Minerva was the Roman name of Greek goddess Athena. She was considered to be the virgin goddess of warriors, poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, crafts, and the inventor of music. She is often depicted with an owl, her sacred creature and a symbol of wisdom.
The Iloilo National High School (formerly Iloilo High School).
The school logo bears a picture of the Philippine buffalo which symbolizes endurance out of hard work and laborious effort exerted in the attainment of education goals. The bola-bola gate represents global competence in the endeavour for quality and equity in education which the school aims to achieve. This also speaks of the balance of both knowledge and virtues and of service to the community and to God. 1902 is the foundation of the school.
Iloilo High School was founded in 1902 when an institution called Iloilo Normal School was established in a two-storey building (now Casa Plaza) in front and across the street of the present Provincial Capitol.
It was established to meet the need for Filipino teachers. The minimum requirement for admission was the completion of the elementary education in the old Spanish schools
The first batch of teachers were selected from among the experienced American teachers who were so-called Thomasites. They were transported to the Philippines via M/V Thomas.
Once a teacher-institution, this school had gradually been converted to a secondary school after the building was transferred to Luna St., La Paz, Iloilo City which is the present site of the current school. The lot was donated by Don Francisco Jalandoni y Habana, a soldier and philanthropist. The construction of the building was at the expense of the Provincial Government of Iloilo at that time.
The building looked like more of a glorified farmhouse in the midst of rice and sugarcane fields, but it served as the center of learning, at its excellent level, at those early times.
From then on, the school has produced brilliant leaders not only provincially, but nationally and internationally as well.
A number of alumni have served in the United Nations, the White House, and other posts of national and local scope.
Among the number of national leaders who came from INHS was Carolina Griño-Aquino who was once a Justice of the Supreme Court, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, former Governor Conrado Norada. Former Governor Niel D. Tupas Sr. and present Governor Arthur Defensor Sr., Budget Minister, Manuel S. Alba, Secretary of Public Works & Highways, Virgilio Vigilar, also came from this school. Lots of other educators, members of the press, government employees and officials, local leaders have been produced by this school.
