GOVPH

The existence of the Philippine Science High School - Bicol Region Campus has been a continuous battle with much of the seemingly insurmountable difficulties. It seems that this Campus has been unfortunately paired with complexity. Yet despite such fate, its determined disposition has made it resilient to such onslaught.

The signing of Republic Act 8304 in 1996 as amended by Republic Act 8619 in 1998 made official the conversion of San Rafael National High School at Tigaon, Camarines Sur under the Department of Education Culture and Sports into the Philippine Science High School - Camarines Sur Campus under the Philippine Science High School System and the Department of Science and Technology. This conversion though, created mammoth problems.

The system's standard made it impossible for the whole population to be absorbed by the Campus. To make matters worse, those who were not qualified would be displaced as the transition would slowly erase the San Rafael National High School from the face of the academe. All its properties would then be owned by the Department of Science and Technology. Consequently and as expected, this dilemma had received a violent reception. The transition period created an uncomfortable pressure. It then made a rational move to urge the Representative of the Third District of Camarines Sur, then and now Cong. Arnulfo P. Fuentebella, R.A. 8304's sponsor, to pass a bill to Congress restoring the national high school while allowing the Camarines Sur Campus to exist. In the process, the San Rafael National High School principal, Dr. Gregilda S. Pan, now this Campus' Director sought the help of the local officials for a suitable site for the Campus to transfer. The less than a hectare site of the former national high school which had just been made a property of the DOST-PSHS was considered by the System as inadequate for the five-hectare lot requirement of a PSHS Campus. Anyhow, it was apparent that in the event that the national high school was restored, the Campus would have to leave it behind. The Campus sought the help of the Municipality of Tigaon for a much larger site but it had fallen on deaf ears. The Campus could neither find a donor nor a willing owner for a purchase.

It was a blessing that the call for a donation of an appropriate site was answered by the Municipality of Goa , Camarines Sur whose Mayor was Hon. Marcel S. Pan. On January 21, 1999, the Sangguniang Bayan of the municipality passed Resolution No. 014-99 donating a five-hectare-lot located at Barangay Tagongtong, Goa, Camarines Sur (This has later grown into a six-hectare property following Resolution No. 087-2000, passed on May 11, 2000, donating an additional one hectare lot adjoining the first five hectares).

Anyhow, the donation ascertained the positive outcome of the effort to restore San Rafael National High School and the final establishment of the Camarines Sur Campus through an insertion in the Republic Act 8496, an Act establishing the Philippine Science High School System which was carried thru House Bill No. 8134 seeking for the addition of Section 11-A which contains a paragraph providing separate personalities for both the Campus and the San Rafael National High School, and transferring back the latter's properties supposedly absorbed by the Campus. But the Philippine Science High School-Camarines Sur Campus could not yet transfer to its six-hectare-lot due to several constraints like the lack of necessary facilities like buildings, water supply, power connection, and communications.

In May 2000, the discomfort of sharing a limited space with an equally growing high school forced the Camarines Sur Campus to Goa through the help of then Cong. Arnulfo P. Fuentebella and the hospitality of the Partido State College. The College allowed the Campus to occupy two of its buildings. With that, the accommodation of 125 scholars from first to third year levels was then solved. This tested the ability of the Campus to adopt and respond to any challenge. It was a coincidence that a businessman had constructed a dormitory near the occupied buildings which was intended supposedly for the college students. The Campus, through its Director, was able to convince the owner for humanitarian reason to let it rent the building with a minimal amount to solve the space problem. This happened in a span of two days.

Despite the growth of the school population to 219 scholars and 36 employees, following the decision of the dormitory owner to construct a new dormitory building and the College's consent of allowing the Campus' extension for another school year and of allowing some of the scholars to occupy a section of the college dormitory, the opening of the School Year 2001-2002 went with manageable hitches. The Campus was then waiting for Phase I construction of its ACA and Dorm buildings to be completed.

In 2001, the Campuses of the System were renamed and this Campus was changed to Philippine Science High School - Bicol Region Campus.

It had always been the prayer of the Bicol Region Campus to be able to finally settle in a place it could call home. The desire became more intense when it was made obvious the host could no longer give an extension to this Campus. The Partido State College had just been converted into a University and whether it would still like it or not, the need for the occupied buildings was inevitable.

In April 2002, the Campus had come to the edge of the cliff. It was left with only one option, that is, to transfer to the still-unfinished buildings. It has virtually nothing except for some rooms with insufficient power and water supply. With eyes closed, it jumped into the depths of uncertainty hoping it could reach the ground still alive and in one piece. Every member of the Campus personnel broke his back, from its Director to its guards, in hauling truckloads of school properties because the school could not afford to pay for the hauling and site preparation. Instead, the personnel stripped their uniforms off to become instant laborers and transformed this forest into a habitable place. The three months were a nightmare to every one. It was a seemingly unending physical torture. Nevertheless, the fighting spirit has never left the family. The welfare of the scholars has always been its inspiration.
The transfer had been a bloody battle of restraints, reason, open-mindedness and sacrifice against the more destructive and unhealthy grumbles, of a few parents but the administration, faculty and staff, the majority of the parents and the student populace have strived to become united in facing the discomforts of starting all over again from absolutely nothing. At present, when it has become adjusted in its home, the Campus goes about its business. Although an outsider may view its appearance as miserable and a far cry from its more affluent and established sister Campuses, one may discover the inner strength and the positive attitude of each and every one. It has gone to worst places in the most appalling of condition. This is nothing compared to the past. Despite all these, the Bicol Region Campus remains to be a Campus to reckon with in the Philippine Science High School System.