At the entrance of the narrow Isthmus of Rosario, San Roque, to Cavite proper stands the building that houses the present Garita Elementary School. The name Garita was originated from the Spanish meaning guard-house. During the Spanish time the building was used as "Cuartel de los Carabineros."
The building for a time was used as arsenal by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and as jail by the town of San Roque. This Building the Cavite High School when it was established.
Act No. 74 of the Philippine Commission on January 21, 1901 provided for the organization of public Schools in the Philippines and Act No. 372 authorized the Provincial Board to establish secondary schools. The news of the opening of a secondary school in Cavite was received with great enthusiasm by the people as attested in the letter of Hon. Mariano Trias, governor of Cavite province, to the general Superintended of Education. The letter is quoted in part: - "The news of the opening of the high school was received with great pleasure in the province…" In the same letter the governor suggested that the high school be established in any of the neighboring towns of Cavite (proper), San Roque, or Caridad (La Caridad).
The Cavite High School was established at Garita, San Roque, on June 19, 1902. On that date 25 students, mostly form the three contiguous towns of Cavite, San Roque, and Caridad, we enrolled. The classes could not begin as June 19, 1902 on account of: - (1) prevalence of cholera, (2) the building which was in very bad condition needed repair very badly, (3) there were no desks, (4) the building was unsanitary because it was used a pig pen, and (5) an old woman had just died there of cholera. The principal was Mr. Sydney K. Michell with Mr. Richard Leonard as assistant teacher. Mr. Hammond H. Buck, the Division Superintendent of Schools and Mr. Sydney K. Michell put up about 100 pesos because the province could not furnish any money for repair. The amount was returned by taking private contributions.
On July 1, 1902 the Cavite High School commenced with 30 students. By September 1, 1902 the number of students increased to 61 and in November to 80. The students came chiefly from the towns nearly all towns of the province. The school offered academic and commercial courses.
In June, 1903 the Cavite High School was transferred to an old but commodious building that originally housed the old Spanished hospital at the convent of San Juan de Dios, Cavite proper. The building was in the possession of the munipacility but the title was in dispute. The enrollment in September 1903 was 150 and for the school year 1904 – 1905 was 240. A debating society was organized among the more advanced students in 1903. The first baseball team of the high school was organized in 1904 and the track and fired team in 1905.
The Supreme Court decreed in 1906 that the churches and their properties confiscated during the Philippine Revolution be returned to the Catholic Church. The Cavite High School was transferred from the convent of San Juan de Dios to an old Spanish building formerly the official residence of the Spanish Provincial Governor, at P. Gomez St. (formerly Calle Arsenal). The High School graduated its first graduates in 1908. There were 4 males and 1 female.
In June, 1928 the high school was moved to rented buildings in Caridad preparatory to the acquisition of a permanent site. As early as 1904 the Superintendent of Schools recommended that a permanent site for the high school be made somewhere outside of Cavite proper. The present permanent building of the Cavite High School began in 1903 in a 6-hectare site donated by the Caridad Estate of Cavite, Inc. through Mr. Hammond H. Buck, the first Superintended of Schools for Cavite, who engaged in real estate business after he left the Bureau of Education.
The revised secondary curriculum known as the 2-2 Plan was implemented in the Cavite High School during the School Year 1957 – 1958. The principal of the School, Mr. Jose T. Bernal, was able to secure authorization from the Assistant Director of the Bureau of Public Schools to implement two years during the school year although ordinarily the Bureau authorized only the Fiscal curriculum for the first two years (first and second years) and elective curriculum, college preparatory or vocational, for the last two years (third and fourth years). For the practical, specialization phase of the work experience of the vocational students, the principal through representations, secure permission from the proper authorities to allow the third year vocational boys to undergo on the-job training in the different industrial shops of the Cavite Naval Operating Base (now Cavite Naval Base) before the School opened in 1958. The vocational curriculum in the different industrial shops offered the following courses: (1) Mechanical Repairs, (2) Machinery Operations, (3) Practical Electricity, (4) Welding, (5) Sheetmetal, (6) Shipfitter, (7) Pipefitter, and (8) Foundary. The woodworking course for boys was conducted in the school shop and the hair science and dressmaking and design courses for the girls in the Home Economics. In March, 1960, the high School graduated the first batch of vocational students after two years (third and fourth years of the job-training). Of the 109 vocational graduates, 81 were males and 28 were females. The same year, 259 boys and 232 girls were graduated from the College preparatory course under the 2-2 Plan.
Republic Act No. 3694, passed by the Fifth Congress of the Republic of the Philippines in its second session and approved by the President on June 22, 1963 converted the Cavite High School to Cavite National High School. P250, 000.00 was appropriated for the purpose. The Act provides for a comprehensive curriculum, which includes academic and vocational courses.
In the school year 1973 – 1974 the total enrollment of the Cavite National High School was 5,959 compared to the original 30 in 1902. The high school graduated 1, 265 students, 618 boys and 647 girls on March 23, 1974 from the original 5, 4 males and 1 female in 1908. When Cavite High School was established on June 19, 1902 there were two members of the faculty, one principal and one assistant teacher, against one principal, one assistant principal, and 207 teachers and employers of the Cavite National High School for the school year 1973-1974.
Twenty-three years later, on its 95 year, there are already 6,648 students enrolled, 3,365 male and 3,283 female. In April 1997 there were 1,258 students who graduated. At present there are 248 teachers, 2 Librarian, 9 Heads, 7 Guidance Councilor, 1 NFE and 1 Guard, and there are 40 buildings including the Grandstand.
As of Mat of this year, there are 1,777 enrollees plus 76 in Sangley Annex for first year students and there are 1,485 plus 53 students from Sangley Annex enrolled for second years, 1,246 students plus 54 from Sangley Annex enrolled for the third Year, and 935 plus 152 students from Sangley Annex enrolled for the fourth Year.
As the time for the grand reunion is fast approaching, the officers and classes of different years are almost prepared for the 95th Foundation Day celebration. It is expected that the Alumni Homecoming will be a success, with the efforts exerted by its responsible officers and most especially the President of the CHS Alumni Classes Association, Inc., Dominador Nazareno, Sr. of CHS Class ’33.
