C
Catholic Education in the
Philippines
Jove Jim S. Aguas
Philosophy Department and Center for Religious
Studies and Ethics, University of Santo Tomas,
Manila, Philippines
Introduction
The Philippines is the most predominantly Cath-
olic country in Asia. Its culture and tradition have
been influenced by Christianity since the Spanish
came in 1500s to colonize what was then an
archipelago ruled by different and oftentimes war-
ring tribes headed by local chieftains or datu.
Since then, Christian doctrines and teachings had
been integrated into the local or native and pre-
colonial culture. Today, what can be considered
Filipino is an integration of both the local or native
pre-colonial traits and practices and the colonial
influences – Spanish and American and the influ-
ences of the early trading partners of the natives –
the Chinese and the Malays. One important aspect
of the Filipino culture where Christianity made a
lasting impact is in education. Christian education
is perhaps one of the enduring influences of the
Spanish.
When the ecclesiastical authority of the Roman
Catholic Church was established in the country
right after the arrival of the Spanish, the church
hierarchy’s presence has been institutionalized, and
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2019
M. A. Peters (ed.), Encyclopedia of Teacher Education,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1179-6_147-1
such presence was very pronounced in education.
During the Spanish era, the church controlled the
educational system from the primary level to the
tertiary level of education. The religious congrega-
tions or missionaries took charge of teaching and
maintaining the rules and regulations imposed to
the students. They emphasized the teachings of the
Catholic religion starting from the primary level to
the tertiary level of education. The students in the
primary level were taught the Christian doctrines,
the reading of Spanish books and text, and very
little of the local language. In fact, one of the
earliest, if not the earliest book printed in the Phil-
ippines, is Doctrina Christiana an early book on
the Roman Catholic catechism, written in 1593 by
the Franciscan Friar Juan de Plasencia. The forma-
tion of Christian education in the earlier times was
made possible because the early schools
established in the Philippines were founded either
by the local church or by religious congregations
where the Catholic teachings became part of the
curriculum. When the Americans came in the
1900s, public education was established by the
Americans based on secular principles and ideals.
The Americans promoted the democratic ideals
and way of life and the formation of good citizens,
including the rights and responsibilities of people.
If the Spanish promoted fidelity to the church and
the Catholic doctrines, the Americans promoted
loyalty to the state and good citizenship.
Today there is a relative balance between pub-
lic and free education provided by the state and
private education provided by the private sector –
2 Catholic Education in the Philippines
some private individuals and corporations and
those offered by religious congregations. Most
of the top private schools and universities are
either ran or owned by religious congregations
which are mostly Catholic with some non-
Catholic or sectarian private schools. The top
state universities include the University of the
Philippines which has several campuses all over
the country, Philippine Normal University, Tech-
nological University of the Philippines, and Min-
danao State University just to name a few. The top
private universities are Catholic universities –
University of Santo Tomas, ran by the Domini-
cans; Ateneo de Manila University, ran by the
Jesuits; De la Salle University, ran by the
Lasallian Brothers; San Carlos University, ran by
the SVD; and the St. Louis University, ran by the
CICM, among others.
Catholic Education
The nature of Catholic education cannot be sepa-
rated from the nature of the Catholic Church
which forms as the basis of why the Catholic
schools are instituted. The Catholic Church
according to the Catechism of the Catholic
Church was conceived to continue the mission
of Christ here on earth. It is called to proclaim
the good news to all people in all nations. The
Catholic schools serve as the arms of the Catholic
Church in extending this mission of proclaiming
the good news through education. According to
the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education,
the Catholic schools serve as an agency for edu-
cation in faith, a means toward the attainment of
the salvific mission of the Catholic Church.
Catholic schools continue to promote the value
for caring for others and values formation through
their Christian religious formation programs.
Catholic schools integrate into their curriculum
Christian education. The aim of Christian educa-
tion according to Gravissimum Educationis (#1)
is “the formation of the human person in the
pursuit of his ultimate end and of the good of the
societies of which, as man, he is a member, and in
whose obligations, as an adult, he will share.” It
further states that Christian education is tasked to
develop harmoniously the persons’ physical,
moral, and intellectual endowments so that they
may gradually acquire a mature sense of respon-
sibility in striving endlessly to form their own
lives properly and in pursuing true freedom as
they surmount the vicissitudes of life with courage
and constancy.
