SCHOOL HISTORY

BRIEF HISTORY OF BAGGAO NATIONAL SCHOOL OF ARTS AND TRADES

The Baggao National School of Arts and Trades was established through the joint efforts of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Baggao under the leadership of the late Mayor Virgilio G. Herrero in cooperation with the Baggao National Agricultural School Baggao, Cagayan in June 1994. It started with sixty-five (65) students and four (4) teachers, 2-Permanent and Local Government Unit (LGU) Paid Teachers. It operates as an extension campus of Baggao National Agricultural School, Tallang, Baggao, Cagayan a free secondary education to the majority poor who could not afford to pay the high tuition fees charged by the nearest lone private secondary school in this south eastern part of Baggao.

Because of its strategic location, surrounded by 11 Barangays with seven feeder elementary schools, enrolment increased tremendously. The Local Government Unit of Baggao together with the Baggao National Agricultural School, Baggao, Cagayan filed a resolution requesting the Department of Education Culture & Sports (DECS) Secretary through the Regional Director, DECS Regional Office 02 to establish Baggao National Agricultural School Annex at Dabbac Grande, Baggao, Cagayan.

On December 22, 1995 the then Secretary of DECS, Honorable Ricardo T. Gloria issued an indorsement approving the request to establish Baggao National Agricultural School Annex at Dabbac Grande, Baggao, Cagayan effective school year 1996 – 1997 with the condition to the Local Government Unit to continue its support until such time when its budgetary requirements shall have been integrated in the budget of the region.

Due to the strong desire of the people to develop the school into an independent school, the Teacher In-charge Mr. Virgilio D. Balisi started to secure necessary documents to support her independence for separation from the mother school. School Year 1999 – 2000, the Teacher In-charge filed to the office of the Director of DepEd Region 02 for her separation but unfortunately it was disapproved due to the absence of a school Lot Title where only a tax declaration is available.

However, it did not stop the Teacher in-charge from pursuing the dream that someday Baggao National Agricultural School Dabbac Grande Annex located at Dabbac Grande, Baggao, Cagayan will soon be separated as an independent school. On the same school year the Teacher In-charge started to work for the ownership of the school lot in favor of the school through Presidential Proclamation. After a long tedious period of years securing and submitting documents to concerned agencies, finally on December 22, 2008, the President signed Presidential Proclamation 1694, Reserving Lot No. 3194, PLS – 414 – D, the lot occupied by the school, for school site purposes of Baggao National Agricultural School Dabbac Grande Annex, containing an area of Seventeen Thousand Nine Hundred Fifty Two square meters (17, 950 sq. m.) Upon receipt of a copy of said proclamation no. 1694, the Teacher In-charge immediately called for a meeting with all Barangay Captains of feeder barangays the PTA and the Community to collectively proposed and filed resolution for the separation of the school from the mother school for the second time and renaming as BAGGAO NATIONAL SCHOOL OF ARTS AND TRADES.

On June 24, 2009, the request for separation was approved by the DepEd Regional Director, Hon. Benito S. Tumamao, Ed.D., CESO III, Region 02.Hence a new school, BAGGAO NATIONAL SCHOOL OF ARTS AND TRADES was born.

BAGGAO NATIONAL SCHOOL OF ARTS AND TRADES (BNSAT) is the only

secondary school that offers Arts and Trades courses in the Municipality. The school site covers about 13, 708 sq. m. which was acquired through Presidential Proclamation No 1694. It is situated at Barangay Dabbac Grande and it is located 2.5 km away from the town proper. It has an upland area which cannot be flooded during heavy rain or typhoon.

The school offers Basic Education from Grades 7 to Grade 10 for Junior High School and Grades 11 and 12 for Senior High School under K – 12 Curriculum. As a Technical – Vocational School, it also offers Technical – Vocational courses.

Through the initiative of Mr. Virgilio Balisi, Principal , the school was improved, school buildings were constructed, classrooms were also developed by the Homeroom PTA through their contributions in cash and material things.

On June 2016, BNSAT opened the Senior High School Department through the leadership of the late Mr. Alberto E. Maggay who manned the school from September 2014 to August 2016. During his administration, he was able to request fund from the LGU for the completion of the two-storey LGU building and the construction of the front pavement.

Schools Division Office of Cagayan underwent mass movement of school heads, so that Mr. Maggay went to Western Enrile West Vocational High School while Mr. Santiago P. Villafuerte at Baggao NSAT. Mr. Villafuerte continued the progress and development of the school from September 2016 to October 2017 by improving the Principal’s Office and through his leadership, he was able to encourage parents to undergo fund raising for the procurement of CCTV, two units computers and computer patch panel.

Next to lead the school was Mrs. Lydia G. Guillermo, a woman who silently and who worked for the general welfare of the teaching, non-teaching staff and the students. During her administration, volume of tools and equipment used by the students arrived and another two-storey SHS building was constructed. Special education fund for 2018 and 2019 was used to construct concrete perimeter fence and was able to encourage PTA to conduct fund raising through Search for Mr. and Miss BNSAT 2019. Proceeds was used to construct 19 spans 0f perimeter fence covered walk connecting the LGU building and the first SHS building was also constructed.

She worked smoothly with the Head, Teacher III, Mr. Elwito L. Pattaguan, Fifty teaching staff, three non-teaching staff, and two security guards.

Mrs. Guillermo dreamed of transforming BNSAT as the most improved secondary school in the Municipality of Baggao through the collaborative efforts of all the stakeholder.

She retired at the age of 64 in 2019.

Next to man the school was Mr. Arthur Cariaga. He served the school for just a few months from March 2019 to December 2019. He served the school for just a few months but has caused tremendous improvement at BNSAT.

He carried the painting of the school façade and constructed hand washing facilities of the school, besides the elevation of the concrete pathway of the covered walk and others. However, as he was serving the school, COVID 19 Pandemic struck. There was no longer face to face classes among the learners.

Now, with this problem, the SDO Cagayan again caused reassignments to school heads, Mr. Arthur Cariaga was transferred to Abulug National Rural and Vocational School, Abulug, Cagayan, while Mrs. Ederlina O. Laureta, Principal II, assumed leadership on December 11, 2019.