Volume 45 — GIRLS’ SCHOOLS IN MANILA AND THE PROVINCES

Until the beginning of the present century, nearly 13,060 girls had been educated in this institution.

The colleges were under the protection of private ladies and afforded quite sufficient instruction. In 1863, the sisters of charity assumed charge of the same, to the great advantage of the college and of the morality of the pupils.

In 1879, the college underwent a considerable reformation by order of Governor-general Moriones, who gave the college a new set of regulations and opened its doors to day pupils and half-boarders, and in 1880 the board of directors established new chairs, which make this establishment one of the most complete for the education of European young ladies.

Retreat and college of Santa Catalina

The college of Santa Catalina follows next in order of antiquity to the college of Santa Isabel. It was founded in 1696 by the provincial, then belonging to the Dominican order, the very reverend father, Juan de Santo Domingo.

There were purchased for the purposes of the college, at the account of the province of Santísimo Rosario, some houses adjoining the convent of Santo Domingo, to serve as an asylum to the young ladies who desire to consecrate therein their virginity to the Lord.

The institution was inaugurated on the day of St. Ann, of the year mentioned, after the approval of the rules to be observed, in conformity with the spirit and statutes of the Tertiary Order of St. Dominic, with some modifications for the proper interior régime, based upon the principal laws and ordinations of the province of Santísimo Rosario. On this day some ladies who had long before adopted the dress of the Tertiary order, took the vows, binding themselves to the strictest observance of the new rule, and taking the three religious vows with all the necessary formalities.

Among the new nuns was the sister of Mother Francisca, who, in order to adopt the Dominican vestments, left the rectorate of Santa Isabel.

The new retreat was given for a patron, the seraphic mother, Santa Catalina de Sena. It was also ordered that there should be only fifteen choir nuns, in honor of the mysteries of the rosary, with some lay sisters to attend to the material service.

The foundation of this retreat was approved by a royal despatch signed February 17, 1716, which put an end to the various petitions which had been submitted to the court against its installation. In 1732, a new cedula granted the retreat the right to have a church with a bell, and prescribed, at the same time, that the inmates were not required to observe retirement by a rigid vow, but only for the purposes of good administration.

The practice observed is that the sisters never pass through the inside door of the convent, which is in charge of one of the gravest sisters, but any person can enter it with express permission from the provincial.

Although in the beginning, the college of Santa Catalina was nothing but a house, to which Spanish ladies, desirous of renouncing the vanities of the world and of devoting themselves entirely to the service of God, retired, the Dominican order did not long delay in assigning some of the sisters to instruction in a college. From that time, the retreat took the character of a college, where the pupils, at the same time that they were instructed in reading, writing, Christian doctrine, and other work suitable to their sex, learned to practice virtue.

In 1865, it was deemed proper to increase the number of sisters fixed when the retreat was established, in order to be able to extend instruction further, and thus place the college on the same level as the best equipped colleges of the same class in this capital.

The inmates of this institution are not permitted to leave it without good cause.

They may be visited by their parents and other friends and acquaintances in a reception room located near the door of the college.

The retreat is managed by a prioress, elected every three years by the sisters, who acts, at the same time, as the mother superior of the college; at the head of the latter, nevertheless, there is a directress in charge of the instruction.

College of Santa Rosa

This establishment was founded in 1750 by the Paulist Mother de la Trinidad, a nun of the Tertiary Order of St. Dominic. She arrived in Manila the preceding year, whither she had resolved to come from the Peninsula, desirous of consecrating herself to the good of others. Being convinced that the greatest service she could render the public was to establish an educational institution, she immediately took steps to carry out her holy work, and in a short time by her ardent zeal she secured sufficient funds for the establishment of a retreat, where she supported on charity a certain number of native young women for the purpose of educating them in the fear of God, in Christian doctrine, and in all exercises suitable for a woman. This was done so that, whether they left the retreat of their own will and married or remained therein, they would develop strong moral principles.

His Majesty has taken this college under his royal protection, and the regent of the Audiencia supervises it in his name, with the corresponding powers.

The spiritual direction is, at the present time, entrusted by the archbishop to the very reverend Fray José Corujedo, former provincial of the corporation of St. Augustine.

College of La Concordia or of the Immaculate Conception

In the town of Paco, a suburb of Manila, there is a college, which was inaugurated May 3, 1868, ordinarily called the college of the Concordia. The entire grounds and part of the building, which now serves as a college, were piously donated to the sisters of charity by a charitable lady named Margarita Roxas, whose picture is exhibited in the reception room. Five-sixths of said college have been built since its foundation.

