Dr. Cecilio Putong National High School
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The Dr. Cecilio Putong National High School,(originally the Bohol National High School or BNHS; also Bohol High) is a public, secondary, educational institution in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines. It is located along Carlos P. Garcia or CPG Avenue.
ABOUT DR. CECILIO K. PUTONG
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: February 1, 1891/ Tagbilaran, Bohol
DATE/PLACE OF DEATH: January 26, 1980/ GSIS Hospital, Quezon City
SPOUSE:FELICIDAD BAUTISTA-PUTONG, Registered Nurse also of Tagbilaran, Bohol (died on May 22, 1961)
CHILDREN:
1. Dr. Cecilio B. Putong, Jr.(Deceased)
M.D. (UP'47); Cardiologist
2. Dr. Paul B. Putong (Deceased)
M.D. (UP'49);MS; Diplomate in Pathology
3. Orlando B. Putong (Deceased)
Bachelor of Literature(Ateneo de Manila '52)
4. Atty. Romeo B. Putong (Deceased)
Ll. B. and MBA (UP'52 & '64)
5. Pacita B. Putong-Sison
A.B., cum laude;
BSE, cum laude (UP '54 & '55) Bach.of Bus.Mgmt.;
MBA (Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila,'75 &'77)
PARENTS:
Apolinario Putong and Gregoria Kapirig, both of Tagbilaran, Bohol
His father was an asst. band conductor and his mother was a housewife who, upon the death of her husband at an early age, had to be a vendor to raise two children, Cirilo and Cecilio.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
Early Education: Dr. Putong studied in the Tagbilaran Spanish Public School and the Tagbilaran School later established by the first American teachers in the Philippines (called Thomasites). After passing corresponding examinations, he obtained the primary course in March, 1906 and the intermediate course certificate in June, 1906.
As a Gov't. Pensionado: Diploma for Normal Course (Phil. Normal School, Manila, 1908-1912, graduating as Class Valedictorian)
Three degrees obtained in the USA as gov't. pensionado: BSE - Western Illinois State Teachers College, 1920 M. A. - Columbia University, NYC, 1921 Ph.D. - University of Chicago, Illinois, 1937
Intelligence Quotient: 138 (Very Superior Adult) (Otis Intelligence Scale Test)
CIVIL SERVICE ELIGIBILITIES: Junior Teacher(1910) Senior Teacher (1914) Superintendent of Schools (1922)
WRITING EXPERIENCE:
First Prize, Composition Writing Contest on "The Province of Bohol" held on Nov. 28, 1904 (prize of P5 from Judge Charles Buritt and P2 from Bohol Governor Salustiano Borja)
First Prize, Folklore Writing Contest conducted by the Philippine Education Company in 1910 (prize: any course offered by the Int'l. Correspondence School based in USA)
Editor,"Visayan Planters", UP College of Agriculture, 1915
Editor,"Western Courier", Western Illinois State Teachers College, 1919
Author, "Bohol and Its People" (Manila, 1965)
Co-Author with Lydia Abad-Santos, "Phil. Community Life for First Year High School"(G. Miranda & Sons, 1963)
Co-Author with C. de la Pena and I. Fajardo, "Livingin Our Country, Grade 5" and "Living in Our World, Grade 6"(Bookman,Inc., 1964 & 1968)
Editorials in the "Filipino Teacher"(1956-1961)
Writer of various articles and speeches on education, boy scout movement, and related topics
GOVERNMENT SERVICE (From Classroom Teacher to Secretary of Education)
1904-06 Municipal Teacher in Tagbilaran, Bohol at age 13, with monthly salary of P10 and later raised to P15
1906-07 Teacher in Tagbilaran (a.m.) and in Baclayon (p.m.), making the trips on horseback (P360 p.a.)
1907-08 Principal of Baclayon Central School (P300 p.a.)
1908-12 Gov't. pensionado at the Philippine Normal School, Manila, graduating with a normal course diploma as Class Valedictorian
Passed the 1910 Junior Teachers civil service examination
1912-14 Principal of Dimiao Intermediate School, Bohol(P600 to P720 p.a.)
1914-15 Resigned to work at the UP College of Agriculture as student assistant in Botany, with the privilege of studying there; but he returned to Bohol after a year due to a malaria attack
1915-17 Passed the 1914 Senior Teacher civil service examination; was reinstated in the Bureau of Education and assigned as Teacher in the Bohol High School(English Composition and Biology), aside from basketball coaching, schoolground improvement and chorus training as his extracurricular duties (P960 to P1200 p.a.)
1917-18 Resigned ton work as Clerk(Examiner) at the Bureau of Civil Service, Manila (P960 to P1020 p.a.); after office hours,he was a freshman at the UP College of Law where he was elected class president
1918-21 Resigned to accept the offer of Bureau of Education Director W.W. Marquardt to study as a government pensionado in the USA, where he finished his BSE and MA degrees in 1920 and 1921, respectively
1921-22 Assigned by the Bureau of Education as Academic Supervisor in the province of Iloilo (P 2200 p.a.)
1922-24 High School Principal in the provinces of Abra and La Union (P 3000 to P 3600)
Passed the 1922 Superintendent of Schools civil service examination
1924-26 Appointed as Superintendent of Schools in the province of Romblon (P 4000 p.a.)
1926-27 Superintendent of Schools in the province of Abra (P 4200 to P 4500 p.a.)
