SHORT HISTORY OF THE ILOILO PROVINCIAL HIGH SCHOOL

The Iloilo National High School (INHS) is a provincial high School located in Iloilo City, Philippines. The history of the Iloilo High School dates back to the later part of 1902 when a school called the Iloilo Normal School was established in a two-storey building in front of and across the street of the present Provincial Building (now Casa Plaza) to meet the future need for Filipino teachers. The minimum requirement for admission was the completion of the elementary education in the old Spanish schools.

The first batch of teachers were selected from experienced American teachers. The first principal was Mr. Lutz, who, despite his past sixty years, was a very kind and understanding man.

The initial enrolment was about 250 and was divided into 5 sections. By 1903, the school had a very active literary society called Philomathean and had also a strong baseball team. In 1904, Mr. Covell succeeded Mr. Lutz as principal. To accommodate more students, preparatory classes were organized. For the first time Filipino students were selected as government pensionados to continue their studies in the United States.

Among those selected were Candido Alcazar, Ambrosio Gison, Delfin Jaranilla, Carlos Lopez, Leon Nava, Balbino Palmares, Graciano Rico, Cirilo Torreblanca and Felix Valencia. In 1905, Mr. Maxson succeeded Mr. Covell as principal.

The pensionados then were Geronimo Huising, Isabelo Lagniton, Claro Pendon, and Pedro Sindico. The yearly appointment of pensionados and heavy demand for teachers and clerks in the different government offices greatly depleted the number of old students. The original 5 sections were consolidated into 2 sections.

The first section was for more advanced students. Courses in Psychology and History of Pedagogy were given to this section. At the end of the first semester,