Maghaway National High School

Maghaway is one of the component barangays located in the outlying area of Talisay City, Cebu. Local villagers believed that before the Spanish era, the most common enemy of the Sri Vijayan settlers were the Moro pirates. At the first site of the Moro vintas, coastal inhabitants would flee to the mountains of Talisay. This was where their elders would call "Anhi ta Makigaway ug Mag-away". Through the years, the word evolved into its present name, Maghaway.
In the 1980s, the "kalibunan" or wilderness area leading to the barangay from Lawaan became notorious as "the killing fields" of Talisay. The area of tall cogon grasses and papaya trees were used as a dumping ground for victims of summary execution by the New People's Army (NPA) and elements of the Philippine National Police. In the 1990s, this area was purchased by Communities Philippines for their large Tierra Grande subdivision. This district is known to be plagued by social ills and atrocities.
Access to education is difficult for local villagers since the nearest school is in Lawaan which is kilometers away. The travel was risky and long for young students to walk since public roads were not yet built and transportation was not available. Due to the ever increasing demand for education in the locality, the Talisay City Division Officials incepted Maghaway National High School as an extension school of Lawaan National High School in 2003. In the following year, the school became autonomous and it started to carve its own identity in the whole Talisay City. The enrollment has increased exponentially as years go by. Year after year, structures and facilities are built through public-private partnerships.
Numerous stakeholders in the private sector have given their generous support to the school in building the classrooms, comfort rooms, stage, laboratories, and other facilities. The present stature of Maghaway National High School is the product of the collaborative effort and initiative of the whole educative community. To date, it is serving more than 410 regular students with 15 teachers. The school is one of the identified catchment school for the senior high school program.
The Maghaway NHS Official School Seal embodies the ideals and aspirations of the educative community aligned to the vision-mission of the Department of Education. The emblems inscribed in the school seal is rich with symbolism and meaning.
The community was left with the remnants of its gruesome history. As a former field of violence, the need for gradual social reconstruction is apparent. This significant change is believed to be the key towards building a more humane and just society. The students are deemed to no longer perpetuate the undesirable tradition and culture passed down by the generations.
It is for this reason that the central symbol of Maghaway National High School is the SCHOOL which espouses the word QUALITY. This quality refers to the substance of character and competence that will enable the students to realize their maximum potentials. Students are honed with the necessary knowledge skills, and values which will help him develop in all known dimensions.
The open BOOK on top of the school means openness to learn and to change for the better. It is guided by the torch of enlightenment which serves as the guide towards all our undertakings. The FLAME that burns brightly symbolizes the complete eradication of our ignorance. Ignorance hinders one to achieve their dreams and aspirations in life.
The JAVA PLUM (Lomboy) is the dominant terrestrial tree available in the vicinity of the school. This is a constant reminder that in all human endeavors, one must not forget to live in harmony with nature. The school strives to conserve the clean and green environment conducive for intellectual pursuits. The school values the preservation of these natural resources. It aims to maintain the serenity and peace that nature provides for the students to take advantage of.
The Philippine National FLAG can be found on the other side. It preserves the nationalistic ideals of our heroic forefathers who sacrificed their lives for us to enjoy the freedom of education. Amidst all these is the fact that the school will face a lot of challenges towards achieving quality education. The rain coming from the nimbus CLOUDS symbolizes the hardships and difficulties that one faces. One should be courageous enough to face these challenges in order to achieve quality education. Rain or shine, we all have to aspire to reach our dreams in life. Therefore, quality learning shall take place across all weather conditions.