SSC

Priory

Philippines

Dom Ambrosius Agius, OSB, apostolate delegate to the Philippines, asks for English-speaking religious Sisters to help in the Catholic religious education of the people in the Philippines

American Protestant Missionaries establish an industrial school for boys in Iloilo

Dec 3:  Opening of the school that would eventually be known as St. Scholastica’s College in a residential house in the district of Tondo, Manila. Enrolment:  8 paying pupils (6 girls and 2 boys) and 50 poor children in a “free school”

Tondo (1906)

The first group of Missionary Benedictine Sisters, sent to the Philippines from Tutzing, Germany - Sisters Ferdinanda Hoelzer, prioress; Crescencia Veser, Petronilla Keller, Winfrieda Mueller, and novice Alexia Ruedanauer - arrive in Manila, September 14

Sr. Ferdinanda Hoelzer, OSB,
Sr. Crescencia Veser, OSB,
Sr. Petronilla Keller, OSB,
Sr. Alexia Ruedanauer, OSB,
Sr. Winfrieda Mueller, OSB

Jorge Barlin becomes the first Filipino Bishop of the Catholic Church

Jan 20: Permit for the construction of a TRANVIA (street car) line from Manila to Pasig granted

Jul 17: Arrest of Macario Sakay, head of the New Katipunan

Oct: Sr. Baptista Battig and Sr. Gonzaga Fantini arrive from Tutzing.  Sr.  Baptista, a piano concertist before entering the convent,  would head the School of Music  till World War II closed schools in 1941

The school transfers to a larger place at San Marcelino St. – the  former barracks of the American Army

No. 134 San Marcelino Street was an old Spanish house, once occupied by the army and then vacated.  The lot was a property of the archdiocese and Archbishop Harty offered it to the Sisters to be the site of the school.  It was in front of San Marcelino Church.  Electric street cars which were introduced by the MERALCO in 1905 passed through this street, an asset for the school

Formal music education introduced in the Philippines

Class of 1907

On Christmas Eve Sisters Willibalda Schrader and Theresia Bunnenberg arrive.  The former would be the directress of SSC for the next 31 years

Oct: Arrival of Sisters Baptista Battig and Gonzaga Fantini.  The former is to head the Music Department till World War II closed schools

Christmas Eve.  Two more Sisters arrive:  Sisters Willibalda Schrader and Theresia Bunnenberg.  Sister Willibalda will be the directress of St. Scholastica’s College for the next 31 years

 
Most Reverend Jeremias Archbishop Harty, D.D, Archbishop of Manila (1903-1916)

Feb 1:  A permit to construct the Taguig-Laguna de Bay approved by the government

Mar 12: Formation of the Partido Nationalists aimed at immediate independence for the Philippine islands

Jul 30: First national elections for members of the Philippine assembly

The first national-level Philippine elections were held in 1907.  Photo shows voters reading campaign posters issued for that. Manila Opera House, site of first Philippine Assembly, election

Oct 16:  Inauguration of the Philippine assembly

Manila Opera House, site of first Philippine Assembly (1907)
[photo courtesy of George A. Malcolm papers]

All seven grades were offered; enrollment was 51 with 20 boarders; Sister Baptista started giving piano lessons

Sr. Willibalda began her term and directed the school for the next thirty years.  Together with her co-workers, they set high scholastic standards that gave the school a reputation for excellence

Sr. M. Willibalda Schrader, OSB, SSC Directress from 1908-1939

Jun 18:  Philippine Assembly Act 1890 for the creation of a State University in Manila (U.P.)

Jun 19:  First issue of the Philippine FREE Press

Oct 10:  The court fines publishers of El Renacimiento for its editorial “Birds of Prey” in which Interior Secretary Dean Worcester feels alluded to

The enrolment increased to 66 for SY 1909-1910

Government recognition granted with the title “college” given to the school 

The students start to wear the school uniform – light white blouse and a blue skirt in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary – the same pattern as today

May 21:  Passage of Payne Aldrich Tariff Act which provides free entry of American products to the Philippines but sets specific quotas for Philippine exports which may enter the U.S. without paying duty

First session of the Philippine Assembly adjourns