CEBU CITY — The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) formally unveiled the historical marker “Cebu Normal University” on January 20 at the university’s main campus, recognizing the institution’s central role in Philippine education and national history.
The ceremony was led by NHCP Executive Director Carminda R. Arevalo, who presented the marker to Cebu Normal University (CNU) President Dr. Daniel A. Ariaso Sr., CESO II, on behalf of the university community. The turnover was witnessed by NHCP Chief Restoration Architect Ar. Reynaldo S. Lita, CNU Vice President for Administration, Finance, and External Affairs Dr. Allan Roy B. Elnar, along with other university officials and personnel.
The program opened with welcome remarks and a message from Dr. Bustamante, OIC Oversight Vice President for Regular and Extension, followed by the signing of the Certificate of Turnover and the unveiling ceremony. Dr. Trina Marie Catipay served as the master of ceremonies.
The historical marker recognizes the CNU Main Building as a site of cultural and historical significance. Established in 1902 as Cebu Normal School, the institution is among the earliest normal schools founded outside Manila during the American period. Its iconic neoclassical building, designed by National Artist for Architecture Tomas Mapua, was constructed in 1923 and inaugurated in 1924.
During the Second World War, the building served as a Japanese military headquarters, particularly for the Kempeitai, where Filipino and American prisoners were detained, tortured, and killed in 1945. The structure survived the war and later became a temporary American military barracks before classes resumed in 1946.
Over the decades, the institution evolved from Cebu Normal College in 1967, to Cebu State College in 1976, and finally achieved university status as Cebu Normal University in 1998. In 1965, the site also hosted the exhibition launch for the 400th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines, inaugurated by then President Diosdado Macapagal.
In her address, Arevalo reminded that heritage conservation is not only about preserving physical structures but also about honoring the values they represent — education, resilience, sacrifice, and hope.
With the installation of its first historical marker, Cebu Normal University now joins the growing list of Philippine institutions whose physical spaces are formally recognized as part of the nation’s collective memory.
