The Julia Ortiz Luis National High School (JOLHS) was founded in 1945 when Ex-Governor Juan O. Chioco was the Liberation Governor of Nueva Ecija appointed by president Sergio Osmena One of the requirements for the establishment of a high school was a school site of about ten (10) hectares. Parents who were responsive enough had tried their best to look for the prospective site. JOLHS was first installed to the land owned by the Chioco brothers and sister, The Chioco family agreed to have the school be constructed at their lot for a condition that the school should be named after their late mother Julia Ortiz Luis.
The civic spirited Parent-teacher Association of Sto. Domingo, seeing that the youths of their community were eager to pursue higher education but majority of parents had limited financial means, decided to go on a delegation to negotiate with Chioco brothers and sister for a deed of donation. Unluckily, the Chioco family refused to give any piece of land where the school can be run. Bitterly they had been determined to get back their land. At that time, the late President Quirino had already given an amount of Forty-eight Thousand Pesos (P48, 000.00) for the construction of a new school house. Looking for a permanent site, where the high school could rise became a serious problem. Concerned parents of Sto. Domingo went to their Municipal mayor matias G. Andres and voiced out the problem. Viewing the clamouring need of his community, Ex Mayor Matias G. Andres convinced members of heirs in his family to donate the eight hectares of land where the school will permanently stand.
When a new administration was at the helm of the municipal government, several attempts had been made to change the name Julia Ortiz Luis High School. In behalf of the majority of the members of the municipal council headed by then mayor Ceferino de Leon, the plan to change the name (JOLHS) did not materialize.
Then came the new administration for the Provincial Government under Governor Amado Q. Aleta and the name Julia Ortiz Luis High School by the Provincial Board of Nueva Ecija allegedly through the initiative of Governor Aleta. Hence, in 1958 the name Julia Ortiz Luis was scraped and instead Sto. Domingo High School was used.
The news regarding the change of the name of the said high school reached the Chioco brothers and sister. One day, Congressman Amadeo Perez of Pangasinan called the attention of Dr. Flor O. Chioco why the name of the high school was changes. Perez told Dr. Chioco that even the school was no longer located on its former site, for the sake of the philatrophic gesture and in gratitude and rembrance to the Chioco family, the name Julia Ortiz Luis should be retained, because without the lot where the origina school building was constructed, the high school could not have been established. Congressman Perez averred further that, in as much as he was not from Nueva Ecija, he could not present a bill in congress for the restoration of the name, but instead he would request Congessman baltao (LP Nueva Ecija) to present the bill. At that time, Ex-mayor Narciso V. Andres, nephew of the late Ex-mayor Matias G. Andres was a blooming political candidate in the municipality of Sto. Domingo. He consented to the restoration of the name of the high school to Julia Ortiz Luis High School in recognition and appreciation for the political support that the late Congressman Baltao and Ex-Governor Chioco had made for him.
Congressman Baltao presented House Bill No. 225 changing the name of Sto. Domingo High School to Julia Ortiz Luis High School. The bill was approved in the House in March 1959 and elevated to the Senate. Dr. Chioco informed Senator Cipriano
Primicias, who was then Senate Floor Leader that the high school was named after his mothers name upon knowing the matter, the senator reported the bill to the floor of the Senate and on May 11, 1959, the bill was approved on second Reading. On May 16, 1959, the bill was finally approved on Third reading, thus on June 21, 1959, House Bill No. 2755 became Republic Act No. 2508 and the name Julia Ortiz Luis was restored through Congressional Act.
For 63 years, Julia Ortiz Luis High School had been productively serving the public. Academically, the high school excels far out. National irrigation administration had made the farmland of this school as one of their pilot areas. Students who graduated here and also those who are still studying serve as agents who dessiminate agricultural technologies to their parents.
There were many outstanding alumni of Julia Ortiz Luis High School who occupied distinguished positions in respective profession only we regret for we have no concrete records of them.
