Notes

Structures, they serve a variety of uses and are present everywhere. Animals such as termites create mounds for protection, humans build temples for worship, and a few species of birds create odd structures made of stone, grass, and twigs to attract mates.

In ancient times, one of many advantages humans had over their competition was creating structures. It would shelter them from harsh rain and brutal heat, establish communities, and eventually form mega metropolises reaching far beyond what their ancestors could even comprehend. However, humans always forget where they started and ignore these relics of the past, ignorance sheltering people from appreciating the architectural complexity, culture, and knowledge these anachronistic structures offer.

Of the few structures that survive modernization and rapid expansion, the Colosseum of Rome, the Great Pyramids of Giza, and the Ise Grand Shrine of Japan are examples of well-maintained and respected structures that could become any ancestral buildings if people care enough to preserve them.

Here in the Philippines, specifically in Negros Occidental, there are only a handful of ancestral structures left, the rest done away to make room for malls, fast-food joints, and whatever corporation would pay the government the right amount of money. One of these few lucky ancestral buildings that have stayed resilient and proud amongst modernized, bleak structures is the main building of Negros Occidental High School.

The history of Negros Occidental High School's main building started on March 1, 1901. the Philippine Commission authorized provincial boards of all provinces in the Philippines to provide funds from their resources for the establishment of secondary schools through the passage of Act No. 372. In early 1902, the leaders of the short-lived Republica de Negros cooperated and exerted to open a public secondary in Negros Occidental. It was originally named Instituto Rizal and was established due to the influence of the Americans.