This college is the exclusive property of the sisters of charity, who act at the same time as teachers therein. It occupies a very picturesque and open position on a beautiful plain between the towns of Paco and of Santa Ana, and has very capacious and well-ventilated rooms.

It is the central building of the sisters of charity of the Philippines, and usually a priest of the congregation of the mission, entrusted with the spiritual direction of the college, lives therein.

The studies and work in this college and the distribution of classes are identical with those of other colleges.

Asylum of St. Vincent of Paul

This institution is situated in Paco, a suburb of Manila, in the barrio of Looban. The building and its grounds, belong to Sister Asunción Ventura, a sister of charity, who, being anxious for the welfare of poor girls, donated it to the congregation of the sisters of charity, in order that said building should be used as an asylum for the education of about 30 poor girls. The institution was inaugurated on November 26, 1885. Pay pupils are also admitted for the moderate fee of 6 pesos per month.

The sisters of charity of this institution number 5.

Boarding pupils, 37

Poor pupils, 45

Servants, 9

Total, 91

The pupils are taught Christian doctrine, reading, writing, Spanish grammar, and the four rules of arithmetic. They are also instructed in the work of their sex—sewing, embroidering, the making of artificial flowers, and some in housework, such as cleaning, cooking, washing clothes, etc.

College of San José de Jaro

On May 1, 1872, the sisters of charity opened, with the permission of the vice-royal patron, the college of San José, in Iloílo, for the instruction and education of girls. In doing this, they acceded to the wishes expressed by some good Spaniards and some principal citizens, and supplied a want in that capital. This college continued in existence until 1877, when it was closed on account of the lack of funds, as it had no funds but those derived from the fees of the pupils, who were very few toward the end.

Fray Mariano Cortero, bishop of Jaro, availed himself of the opportunity to call the sisters to his city, and placed the school in their charge. A house was leased, and beside it a frame building was constructed for school purposes, able to accommodate about 200 girls. Up to 1881, no boarding pupils were accepted, on account of the lack of room; but later, at the request of some families, some girls were admitted, the number of whom gradually increased to 50—too large a number for so small a house. This led to the necessity of enlarging the building, which was done by raising the school roof, and making an upper story, by which means a large and spacious room was scoured as a dormitory for the girls, besides a beautiful chapel.

Instruction is divided into three classes—superior, secondary, and primary. In the lowest class, reading and Christian doctrine are taught. In the secondary class, Christian doctrine, reading, writing, sacred history, and arithmetic are taught. In the superior class, the reading of printed and written matter is taught, as well as the writing of Spanish and English characters, geography, sacred and profane history, and arithmetic, as well as piano for those who wish. They are also instructed in the work of their sex—sewing, embroidering, artificial flowers, etc.

Convent of San Ignacio

Its foundation dates back to the year 1699, and it was directed by the fathers of the Society of Jesus until they were expelled in the last century, when it passed to the charge of the provisor of this archbishopric. Its original object seems to have been that of educating native girls in the fear of God, and to give them primary instruction and instruction in the work of their sex. This retreat serves as an asylum for devout women.

Since 1883, a school has been established in this retreat, with three teachers. They teach reading from the first letters, Christian doctrine, compendium of morals, sacred history, courtesy, arithmetic, Spanish grammar to the analysis of analogy, and in addition they have every week an explanation of the gospel, in charge of a priest of the secular clergy.

Needle-work is taught from the first stitches to the finest embroidery.

[The following girls’ schools are noted also by Archipiélago Filipino, i, p. 353.]

Schools for the education of girls, which, without having the rank of normal schools, exist outside the capital of the archipelago, are principally the four following, the first three of which are in charge of the Dominican nuns.

That of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, founded in Lingayén (Pangasinán), in 1890, with 60 pupils; that of Santa Imelda, founded in Tuguegarao (Cagayán de Luzón), in 1892, with 81 pupils; that of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, in Vigan (Ilocos Sur), with 90 pupils; and finally, that of San José de Jaro, under the direction of the sisters of charity, with 116 resident pupils, 160 day, and 14 half-boarders.

Lastly, centers also devoted to the instruction of girls are the Real Casa de Misericordia in Cebú, the beaterio of the Society of Jesus in Manila, and those of Santa Rita in Pasig, and San Sebastián in Calumpang. However, we shall not review them here, as they are chiefly religious institutions.