Featured School: Lupon Vocational High School Soars Higher

Upon entering its newly painted gate and fence, and being amused by the attention-grabbing murals, eye-catching landscape and newly established pathways, stage and covered court, and diligently enhanced classrooms, who would think that Lupon Vocational High School started from a simple, plain and poorly equipped school?

Lupon Vocational High School (LVHS) was established in 1969 by virtue of Republic Act 5531 under Presidential Proclamation No. 95. It occupied a portion of school site donated by the former mayor of the municipality of Lupon, Sultan Commara Manuel. The school lot, which has an area of 25,000.00 sq. meters, was shared from the 18-hectare lot occupied by the Lupon Central Elementary Schools 1 and 2 and the TESDA School. LVHS is located at Cambing Baratua St, Lupon, Davao Oriental, with its boundaries and outlet going to Maryknoll High School and Barrio Picas.

The operation of the school started in school year 1976-1977 with an initial appropriation of two hundred fifty thousand (P 250, 000.00) pesos. The curriculum was patterned from that of Davao School of Arts and Trades which specializes on Automotive Technology, Electronics, Welding and Fabrication, Food and Cosmetology.

The school started with only just 3 teachers, 100 students, one Accounting Clerk, one Supply Officer, one Utility and one Watchman. LVHS was headed then by Mr. Tomas P. Briones as Principal. This was temporarily housed in 3 classroom Marcos Type building borrowed from Lupon Municipal High School now Lupon School of Fisheries. Pioneers were: Tomas P. Briones – Principal, Esmeraldo G. Dagupion – Accounting Clerk, Manuel A. Tomas – Supply Officer, Rogelio Miranda – Utility, Rolando Salamanca – Watchman, Fatimar R. Macarona – Teacher 1 and Ester Pleños Teacher 1. After a few months of operation, six teachers from Lupon School of Fisheries had transferred to Lupon Vocational High School. They were Custodio Pesquera, Josefina Arbol, Ely Palomo, Candida Mejos, Candelaria Bautista and Loreta Alaba. After a year, LVHS had transferred temporarily under the Lupon Grandstand while waiting for the completion of the construction of a five classroom building intended for LVHS. Many years had passed the school grew bigger and bigger until it reached to total population of 1,800 enrollees in the year 2000. More buildings were built and more items were created within these years of operation, the school was able to establish excellent records of accomplishments most especially in Skills Competition and also in academic such as Schools Press Conference and other Academic Competition.

In 1992-1993, the school was administered under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and offered post secondary courses. Many of the graduates from the five-year operation of Post Secondary Courses are now occupying good positions in the company they are now working in. After the operation of these courses, the administration of LVHS was returned to the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS).

At present, LVHSl has 19 buildings with the following utilization: 34 classrooms, one H.E. building, one shop building, two school canteen and one school library, one Guidance and Planning Office, School Supply Office, School Paper, SBO, CAT and office of the Principal which includes the Personnel’s Office, one Faculty Room, one Computer Room, Guard House, and ICT building.

LVHS has two annexes. Lupon Vocational High School Annex-A is located at Bagumbayan, Lupon, Davao Oriental. The 10-hectare site was bought by Congresswoman Thelma Almario as Agricultural School. Lupon Vocational High School Annex-B, now known as Lupon National Comprehensive High School, is the secondary program of Lupon School of Fisheries turned over by the TESDA to Lupon Vocational High School on May 29, 2002.
In 2004, under the direction of Mrs. Fatimar R. Macarona, the Schools Division tasked LVHS to make a project study on the re-inclusion of Technical Education Curriculum by Lupon Vocational High School. After a year, Technical-Vocational subjects were again incorporated in the secondary school program of LVHS. Technical-vocational subjects are taught as exploratory courses in the first year and as a specialization in the second year up to fourth year.

Not only were the physical features of the school developed but also the performance of the teachers and students. More students from LVHS received awards and achievements from national competitions and their teachers became more competitive and excellent in their fields.

Few years from now, LVHS will meet its grandeur and emerge from the rest. The place where the LVHS students are standing right now is the same place where successful businessmen once stood. The chairs they are sitting on are the same chairs which inspirational leaders once used. The walls that witnessed a remarkable process of developing competitive individuals are the same walls watching the present LVHS students grow. That’s LVHS continuously soaring higher