After the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Bogo City on September 30, 2025, it left a deep mark on us Cebuanos that I feel I can never fully recover from. The experience was terrifying and heartbreaking at the same time. One of the most painful damages it caused was the destruction of our beloved San Remigio National High School. Seeing the place that held so many of our memories reduced to ruins felt like losing a part of myself. This school was not just a building. It was a witness to my growth, my struggles, and my success from junior high school up until senior high school.
San Remigio National High School has been the foundation of who I am today. It helped me build my confidence and strengthened my knowledge about many things. It guided me in discovering my passion and the path I want to take in life. The lessons I learned from my teachers, the activities we joined, and the challenges we overcame together shaped me into the person I am now. Those lessons and experiences will always stay with me, no matter where I go.
Although I am a graduating student and this school year will be my last, it still saddens me deeply to know that this school will soon be demolished and rebuilt under a different name. By then, I know it will no longer be the same San Remigio National High School I grew up with. The hallways, the classrooms, and even the old canteen that used to be filled with laughter will soon be gone. New buildings will rise, and new memories will be made, but the ones we created will always hold a special place in my heart.
The relationships, friendships, and connections that were built within those walls will forever stay with me. As I scroll through my phone gallery, I saw the happy moments my classmates and I shared with our teachers. Our laughter during breaks, the group activities that tested our patience, and the heartfelt conversations we had about life. Those memories bring both warmth and sadness because they remind me of a time that can never come back. The sadness, anger, and joy we experienced together will remain as photographs that can no longer come to life.
The classroom that we once used as our training ground for college life will soon be gone too. The walls that witnessed our sleepless nights preparing for presentations and exams will be demolished. The seats that carried our exhaustion and excitement will turn into dust. It hurts to imagine that everything that once felt so alive and familiar will soon be just a memory. It feels like a part of our youth is being erased along with the building.
Still, I am grateful for every single moment that San Remigio National High School gave me. The lessons I learned, the friendships I built, and the dreams I discovered within those walls are things I will treasure forever. This school taught me not only about academics but also about life. It taught me patience, resilience, and the importance of working hard for what I believe in. It showed me how every failure can turn into a lesson and how every small success can be a reason to keep going.
It breaks my heart to think that future students will walk in a different building, one that may no longer hold the same warmth we once felt. But I also know that change is part of life. Maybe the new version of the school will give others the same chance it gave us to grow, to dream, and to find ourselves. Even if the physical structure changes, the spirit of our school will live on through the students and teachers who continue its story.
Every corner of San Remigio National High School holds a piece of my journey. From the first day I nervously entered as a junior high student to the last days of my senior high years, the school stood as my second home. It was where I learned to speak up, to lead, and to believe in myself. It was where I met people who became like family to me. Losing it feels like saying goodbye to a part of my life that shaped who I am.
Even though the building may soon turn into rubble, the memories will never fade. They will stay in our hearts and minds, carried with us wherever we go. We may not walk through the same hallways anymore, but the lessons and experiences we gained will continue to guide us. San Remigio National High School may no longer stand the same way it once did, but its impact will forever remain in the lives it has touched.
And to my beloved San Remigio National High School, thank you for teaching me to be confident in myself and for bringing out the best in me. You have taught me the things I am capable of and helped me discover the strengths I never knew I had. I will always be grateful that you became a part of my life, and I will forever treasure the memories I have with you. I will carry all the lessons I have learned and the independence you have taught me.
The earthquake may have destroyed you, but I know you will come back stronger. You will rise again from the ashes, and when that time comes, I will always be proud to say that I was your student. No matter how much time passes and how many changes take place, you will always hold a special place in my heart, for you are not just a school to me but a home that helped shape who I am today.
I will choose to remember the school not for how it ended but for how it helped us begin. It gave us knowledge, friendships, and unforgettable moments that no earthquake can ever destroy. The school may be rebuilt with new walls and a new name, but to us, it will always be the place that built our dreams and nurtured our hearts. And as I move forward to the next chapter of my life, I will carry the spirit of San Remigio National High School with pride and gratitude, forever thankful for the home it once was to me.
Until next time, San Remigio National High School.