The Birth of Gabaldon

When you enter the main gate of Camarines Sur National high school (CSNHS), the first thing
you see is the Gabaldon building. It is one of the oldest buildings in Naga City, rumors about Japanese
ghosts and secret tunnels cross my mind every time I enter the building. It has this cold and musty
feeling which makes it creepy but still it’s fascinating.

You see, CSNHS started as a provincial school in the municipality of Nueva Caceres in July 15
1902 and THOMASITES were the teachers back then. Nueva Caceres, now naga city was the capital of
ambos camarines. The school was headed by Frank Crone and his assistant Minerva Udell. The school
started out with 70 students and 4 mentors, the attendance was steadily increasing and by the end of
first term there were 200 students. The age requirement back then is 14 years old. Few weeks later the
school known as Camarines National High school transferred to a renovated building somewhere in
Mabini St. San Francisco and then in 1915 they transferred to Gainza St., now Penafrancia St. its current
location

In 1943 to 1945, the school was closed during the Japanese occupation, the school was used as a
garrison by Japanese soldiers under a certain colonel named Isabashi. Which basically explains why
there are reports of sightings of ghosts in CamHi. After the war, the school reopened but it is still unsafe
so they temporarily transferred to the grandstand inside the athletic grounds.

In June 1969, former president Ferdinand P. Marcos approved the republic Act 5529 converting
from camarines National high school to Camarines sur National High school. from then on, after many
principals came Mr. Sulpicio C. Alferez III Ph. D making the CSNHS we know today.

After all the stuff that happened here in this building, in this place. I feel proud and
honored to be part of CSNHS, therefore, I should be able to make the school proud as well