A Golden Page of PECMNHStory

Sep 30, 2019

2 min read

September 2019 marks the golden anniversary of Pedro E. Candido Memorial National High School - 50 years since its conception as a humble municipal school thanks to its namesake, the late mayor, Pedro Candido, who initiated the drive to provide a secondary school for the then small town in this part of Eastern Samar.

The school, who initially rendered classes under the shade of some mango trees and inside a heritage house of some well-to-do family back then, had flourished into a budding and up-and-coming school. It continued its progress and development until finally, after its pioneering classes held on 1969, a formal school site was established at Bgy. 4, Poblacion of the Hernani Municipality.

Everything seemed on its normal course to progress for the school up until that faithful day of November 8, 2014. The day when the Philippines, particularly some places in the Eastern Visayas was devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda.

The infamous Yolanda left PECMNHS in total ruins. After seeing the damages it caused not just to the school but to the entire community, many thought that Hernanin-ons will simply fold into hopelessness.

But just as the brightest stars do shine during the darkest of nights, it was during this time when the true spirit of bayanihan shone brightly not only among Filipinos but even among some foreign individuals and organization.

Through the sympathy, compassion, cooperation, and dedication of others, along with the resiliency of the entire community, PECMNHS was able to rise up from this dark page of its history. The out-flowing of kindness and generosity for the school and for the entirety of Hernani weakens the horror of this catastrophic "beautiful tragedy".

Almost five years removed from Yolanda, PECMNHS is already learning to let go of the rope again and already starting to thread its slow yet progressive steps towards the excellent and quality education just in time for the school's golden anniversary!

And all of these are made possible through the concentrated efforts of the schools supportive stakeholders, generous donors, and hardworking administrative and teaching staff.

A genuine and beautiful painting of authentic bayanihan spirit!