1927-29 Sent to the USA again as gov't. pensionado for his PH.D. studies at the University of Chicago; completed the academic requirements and passed the oral examinations; returned to the Philippines to resume his job and to write his dissertation
1929-30 Superintendent of Schools in the province of Leyte (P 4500 p.a.)
1930-32 Superintendent of Schools in the province of Agusan (P 4500 to P4675 p.a.)
1932-38 Chief of the Curriculum Dept., Academic Division in the Bureau of Education and assigned on two occasions concurrently as division superintendent in the provinces of Tarlac and Pangasinan Was awarded his Ph.D. degree(in absentia) by the University of Chicago on December 2l, 1937
1938-45 Appointed by President Manuel L. Quezon as Superintendent of Schools in the City of Manila (P5520 to P 6000 p.a.);
During the Japanese Occupation, he occupied the same position, (at a reduced salary of P3120 p.a.) from January 23, 1942 until he and his family had to evacuate to the province of Bulacan due to the Battle of Manila (between the Japanese and American armed forces in 1944-45)
1945-46 Reinstated as Superintendent of Schools in the then Department Of Instruction and Information (P 5100 p.a. and restored to P 6000 effective June 1, 1945)
1946-48 Chief of Elementary Education in the aforementioned Department (P 6000 p.a.)
1948-49 Assistant Director of Public Schools (P 6000 p.a.)
1949-51 Director of Public Schools in the Department of Education (P 7200 p.a.)
1951-52 Undersecretary of Education (P 9000 p.a.)
1952-53 Secretary of Education (P 12000 p.a.) during President Elpidio Quirino's term until retirement
OTHER IMPORTANT POSITIONS HELD
National Executive Board Member, Boy Scoutsof the Philippines (1932 to l954) and Chairman of its Editorial Board
Philippine Delegate to the Pan Pacific New Education Conference in Tokyo, Japan (1935)
UNESCO Fellow (April 29to May 22, 1950), observing educational practices and trends in Europe, Mexico and the USA
Philippine Delegate to the Fifth UNESCO Conference in Florence, Italy (May 1950)
Chairman, UP Board of Regents;Chairman, Philippine Normal College Board of Trustees; Chairman, Central Luzon Agricultural College Board of Trustees (1952-53)
Philippine Representative to the l6th nt'l. Conference on Public Education in Geneva, Switzerland, co-sponsored by the UNESCO and the Int'l. Bureau of Eduction (1953), followed by a visit to universities in Belgium, England, the Netherlands and the USA, the Ministries of Education in France and Norway, and the UNESCO Office in Paris
Philippine Delegate to the Asamblea de Universidades Hispanicas in Madrid, Spain (Sept. 30-Oct. 17, 1953) and Phil. reprsentative to the 7th Centennial of the Universidad de Salamanca, Spain (Oct., 1953)
Vice-President, Francisco College, Manila (1954-62)
Editor, "Filipino Teacher" (1956-61)
President, UNESCO Fellows Association of the Philippines (1953)
President, University of Chicago Alumni Association, Phils. (1959)
Vice-President for Private Schools, Phlippine Association for Curriculum Development (1960-61)
Consultant on Academic Status at a Meeting of Experts held in New Delhi, India (May 30 to June 5, 1963), discussing"The Status of Teachers in Asia", sponsored by the World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession
Former Professorial Lecturer, UP Graduate School of Education
AWARDS AND CITATIONS
Rizal "Pro Patria" Award for Education in Nationalism- given by President Carlos P. Garcia during the first centenary of Dr. Jose Rizal's birthday (June 19, 1961)
Bestowed the honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa, by the University of Bohol (May 15, 1975)
Citation as Outstanding Alumnus of the Philippine Normal College (formerly Phil. Normal School) during its Golden Jubilee (Sept.2,1951)
Citation for Faithful and Inspired Service to the Philippine Educational System from Classroom Teacher to Undersecretary of Education ---given during its Golden Jubilee on December 16, 1951
Award for Distinguished Service to the Philippine School System --- given by the Philippine Association of School Superintendents in 1956
Bronze Usa, Silver Usa and Bronze Tamaraw (various Dates); Silver Tamaraw(1954); Gold Medal of Merit (1958); Special Plaque for Distinguished Service (1960); and Certificate of Recognition (1961)--- all from the Boy Scouts of the Philippines
Certificate of Appreciation---from the Jose Rizal National Centennial Commission (1961)
Citation for Services Rendered as Ex-Chairman of the Board of Regents ---given by the University of the Philippines (1963)
Award of Merit for Outstanding Service in the field of Education ---given by the Bohol Association, Inc. in Manila (1959)
Citation as Educator of the Year ---given by the Lions Club of Tagbilaran
Note: A few years ago, the Bohol National High School was renamed Dr. Cecilio Putong High School by virtue of a law sponsored by then Congressman Isidro Zarraga, Jr. of Bohol, amidst a controversy in that province where many were not aware of the accomplishments of Dr. Putong----the poor Boholano who, though orphaned at an early age,succeeded in obtaining a good education with the help of his American mentors who recognized his intellectual ability & strong determination to rise above his humble beginnings.
This self-made man made his dream a reality: he actually rose from the lowest rank(Classroom teacher) to the pinnacle(Secretary of Education) of his chosen career.
Those whose lives he touched remember him as a soft-spoken, mild-mannered, clean-living and humble man who dedicated his life to help in the development of the Philippine educational system.
He died a poor man because he did not enrich himself while holding public office.
