FRANCISCO F.

BENITEZ
(1887-1951)
 
 
          Francisco F. Benitez, one of the country's foremost
educators, was born in Pagsanjan, Laguna on June 4, 1887
to Don Higinio Benitez, a signer of Malolos Constitution, and
Soledad Francia. He had four brothers: Ceferino, Teofilo,
Conrado, and Eulogio, and a sister, Antonia. His brother
Conrado was an economist, historian, and a business leader,
while Eulogio was a congressman of Laguna and the first to
use English in the sessions of the Philippine House of
Representatives.
 
          After his graduation from the Philippine Normal
School in 1904, he started his educational career. He served
as principal of a school in Pakil, Laguna, before being sent as
a government pensionado to the United States in 1905. He
graduated three years later from the Western Illinois State
Normal School. Back in the Philippines, he was appointed
assistant supervising teacher in Bacoor, Cavite.
 
          On July i, 1918, the U.P. Board of Regents passed a
resolution transforming the School of Education into the
College of Education Francisco Benitez was appointed its
dean and thus started his strong influence on education.
 
          Preparatory to the establishment of the commonwealth
government, Quezon appointed in 1935 a committee, called
the Quezon Educational Survey Committee, to study and
recommend changes in the educational system. As a member
of the committee, Dean Benitez was appointed chairman of
the subcommittee on teacher training.
 
          On August 13, 1945, President Sergio Osmeña revived
the National Council of Education created by Quezon shortly
before the war. Dean Benitez was made chairman of this
council.
 
          After the war, in January, 1946, Osmeña apointed
Benitez Secretary of Public Instruction until May, 1946, with
Florentino Cayco as his undersecretary.
 
          A patriot at heart, Dean Benitez served his
countrymen and the government in different capacities. He
worked as honorary correspondent for the Philippines in the
International Bureau of Education at Geneva, president of
the National Federation of Teachers in the Philippines, and
chairman of the educational sector in the First Independence
Congress in 1930. He was also the director of the World
Federation of Education Associations and of the Institute of
the Pacific Relations, and president and director of the
Philippine China Society and of the Japan Philippine Society,
respectively.
 
          As an educator, Benitez believed that education could
make the country stable and progressive and that every
Filipino child should have the right to an education in order
to develop his potentials to the full. He also strongly
advocated the development of the spirit of nationalism,
particularly in the youth, the development of
internationalism, and of the national language. As director of
the Office of Private Education, he advocated the idea of
having social studies taught exclusively by Filipino teachers.
 
          A liberal and a democrat, he fought against any
method of instruction which would give rise to any form of
intellectual or social aristocracy. A strong advocate of
democratic ideas in classroom management and supervision,
he batted for an educational system geared toward the needs
of the people.
 
          A staunch champion of teachers, Francisco Benitez,
contributed much towards the function of teachers'
associations in the country. In 1940, he advocated salary
increases for teachers in order to build up their morale and
give them an incentive to remain in the service.
 
          He also distinguished himself as a writer and editor
when he published "Educational Progress in the Philippines,"
"Stories of Great Filipinos," and several other essays and
articles here and abroad. He was editor of the Philippine
Journal of Education. He conducted courses in education:
"The Social and Economic Status of Our Teachers" and "A
Study in Individual Differences."
 
          This kind, amiable, and courteous dean whose favorite
aphorism was "work and study in the spirit of play," was also
known for his sense of humor and satire on people,
institutions, and other elements of life and society.
 
          Once, somebody tried to convince him of the danger of
smoking which he did immoderately by saying, "Dean, a drop
of nicotine is enough to kill a fish." The dean replied: "But,
my dear, I'm  not a fish."
 
          He was a humble fellow. In his classes before the
examination, he used to thumb the pages of the textbook
saying: "Know this, know that. I require you to know these
details, even if I myself don't know them now." Humorously,
he would add, "Anyway, you are the ones to take the exam,
not I."
  
          Dean Benitez had an enormous love for the people, a
deep affection for the unpretentious, lowly masses unaffected
by the sophistication of society. He enjoyed talking to them,
holding them by the sleeves, patting them on the shoulders,
and greeting them by their first names.
 
          Dean Benitez was accorded honors for his
distinguished service to education by Columbia University
which awarded him its University Medal in 1929. That same
year, he was honored with two Doctor of Laws, honoris
causa, by the University of Manila. For being an outstanding
school executive, a progressive educational statesman and a
staunch champion of teachers and the teaching profession,
he was voted Teacher of the Year in December, 1950 by the
alumni of the College of Education, University of the
Philippines. In 1951, the National University conferred on
him a doctorate degree, honoris causa. Finally, a citation of
merit was given him by President Quirino for his service in
the field of education in the Philippines.
 
          He died on June 30, 1951 at the age of 64 at the
Singian Clinic after suffering a heart attack while walking
along Carriedo, Quiapo, Manila. He was survived by his wife,
Pat Marcjez Benitez, and children Ana Virginia, Francisco Jr.,
Roberto, and Rafael.
 
          His death was deeply mourned by his countrymen; he
truly deserved their respect and veneration, for he was one of
the pillars of Philippine education.
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