The Tarlac National High School (TNHS) is a timeless legacy of the American regime in the Philippines. TNHS was founded to help Americans in their mission to expand and improve the public school system in the country. Initially located at the eastern end of what was known then as Plaza del Toro (now the main campus of Tarlac State University along Romulo Boulevard), the school was then known as Tarlac Provincial High School. It later took the name Tarlac High School. On June 24, 1983, the school was raised to a national high school pursuant to Batas Pambansa Blg. 636. This title placed the TNHS among the ranks of high institutions of learning in the country.
Through the century, TNHS has been given distinction as the oldest existing public secondary school in the Philippines, with Frank Russell White as its first principal. It is the largest school in terms of student population and the biggest school in a single campus in the entire province of Tarlac. It is the value-laden home of the Tarlaqueños.
Educational excellence has always been the mission of the school. The Special Science Class (SSC) was piloted in 1994 and formally opened in the school year 1996–1997.
Great men and women, doctors, great educators, and leaders of our history walked through this historical landmark. Carlos P. Romulo became the co-founder of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, a general in the US Army and the Philippine Army, president of the University of the Philippines, and president of the UN General Assembly, and was eventually named one of the Philippines’ National Artists in Literature. In addition, Jorge Bocobo and Honofre D. Corpuz both became presidents of the University of the Philippines and secretaries of the Department of Education.
TNHS’s academic life had been interrupted once in 1942-1945 during the Japanese Occupation Forces in the Second World War. Through manmade and natural upheavals, the Tarlac National High School has again emerged triumphantly. It has now grown into an institution fostering exemplary education, research, and community service. The latest annual enrollment of the school is 6,654 junior high school and 3,815 senior high school learners, with 336 competent teachers and 64 non-teaching staff.
Today, students, faculty members, known academic personnel, and administrators all co-exist in an atmosphere of collaboration for the country. The humanistic precept to teach freedom, a quality of love for fellow men and country, makes TNHSians stewards of society and the environment.
The school’s claim to be historical is evidenced not only by its century of existence but also by its extensive holdings of tangible and intangible heritage.
In recent history, the Honorable President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III led the most distinguished roster of visitors in 2015. He inaugurated two new classroom buildings in our school. Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago also paid a visit to the school. DepED Secretaries Raul Rocco and Bro. Armin Luistro also made honorable visits to the school. A lot of high-ranking people come to TNHS to show their appreciation for the good work it does.
Older than the Commonwealth Republic, the school continues to respond to the changing times. TNHS offers a variety of curricula for high school students aside from Science, Technology, and Engineering (STE) such as Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL), Special Program in Journalism (SPJ), Special Program in the Arts (SPA), and Special Program in Sports (SPS) designed to develop individual learning inclinations and interests, discover talent in the creative arts, learn a foreign language, and participate in sports.
Moving on to 2022 and true to its mission, the school continues to commit itself to the pursuit of truth and to the preservation, advancement, and transmission of knowledge. TNHS envisions becoming a center of excellence in the various programs of teaching. It aims to be an acknowledged expert in the key areas of research. With this mission and vision, the Tarlac National High School - Main in 2022 will be reaching beyond Tarlac and networking with other institutions not only in the region but in the entire country!
Illustration by:
Maria Hannah Louise D. Pili - 10-Olivine
John Emmanuel DC. Manalili - 10-Apatite
