St Ignatius College - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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14 THE IGNATIAN national hero, Fathers Burgos, Gomez, and Zamora, the three most intellectual Filipino priests, and many other Filipino reformers, tried to better the conditions of their countrymen, the Spanish authorities in the Islands put them to death as traitors. But before Dr. Rizal died he said, What is life to me? I have sown the seeds and others are left to reap. Summing up the educational accomplishments of the Fili- pinos under the Spanish soveregnty, the Philippine census of 1903 states that notwithstanding the adverse circumstances surrounding the ambitious youths of the Philippines during the regime, many of them have given proof of their ability and sincerity, and have become renowned in the fields of moral and political science, the arts, and, in a word, in all branches of human knowledge, and have been and will con- tinue to be-until the rising generation comes-the hope of their nation to the legitimate glory of their country. Admiral Dewey, after studying Philippine conditions dur- ing the Spanish-American War, spoke of the Filipinos as follows: In my opinion, these people are far superior in intelligence and more capable of self-government than the natives of Cuba. I am familiar with both races. General Merritt, on his arrival in Paris, in October 1898, was reported as saying: The Filipinos impressed me very favorably. I think great injustice has been done to the native population ...... They are more capable of self- government than, I think, the Cubans are. They are con- sidered to be good Catholics. They have lawyers, doctors, the men of kindred professions, who stand well in the com- munity, and bear favorable comparison to those of other countries. They are dignified, courteous, and reserved. fofarlsltlll Eggtlchg of the Eighteenth Infantry, after serving year in the Islands and being brought

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ARE THE FILIPINOS EDUCATED? 13 intellectual development by the same kind of education that is given in our common school system. The readers will be surprised to'learn that Santo Tomas University-the oldest university under the American flag- was founded in Manila by the friars in 1610, that besides it, there were different colleges and seminaries which were established later, such as the Municipal Ruthenaeum, San Juan de Letran, College of San jose, the Nautical School, the School of Commercial Accounting, the Academy of Paint- ing and Drawing, and many other private institutions, that the Hrst steps towards popular education were taken in 1634 when Philip IV of Spain ordered the education of the Fili- pinos in the Spanish language and in Christian doctrine 5 that in 1886 there were 2,153 public schools distributed among the 900 towns that then constituted the Archipelago, and, that during the Spanish sovereignty many Filipino young men who could afford to study abroad, went to Europe and to other parts of the globe to broaden their knowledge of what should be the best reforms that would bring prosperity and happiness to their people. ' But, in spite of the good intention of the home govern- ment in Spain to uplift the Filipinos, the authorities in the Philippines, for some selfish motives which are not here to be discussed, did not faithfully carry out the decrees and legis- lations intrusted to them for execution. Consequently, the school facilities and attendance contemplated were but half realized. There were few good school houses, good fur- nishings, and modern text-books. There was little school discipline or order. Judging from modern school standards, the curriculum left much to be desired. In the second- ary schools and colleges, which were mostly private in- stitutions, there were better conditions. However, only those who could afford it or who worked their way through could obtain a university education. Such was the situation, and when Dr. jose Rizal, the greatest Filipino

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ARE THE FILIPINOS EDUCATED? 15 in contact with thousands of people, said: The Filipinos are not an ignorant people. Their intelligence and educa- tional progress are apt to be underestimated because of failure to understand them. Nearly every adult can read and write in the Tagalog or Viziyan dialect, while the natives of the cities and villages, in addition, can read and write the Spanish language. Moreover, most adults know something of arith- metic, geography, and history. I was surprised one day, on questioning the driver of my quily, an ordinary poor boy of eighteen, to find that he had studied geometry and had made very material progress. They are not so much different from other people. Their customs, habits, hopes, and aspirations are deep-seated. Their leaders are shrewd, bright men of much abilityg the masses are earnest in their loyalty. When the Americans first arrived in the Islands in 1898, the schools were practically closed everywhere because of the revolution. However, the work of the Spanish schools which had existed for two and a half centuries before, made pos- sible the immediate introduction and rapid development of the present English schoolsg for, the Spanish system, incom- plete as it may have been when measured by the present- day standards, was more efficient than that of any other colony in the Orient. English has been the language of instruction in the public schools since 1899, and is the ollicial language today. Except the Spanish descendants, and those who speak Spanish only when they are in formal gatherings Where the Spanish language is required as a matter of form and custom, or when they are engaged either in private or oflicial business where Spanish is used as a matter of neces- sity, the Filipinos speak, as their mother tongue, several separate and distinct dialects of Malay origin.