Landan National High School History

Landan National High School-UKNHS Annex is located at Barangay Landan, Polomolok,
South Cotabato. Barangay Landan is considered as one of the big barangays of Polomolok, South Cotabato. It has a land area of more or less ten thousand (10,000) hectares. It is 14.5 kilometers away from the Poblacion. It is a 40-minute drive from the heart of the municipality. It is bounded on the north by Malungon, Sarangani Province, on the south by the hilly portion of Mt. Matutum, on the west by Barangay Maligo and General Santos City on the east.


Barangay Landan is accessible to all kinds of transportation. There are two (2) elementary schools and two 92) primary schools in the Barangay. The graduates of the two elementary schools used to proceed their secondary education to the different private and public high schools in the town proper. The need to have a public high school was felt by concerned residents and barangay officials, after observing that some of the elementary graduates could not pursue their secondary education because of financial reasons and due to the distance of the barangay from secondary schools in the locality especially that almost 60% of its residents are Indigenous People, the Blaan tribe.


It was for the above reasons that in 2003, the Barangay officials headed by Hon. Barangay Captain Guilly D. Lakim visited the Office of the Principal of Upper Klinan National High School, in the person of Mr. Pedro T. Dajay, and discussed the possibility of opening a high school a Barangay Landan to be an Annex School of Upper Klinan National High School. They were advised then to prepare the necessary documents for endorsement to the Office of the Schools Division Superintendent of the Division of South Cotabato. There was a positive response to the said endorsement. Three months later, Mr. Cesar B. Ollosa, the then Schools Division Superintendent together with other personnel, made an ocular inspection of the proposed school site and conducted interview to some residents and prospective students. After a
thorough evaluation, the Schools Division Superintendent handed it approval.


Thus on June 2004, Landan National High School was born as an additional campus of Upper
Klinan National High School under the management and supervision of the principal of the main campus. The operation started with only three (3) year levels: First, Second and Third Year Level. There were two 92) sections for the 1st Year, one (1) section of the 2nd year and one (1) for the 3rd Year. The total enrolment was two hundred fifty (250). Classes were held at the Barangay Hall compound using the bleachers and temporary classrooms to accommodate the students.


The Parents-Teachers and Community Association (PTCA) was the one responsible of paying the salaries of the six (6) teachers and one (1) support staff who were hired. The following school year 2005-2006, there was a big increase of enrolment, thus for the exigency of service three(3) nationally paid teachers from the main school were detailed to the newly opened school for
more learning conveniences of the students. Four (4) more teachers were hired and were paid by the Local School Board of the Municipality of Polomolok. Books and other learning equipment and even school supplies were provided by the mother school.


Three years after its existence, the school was declared by Miss Ma. Nenita T. Golez, Schools Division Superintendent of the Division of South Cotabato as an Annex school of Upper Klinan National High School wherein Mr. Wilfredo A. Barlaudo was installed as the Head of School with thirteen (13) strong teachers and one (1) support staff under his management and supervision. While classes were still held at the temporary classrooms, the local government of Polomolok, under the administration of Hon. Isidro D. Lumayag constructed a 2-classroom building at the school site. When the building was finished, the 3rd and 4th year classes were moved to the said building while the 1st and the 2nd year classes remained until another building was constructed by the Provincial Government of South Cotabato under the administration of Hon. Daisy Avance Fuentes, which gave the reason for the total transfer of all classes in the site with some classes held in makeshift classrooms.


A year later, Mr. Barlaudo transferred to the mother school as principal taking the position of Mr.Pedro T. Dajay who was promoted as Education Supervisor in the Division of South Cotabato. Mr. Stephen Salazar then took the headship for Landan National High School. However, two (2) years later, he was transferred to another high school in the Upper Valley.


Due to the vacancy of the position, the Assistant Schools Division Superintendent, Mr. Allan G. Farnazo detailed Mr. Roel F. Penaflorida, the head of Pablo Valencia National High School to Landan National High School. However, weeks later he went back to his previous station because the Barangay Council of Koronadal Proper where the school is located passed a resolution to the Division Office for his retention. For this reason and for the exigency of service, Mrs. Ninfa B. Macabenta, Master Teacher I of Polomolok National High School was directed to head the school effective August 6, 2007.


Today, Landan National High School is a fast growing school. It caters the learning needs of
more than five hundred clienteles where sixty percent (60%) are the Blaan indigenous people group. The school has eighteen strong and able teachers where six (6) are paid by the Municipal School Board, and twelve (12) nationally paid wherein two (2) of them are borrowed from Palkan National High School and one (1) from Upper Klinan National High School, the mother school. The school has no administrative aid or support staff.


With the present set up, some teachers are designated as administrative support like Disbursing Officer, Prefect of Discipline, Guidance Counselor, School Librarian and Property Custodian. This school year 2010-2011, we have already nine (9) classes one of which is housed in a temporary classroom however the administration is trying its best that very soon all classes will be accommodated in concrete classrooms. At present, people behind Landan National High School are really enjoying the fruits of their labor. The school is coping up the advance technology; in fact, it has already internet connectivity with 25 units of computer. It can be seen that Landan National High School will rise to its limelight in the near future through the collaborative efforts of the school administration and stakeholders.