There are four colleges for the education of girls without taking into
consideration the municipal school of Manila, [158] and the college
of Santa Isabel, of Nueva Cáceres. [159] These are the college of
Santa Isabel, that of Santa Rosa, that of Santa Catalina, and that of
La Concordia, also called college of the Immaculate Conception, all
located in the capital of the archipelago. Of all these institutions,
the oldest is the college of Santa Isabel, founded in 1632 for the
education of Spanish orphan girls by a pious foundation called the
Santa Misericordia. In 1650, the first regulations for the government
of the same were issued, which continued in force until 1813, when
they were revised. The college is supported from part of the interest
derived from the Misericordia legacy, administered by a board, of
which the civil governor of Manila is the president. It also enjoys
a grant of land in Tagudín, province of Pangasinán, by a royal cedula
of March 14, 1680, which produces an income of 600 pesos per annum.
Until the beginning of the present century, nearly 13,060 girls had
been educated in this institution.
In 1861, the governor-general of the archipelago added the royal
college of Santa Potenciana to the college of Santa Isabel. [160]
The former was composed of the orphan daughters of military men, and
was a most ancient and beneficent institution, founded about the end
of the sixteenth century by Perez Dasmariñas. It afforded shelter and
protection to the orphan daughters of military men who had succumbed
to the climatological influences of this country, or had died in the
defense of their country.
The colleges were under the protection of private ladies and afforded
quite sufficient instruction. In 1863, the sisters of charity assumed
charge of the same, to the great advantage of the college and of the
morality of the pupils.
In 1879, the college underwent a considerable reformation by order
of Governor-general Moriones, who gave the college a new set of
regulations and opened its doors to day pupils and half-boarders,
and in 1880 the board of directors established new chairs, which
make this establishment one of the most complete for the education
of European young ladies.
Girls admitted are given a dowry of 500 pesos, but under the condition
that they must first secure the title of teacher, without which
requisite, even though they get married, they are given nothing. When
they have concluded their studies, they engage in work, and the college
reserves to them one-half of what they earn, which is added to their
dowry. [161]