Unfortunately this commission was dissolved just before the completion of its work, on account of the absence of some members in the Peninsula, there remaining only one (in addition to the rector of the university), who later resigned his membership in the commission, under date of October 28, 1848. But by a royal order of April 19, 1849, the action of this superior government in not accepting said resignation was approved, and in the place of the absent members, Señor Montes de Oca was appointed and instructions given that another competent person should associate with them, in order that the work of university reform might continue. But as the commission did not hasten the matter with the speed desired by the government of his Majesty, another royal order was issued, under date of October 19, 1852, urging the commission to conclude the plan, and budget of studies, in accordance with the wishes and the interest of his Majesty for the welfare and prosperity of this colony. However, the difficulty of reconciling very great extremes, such as the preservation, in a new plan of studies, of everything already in existence that should be in harmony with the studies of the universities of Spain, the formation of a budget without injuring the interests of anyone, and a thousand other necessary considerations, placed under the charge of the commission by more than one royal decree, were more than sufficient causes to prevent the board from finishing its laborious contract and including its complicated work in the brief period desired. Hence, it was not until February 16, 1856, that its work was done, and the long-desired plan of studies concluded. This plan was at once sent to the superior government of these islands, in order that it might finally be forwarded when it should be deemed convenient. The papers were still in the hands of the secretary of the government in March, 1859, when a fire occurred in the town of San Miguel, where said secretary resided at the time, and unfortunately the papers, in the compilation of which so much valuable labor had been expended, were burned. So unfortunate an occurrence must naturally have delayed this matter, although by chance there was in the possession of the rector of the university a copy of all these works and the previous writings of the board which were used in the compilation of the desired plan. The rector of the university was requested by the government of these islands to furnish all the previous writings in his possession on the works and plan of studies which had been destroyed while in the possession of the secretary, and which should serve as a basis for the new papers treating of the same subject.
But before sending the report to his Majesty, for his final approval, the superior government received some copies of the plan of studies newly established in the universities of the Peninsula, together with a royal order directing that it be adapted in so far as possible to the plan for these islands which was to be presented for the approbation of his Majesty. This circumstance led to the suspension of the proceedings instituted, and obliged this superior government to appoint another commission, or, rather, to complete the old one, which had already become disintegrated by the absence of some of its members, to revise the work and the plan of studies formerly proposed, and to harmonize it, if possible, with the plan of studies, a copy of which was sent to the members of the board for the purpose indicated.
Thus, on April 5, 1861, General Lemery appointed the lacking members of said commission, in which figured, as in the former commissions, the director and chancellor of this university. The commission concluded its work on February 20, 1862. The plan of studies prepared by this last commission was presented on the same day to the superior government of the islands and was finally transmitted with a favorable report to the government of his Majesty without the sovereign approval for its establishment having as yet been given.
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]
In 1876, the study of the profession of notary was inaugurated, and two professors were appointed to teach these subjects. Finally, in 1879 and 1880, the auxiliary courses of medicine and pharmacy, midwives, assistant surgeons, and practitioners in pharmacy were created. From this date, the university of Manila has had a complete course of superior and secondary instruction, better than some universities of the Peninsula.[13]
This is the brief history of the first and most important educational institution of these islands,[14] in which it may be seen that, without the violence of certain schools, with the moderation and firmness demanded by reforms in the branch of public instruction, this university combining perfectly scientific interests with religion and patriotic interests, has been able to rise to the height required by the circumstances of the period, and has fulfilled the aspirations of all true lovers of Christian and Spanish civilization.
[1] See also San Antonio’s sketch, VOL. XXVIII, pp. 136–139. [↑]
[2] Signatura: a tribunal of the Roman court, composed of several prelates, in which various matters of grace and justice are determined. See Novísimo Diccionario. [↑]
[3] Hernaez (Colección de bulas, pp. 471, 472) prints a bull by Clement XII, dated September 2, 1734, granting authority for the teaching of both canon and civil law to the university established in the college of Santo Tomás of the Order of St. Dominic at Manila, in which portions of Innocent’s bull are inserted. This bull (translated by Rev. T. C. Middleton, O.S.A.) is as follows: “Clement XII Pope. In future remembrance of the affair. Long ago at the instance of Philip IV, of renowned memory, and during his life Catholic King of the Spains, letters in the form of a brief, of the following tenor, were issued by our predecessor, Innocent X, Pope, of happy memory, to wit: [Here follow the portions of Innocent’s bull which are quoted, and Clement continues:]