Baguio Central School

DepED, Heritage Conservation Society Restore Baguio Central School
http://www.deped.gov.ph/e_posts.asp?id=353

Baguio Central School, a public school built in 1923 got a facelift from the Department of Education and the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS). Baguio Central School is the second heritage school renovated under the Heritage Schoolhouse Program of the Department. It is under the supervision of the Physical Facilities and Schools Engineering Division headed by Engineer Oliver Hernandez.

The first 25 students of Baguio Central School were in one room of the house of Ibaloi herdsman Mateo Cariño, one of the founding fathers of Baguio. Then the school moved in 1901 to another house where the present public market stands. It expanded into an industrial school where American teachers taught livelihood trades. Then the school moved to a two-classroom building, with a dormitory and a mess- hall kitchen.

The school transferred to its present site with 11 classrooms, constructed of concrete and Baguio pine. The school was destroyed during World War II but was rebuilt in 1949. Although it has been in use since then, it fell victim to poor maintenance until its renovation in 2004. Total rehabilitation was completed in January 2005.

Baguio Central School now boasts of administrative offices, additional classrooms, computer room and a large library.

The first restored heritage school building is the Rizal Elementary School in Bacolod City.

Among the structures identified by DepED as heritage landmark sites that need to be restored soon are Pampanga Central School; Legarda Elementary School; and the Teacher’s Camp, Baguio City.

A master plan has been drafted for the renovation of the Teacher’s Camp which was created by the Bureau of Instruction in 1908. Teacher’s Camp serves as the summer venue for educators to meet, to study and to develop the education workforce. The restoration and adaptive re-use program for Teacher’s Camp is in preparation for its centennial anniversary in 2008.