Santa Cruz National High School - DepEd Davao del Sur

In line with the DepEd Memorandum on the implementation of summer remediation programs, our school proudly launches its Summer Remediation initiatives from May 6 to June 2.

Through ARAL Summer Reading, Summer Academic Remedial Program (SARP), and the SHS Remediation Program (SHSRP), we provide our learners with meaningful opportunities to strengthen foundational skills, improve academic performance, and prepare confidently for the coming school year.

Together, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that no learner is left behind.

ADVISORY | Enrollment for School Year 2026–2027 is scheduled from June 1 to 5, 2026, as stipulated in DO 12, s. 2025.

Even with the implementation of a 4-day work week, our commitment to service remains uninterrupted.

Please be informed that all face-to-face transactions will be accommodated from Monday to Thursday. On Fridays, our office will continue to operate through alternative communication channels from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

You may reach us via cellphone, Messenger, email, or other official platforms. Our designated Administrative Officer (AO) and office personnel will be available to respond to your concerns, with complete contact details provided on our official page and posted in visible areas for your guidance.

We encourage all stakeholders to plan face-to-face transactions within the designated days, while Fridays remain open for remote assistance and coordination.

Thank you for your continued understanding and cooperation.

A simple yet meaningful act of generosity reminds us that true school pride lives on beyond the years.

Thank you, Batch 1997 and Batch 1998, for your generous support of our alma mater; your initiative not only strengthens our school but also inspires us all to give back and help shape a brighter future for the generations to come.

𝗔 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆, 𝗔 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

History sometimes arrives quietly—through a student, a study, and a discovery that places a school on the national map. For Rolando L. Napuecas Jr., a young researcher from Santa Cruz National High School, that moment came when his groundbreaking research earned the Best Project award in the Mathematical and Computational Science – Individual Category during the National Science and Technology Fair 2026.

Held from March 10 to 13 at the Great Eastern Hotel, the prestigious national fair gathered the country’s brightest young researchers. Out of 17 competing entries representing the 17 regions of the Philippines, Napuecas’ study stood out, marking the first time in the history of Santa Cruz National High School (SCNHS) that a student claimed the top recognition in this category.

Napuecas’ research, titled “𝙄𝙣 𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙤 𝙉𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝘿𝙧𝙪𝙜 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙡𝙮𝙘𝙮𝙧𝙧𝙝𝙞𝙯𝙖 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙧𝙖-𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝘽𝙞𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙏𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙍𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙑𝙞𝙧𝙪𝙨 𝙉-𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙞𝙣 (𝙋𝘿𝘽 𝙄𝘿: 2𝙂𝙏𝙏) 𝙫𝙞𝙖 𝙈𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝘿𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝘿𝙈𝙀𝙏 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜,” explored how compounds from Glycyrrhiza glabra—commonly known as licorice—could potentially help combat the deadly Rabies virus. Using computational techniques such as molecular docking and ADMET profiling, the study simulated how plant-based compounds interact with the virus’s nucleoprotein, offering promising insights for future antiviral drug discovery.

Behind the scientific achievement lies months of dedication, analysis, and persistence. Guided by research coach Shamile Josephine Arobo, Napuecas transformed an ambitious idea into a nationally recognized scientific project—demonstrating how mentorship and determination can push young researchers beyond the boundaries of the classroom.

For Napuecas, the historic moment was both overwhelming and deeply emotional.

“𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 ,” Napuecas shared. “𝑺𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅, 𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍.”

The victory was more than an award—it was the culmination of countless hours of effort and perseverance. According to him, the recognition transformed every hardship he encountered during the research process into a meaningful triumph.

“𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌, 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔, 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒙 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒕,” he said. “𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 ‘𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒇𝒔,’ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒕𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍—𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒋𝒐𝒚.”

Yet Napuecas emphasized that the achievement was never his alone. Behind the recognition stood a network of people who believed in his work and supported him throughout the journey.

“𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆,” he added. “𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉, 𝑮𝒐𝒅, 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚, 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚.”

For SCNHS, the triumph represents more than a medal—it marks a turning point for the school’s research community. Coach Arobo described the victory as a milestone that reflects the institution’s renewed commitment to academic excellence and innovation.

“𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐’𝒔 𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚 𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒓 2026 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒄 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔,” Arobo said. “𝑰𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍’𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔.”

According to her, the recognition not only celebrates one student’s success but also highlights the school’s growing culture of inquiry and creativity.

“𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉, 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒄 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒉,” she explained. “𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚, 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍’𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.”

Arobo also emphasized the role of strong support systems in nurturing future researchers.

“𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔,” she said. “𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕—𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒔, 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔’ 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌—𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆.”

Beyond the present victory, she believes the achievement opens doors for future generations of SCNHS researchers.

“𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒂 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔,” Arobo added. “𝑰𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉-𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚.”

As the announcement echoed across the national stage, the victory carried the pride of an entire region. For Region XI, Napuecas’ achievement echoes the spirit proudly declared by its delegates: “𝘽𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙖 𝙍𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙮𝙤𝙣 𝙊𝙣𝙨𝙚, 𝙆𝙖𝙣𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙮 𝘼𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚.”

And for Santa Cruz National High School, the name Rolando L. Napuecas Jr. will forever be remembered as the student who turned research into history—proving that one discovery can bring honor not only to a school, but to a community and an entire region.

Written by: Niña Janine Rontal
Layout by: Tsukasa Shindo

The school officially opened its Women’s Month Celebration on March 9, 2026 with a meaningful program that honored the invaluable contributions of women in the school community.

In his inspiring message, the School Principal III Carlito D. Ramos emphasized the importance of recognizing the strength, dedication, and leadership of women who continue to shape the lives of learners and the future of education.