Holy Cross High School
Phillips, Bukidnon
The School Seal and Motto
The Holy Cross High School seal carries the symbol JHS and the word “IN HOC SIGNO VINCES”. The three letters JHS are in Latin “JESUS HUMORUM SALVATOR”, the Christian motto that means “JESUS THE SAVIOR OF MANKIND”. History of Holy Cross High School
The establishment of Holy Cross High School in Phillips, Bukidnon was the result
of the ambitious missionary zeal of Father Rodolfo Cabonce, S.J. and a company's desire to educate its people. With the assistance offered by the Philippine Packing Corporation in terms of site and edifice, HCHS came into existence in June 1950. Initially, there were fifty-four first year students and twenty-three second year students taught by three pioneering teachers. Fathers Cabonce, Rafael Ocampo, and Luis Meciano, all Jesuit priests, became members of the first Board of Trustees. During the succeeding twenty-seven years of existence, HCHS saw several changes in its administration and physical structure. A new wing was added to the original structure. In 1960, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Newark, New Jersey took over the administration of the school. In 1973, the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Buffalo, New York were tasked to run the institution. It was during their term that the Guidance Program was introduced and the parents organized the Parents Auxiliary Council (PAC), which was later renamed PTA or Parents Teacher Association. HCHS then began to take a new shape. More classrooms were constructed to accommodate a growing number of students. In 1975, the responsibility of running the school was relegated to the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Cork, Ireland. In its desire to upgrade and improve its standards, HCHS underwent self-evaluation from 1978 to 1981. It assessed its strength and weaknesses, and honestly confronted itself in the building up of more realistic and workable objectives and programs. It was during the self-survey that the school's mission statement, philosophy and objectives were formulated and adopted; curricular offerings were defined and enriched; syllabi and courses of studies were written and revised; faculty and staff development program was enhanced and the physical plant was improved with the construction of more classrooms, bigger offices, library and laboratories. In 1982, HCHS applied for accreditation to the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU). On February 24-26,1982 a team of five accreditors made the pre-survey and on October 19-21,1982, the formal survey was conducted by a team of five accreditors. PAASCU granted HCHS its initial accreditation for three years. The first level of accreditation went so fast that the school year 1985-1986 was spent again in self-survey and self-evaluation. A team of five accreditors revisited HCHS on August 6-8,1986. After full consideration of the findings of the resurvey team, HCHS was granted five years of level II accreditation. A team of seven accreditors assisted by a secretary undertook the resurvey of HCHS on October 15, 1992. Although this repetition had made the self-survey and self-evaluation lighter, nevertheless, it was done in earnest. After full consideration of the findings of the Resurvey Team of PAASCU, the DECS and the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP), HCHS was granted another level II status up to September, 1997. In 1998, HCHS was granted another five year level II accreditation. In its fifth decade of existence, Holy Cross High School is growing tremendously in terms of student population and facilities. It continues to commit itself to Christian education with emphasis on religious values, academic excellence, community involvement and compassionate service as its earns the confidence of the community it serves.
