NARVACAN NATIONAL CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL

  Narvacan National Central High School nestles in a 6.75 expansive campus at Barangay Paratong some 300 meters away from the center of the town. It had its beginnings in the last days of Liberation in 1945 when stubborn Japanese strugglers were still hiding in Araniw hills, Tangadan Ridge and Banglayan-Lanipao ridge.


The military government of Narvacan, established in 1943 under the leadership of Mayor Nemesio Borge, on learning that the Public Civil Affairs Unit (PCAU) of Army was organising regional schools in Central Luzon provinces as soon as those were liberated, passed a resolution to open a high school in Narvacan. With the support of the Provincial Board of Ilocos Sur under Acting Military Governor Fernando Abella, Sr. and duly endorsed Mr. Miguel Parernal, in charge of the Division of Ilocos Sur, the Narvacan Junior School came into being on June 1, 1945.

Sine approval of the Army had to be secured before the school could operate, Mayor Borge and his Vice-Mayor, Mr. Nicolas Camcam made several risky trips to Camp Spencer at Luna, La Union to follow up the resolution and to submit to the Civil Affairs Office the minutes of the council meeting, the number of students enrolled and the temporary classrooms. Former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who was then a lieutenant in the Civil Affairs Office of USAFIPNL was instrumental in working for the go-signal to establish a public high school in Narvacan.

NNCHS operated as Junior High School in its first year for first and second year students were only admitted as it did not have the required equipment and facilities to run a complete high school. It has a total number of more than 300 pioneer students.

The first year of its existence was characterized by extreme difficulties. It did not have buildings, chairs, tables, and blackboard of its own. But all of these were provided by civic-spirited Narvacaneos. The P30.00 fee paid by each student the whole year was insufficient to run the school, but the active PTA raised funds to forestall an expected deficit.

With the opening of the Narvacan Junior High School, Mr. Nemesio C. Borge composed the High School Hymn.

A year after its founding, the school admitted third year and fourth year students and was renamed as Narvacan Provincial School.

The first classrooms for the more than 300 students in its first year of operation were those in the houses of Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Bautista, Mrs Concepcion Sanidad Gogolan and Mr. and Mrs. Elias Cabasa, who offered the use of their houses.

When more students enrolled in June 1946, Mr. Gregorio Viloria who was then teaching at the Ilocos Sur National High School at Vigan, was appointed as the first Principal. The pioneer teachers, six of them were: Mrs. Martina Balasico, Mr. Urbano Panajon, Mr. Sixto Brillantes, Mr. Esdras Cordero, Mr. Nicolas Camcam and Miss Gracia Javier.

When Mr. Jose M. Clarin was appointed Mayor, he worked for the acquisition of the present school site and soon had an eight-room temporary building which was named as Clarin Building to house its fast growing number of students. Most parts of the present school site were donated by the generous people of Paratong, Narvacan and some was purchased with money derived from popularity contests.

In 1946, the Clarin Building was destroyed by typhoon and was replaced by the Sanidad Building. The building consisted with four classrooms with principal office and staff room. This was constructed out of the Pork Barrel of the late Senator Prospero Sanidad.

From 1945 to 1970, the school was supported by tuition fess of students despite its being as a Provincial High School. The teachers' salary was below standard. a good break came during the incumbency of Gen. Lucas V. Cauton as Congressman, who worked for its nationalization by virtue of Republic Act 6291, approved on August 21, 1971, and was renamed Narvacan National Central High School.

NNCHS has produced more than 20,000 graduates since it was founded in 1945. After 63 years of existence, it has flourished into a bustling campus and emerged as one of the best schools in the region.

The clean, quiet and scenic atmosphere offers a conducive setting for study and learning, minus the hustle and bustle of heavy traffic highways, recreational places and business establishments. It is adjacent to the Central Ilocos Sur Emergency Hospital. Overlooking the legendary Bantay Abot, the Narvacan National Central High School has become an ideal place for seminars on the local, provincial, regional as well as national.