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City Central School - Cagayan de Oro City

The History of City Central School

The City Central School situated at the heart of the city is one of the, most important landmarks for the Misamisnons and Kagay-anons. This school which boasts of opening its doors to children in 1909, has earned significant developments. One of the oldest structures built in this school still stand to attest its remarkable beginning, the Gabaldon Building. In 1909, there were already 51 Gabaldon Buildings throughout the Philippines that time, including the Gabaldon Building in Cagayan Intermediate School (now City Central School). In fact, the Gabaldon Building in City Central was inaugurated on August 28, 1911 according to the Cagayan de Oro City Historical Commission. The construction was inspired by Sen. Isauro Gabaldon, the deputy to the First Philippine Assembly in 1909. In the Philippine Assembly he was noted for Education Act of 1801 better known as the Gabaldon Law, endorsing the construction of school building all over the archipelago. The construction of Gabaldon Building continued and records shows it reached to 1,800 buildings nationwide in 1946 according to the Philippine Information Agency. Cagayan Intermediate area was donated by the prominent philanthropist Don Tirso Neri – the first municipal presidente or mayor of Cagayan that time under the American Colonial Period in 1901-1904. The donated lot has a total lot area of 37,766 sq. m. bounded on the north by the Pelaez Sports Center which used to be the stable of the donor, and Don Apolinar Velez Street on the eastern side. The Gabaldon building was used as a Multigrade building occupied by Grade I to VI that time and was the first venue of the first significant school event – the graduation 1916. This building thus hold countless memories from the Pre-American Period to the present. For 89 years, the Gabaldon Building stood still and had continued to shelter a number of pupils who had spent their early years in this school. Hence, it is well and timely for the Department of Education and the Heritage Conservation Society for embarking on a project to restore historic school building through the Heritage Schoolhouse Restoration Program in 2009, Now, the Gabaldon building stand proud as new after its renovation. The school’s development from a single schoolhouse continued to mushroom and house school children of the city and some neighboring towns for more than 100 years. With the collaborative effort of the Department of Education and the Heritage Conservation Society, City Central School will continue to be the community pump of the next generation of Kagay-anons.