02/08/2025
๐๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐ | From Then to Now: A Look Back At Manolo Fortich National High Schoolโs History
โ๐๐ต๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ด ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ ๐ด๐ถ๐ค๐ค๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐บ๐ช๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฅ.โ
Brick by brick, the aging walls of this garden of wisdom have absorbed not just knowledge, but the very essence of those who walked its pathโ their potential unlocked and dreams realized.
In the rolling hills of the countryside of Bukidnon, where lush green landscapes stretch as far as the eye can see, and like memories not yet forgotten, lies a heritage of crucible minds that has battled through time, survived numerous storms, and now stands strong against any challenges. It has left behind a legacy of the perseverance, hardships, and enduring strengths it encountered during all the adversity of its development. The footprints of its undeniable tenacity uphold the values of serving the youth, serving the town, and striving for the spotless jewelsโits studentsโwho carry the torch of knowledge.
Founded during a period of uncertainty, the school served as a ray of hope for a community committed to education. Its will and dedication to teaching, in spite of obstacles, have made it a pillar of the community, benefiting the town's youth and making dreams come true.
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐
At the beginning of the 1960s, the local community was challenged by an unpleasant, difficult and significant situation. Higher education was only available for the rich; many intelligent intellectuals were bound to the earth, their potential was never developed due to the circumstances. However, in this greatest difficulty of need, a vision began taking shape. Sixty-two years ago, on a fateful day of August 3, 1963, a pillar of educational advancement and community growth that was once a dreamerโs imagination came to reality.
It all started in a place not meant for learning but for selling. With the fervor of a town council led by the late Hon. Eustaquio P. Domingo and Councilor Socorro Valdueza transformed the bustling, vibrant, and diverse colorful stalls of the municipal market into developing, striving, and evolving buildings with bright classrooms of the secondary school. It was where once the noise of trade echoed; the dreams of children soon filled the air. Where hope sprouted from the most unlikely of places, but is now the haven of the dreamersโthe Manolo Fortich National High School.
Mr. Moises Aquino, the schoolโs first principal, steered this ship through uncharted waters, his leadership serving as the paddle in the stormy seas of uncertainty. The pioneering teachersโMrs. Luz Maquilang, Mr. Arturo Bautista and others with chalk-stained hands and hearts full of passionโwere not just educators; they were architects of dreams, molding the minds of students who had long yearned for the opportunity to soar. As the school continues to improve, countless opportunities and endless dreams emerge.
๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ต๐
Hence, it is not all sunshine and butterflies, for when it was under the control of the municipal government, it faced numerous challenges and discouragements. The school faced threats of closure, marked as a losing investment for the government. But the schoolโs faculty members and dear spotless jewels united and stood their grounds, they remained loyal, eager to learn, and determined to achieve greater things. Strong hearts, determined to succeed, never yielded.
Three years later, in 1966, the first batch of graduates marched forth, proud and hopeful, with Mrs. Lorna Enderes Flores leading as the valedictorianโa moment that forever etched the school's name into the annals of history.
In 1967-1968, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) transformed the traditional Two-Two Plan into the Academic/Vocational Curriculum, transforming learning into an artistic medium for students to envision their future, where the thing that was once considered a duty of ours became the means of our growth.
Furthermore, under the guidance of Mrs. Conchita C. Dagunlay, the school's official organ, "The Torch," printed and published its inaugural edition in 1968. It was not only a simple school paper but also a center for artistic and brave actions, which shade the minds and talents of young journalists, which made their voices more outspoken and distinct.
โWhen I arrived in MFNHS year back in 1995, the school was very far from the status of today; buildings were just a few, and during that time teachers were also less than a hundred, so because it was less than a hundred, almost all of the teachers were visible to the administration, and you were given different responsibilities,โ Junior High School (JSH) Curriculum Implementation Division Rosanna D. Dalmento shared.
From a small area where only a few classrooms can be seen, with makeshift buildings that have no floor and no wall, and where classes were sometimes held under the shade of the mango tree, now there are buildings full of classrooms that can accommodate students and new learning spaces for another stepping stone for the dreamers, where their small steps lead toward larger goals.
โThe school was progressing, and many projects and opportunities came,โ she conveyed.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐
As the school swings open its gate to the dawn of 2000, it welcomes a new chapter drenching in the shimmering light of possibilities. The school expanded beyond education to serve as a launching pad for futures beyond Bukidnon. Implemented by the K-12 Law, students were introduced to academic tracks, arts, sports, and technical-vocational pathways, presenting endless experiences and growing opportunities.
It may have been withered by challenges, yet its roots have only gathered greater strength. MFNHS successfully fosters student growth through a diverse curriculum and experiences, shaping students into their current selves and creating a masterpiece of learning. With each diploma bestowed, the town's pride bloomed anew, as graduates stood taller, their eyes alight with possibilityโfor the school's true legacy wasn't etched in fading memories, but in the future dreamers it has yet to create.
โI am very happy that during the development of the school, I was here and already part of Manolo Fortich National High School as faculty,โ Special Program in Arts Coordinator Mavyzel Oblina Alecer conveyed, expressing her happiness in teaching in her alma mater and being able to work with her previous teachers.
While the dark also surrounds the certain scenario, the wind will change. Back then, education seemed like a distant dream for many. Yet in the midst of that humble beginning, seeds of change were planted. The golden years will always follow the storm, as long as they hold on to the spirit that built it from the ground up.
Engrossed, she flipped another page of the old and dusty school paper she discovered in the library, a smile etched on her small face, she pondered: They fought not just for a building of dreams but for a future they believed inโone where knowledge would continue to bloom, even in the face of adversity. The legacy of Manolo Fortich National High School lives on, a testament to the resilience of its community and the unwavering spirit of its dreamers.
๐๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ Mary Louise Danielle B. Gallarde
๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ฏ๐ Sara Eunice Lugatiman
๐๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ Sofia Izabelle Aldeguer