In the Philippines, the Catholic schools are
much an integral and important component of
education. There are Catholic schools in all levels
of education – from the preschool, elementary,
high school, and tertiary or college level. These
Catholic schools, while relying mainly on their
own resources and efforts, strive to offer quality
education not only to Catholics but to other stu-
dents of different faiths. They provide decent
classrooms and facilities even in remote towns
and barrios and often provide free education as
part of their community development programs to
indigent students. Many Catholic schools are con-
sistently among the top schools not only in the
country but also around the globe. Three of the top
four universities in the Philippines are Catholic
universities, namely, Ateneo de Manila Univer-
sity, University of Santo Tomas, and De La Salle
University. At great expense the Catholic schools
recruit, train, and develop their teachers and per-
sonnel, thus contributing a big share in the task of
developing and empowering the educational
workforce of the society.
Advanced studies and researches are under-
taken by these Catholic schools mostly out of
their own budget, thereby contributing to the
advancement of society without incurring much
burden on the part of the government. Catholic
schools generate their own resources and assist
the government in providing employment and
saving financial resources. In fact, Catholic
schools in the Philippines have been a major con-
tributor to the professional sector of our country. It
is not altogether surprising then that quality edu-
cation is almost always appended to Catholic
schools. As already mentioned majority of these
schools are not exclusive to Catholics but serve
peoples of other faiths; others are dedicated to out
of school youths, to the handicapped, to the poor,
to cultural minorities, and to the other marginal-
ized sectors of the society.
Catholic Education in the Philippines
The Catholic Schools Curriculum
Catholic education strives to remain faithful to its
mission of providing complete education which
necessarily includes a religious dimension.
According to The Catholic School, (TCS, #19)
of the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Educa-
tion, religion is an effective contribution to the
development of other aspects of a personality in
the measure in which it is integrated into general
education. Apart from providing an integral and
holistic formation, it is one that aims at a dialogue
of culture and faith.
Aside from the required courses in all levels of
education, namely, the basic or elementary educa-
tion, secondary education which is divided into
the junior and senior high schools, and the tertiary
level, Catholic schools also offer religion or the-
ology as part of their curriculum. In the primary or
elementary level, religion is considered as part of
the core of the curriculum. Catholic primary
schools design programs that would help prepare
the young to be truly committed to Christ through
the progressive formation of faith, the formation
of Christian values and virtues, community ser-
vice, and Christian living. Such programs are
founded on the knowledge and understanding of
man’s relationship with God through the study of
the scriptures and the church’s doctrines and
teachings. The programs include various activities
such as basic religious instructions, recollections,
retreats, bible sharing, liturgies, devotions, per-
sonal prayers, value formation, and involvement
in the activities of the local church.
In the preschool and elementary level, a reli-
gious education curriculum normally offers a sys-
tematic and organic catechesis about the basic
doctrines of the Catholic faith and the teaching
of the church and the Christian morals. This cur-
riculum may include the understanding and appre-
ciation of the sources of the Catholic faith,
namely, sacred scriptures and tradition, basic
knowledge of the Catholic faith, understanding
of the basic principles and practices of Catholic
morality, and participation in the church’s liturgy
and sacraments. In the secondary level, courses on
Christian living may focus on the integration of
Christian ideals and teachings to one’s life and
3
help the students to develop a sense of Christian
leadership and service to the society. In the tertiary
level, theology courses are part of the college
curriculum. These courses aim to incorporate
Catholic doctrines into meaningful activities that
arouse social awareness to pressing issues and to
come up with viable solutions to societal prob-
lems. It is through the theology courses that a
Catholic institution of higher learning can inte-
grate the Catholic teachings into its intellectual
traditions. Through the different theology courses,
the Catholic university can systematically and
holistically integrate the Catholic or Christian
vision and way of life into the academic formation
of the students.
