For a long time, health care, welfare and teaching tasks were carried out by
the religious orders.
Thanks to the zeal and initiative of the Dominicans,
Jesuits, Augustinians and Franciscans, a number of teaching centres and
hospitals were built and established. In the 19th century, the concern for
public education led to the creation of ordinary schools, the administration
being responsible for the projects and building works undertaken for these.
In 1571 the Jesuits built the "Real Colegio de San José" and in 1594
the Franciscans founded the "Colegio de Santa Potenciana", both of which
were established by order of the king, Philip II, who provided the necessary
funding for these. The "Colegio de San Juan de Letrán" and the
"Colegio de Santa Isabel" were founded in the first third of the 17th
century to take in orphans and the destitute of Manila, while the Dominicans
founded the "Colegio de Santa Catalina de Sena" with private donations,
this latter becoming an Ordinary School for Schoolmistresses in the 19th
century.
In 1611, the Dominicans founded the "Colegio de Nuestra Señora
del Santísimo Rosario" which was the founding body of the University of
Santo Tomás. In 1680, this University, which already awarded degrees, was
granted the title of Royal and Pontifical.
One of the first buildings
to be erected in Manila, around 1564 and by the Franciscans, was the
"Hospital Real". In 1587 the Dominicans founded an important medical
centre in Tondo, the "Hospital de San Gabriel", which was demolished in
1744. The "Hospital de Santa Ana", founded in 1596 by the Franciscan Juan
Clemente, was later to become the "Hospital de San Juan de Dios" and the
"Hospital de San Lázaro", and is the oldest hospital in the whole of the
Orient.
Project for the reconstruction of the Manila Ordinary School
for Schoolmistresses. Alejandro Olano. 1894. AHN In the 19th century, the
Santa Catalina de Sena school, founded in the late 17th century, was converted
into the Ordinary School for Schoolmistresses. It had to undergo certain
modifications to adapt it to this new use.
Project for the reconstruction of the Manila Ordinary School for
Schoolmistresses. Alejandro Olano. 1894. AHN
Project for the
reconstruction of the Manila Ordinary School for Schoolmistresses. Alejandro
Olano. 1894. AHN The reconstruction of this building followed the Rules for
the construction of buildings in Manila, which were established as a result of
the earthquakes of 18 and 20 July 1880 and constituted a building code which was
a pioneer in its field.
 |
The "Hospital of San Juan de Dios". Luis Céspedes in
Colección de planos... 1876. BETSICCP, Madrid After the hospital was
rebuilt and equipped with two hundred and fifty beds, it was run by the
Sisters of Charity. |
| The "Hospital of San Juan de Dios". Luis Céspedes in
Colección de planos correspondientes a varias de las construcciones
realizadas o proyectadas por la Inspección General de Obras Públicas de
las Islas Filipinas. 1876. BETSICCP, Madrid Founded in 1596 by the
Brotherhood of Mercy, it was rebuilt after being destroyed in the 1863
earthquake. |
 |
 |
School of San Juan de Letrán, in Manila. AGI This
was housed in a good, stone-built edifice, and was the first building to
be seen on entering the city from the Santo Domingo
quay. |
| Assembly room of the Santo Tomás university in
Manila. Álbum de vistas de la Universidad y Colegios... 1887. BN The
King, Philip IV, became the protector of this university and arranged for
a papal bull to transform it from college into university, the first in
Asia. In 1620, it opened its doors as a public teaching centre. |
 |
 |
Library of the Santo Tomás university in Manila.
Álbum de vistas de la Universidad y Colegios... 1887. BN This was
created at the request of the archbishop of Manila in 1610, and before
long it had its own printing press which had been imported from
Europe. |
| Rear façade of the Manila Ordinary School for
Schoolmistresses. Exposición de Madrid. 1887. BN |
 |
 |
Interior patio of the Manila Ordinary School for
Schoolmistresses. Exposición de Madrid. 1887.
BN |
| Interior of the Manila Ordinary School for
Schoolmistresses. Exposición de Madrid. 1887. BN |
 |
 |
San José College, Manila University. The entrance to
the pharmacy and medicine classrooms. Álbum de vistas de la Universidad y
Colegios... 1887. BN |
| Façade of the school of San Juan de Letrán, in
Manila. Álbum de vistas de la Universidad y Colegios... 1887. BN This
was founded between 1830 and 1850 by Juan Gerónimo Guerrero, a friar. It
belonged to the Dominican order and had a small church of the same
name. |
 |
 |
Façade of the San José school. Álbum de vistas de la
Universidad y Colegios... 1887. BN This was founded by Philip II in
1585. It was closed during the 17th century, but in 1777 it was reopened
and resumed its function as a teaching
centre. |
Project for a school in
Bulacón. Luis del Rosario y Rivas. 1893. AHN In the Philippines, public
buildings changed their use with certain regularity. In this case, an old
building was reformed in order to convert it into a public school.
 |
Project for a school in the town of Vigan, in Ilocos
Sur. Ramón La Hermosa in Colección de planos... 1876. BETSICCP,
Madrid |
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2004 Robert S. Gardner