The Zamboanga Chong Hua High School turns 100 on November 12, 2019.
From November 7 to 12, the school proudly celebrates the Centennial of its founding and its mission of pursuing excellence for the growth of Zamboanga’s Chinese community, enabling it to contribute greatly to the city’s development through the decades.
It will warmly welcome many of its alumni who will be flying in from all over the world to once more be with their alma mater as it marks this milestone. The Zamboanga Chong Hua High School Alumni Association disclosed that of special mention will be the Jubilarians in eight Jubilee categories — Silver, Pearl, Coral, Ruby, Sapphire, Golden, Emerald, and Diamond — representing those marking their 25th to 60th (in 5-year increments) year since graduation.
It will be recalled that the Zamboanga Chong Hua High School was established in 1919 during the American Commonwealth era by 16 pioneering Chinese residents, the fifth school to open doors of learning to Zamboanga’s children. It charted its growth through the years from the first school at Magay Street to its present location at Gen. Vicente Alvarez Street where it set its roots in 1929.
The curtain-raiser to the Centennial celebration was a Thanksgiving Mass at the St. Joseph Church and the opening of the Alumni Association Golf Fellowship Cup at the Zamboanga City Golf and Beach Club in upper Calarian on November 7.
The Zamboanga Chong Hua High School Quadrangle comes alive as November 8 fires off with the Blessing and Turnover of the impressive Multi-Purpose Covered Court in the morning. The evening will be a blaze of light and music as the Lantern Contest Parade and the 15th Grand Alumni Night with a Great Gatsby theme gets underway at the school mess hall and quadrangle.
On November 9, the venue continues to be the quadrangle as the Grand Alumni Homecoming School Program, Turnover Ceremonies, and General Assembly kick off at 6:30 a.m, until 1:00 p.m. In the evening, activities move to the Astoria Regency Convention Center in Pasonanca as the Alumni Officers Induction Ceremonies and Fellowship Night takes center stage.
November 10 marks the day for the Grand Centennial Festival which features a Centennial Musical Variety Show at the City Coliseum in Tetuan from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. The evening lights up with the Centennial Night Celebration again at the Astoria Regency from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.
The Centennial celebration culminates with school program on November 12 featuring flag and wreath-laying ceremonies as well as parlor games from 7:00 a.m. to noon.
For a time known as the Zamboanga Chinese High School until the one-China policy became official and saw the school renamed to the Zamboanga Chong Hua High School, the institution has produced many men and women who have become leading lights of the city’s business and industrial sectors. Zamboanga City’s skyline is the way it is today because of the drive and the spirit these graduates gave life to in their quest to raise their families in a city they called and made their home.
The ascendancy of the Zamboanga Chong Hua High School, as celebrated in this Centennial, is also the ascendancy of Zamboanga City since that day in 1919 when a humble school rose in Magay and became a force to shape the future.
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