Northfield at 25: Heroes of Past, Present, and Future

NFD School HR Director Butch Fernando and School Principal Greg Jesuitas unveil the silver anniversary tile. Photo courtesy of Sam Braganza.

In its 25th year, PAREF Northfield School for Boys embarks on an exciting journey of raising the bar of excellence by investing more strategically in teacher training, science laboratory, scholarships, student exchange programs, and work immersion for senior high school students.

“We want to look back and give thanks to the generosity, heroism, and bravery of the first Mariners — parents, teachers, and students — who started Northfield,” said Manny S. Sator, Northfield’s Executive Director, during a program attended by the students and faculty on August 30.

“Northfield earned its very good reputation as a school when in those days we didn’t have airconditioning, a three-story building, and a basketball court,” Mr. Sator remarked. In revisiting the school’s achievements, Mr. Sator recalled how Northfield grew.

THROWBACK. Look at NFD’s sportsfest in 1996. Photo from Yearbook 1999.

Formerly known as Northridge School, Northfield started in 1994 at a refurbished house in Escaler, Katipunan with only 29 families and 7 employees. From a school with 3 classrooms and an administration office, it had come a long way as the second all-boys PAREF school in the country, the only one with two campuses.

Flag Assembly of the Northfield pioneer batch. Photo from the 1999 Yearbook.

The Quezon City campus which is now tucked in a quiet corner in bustling Tomas Morato offers all levels of basic education to two hundred sixty-seven (267) grade school to senior high school students. The new Antipolo campus in the idyllic Sun Valley Estates caters to sixty-six (66) students from Grades 1 to 6.

Fortibus has been touted as the best campus paper in the Philippines by the prestigious CMMA. In 2019, it is a finalist in the CMMA once again. It’s also a candidate in the Best-Designed Campus Paper Awards. Photo courtesy of Mr. Calderon.

For more than two decades already, Northfield has been giving rigorous academic and personal formation. Students have won several local and regional competitions. The campus paper, Fortibus, has been recognized thrice by the Catholic Mass Media Awards as the best high school paper in the Philippines.

The Sun Valley Campus new building construction is in full swing. Photo courtesy of Mr. Calderon.

Northfield graduates such as Patrick Lim, John Juat, and Jose Quinito Limbo are excelling in their social advocacies and entrepreneurial endeavors while Jose Francisco Abrillo is creating an impact in the film industry by producing and co-writing films with Filipino values. Other alumni continue blazing a trail in their respective industries and professions.

FULL HOUSE. More than 2,000 students attended NFD’s first international conference last January 31. Photo courtesy of Sam Braganza.

The reach of Northfield is not limited to its students and alumni. Recently, Northfield also spearheaded its first international conference on mental health and digital lifestyles attended by more than 2,000 students, educators, and parents across Luzon. It also took the helm of marketing the May 25 conference of international speaker Jason Evert.

Northfield copresented the 2019 International Conference of Jason Evert. Photo courtesy of Sam Braganza.

During the year-long anniversary celebration, the Northfield community — especially parents and the alumni — are invited to participate in various initiatives aimed toward further improvements in the infrastructure and physical facilities of the school.

SY 2018–2019 saw the installation of airconditioning units in all classrooms while students of SY 2019–2020 were welcomed with new flooring in their classrooms. Photo courtesy of Mr. Calderon.

Northfield’s HR Director, Florentino R. Fernando, also unveiled in the program the commemorative 25th-year legacy tiles which will be given as recognition and appreciation for the families and donors who will take part in the school’s upcoming fund-raising programs.

Last December 2018, the renovation of the covered court commenced. The permanent roof was installed and the flooring was replaced. Photo courtesy of Mr. Calderon.

After more than two decades of forming young Christian gentlemen, there’s still a long way ahead of us. As the Northfield story began with the love and dedication of its 29 pioneer families, the school continues to depend on its parents, alumni, and benefactors in helping Northfield reach its fullest potential.

Join us and be heroes of Northfield’s 25th year by sailing with us toward greatness!

This article was written by Mr. Bernz Ordoñez Caasi