Note 11 — THE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

This lack of approval of the superior government did not prevent the consideration of the means of immediately carrying into effect the change in the studies, and soon afterwards, in 1865, secondary instruction was adopted with the degree of bachelor of arts, commercial expert, and surveyor, and chemical and industrial expert, as in the universities of the Peninsula. The classes were opened the following year, in accordance with a provisional program taken from that of Cuba. In 1867, this program was given the supreme approval. Secondary instruction having been happily inaugurated, the approval of the plan of superior instruction, submitted by the university to the government of his Majesty, was being awaited, when a decree arrived from the regent of the kingdom, Don Francisco Serrano, countersigned by the colonial minister, Señor Moret,11 which secularized the official studies, and, suppressing the existing colleges and the universities of Santo Tomás, converted them into the Philippine Institute and the university of the Philippines respectively, thus ignoring all the elements which they had accumulated in their teaching during three centuries of existence, and turning over the literary future of the people to the hazardous plan, inspired, notwithstanding the loyal patriotism of the minister, by a doctrine diametrically opposed to that which had served as a solid basis for welfare and progress. The corporations of Manila, the bishops, and the clergy, with a majority of the householders, protested against a measure which, although it fulfilled the hopes of the university in regard to new chairs and schools, deprived them of any value by separating them completely from the religious basis. These protests were heard by the governor of these islands, Señor Izquierdo, who provisionally resolved that the decree be not executed in regard to the secularization, but that it be carried out with regard to the new schools. This resolution was fully approved by the government of the Peninsula. Thus, in 1871, the schools of medicine and pharmacy were established, and the other schools were extended. By a resolution of General Moriones, the governor of these islands, which was confirmed by his Catholic Majesty, it was decided to appoint a director of the college of San José, which was granted in perpetuity to the rector of the university, and of an administrator, on the recommendation of the said director, for the management of revenues.12