Located approximately 1.5 kilometers away from the bustling commercial district of Lapu-Lapu City, Lo-ok National High School began its operations in the academic year 1981-1982 as a Barangay High School in the West District.

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Initially, the first- and second-year classes were conducted at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Lo-oc Barangay Council. However, this location posed several challenges for the students, as the noise from nearby radio music and drama programs proved to be distracting. Additionally, the classrooms were substandard, with thin walls that allowed the voices of students and teachers to be heard from adjacent rooms. During class hours, it was not uncommon to hear shouting from quarreling neighbors and the cries of hogs tied to the decorative hollow blocks of the building. The neighbors sometimes treated the school and its students with hostility and superficiality.

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These difficult and disheartening experiences motivated the school to strive for a better environment. Eventually, through a resolution passed by the Parent-Teacher-Community Association (PTCA) and approved by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), the name of the school was changed from Lo-oc Barangay High School to Lo-ok Barangay High School. "Lo-oc" is a negative Visayan term meaning to choke the neck, while "Lo-ok" means to look forward.

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In 1995, after numerous attempts to secure a donated plot of land for the school, the Naval Forces Central of the Philippines (NAVFORCEN) of the Philippine Navy generously donated a two-hectare lot from its 65.67-hectare foreshore land, specifically the Mactan Naval Reservation. In July of that year, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed between Commodore Danio E. Pizarro, a naval officer, and Dr. Eladio C. Dioko, the DECS Regional Director. The PTCA President, Mrs. Ma. Purisima C. Nadala; LNHS Principal (1983-2004), Mrs. Florentina T. Villamor; Schools Division Superintendent, Dr. Caridad C. Labe; Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Ernest H. Weigel, Jr.; and Senator Raul Roco all played crucial roles in acquiring the school site.

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In the academic year 1996-1997, the new Lo-ok NHS commenced its operations within the perimeter of NAVFORCEN with just four classrooms. Over the years, the student population steadily increased. From an initial enrollment of over 100 students with four teachers, LNHS now accommodates nearly 600 students. Currently, the school has 13 sections, 22 teachers, and one school administrator.