History and Background of the
Makati Science High School
By Alixander Haban Escote and
Don Michael Acelar De Leon

Years before the 1986 EDSA Revolution, Mayor Jejomar C Binay felt the need of a secondary school that would absorb elementary school graduates of La Paz, Palanan, Pio del Pilar, San Antonio, and Francisco Benitez. Barely four months after he was appointed by then President Corazon C Aquino as officer in charge of the then Municipality of Makati, Mayor Binay established the Makati West High School on June 16, 1986. Mrs Teresita V Cruz served as its first principal from 1986 to 1987 while Mr Ruben H Santos replaced her from 1987 to 1988.

Through the efforts of Mrs Teodora A Tongko, who served as its administrator from 1988 to 1990, the Makati West High School, endorsed by the Municipal Government of Makati, was placed under the supervision of the then Department of Education, Culture, and Sports on August 21, 1989. Mr Wilmore C Moredo and Mrs Juliana B de Guzman succeeded Mrs Tongko from 1990 to 1991 and from 1991 to 1999, respectively.

It was during the time of Mrs De Guzman when the Makati West High School was renamed the Makati Science High School pursuant to DECS Order No 5 series of 1989 that promulgated the Guidelines and Procedures on the Implementation of Republic Act No 6655. Its conversion was initiated pursuant to the Makati West High School General Parents and Teachers Association Resolution No 0001 series of 1993 and to the Municipal Government of Makati Resolution No 0043 series of 1994. It was allowed to implement its Special Science and Technology Curriculum on May 27, 1994 by DECS-NCR Director Esperanza M Orlina.

Two years later, the Makati Science High School marked a breakthrough on its journey toward a culture of excellence. It ranked 10th among the top 100 performing public and private schools in the 1996 National Secondary Assessment Test administered by the then Department of Education, Culture, and Sports through the National Educational Testing and Research Center.

The Makati Science High School moved from its old building at Mayapis Street in San Antonio Village to its new building at Osias Street in Barangay Poblacion on January 25, 1997. Its four-four story buildings were blessed and inaugurated on December 10, 1997. Since that day, the Makati Science High School has established itself as a seat of learning not only in the City of Makati but also in the Philippines.

1997

1997 saw the emergence of one of the best students that the Makati Science High School has produced. Mark Noel F Mabanglo attended the National Schools Press Conference in Tangub City, and together with Jayson Arvin P Salazar, fought their way to the Battle of the Brains Grand Finals.

In that year, the Makati Science High School was known as the haven of the best essayist in the country as Jacques S Lynn won first place in the First Philippine Book Development Month On the Spot Essay Writing Contest on Book Publishing: The Bridge to the Twenty-first Century Information Society. And proving that the Makati Science High School has a firm hand of leadership, Joseph Ray G Brillantes was elected Child City Mayor of Makati.

It was also in 1997 when the Makati Science High School had a taste of an international recognition. Leah E Barro garnered a special award at the Ninth Kanagawa Biennial World Children’s Arts Exhibition in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

1998

Jacques S Lynn and John Erick T Villa were the most prominent names that reverberated in the school in 1998. They represented the Makati Science High School in the Fifth National Youth Congress, a manifestation that responsible leadership has a niche in the campus. Lynn snatched another international recognition for the school when she won first place in My Views of India International Essay Writing Contest.

The Makati Science High School once again broke the international arena when Mrs Ma Theresa Randrup obtained a one-month scholarship grant in Besancon, France, and when Meliza S Pagulayan represented the Philippines in the First Catholic Scouts International Camp in South Korea.

1999

Another laurel bow was bestowed upon the Makati Science High School in 1999, when it toppled all public and private schools in the National Secondary Assessment Test except for the Caraga Science High School in Surigao and the Manila Science High School in Manila.

The Makati Science High School once again won the international crowd for both student and teacher when Barbara Joyce S Bernal visited New York City and Mrs Ma Xyrza T Asido obtained another one-month scholarship grant in Besancon, France.

2000

In 2000, the Makati Science High School stood firm among the top 100 performing public and private secondary schools when it placed fifth in the National Secondary Assessment Test Cluster B, schools with 100-199 examinees.

Anna Marie S M Villa, The Makati Science Vision features editor, bagged first place during the DECS National Capital Region Secondary Schools Press Conference Feature Writing Contest and represented NCR in the National Schools Press Conference in Tacloban City. The National Press Club and the Teodoro F Valencia Foundation Incorporated subsequently recognized Villa as one of the 10 Outstanding Campus Journalists.

The Makati Science High School continued to yield good fruit in the international scene as Jesse Christian P Ballao represented the country in the Millennium Asian Youth Camp in Korea and Ailyn P Icabandi visited Malaysia. Ma Christina Oliveros also obtained a 12-day cultural trip to France from the Ambassade de France Aux Philippines Service de Coopération et d’Action Culturelle after topping the French Civilization Examination.

With ideas gained from the World Links for Development Phase II Workshop: Introduction to the Internet for Teaching and Learning at the Nanyang Polytechnic University in Singapore, the classes of Mrs Marichu V Gojar, Chemistry teacher; Mrs Ma Luisa H Larcena, English IV teacher; and Miss Adoracion C San Pascual, Filipino I teacher, underwent telecollaborative teaching and learning and devised effective telecollaborative projects.

Mrs Larcena’s telecollaborative projects include Laws of Life Essay Project, A Vision Literary Anthology of Students Writings, and A Lewin Literary Anthology of Students Writings. The Philippine Experimental and Research Society subsequently conferred Mrs Larcena with the Golden Leadership National Award.