If this high school was founded, the parents of graduates would have been sending their sons and daughter somewhere else. Enormous amount could have been dug from their pocket for their childrens educational expenses. With the foundation of JOLHS, expenses of students had been minimized. This was the undeniable and unforgettable gift given by the Andres clan to the people of Sto. Domingo in general and to parents of those who graduated from Julia Ortiz Luis High School in particular upon donating the eight hectares of land where the school stands now.
Many thanks to the late Mr. Alipio Natividad, a former mentor of this institution. Without his generous revelation of truth regarding the history of Julia Ortiz Luis High School, any effort of the author could have been impossible.
ELPIDIA RAGUINDIN ANDRES
Author
When a new administration was at the helm of the municipal government, several attempts had been made to change the name Julia Ortiz Luis High School. In behalf of the majority of the members of the municipal council headed by then mayor Ceferino de Leon, the plan to change the name (JOLHS) did not materialize.
Then came the new administration for the Provincial Government under Governor Amado Q. Aleta and the name Julia Ortiz Luis High School by the Provincial Board of Nueva Ecija allegedly through the initiative of Governor Aleta. Hence, in 1958 the name Julia Ortiz Luis was scraped and instead Sto. Domingo High School was used.
The news regarding the change of the name of the said high school reached the Chioco brothers and sister. One day, Congressman Amadeo Perez of Pangasinan called the attention of Dr. Flor O. Chioco why the name of the high school was changes. Perez told Dr. Chioco that even the school was no longer located on its former site, for the sake of the philatrophic gesture and in gratitude and rembrance to the Chioco family, the name Julia Ortiz Luis should be retained, because without the lot where the origina school building was constructed, the high school could not have been established. Congressman Perez averred further that, in as much as he was not from Nueva Ecija, he could not present a bill in congress for the restoration of the name, but instead he would request Congessman baltao (LP Nueva Ecija) to present the bill. At that time, Ex-mayor Narciso V. Andres, nephew of the late Ex-mayor Matias G. Andres was a blooming political candidate in the municipality of Sto. Domingo. He consented to the restoration of the name of the high school to Julia Ortiz Luis High School in recognition and appreciation for the political support that the late Congressman Baltao and Ex-Governor Chioco had made for him.
Congressman Baltao presented House Bill No. 225 changing the name of Sto. Domingo High School to Julia Ortiz Luis High School. The bill was approved in the House in March 1959 and elevated to the Senate. Dr. Chioco informed Senator Cipriano
Primicias, who was then Senate Floor Leader that the high school was named after his mothers name upon knowing the matter, the senator reported the bill to the floor of the Senate and on May 11, 1959, the bill was approved on second Reading. On May 16, 1959, the bill was finally approved on Third reading, thus on June 21, 1959, House Bill No. 2755 became Republic Act No. 2508 and the name Julia Ortiz Luis was restored through Congressional Act.
For 63 years, Julia Ortiz Luis High School had been productively serving the public. Academically, the high school excels far out. National irrigation administration had made the farmland of this school as one of their pilot areas. Students who graduated here and also those who are still studying serve as agents who dessiminate agricultural technologies to their parents.
There were many outstanding alumni of Julia Ortiz Luis High School who occupied distinguished positions in respective profession only we regret for we have no concrete records of them.
If this high school was founded, the parents of graduates would have been sending their sons and daughter somewhere else. Enormous amount could have been dug from their pocket for their childrens educational expenses. With the foundation of JOLHS, expenses of students had been minimized. This was the undeniable and unforgettable gift given by the Andres clan to the people of Sto. Domingo in general and to parents of those who graduated from Julia Ortiz Luis High School in particular upon donating the eight hectares of land where the school stands now.
Many thanks to the late Mr. Alipio Natividad, a former mentor of this institution. Without his generous revelation of truth regarding the history of Julia Ortiz Luis High School, any effort of the author could have been impossible.
ELPIDIA RAGUINDIN ANDRES
Author
