Sun Yat-sen was born on November 12, 1866, into a farming peasant household in Choyhung in Kwangtung near the Portuguese colony of Macao.

After a basic training in the Chinese classics in his village school, he was sent to Hawaii in 1879 to join his older brother.

Iloilo Union Auto Supply owner, Tung Ah Hua, helped developed the project through the members of the Cantonese Club; the president during that time was Liu Chuk Tan.

Liu Chuk Tan (Remegio Tse Wing Sr.) was from Thuay San, Guang Dong Province in Mainland China.

Upon assumption of office in 2004, the chairman emeritus, Robert Chua, initiated the major renovation of Tiong San for the school's 80th foundation anniversary.

In March 2007, Tiong San received a donation in kind from an alumnus, Rhett Cembrano and his family.

He furnished all the air-conditioning units in the newly renovated auditorium in honor of his parents: Mr. and Mrs. Chiu Te.

The Alumni Association president for 2007–2009, Felix Uy, his family, and siblings put up seed money for the construction of an elevator in the new building going up to the auditorium on the fourth floor.

For the school year 2010–2011, Victorio S. Lo, acting principal until 2004, assumed the office again after Reynaldo S. Navarro finished his term.

The seal is a blue inverted equilateral triangle with the face of Dr. Sun Yat-sen placed on top.

The initials “S.Y.S.H.S.” which means “Sun Yat Sen High School” lies at the bottom with “ILOILO” forming an arch under it.