Another important component of the Catholic
schools in the Philippines is the campus ministry
program or office which oversees all the religious
activities of the school. This office is the one in
charge of promoting the Catholic formation of
every member of the school especially the stu-
dents by organizing activities like masses and
other liturgies, recollections, retreats, bible shar-
ing, and involvement in the activities of the local
church and community services.
History of Catholic Education in the
Philippines
The history of Catholic education in the Philip-
pines started during the arrival of the Spanish
colonizers in Philippines. The Spanish conquerors
arrived in the islands together with a number of
missionaries. In 1565 after their arrival in Cebu in
central Philippines, the Augustinian missionaries,
five of them, aside from establishing their mis-
sionary house and building the oldest church in
the Philippines – San Agustin Church – also
opened the first school as part of the mission to
evangelize the natives. The Franciscans were the
second missionaries to arrive in the island in 1578,
and aside from building beautiful churches, they
also build schools providing primary instruction
to the natives. The Spanish Jesuits were the third
missionaries to arrive in the islands arrived in
1581. In the same year, Bishop Domingo Salazar,
O.P., who traveled with the pioneer Jesuits
4 Catholic Education in the Philippines
expressed to the King of Spain the need for a
college to educate priests. To this end the Spanish
Jesuits founded the now defunct Colegio de San
Ignacio in 1590 originally conceived as a school
to prepare young men for the priesthood making it
the first educational institution in the Philippines
and the first Spanish educational institution in
Asia. However, it was only in 1595 when the
college formally opened wherein Latin grammar
and “cases of conscience” were initially taught to
priest and candidates for the priesthood. It was
first named Colegio de Manila but was renamed
Colegio de San Ignacio in 1626 in memory of the
Saint Ignatius of Loyola. In 1621 it was autho-
rized to confer degrees in theology and the arts;
2 years later, King Philip IV of Spain confirmed
this authorization, making the school a royal and a
pontifical university, the very first university in the
Philippines and in Asia. The Jesuits also opened
the now defunct Colegio de San Ildefonso in Cebu
in 1595 and the Colegio de San Jose in 1601; now
it is the San Jose Seminary. In 1587 the Domini-
can missionaries whom Bishop Salazar requested
from his Dominican Master General to be sent to
the islands arrived in Manila. They immediately
went to their missions and also helped in the effort
to educate the natives. This came into fruition in
1611 when Archbishop Miguel de Benavides, O.
P., and the Dominican friars established the Uni-
versity of Santo Tomas. It was first called Colegio
de Nuestra Señora del Santissimo Rosario and
later renamed Colegio de Santo Tomás in memory
of Dominican theologian, Saint Thomas Aquinas.
In 1624, the Colegio was authorized to confer
academic degrees in theology, philosophy, and
arts. UST is the oldest existing university in the
Philippines. The Dominicans also established in
1620, the Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
In 1632 the Colegio de Sta. Isabel, the first
women’s college, was opened. This college is
now run by the Daughters of Charity of
St. Vincent de Paul who arrived in the Philippines
in 1862. In 1872 they also opened a college for
girls in Naga City in the Bicol region the very first
Normal School for Women in the Philippines at
the request of Bishop Francisco Gainza, O.P. In
1859 the Jesuits upon their return to the Philip-
pines opened the school called the Escuela
Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila; this
would later become Ateneo de Manila University.
In 1862, the Vincentian Fathers came to the Phil-
ippines by virtue of the 1852 Royal Decree of
Queen Isabel II of Spain in order to administer
the conciliar seminaries of Manila, Naga City,
Cebu City, Iloilo City, and Vigan and to take
care of the religious and scientific instruction of
the diocesan seminarians and lay students in
Colegio Seminarios. In 1904, the first Sisters of
St. Paul de Chartres opened the first Paulinian
school in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, in the
Visayas (Central Philippines). In 1906 the Ger-
man Benedictine sisters founded St. Scholastica’s
College. In 1907, the CICM Missionaries arrived
in the Philippines, mandated by the Holy See to
evangelize the northern part of the country partic-
ularly the Cordillera mountain region which is
home to numerous indigenous tribes. In 1911
they established Saint Louis University in Baguio
City in the Cordillera region. In the same year,
1911, the Brothers of the Christian Schools,
known as La Salle Brothers, opened their first
school in the Philippines, the De La Salle
University.
