HISTORY OF AFUSING NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Two words to describe how Afusing Barangay High School thrived into what we call now Afusing National High School. Home to 753 junior and Senior high students coming from nine feeder- barangays: Afusing Daga, Tamban, Malalatan, Afusing Bato, Abbeg, Cabuluan, Caralangan, Tupang and Bayabat, Amulung.

In the early 40’s, prospective high school students of Riverside Alcala needed to go to Alcala Rural High School and Saint Philomene Academy of Alcala, and to Cagayan national high School and Cagayan Valley College of Arts and trade (CVCAT) in Tuguegarao to complete their Education.

Sites of the existing institutions then were hardly accessible as there were no organized or well-routed road systems connecting them to the riverside barangays, so high school education was just an elusive dream, an agonizing struggle to the many who were less financially able to pursue such.

But under Education Official, Mr. Pedro Orata who spearheaded the founding of Barangay High Schools in the province, the elusive dreams began to take shape and the struggle become less biting.

In 1968, as simple class of about 30 first year students, most young adults, and two teachers in one classroom, the Afusing Barangay High School (ABHS) was put up under the auspices of the Afusing Elementary School where the high School was housed for the next two decades. Mr. Benedicto “Ittong” Capili, then the Head Teacher of the Afusing Elementary School, was concurrently the Assistant Principal of ABHS, the Principal of Cagayan National High School then being the over-all principal of the barangay High schools in the province.

Mr Capili, although he was on an educational leave, was head of ABHS from 1968- 1971, and during those years, Mrs. Jovita Berbano and Mrs. Clarita Sales too over under acting capacity.

The pioneer graduates of 1972, together with their teachers namely Mr. Linear Pajarillo, Mrs. Perpetua Tumaliuan, Ms. Nita Capili, Mr. Pedro Ugali, Mr. Hector Avena, Ms. Adoracion Balbuena, and Ms. Avelina Abella marked a milestone in the history of the educational zone of the Riverside Alcala.

Still an in-house seven-room school with in the elementary campus, ABHS continued to operate under the administration of Sir Ittong who resumed office still as Assistant Principal from 1974 to 1978.

When Sir Ittong passed away in 1978, Ms. Claribel Trinidad headed ABHS as Assistant Principal and the Afusing Elementary School as Head teacher for seven years. Mr Linear Q. Pajarillo, one of the pioneer teacher of ABHS was appointed Officer- In charge for less than a year, giving way to Mrs Perpetua Tumaliuan, also a pioneer teacher as Officer in-Charge from 1986-1995.

In 1978, under the administration of Mrs. Tumaliuan, a breakthrough in the foundation of ABHS took place. She, together with the PTA president Mrs. Nemia Sonido and Vice president Mr. Romeo Corpuz Sr. presented a resolution to the former Mayor of Alcala the late Hon. Rogel ponce. The resolution requested for the grant of one hectare lot where a building for the high school would be erected.

Wish Granted. Immediately after the handing in of the resolution to Hon. Ponce, he donated one hectare of lot which was surveyed right in 1998. The transfer of ABHS to the new site, which was a ticket three hundred meters south west of Afusing Elementary School, was painstakingly work in progress. The Elementary school donated to ABHS the materials of the classroom which the high school students occupied. A strenuous task ensued from the dismantling of the classroom slab by slab, to the conveyance of the wood parts to the thickly wooded site.

According to witnesses, the spirit of Bayanihan was instrumental in the foundation of the first building: classroom erected from the slabs of wood and worn out galvanized roofing. Makeshift classrooms roofed with cogon grass and coconut trees, and sturdy trees with thick foliage, supplemented the classrooms. Also, the catholic Chapel in front of the school was used as classroom.

Not long after, the western part of the site was paved the erection of the SEDP building. Other classroom buildings mushroomed all around the area over time. Also, a mini gymnasium was put up, that time already under the administration of then Head Teacher/ Officer in-Charge Mr Fernando Orpilla.

T he history of ANHS unfolds wit the heroism of every parent, student, teacher administrator, and concerned citizen who believed in the indispensability of an educational institution in the community. This school lives on because of administrators like Mrs. Gloria Torres, Principal I ( September-December, 1995) Mr. Fernando Orpilla, Officer in-Charge(1995-2000). Mrs Perpetua Tumaliuan, School Head returnee, then a full fledge Principal (2000-2005), Mr. Gabriel Cuntapay, Officer in-Charge (2005-2006), Mr. Jose Matammu, Principal I (2006- 2008), Mr. Henry Parana, Principal II (2008-2011), Mr. Reynaldo Guillermo, PhD (2012- 2017) and Ms. Rose Macapulay, PhD, Principal (2017-2020), Ms. Maryan Cabasag, PrincipalI (March, 2020-December, 2020), Mr. Artemio Te, Principal I, ( Dec.2020-present).