[1] In 1978, Francisco A. Englis and a number of faculty, staff, and college students of MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, organized a choir which they called the 8va Choral Society.

The following year, the group already gave public performances around Iligan City, as well as giving lecture-demos to schools in an attempt to educate students on choral singing and to inculcate them with the requisites of music.

[11] In August 2015, Octava conducted a two-day concert in selected schools in Lanao del Norte as a grantee of the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Outreach Local Tour Grants Program.

Under the new management, the group finished as a semi-finalist in the National Music Competitions for Young Artists adult choir category held at the University of the Immaculate Conception in Davao City in 2017.

[16] Later that year, Octava competed and qualified as a finalist in the regional semi-finals of the National Music Competitions for Young Artists senior choir category held at Bukidnon State University Auditorium in Malaybalay City.