[11] Of the Moret decree, Tomás G. del Rosario, writing on education in the Philippines, in Census of Philippines, iii, p. 637, says: “This decree, countersigned by the eminent colonial minister, Don Segismundo Moret, introducing modern advances in Philippine legislation, secularizing instruction and giving it all kinds of guarantees and liberties, this long-awaited provision, caused a great outburst of enthusiasm throughout the archipelago, as it signified the manumission of the popular conscience from a slavery bound with the chains of fanaticism and inimical irreconcilability. In many provinces and in the city of Manila, this never-to-be-forgotten resolution of the Spanish government was received with signs of evident joy. Later, under various pretexts, all those who had expressed joy were cruelly persecuted, and put in jail, or deported as insurgents, masons, filibusters, etc., these measures extending even to those who were merely suspected. This is the history of all theocratic or despotic governments. It is true that some residents and parents of families protested against this provision, together with the corporations, the bishops, and the clergy, but these residents and fathers of families did so either through fear or because they were debtors to or members of the families of the friars. Some did so for fear of being discovered, but most of them to carry out ambitions; no one made a protest with sincerity and in good faith. Everything was hypocrisy, as is the case, and must be the case, among all nations oppressed by absolutism.” R. L. Packard’s article, “Education in Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippines” included in the Report of the Commissioner of Education 1897–98, i, pp. 909–983, gives (pp. 976, 977), the plan of studies of the Moret decree of November 6, which is as follows: Spanish and Latin grammar; elements of rhetoric and poetry; elements of physical geography; elements of descriptive geography in general and the Philippines in particular; universal history—history of Spain and the Philippine Islands; arithmetic and algebra; geometry and plane trigonometry; elements of physics and chemistry and of natural history; psychology, logic, and moral philosophy; general outline of anatomy, physiology, and hygiene. The studies for the industrial profession included: mercantile arithmetic; bookkeeping and accounts; political economy and mercantile and industrial legislation; geography and commercial statistics; French, English, Tagálog, and Visayan; surveying; spherical trigonometry; cosmography, pilotage, and maneuvers; theoretical and applied mechanics; physics and chemistry applied to the arts; topographical drawing and hydrography; lineal and ornamental drawing—landscape, figures, and painting. The university of Santo Tomás, which changed its title to that of the university of the Philippines by this decree was organized as to its faculties of law and medicine, and the latter contained the following studies: descriptive and general anatomy, two courses; exercises in osteology and dissection, two courses; physiology, one course; public and private hygiene, one course; general pathology, with clinics and pathological anatomy, one course; therapeutics, materia medica, and writing prescriptions, one course; surgical pathology, with operations, bandaging, etc., one course; medical pathology, one course; obstetrics and special pathology of women and children, with clinics, one course; medical and surgical clinics, two courses; legal and toxicological medicine, one course. The pharmaceutical course was also reorganized by this decree. The same minister had proposed October 2, 1870, “that instruction should be given at the university of Madrid in Tagálog and other studies which would give information about the Philippines and the English and Dutch East India possessions and their methods of government, especially for the benefit of those who intended to enter the colonial service.” December 5, 1870, in an exposition of the history, conditions, and needs of public instruction in the Philippines, he recites the early activity of the Augustinians, Dominicans, and Jesuits, in education. He points out that by the process of absorption by the religious orders, education became concentrated in their hands, and while they had done much good in early times, their narrowness and conservatism rendered secularization of instruction necessary. [↑]
[12] October 29, 1875, a royal order was issued regulating the courses in the university, and prescribing courses of study. Packard, ut supra, p. 977. [↑]
[13] Of the studies of secondary instruction given in Santo Tomás, San Juan de Letran, and San José, as well as the private schools, the Census of Philippines, iii, pp. 601, 602, says: “They had the defects inherent in the plan of instruction which the friars developed in the Philippines. It suited their plans that scientific and literary knowledge should not become general nor be very extensive, for which reason they took but little interest in the study of those subjects or in the quality of the instruction. Their educational establishments were places of luxury for the children of wealthy and well-to-do families, rather than establishments in which to perfect and develop the minds of Filipino youth. It is true that they were careful to give them a religious education, tending to make them respect the omnipotent power of the monastic corporations, at least three certificates being required every year, proving that the pupil had gone to confession, in order to permit him to stand the examination at the end of the term.” [↑]
