The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 45, 1736 / Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century

by Unknown

COLLEGE OF SAN JUAN DE LETRAN

It owed its foundation to the charitable zeal of Juan Gerónimo Guerrero, who in the year 1630 dedicated himself to gathering orphan boys, to whom he taught reading and writing and the Christian doctrine, paying for their support and clothing from the abundant alms with “which the citizens of Manila aided him.” This institution was recommended to the supreme Council of the Indias by the government of these islands, and later his Majesty recommended it to Governors Fajardo and Corcuera. Before dying, the aged Guerrero took the habit as lay-brother in [the convent of] Santo Domingo, and made that order a formal bequest of his advanced charitable work. Later it was erected into a college and received under the royal protection, his Majesty conceding it some encomiendas, or annuities for its support. At present it maintains at its own cost twenty-one Spanish orphan lads, with the 600 pesos to which amounts the product of the annuities which are collected from the alcalde-mayor of Pangasinan by a Dominican religious. It also receives Indian and mestizo collegiates who pay fifty pesos per year apiece for their support. Their number is not fixed. Under the title of sacristan, porters, librarians, and other mechanical trades, there are various people who pay nothing. Their studies are carried on in the university of Santo Tomás, except that of grammar. At the present time this college has 239 students, counting orphans, capistas and others.

CHARITY SCHOOL [ESCUELA PIA] OF MANILA[4]

Don Pedro Vivanco having begun to promote its establishment in 1803, it was installed in 1817 under the direction of a special assembly composed of distinguished citizens, among whom was a member of the ecclesiastical cabildo, and another of the tribunal of the consulado. The citizens gave the funds which were to maintain so useful an institution, but being drawn upon, as was the general rule, those funds had the same fate as other large sums of the commerce and charitable funds of this capital, and were lost through the political happenings of the kingdom of Mexico. The assembly having been extinguished for lack of funds, the city took under its charge the charity school. Reading, writing, Christian doctrine, Spanish grammar, and slate-work arithmetic are taught there. The pupils must be Spanish; the children of rich people pay two pesos per month; those of the second class one; and the poor nothing. For admission, a ticket from the president of the dissolved assembly was sufficient. Now it is given by the regidor, who is serving his turn in governing the institution. In that school, there are at present 50 pupils, of whom 26 receive their teaching gratuitously.