Speaker Eugenio Perez National and Agricultural School
In consonance with the educational policy of the early American rule the 1900’s, a primary school was established in order to give a better educational opportunity to the people of San Carlos Rural High School. The school was first housed in provincial building in Cava St. but was later transferred to the Tribunal Building, former Presidencia (now the City Hall) where classes held up to 1915. Seeing the need for a vocational school to exploit the vast virgin natural resources, the Philippine Legislature changed the name of the school which was then called the Sac Carlos Farm School in 1914. The government bought out of the educational appropriation of thirteen and a half first class land in Salcedo St. (now Roxas Blvd.).
Thus began the pioneer establishment of the Farm School. Clearing a dense forest of bamboo clumps and uprooting century –old trees became a feat and with all the sweat of the pioneers of the San Carlos Farm School is written the legacy of the school that is today. In 1928, the old name Farm School was changed to "RURAL High School". A concrete building constructed for classrooms together with a principals cottage, two cottages, for farm and animal managers and two student cottages.
In 1956, the school was selected as one of the Regional Community Development and Training Centers to help implement the expansion of Community Development Program of the late president from that time. It was also selected as a training center for off-campus teachers from the College of U.P. and later on the Central Luzon State University and Mountain State Agricultural College.
In 1964, the name of the
school was changed from "San Carlos Rural High School" to "SPEAKER EUGENIO
PEREZ NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL" by virtue of a bill sponsored by the Congressman
Angel B. Fernandez of the 2nd District of Pangasinan and signed into law as
Republic Act No. 3882 by the Pres. Diosdado Macapagal. This was the year when funding was
nationalized. Prior to this, funding came from the National – Provincial. Hence, the
school was under the Pangasinan Division.
The now defunct Bureau of of Vocational Education in 1965 absorbed SEPNAS from the Division of Pangasinan and thus a superintendent was assigned to head the school which had the status of Division, Mr. Rufo D. Dacanay was assigned as the first superintendent. SEPNAS has been commissioned as one of the three centers in Pangasinan. In 1976, SEPNAS was the only surviving center and has been the model center in Region 1.
In 1974, the new two year course Agriculture Technician Course was offered. Twenty-two students enrolled but only seventeen students graduated in 1976. In 1975, the school was selected as one of the Seed Production Centers in the country. A regional seminar on seed production was held in the school on the later part of Dec. 1975. Due to the problem of having less teachers in Agriculture, The Department of Education and Culture extended the authority to SEPNAS to offer the four-year Teacher Education Course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Education (BSAED).
In 1975, the college department was integrated with the Pangasinan State University thus separating the college administration from the secondary and the land area of about three hectares was given as a loan hence reducing the campus area. Since then, the item for superintendent has been taken out. Since the organization of the Regional Offices in 1973, SEPNAS directly relates to the Regional Office in matters of administration and supervision. However, by virtue of Regional Memo. No. 47, S-1984, the Division of San Carlos City was advised to coordinate with SEPNAS in matters of supervision and instruction.
In 1985, the school was chosen as a national pilot school for the new Secondary Education Curriculum. In 1993, it is also chosen as a Division Leader School. As such the school was used as a Training School for Teachers in the Division of San Carlos City.
At present, the Speaker Eugenio Perez Agricultural school sits in an area of 38 hectares, about 10 hectares of which is used as instructional site, while the rest is devoted to crop production. There are a total of 22 buildings and 40 classrooms properly ventilated. There are toilets, lavatory facilities as well as water facilities. There are covered walks to protect the students from inclement weather when going from one building to another.
This is the history of the Speaker Eugenio Perez National Agricultural School, a school which is older than Central Luzon State University (1907) and U.P. College of Agriculture (1908) and one of the pioneer schools in the country.