In 1941, Catholic educational institutions orga-
nized themselves into an association called the
CEAP (Catholic Educational Association of the
Philippines) to be able to collectively respond not
only to urgent educational issues but also societal
issues. CEAP was established upon the inspira-
tion of Bishop Michael J. O’Doherty, and Msgr.
Jose Jovellanos became the president.
The Catholic Educational Association of
the Philippines (CEAP)
In 1941 the Catholic educational institutions
formed a national association of Catholic educa-
tional institutions the Catholic Educational Asso-
ciation of the Philippines (CEAP). At present it
has more than 1,484 member schools and more
than 120 superintendents of Catholic schools. It is
a voluntary organization which operates through
regional educational associations located in the
17 regions of the country. The CEAP represents
the interests of Catholic educational institutions in
Catholic Education in the Philippines
national and international fora, fosters unity of
action with other organizations in educational
matters, and assists members, particularly those
in mission areas to achieve common and specific
aims. It is commissioned to advance and promote
the teaching function of the Catholic Church. It
contributes toward the attainment of the objective
“the total development of the human person,”
through a Catholic orientation in accordance with
the norms of the church, consistent with national
development goals as expressed in the Philippine
Constitution. It promotes religious instruction as an
essential element of Catholic education, thereby
contributing toward character formation and citi-
zenship building. Moreover, it strives to respond to
social, political, moral, and other critical issues
based on consultations with the different regions
and calls for the collective action of its members
when the situation so requires. The CEAP
expresses its Mission “to promote solidarity
among member-schools through Catholic educa-
tion, to foster inclusive and transformative Catholic
education, to serve as steadfast and effective cata-
lyst of change through education in the different
dimension of life.” Its Vision is “a world trans-
formed, a Philippines renewed by the people edu-
cated in the principles of communio and service as
taught and lived by our Lord Jesus Christ and
shaped by the missionary mandate of the Catholic
Church.” It adheres to the Values of Christ-
centeredness, integrity, solidarity, stewardship,
empowerment, and service.
The “defining characteristics of Catholic
schools” according to the Philippine Catholic
Schools Standards for Basic Education (PSCS)
published by the Catholic Educational Associa-
tion of the Philippines and the Phoenix Publishing
House Educational Foundation Inc. are the
following:
1. Centered in the Person and Message of Jesus
Christ. “Every Catholic school has Jesus Christ
as its foundation and inspiration therefore its
purpose and motivation is a living encounter
with Him and His message present in the
Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the living wit-
ness of the Church. This encounter empowers
5
the Catholic school to grow as a community of
witnesses to Jesus Christ, the fullness of life.”
2. Participating in the Evangelizing Mission of
the Church. Since “education is an essential
element of evangelization,” it is “through its
educational activity that the Catholic school
promotes and aids in the evangelizing mission
of the Church in a unique and privileged man-
ner. In its work of educating the whole person,
the Catholic school guides men and women to
human and Christian perfection, and helps
them to arrive at the fullness of Christian life
toward the interior transformation and renewal
of humanity.”
3. Animated by the Spirit of Communion. “Every
Catholic school, rooted in the Church as com-
munion, provides an experience of Christian
community. It is distinguished by collabora-
tion, co-responsibility and solidarity.”
4. Established as an Ecclesial Institution. “In its
very nature, the Catholic school embodies the
living tradition of the Church. This ecclesial
dimension of the Catholic school is a distinc-
tive attribute which penetrates and informs
every moment of its life and mission; it is
written in the heart of its identity as a teaching
institution. To preserve its identity as an eccle-
sial institution, the Catholic school should
think and act with the Church, anchor its for-
mation programs and academic curriculum on
the principles of Catholic doctrine, and be rec-
ognized, established and supervised by com-
petent Church authority.”
