It all began in 1908, within rented buildings right in the heart of Lingayen—the capital town of Pangasinan, which is the biggest province in Luzon. Back then, it admitted students from fifth grade up to first year, and was initially called Pangasinan High School. That was where its long journey to what it is today started.

Within just seven years, the school was split to include an elementary department, and then curated into two separate segments: Pangasinan Academic High School and Pangasinan Vocational School. But from 1931 to 1935, destructive calamities brought great challenges. The province’s biggest recorded flood tore the East Building of the Academic High School to shreds. After that, a severe recession hit—caused by constant weather disturbances and typhoons that led to poor harvests and declining enrollees. This forced the two schools to merge, giving birth to Pangasinan Secondary School.

When Mr. Arthur Allison, the last American principal, left, Mr. Eufronio Malonzo took over and led the school as it was split again into Pangasinan High School and Pangasinan Trade School. In June 1941, Pangasinan High School saw its largest first-year enrollment yet. But just as the school reached its peak for the second time, the Japanese invaded the Philippines, starting the Pacific War of World War II—a critical part of our history that cost many lives. Only six months after hitting that high point, the school was at rock bottom, and its doors had to be closed against its will.

Thankfully, in January 1945—one year before the Philippines gained independence—the Americans returned, and the school reopened. It was renamed Pangasinan Provincial High School, and this name stayed until 1969. That year, national legislation officially established it as Pangasinan National High School, cementing its place in history.

Over the years, PNHS has gone from struggling at rock bottom to achieving great success. The challenges it faced were never easy—at one point it even weathered a recession, yet it stood strong. Time and again it was pushed to the edge, but it always emerged victorious. Now, after all those years of hardship, PNHS remains triumphant. Thousands of its students have built prosperous lives, and its teachers serve with unwavering loyalty and dedication. Many trials have come and gone, but the school’s core purpose endures. Even through the difficulties of recent years, nothing has been too much for it to overcome. Like a steadfast guide with a full heartbeat, the school reaches out to students who have lost their way, leading them toward new paths and helping them find the missing pieces of themselves.