2001

In 2001, Ivy Mae C Vitanzos, the Makati Science Vision editor in chief, secured first place in the Semiconductor Electronics Training Council - Semiconductor and Electronics industries in the Philippines, Incorporated - Association of Semiconductor and Electronics Manufacturing Engineers of the Philippines On the Spot Essay Writing Contest. Subsequently, the National Press Club and the Teodoro F Valencia Foundation Incorporated also recognized Vitanzos as one of the 10 Outstanding Campus Journalists.

The Makati Science High School once again gave birth to an outstanding student ambassador of goodwill when Alvin A Altarejos obtained a one year scholarship grant to Japan from the Japanese Foreign Ministry and the American Field Service Japan Association, Incorporated after passing the rigid Japan-Asean Exchange Program for High School Students.

2002

The Makati Science High School upheld the irrefutable excellence of its teachers when Mrs Erlinda De Guzman-Antaran, Makati Science High School Filipino teacher, emerged as one of the 12 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Teachers chosen from among the 222 public and private elementary, secondary, and tertiary educators in the country.

Freshman Glenn Angelo A Galano raised the flag of the young Makatiño when he received a certificate of high distinction from the 2002 Australian Mathematics Competition and a certificate of recognition from the Department of Science and Technology.

Hazel Ribbons L Basuel, Makati Science High School Science and Technology Club president, took the international distinction of the Makati Science High School to greater heights when she attended the Young Men’s Christian Association Leadership Training in Singapore, and with Sabello B Bibit V, represented the National Capital Region and the City of Makati in the Republic of the Philippine-Thailand Students Exchange Program in Thailand.

Genesis T Santiago also had a shining moment in the international spotlight when he, together with six students from Makati secondary public schools, took part in a three-week student exchange program to New York organized by the City of Makati Museum and Cultural Affairs Office and the Philippine American Twinning Committee in New York

Ranking second in the screening process conducted by the Department of Education Center for Students and Co-Curricular Affairs, Joseph Don D Zaldivar, Makati Science High School Supreme Student Council vice president, was one of the 18 Filipino students who compose the Philippine delegation to the Republic of the Philippines-Republic of Korea Students Exchange Programs.

2003

2003 was a very fruitful year for the Makati Science High School, as it continued to garner national and international distinctions that uplifted its morale as an excellent seat of learning for Makati’s gifted.

Represented by Jon Sithli Paras Mendoza, the Makati Science High School crushed the OB Montessori in San Juan, the Manila Science High School, and the Philippine Science High School-Diliman Campus during the Digital LG Quiz Year 4 Grand Finals. Mendoza received PhP1.152 million worth of college scholarship and a 44-inch LG projection television aside from the PhP96 000 worth of college scholarship grant and a 29-inch LG flatron television

The Makati Science High School produced one youth ambassador of goodwill once again in the person of Hazel Ribbons L Basuel, who together with 28 other Filipino delegates, attended a 53-day Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program and toured the Asian region and docked in Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines.

The school further reinforced its dexterity in campus journalism as John Francis R Amian bagged first place in Scriptwriting and Radio Broadcasting Contest while Ceres Janrell A Misa copped eight place in Copyreading and Headline Writing during the National Schools Press Conference in Mandaue City. Earlier, Amian grabbed first place in Photo Journalism Contest while Misa ranked seventh place in Copyreading and Headline Writing during the 26th DepEd-NCR Secondary Schools Press Conference.

Embedding the Makati Science High School at the forefront of campus leadership, Sabello B Bibit V, the Makati Science High School Supreme Student Government president and The Makati Science Vision associate editor, was elected Child City Mayor of Makati. Sabello received the Ten Outstanding Students of Makati Leadership Award and the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Campus Leadership Award.

Strengthening its ties of international cooperation and understanding, the Makati Science High School and the Kumsan High School in Jeonbuk, South Korea signed a cooperative partnership through a memorandum of understanding that includes faculty and student exchange programs and institutional and instructional materials development.

On the other hand, Mrs Chona L Maderal attended the Third Asia-Europe International Teachers Conference in Bogor, Indonesia. Mrs Maderal’s telecollaborative project titled Science Beyond the Classroom was endorsed by the Asia-Europe Foundation and was participated by teachers and students from China, Brunei, Finland, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. The University of the Philippines National Institute of Science and Mathematics Education featured her undertakings in the National Conference on Best Practices in Teaching and Learning Science and Mathematics.

2004

In 2004, The Makati Science Vision, the official student publication of the Makati Science High School broke new barriers in campus journalism. The Makati Science Vision won Best Layout and Page Design, Best Features and Literary Page, and Best School Paper in the Philippines during the National Schools Press Conference in Santa Cruz Laguna. Daryl Patrick G Ruiz received the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Campus Journalism Award while Mr Alixander H Escote received the Best School Paper Adviser of the Year from the Department of Education and the National Secondary School Paper Advisers Association.

Annalyn G Santos and Immanuel Nick R Suarez made another first in the history of the Makati Science High School as they ranked first place in the Metrobank-Mathematics Teachers Association of the Philippines-Department of Education-National Capital Region Math Challenge Team Competition. Santos and Suarez also topped the Metrobank-MTAP-DepEd-National Math Challenge Team Competition.

From its brilliant faculty and administration staff to the lively students it supports everyday, the Makati Science High School continually envelops everyone under it with the atmosphere and confidence, perseverance, and filial love. As every day passes, each individual discovers his talents and abilities and learns to develop his self-confidence, and as the school’s encouraging hand continues to bring out the best in him, he is able to show the world a lot more than just academic excellence.

The first ten years of the Makati Science High School have displayed the creative mind, artistic talent, and determination of the sons and daughters of Makati, and it can do more! As John Erick Villa had quoted years before, “We can make things even better.”

This is the Makati Science High School today. Let us watch out for it tomorrow, for it will surely burst forth, shining a light that would guide the sons and daughters of Makati to success…