[14] See the courses of study for the schools of jurisprudence, theology, and canons, medicine, pharmacy, and the notarial profession, in accordance with the royal decree of October 29, 1875, and the studies given in the school for practitioners in medicine and practitioners in pharmacy, approved by the general government of the Philippines on March 4, and December 29, 1879, and afterward confirmed by the supreme government, in Census of Philippines, iii, pp. 627–629. A course was also given under the same authority for midwives. According to a Dominican report submitted at the Exposition of Madrid, in 1887, the university of Santo Tomás conferred degrees upon 957 bachelors, 132 licentiates, and 97 doctors in philosophy, theology, canonical law, and civil law from 1645 to 1820. The graduations from 1820 to 1850 were as follows: theology, 457; canons, 325; institute, 748; civil law, 203; philosophy, 2,173. From 1850 to 1870, the graduations were: theology, 822; Roman and canonical law, 1,540; civil law, 658; philosophy, 3,405. The graduations from 1871 to 1886 were as follows: preparatory course in theology and jurisprudence, 745; preparatory course in pharmacy and medicine, 660; dogmatic theology, 406; moral theology, 104; canonical law, 36; jurisprudence, 1,904; pharmacy, 356; medicine, 1,029. The report of 1887 contains the following in regard to the university: “The university of Manila has the titles of royal and pontifical, which reveal its glorious destiny of propagating in this archipelago religion and love for Spain. It is under the most special patronage of the angelical doctor [i.e., St. Thomas Aquinas], presenting in its name of royal and pontifical university of Santo Tomás the ideals which have prompted its foundation and directed its development for a period of almost three centuries. Its organization is simple without being rudimentary. Having for a basis religious education, at the same time that it avoids the danger of professors expounding more or less advanced theories, which in practice sooner or later, are reduced to moral ruins, both public and private, it contains the pupil within the circle of a severe discipline, in which, if some apparently see oppression and a suppression of spirit, this apparent oppression is softened by the paternal affection which the priests in charge of the instruction know how to bestow upon the natives of this archipelago. A constant encouragement to the young, directed by prudent and affectionate discipline; that is the standard observed by the university of Manila as to its pupils.” It was impossible for the friars to extend this purely religious education to university studies, as the persons devoting themselves to such studies were already adult persons. Graduates from the university, although officially recognized by the Spanish government, rarely received official aid. The few Filipinos who were appointed to the notarial and law positions, received such appointment only temporarily. The same is true also regarding physicians. This condition was one factor in the development of the last revolution against Spain. The Dominican report of 1887 also says: “Both secondary and higher instruction cost nothing to the treasury in the Philippines. The colleges of Santo Tomás and of San Juan de Letran are supported from the funds of the corporation to which they belong. The expenses of the university are defrayed with regard to the studies of medicine and pharmacy by the revenues of the college of San José, devoted to that purpose by several royal orders, the balance in the treasury of the college last year [i.e., 1886], after the deduction of all expenses, having been only $173.94. The other expenses of the university are defrayed by the Order of St. Dominic, which has assigned for this purpose, a large personnel serving without charge. Furthermore, the building of the college of Santo Tomás, its library, museum, cabinet, and other equipment, are devoted to educational purposes, with all the personnel and supplies necessary for its preservation and improvement. The only university receipts are those from the payment of matriculations, examination fees, and diplomas. The average receipts, deducting therefrom what corresponds, according to law, to professors, the secretary, etc., amount to $14,000, and the expenditures to $30,000. The latter figure does not include the cost of repairs, the support of the building, cabinet, museum, and library, and other dependencies of Santo Tomás, religions feasts, and other expenses which are not defrayed from the treasury of the university.” See ut supra, pp. 626–635.
See also J. Valinau’s La universidad de Manila, in La politica de España en Filipinas, a periodical published for eight years, under the directorship of José Feced, and the editorship of Pablo Feced and W. E. Retana, for the year 1891, pp. 26–29, 38–41, 50–52, 62–64, 74–76, 88–90, 98–100, 110–112, 122–124, 134–136. On pp. 122, 123, is given the number of professors in the various faculties in 1887, as follows: theology and canons, 8, all religious, except one in charge of the class of Roman law, which is taught by an advocate; jurisprudence, 14 professors, 7 of whom were religious and 7 jurisconsults of Manila; medicine, 15 professors, the 3 in charge of the preparatory course being religious, and the other 12 physicians; pharmacy, 8 professors, 3 (the same as those in the preceding) being religious, and the remainder, pharmacists of Manila; 11 professors in charge of commerce, agriculture, and industry, all religious except one—in all a total of 56 professors, of whom 27 were religious. The library of the university contained about 12,000 volumes, and the physics cabinet about 300 instruments. Valinau, a former student of the university, and in civil life, defends the rule of the friars against detractors. [↑]