HISTORY OF PHS/JASHS

The early foundations of what is known today as Pampanga High School were initially laid out in 1901 when Civil Government was fully established in the Philippines. Prior to the establishment of Civil Government in Pampanga, schools were organized and instruction given by soldiers. In 1901, teachers arrived from America. Twenty-five civilian educators from the six hundred American teachers known as Thomasites who arrived from the United States on August 23, 1901 were assigned in nineteen towns of Pampanga. These teachers first taught in the central schools, trained Filipino teachers and then began the extension of the system to include the most important barrios. At first, the instruction given was entirely primary and chiefly academic. Later, industrial training was made more important and intermediate and secondary schools were established.

In San Fernando, the school was the high-roofed building in San Jose, which later became the residence of Mr. Pedro Abad Santos, a prominent lawyer of the town. Naturally the attendance was at first very small. Later, education was made compulsory which resulted to a rapid increase in the number of pupils until such time that the number of pupils was too great for the building to hold, so it was reconstructed. While it was being repaired, the then post-office and municipality of San Fernando were hired for school buildings. A part of the house near the public school was also occupied. These buildings were only occupied by the primary pupils. Later there was built a one-storey building which formed the lower floor of the then San Fernando Central School. When the pupils were transferred to this new schoolhouse the higher classes – the intermediate pupils, were put in another building. This building is the big house in front of the Protestant Chapel.  It was built during the Spanish colonial period by the couple Teodoro Santos and Africa Ventura. It was inherited by their daughter Asuncion Santos who was married to Andres Eusebio. This school building in downtown San Fernando became later a popular lodging and dining facility known as Pampanga Hotel and Restaurant.

It was not until the school year 1906-1907 that there was any secondary pupil at all. Those pupils finishing the intermediate previous to this year either became teachers or students in Manila schools. Some were pensioned and sent to the United States.

In 1907, however, the construction of the Pampanga High School along the old highway near the provincial capitol in barrio Santo Niño was begun. Its historical main structure is more known as the Gabaldon Building, named after Isauro Gabaldon, the Nueva Ecija Assemblyman who sponsored Act 1801. Gabaldon Act was passed in 1907, allotting funds for the construction of school buildings all over the country. The construction was maintained by the provincial and insular governments. Its grounds have an area of four hectares. The building and the small closet southwest of the building cost P47,000. Its furniture was made in the Bacolor School of Arts and Trades at a cost of P2,500. Beside the main building a domestic science building costing P3,500 stands on the grounds and forms a part of the institution. The total cost of the buildings and the furniture was P 53,000. The high school when built contained nine classrooms, a library, a book worm, a property room, a principal’s office and an assembly hall large enough to hold four hundred people. There were eight classrooms, the library and an adjoining room being united to form one room, the library. It was well equipped for the different kinds of work. The grounds were beautifully laid out. Shade trees, hedges and shrubbery added much to the attractiveness of the grounds.

In June 1908, this substantial building opened its doors to nearly three hundred pupils. This first year the school consisted of an intermediate school composed of fifth, sixth and seventh grades, and the first and second years of the high school course. The teaching force consisted of seven Americans and three Filipinos; Mr. John W. Osborn was the principal.

The following school year, 1909-1910, a third year was added to the secondary course. The enrolment was over two hundred. Under the energetic principal, the school went on smoothly. The students finishing third year of High School that year were compelled to go to Manila during 1910-1911 in order to complete their High School course.

In 1911-1912, much to the joy of the students, a complete high school course was established by the addition of fourth year. But to the disappointment of some, the teaching of Spanish was abolished. The senior class that year consisted of twenty students – fifteen were boys and five girls. Of these twenty, nineteen graduated.

From the early graduates of this school appeared illustrious names like Diosdado M. Macapagal, a graduate of class 1929, who later became the 5th President of the Republic of the Philippines and a host of other eminent personages in the Philippine History.

Meanwhile, the growth of the student population had been going up year by year until the national government decided to build a new building along Teopaco Street, otherwise known as the High School Boulevard, its present location today. The new building was a Gabaldon schoolhouse built in the early 1930s and was completed in 1935. The façade and rear of the rectangular-shaped Gabaldon Building have elaborate sculptures and relief of human figures. Pampanga High School is one of the remaining Gabaldon architectural structures and the central landmark of the American public educational system in the province of Pampanga. The older structure was reused as an annex. In its new home, Pampanga High School provided education to a burgeoning number of students from various towns of Pampanga and from the neighbouring provinces.

The school was under the supervision of the American educators or the Thomasites until they ended their tenure in 1935 when the last American principal, Charles G. Whitewell, was succeeded by Demetrio Andres who served as school principal until 1937

Classes at Pampanga High School were interrupted in 1942 to 1944 due to World War II.

In 1966, the name “Pampanga High School” was changed to “Jose Abad Santos High School” in honor of Secretary of Justice and Chief of Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Jose Abad Santos who is acclaimed today as Pampango’s hero who met his heroic death during the Japanese occupation. The bill changing the name of the school was sponsored by the then Congresswoman and former Governor Juanita L. Nepomuceno.

Then again, in 1991, the institution’s name was reverted to its original name “Pampanga High School” through the initiative of Congressman Oscar S. Rodriguez (PHS Alumnus–Class 1963), and is known as such up to the present.

In 1991, Mt. Pinatubo erupted. In 1995, San Fernando was heavily damaged as a result of floods and mudflows from Mt. Pinatubo. Pampanga High School was adversely affected and many of its buildings were dilapidated and could no longer be used.

In 2003, the National Government under the presidency of Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, whose father was an alumnus of Pampanga High School, allotted P22.5 M for the 1 meter upgrading of school grounds and installation of drainage and water system in the campus. After the upgrading of the school grounds, almost all the buildings were rehabilitated and upgraded through the concerted efforts of all the stakeholders of the school: administrators, students, teachers, non-teaching staff, alumni, PHS-MPCI, PTCA, NGOs and GOs.

To date, PHS is gearing towards its celebration of its Centennial Year in 2008 bagged as “SENTENARYU: The 100th Year Celebration of Pampanga High School/JASHS” to highlight the 100 glorious years of this highly esteemed institution.