Based on the Philippine Commission Report to the United States Government, a prestigious educational institution had been established in Zamboanga on July 21, 1905 by Dr. Najeev M. Saleeby, Superintendent of Schools in the Moro Province. The school was borne out of a shop in Zamboanga East Central School. The founding was aimed at "introducing needed industries and trades which are easy to acquire and practical to apply within the needs and wants of the people." During this period, it was observed that industries are lacking among the population and that the primitive condition of existing industries emphasized the need for stimulus and training for more industrial activity.