Governor Emilio Gaston Memorial Elementary School


Governor Emilio Gaston Memorial Elementary School or locally known as GEGMES is one of the public schools in Silay City. It is located at Rizal Street, next to the Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School. The school was named after the late Negros Occidental governor and Silay City municipal president, Emilio Gaston.

History

Established in 1939, Governor Emilio Gaston Memorial Elementary School is one of the oldest educational institutions in Silay City, Negros Occidental. The campus has a land area of 7,772 square meters. The school site was donated by the late Don Julio Ledesma, one of the most prominent families of Silay City. However the school was named after the late provincial governor and municipal president in the person of Emilio Gaston. In 1941–1943, during the Japanese Imperial Government's occupation of the Philippines, Governor Emilio Gaston Memorial Elementary School was the seat of its government and military garrison. The campus population is a mixture of Brgy. Rizal, Brgy. Lantad, Brgy. I and II. A catchment area based pupils comprising the large majority and a considerable number of out of town pupils coming from the nearby town of E.B. Magalona and Talisay City. Roughly more than 95% of the school pupils belong to the low income bracket family category.

Emilio Gaston

Emilio Gaston was the former municipal president of Silay City from 1925–1930. He was born on December 16, 1880 and died a day after the celebration of the charter day of Silay City in June 13, 1937. Gaston was also the governor of Negros Occidental from 1934–1937.

Present

The school has now improved their needs such as the plantation of plants for their ecological projects, refurbished of old classrooms and built new classrooms. The school is now one of the leading primary schools in Silay City, providing more than hundreds of graduates every year.