Intro
Don Bosco High School (DBHS) is a private Catholic basic education institution located at Poblacion
South, Lagawe, Ifugao, Philippines. It was well known in Ifugao that in the year 2008-2009 the school
was said to be high standard that was continually proven by the students until the present whether it be
academically or in sports.
Beside the school was the St. Mary Magdalene Church that is one of over 500 Jubilee Churches which is
one of the top rated place listed as Catholic Church in Ifugao.
Before being such a great school and church let's dive into the great history of DBHS and St. Mary
Magdalene Church.
It started in the year 1851 when the Dominican Religious ordered Saint Dominic to establish the mission
of Lagawe with Fr. Ruperto Alarcon as the first parish priest. Afterwards, upon the request of the Church
and by the decree of the Spanish government in May 1872 the mission was ordered to be transferred to
Diadi, Nueva Viscaya but was not carried out. Lagawe mission was abandoned for twenty two years,
then re-established by royal order on June 14, 1894.
After years the Belgian Missionaries from the congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary(CICM)
arrived in Ifugao soil in 1910, however, the mission was not open until 1927. Lagawe Mission was re-
established in Burnay Central with Fr. Francisco Besnick but was transferred to Lagawe in 1946.
It was also in that same year when Fr. Gerard De Boeck arrived in Ifugao then established a dormitory to
house the students who came after finishing their elementary schooling in 1947. He decided to put up a
high school named Don Bosco High School and started it's construction on 1949. There were 49 students
when the school first opened for classes while the construction of the building was still ongoing and
then finished in 1950. In March 25, 1953 the first graduation of DBHS was held with 29 graduates.
Fr. Gerard De Boeck returned from home vacation and took over as the school director. Then, in the
span of seven years from 1951 to 1964 improvements of the school were undertaken. Construction of
two new two story dormitory for boys and girls, kindergarten school, five classrooms, Bosco canteen and
bakery were finished to be built and opened to be accommodated.
Upon the request of the leaders, the bishop approve the opening of a collage where Don Bosco High
School was renamed as Saint Louis College. The construction of it's building was finished on 1968.
Unfortunately, the last graduation of the school was done in 1976 for it was later closed due to lack of
students. In school year 1976-1977, the high school department occupied the college building which is
now the Main Building of DBHS.
The school took back it's original name Don Bosco High School in 1978 and the old high school was
demolished and the area became a flower garden on 1985.
In the year 1990, a 7.6 intensity earthquake shook the entire northern Luzon. Lagawe was not spared;
Don Bosco High School building cracked and some barrio chapel were destroyed especially Burnay
chapel. A make-shift school building was hurriedly constructed through the efforts of the community of
Lagawe that was now called the "permanent-make-shift building".
Following the earthquake, fire gutted the fathers covenant in the early morning of June 15, 1992. In the
same year, the apostolic vicariate of the Mt. Provinces ways divided into three new independent
apostolic vicariates where Lagawe mission was appointed to the apostolic vicariate of bontoc-lagawe.
A year later, It formalized it's own vicariate schools system with the appointment of Fr. Francisco D.
Balucuit as the director and Fr. Gerard De Boeck as the priest. While the first Bishop of bontoc-lagawe,
fr. Brigido Galasgas started constructing the new father's covenant.
In the school year 1994-1995, the kinder garten school was integrated with DBHS as its kindergarten
department. The BEC yeast model also became the trademark of the church of bontoc-lagawe with the
new Bishop Francisco F. Claver as the new bishop.
Fr. Francisco D. Balucuit was appointed rector and schoolhead in 1997. The joint project of the Family
council officers of school year 1997-1999, DBHS-SLHSS Alumni Association with the school
administration made a lot of improvement in the school such as; construction of new teachers quarter
for men as the old one was demolished, renovation of the school canteen, computer building housed
computer classroom and registrar's office, completion of concrete fence and ground of Kindergarten
compound, and construction of concrete fence around the school campus started.
In 1999 the Kindergarten basketball court was completed as the mission system of diocesan sisters of
immaculate heart of Mary (SIHM) came. The old parish church was demolished in 2001 in favor for a
new bigger church constructed on 2002.
Fr. Felix became the school director on 2004 and the creation of the Private schools athletic association
(IPSAA) was undertaken on 2008 to 2022 and the five catholic schools joined the provincial meet as a
separate delegation.
After several changes of the principal finally Daniel Baguista Jr. became the principal until present. In the
first opening year of the senior high first grade 11 students and the first floor of the senior high building
was finished in 2017.
By the year 2018 the DBHS gym was first used during the IPSAA. In the same year, the first batch of the
senior high school graduated.
Outro
And that's how Don Bosco High School Incorporated and St. Mary Magdalene Church was established.
“Do not put off till tomorrow the good you can do today” as said by St. Jhon Bosco which serves as a
reminder in us to be proactive and make the most of present opportunities to make positive difference.
The history is already past but it should remain to us as an inspiration and motivation in the present to do
our best to retain the glory of DBHS and St. Mary Magdalene until on.
