacher Association was organized in 1976. Elected as officers were: Mrs. Rebecca Sycip, President; Mrs. Bella Sybico, Vice-President; Mrs. Anesia Sy, Treasurer. Composed of parents and guardians of students and all teachers of the school, and holding meetings once every two months, the PTA has brought out and solved problems which have relevance to the training of the students as well as to other matters that could help improve the operation of the school. A very significant project that was undertaken by the PTA is the raising of funds to put up an artesian well and water tank to solve the water problem encountered by the school. The project was completed sometime in July 1978.

For the past half-century, Holy Cross High School has been rendering a dedicated educational service to the community by producing batch after batch of graduates who later became successful in their chosen fields of endeavor. Inspired by the enterprising spirit of its founders, encouraged by its past accomplishments, sustained by the continuous support of the Chinese community, heartened by the devoted performance of its administrative and teaching staffs, strengthened by its steady growth of student enrolment, and guided by the progressive policies of its Board of Trustees, Holy Cross High School will continue to pursue its noble mission of training boys and girls who could later become valuable assets to our society and could contribute ably their abilities in the task of nation building.