5. Distinguished by a Culture of Excellence. “The
Catholic school is known for its excellence in
humanistic and cultural development along
with its pursuit of outstanding academic stan-
dards that cultivate the learners’ intellectual,
creative, and aesthetic faculties as well as the
correct use of their judgment, will, and affec-
tivity. Catholic education should transform the
logic of excellence into love for wisdom, pas-
sion for truth and commitment to service, car-
ing for others, and forming minds and hearts
that are open to communion and solidarity. The
school provides programs, activities, and ser-
vices that provide leaders with appropriate
6 Catholic Education in the Philippines
formation both on the professional and reli-
gious plane.”
6. Committed to Integral Human Formation.
“The Catholic school is intentionally directed
to the formation of the whole person in the
pursuit of his/her ultimate end and the good
of society. This formation is attentive to the
physical, spiritual, intellectual, emotional,
social, cultural and creative dimensions of the
human.”
7. Engaged in the Service of the Church and
Society with Preferential Option for the Poor.
“The Catholic school performs an essential
service for the Church and to society. As one
of the vital evangelizing bodies of the Church,
the Catholic school guarantees the freedom
and right of families to see that their children
receive the sort of education they wish for
them.”
8. Promoting Dialogue on Faith and Life and
Culture. Since the Philippines is an archipelago
with diverse cultures, indigenous beliefs, and
foreign influences, “in the face of such plural-
ism, the Catholic school takes on a prophetic
stance characterized by being faithful to the
newness of the Gospel while at the same time
respecting the autonomy and methods proper
to human knowledge. The Catholic school in
its various programs engages with people of
different faith and cultures in a dialogue where
the school is mindful of their respective world-
views with the view of helping the students
integrate the tenets their faith to the practices
of their cultures and the secular world.”
Challenges of Catholic Education in the
Philippines
Catholic education and the Catholic schools in the
Philippines carry an enormous and significant
responsibility of providing quality education cen-
tered on the teachings of the Catholic Church
which is tasked of carrying out the salvific mission
of Christ. The Catholic schools in particular carry
this responsibility with great challenges. One par-
ticular challenge that the Catholic schools face is
the general perception that Catholic schools are
wealthy institutions or are only for the wealthier
social classes. The mere mention of Catholic
schools would already elicit the thinking of big
universities or exclusive schools. But in the Phil-
ippines, many of these Catholic schools are actu-
ally relying on their own meager income
generated from the tuition fees of students. Since
there is a separation of church and the state in the
Philippines, the Catholic schools are tax-exempt,
and they do not get financial support from the
government. According to the CEAP, the biggest
educational institution in the country, out of its
more than 1400 schools, there are more than
900 small, struggling mission schools spread in
different parts of the Philippines, whose teachers
work with missionary spirit. Many of these same
schools rely on their meager resources as they
strive to provide quality education to the margin-
alized in far-flung areas. Hence, the challenge is
complicated because while the perception of
Catholic school is that it is rich and for the rich,
the reality is that majority are struggling but have
to continue in their mission.
Another challenge of the continuing trends is
the decreasing enrolment and the increasing
migration of teachers from private Catholic
schools to public schools especially in the primary
and secondary levels. The free or low cost of
public education and the increasing salaries in
public schools in the primary and secondary levels
have a huge impact to Catholic schools in the
same levels. Some Catholic schools lose students
to public schools, and some teachers transfer to
the public schools once their application to the
public school is accepted.
The Catholic schools since they are the arms of
the Catholic Church in promoting its teaching
especially in the area of morals have to speak out
about the moral and social ills of the society. And
because of this, the Catholic schools are often put
in the bad light and are oftentimes criticized for
meddling in the political arena and in engaging in
political issues. True enough, the most vocal and
vigilant students against the moral ills of the soci-
ety like corruption in the government are those
from the Catholic schools who were formed to be
socially aware and morally upright.
Catholic Education in the Philippines
Despite these challenges and many others, the
Catholic schools in the Philippines continue to
maintain an institutional Christian or Catholic
presence in the academic field and serve the Fili-
pino society in general.
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