6CHAPTER 1 DLSU.pdf

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Problem

The term fine arts used to be restricted to the creation of objects only

for arts sake. It did not include applied arts or design, which is the creation

of objects for their functional use. Today, creations by artists shape the publics

minds through visually stimulating film, print and television advertisement, the

internet, the beguiling show windows of shopping malls. Everyone is faced

daily with the need to make decision of an artistic nature wiping out the thin line

separating the two concepts. At present, fine arts is defined to embrace

practically all types of creative endeavors, from the conventional art found in

galleries, to images produced by emerging new media, and most everything in

between that involves the creative mind.1

Education in the fine arts, on the other hand, is defined as the imparting

of skills in visual arts expression to ordinary students or students interested in

becoming artists may be formal, meaning, conducted in school, with graded

courses; or informal, meaning through a master-apprentice relationship.2

1 See, Commission on Higher Education, Policies and Standards for Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

Program: CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 29, Series of 2008, by Romulo L. Neri, June 19, 2008, Photocopied, 1.

2 Rene B. Javellana, The Philippine Visual Arts: Education, in CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Arts, ed., Nicanor Tiongson, Vol. 4, (Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines, 1994), 193.

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Among the ethnolinguistic communities in the Philippines, artistic

traditions and skills are still communicated through apprenticeship. In this kind

of arrangement, a young person helps a master in a project and in so doing

learns the step of the project. Pre-Spanish Filipino were taught to visually

express themselves in this manner. The children were taught how to make

pretty things, fashion ornaments of shell, stone, jade, and, later on, of glass and

gold. The training was done informally by their parents in addition to the

teaching of life skills necessary for survival.3

Even the Spaniard built upon the tradition of apprenticeship and taught

Filipinos how to paint and sculpt in the Western manner. This came about due

to the initial difficulty they encountered in communicating with non-Spanish

speaking natives. The friars devised the use of art to communicate tenets of

the Catholic faith by showing the natives images that explain the concepts

behind Catholicism and stories of Christs life and passion. To accomplish this,

they engaged the services of Chinese converts to paint images from religious

books that they brought along with them. They became the first art teachers

who introduced the Chinese converts in the art of western painting. The

Chinese mastered the craft in no time prompting Fray Domingo Salazar himself

to remark that, when I arrived, no Sangley knew how to paint anything; but

3 Onofre D. Corpuz, the Roots of the Filipino Nation, Vol. 1, (Quezon City: University of the

Philippines Press, 2005), 4.

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now they so perfected themselves in this art that they have produced

marvelous work with both the brush and the chisel. The churches are

beginning to be furnished with the images which the Sangleys make, and which

we greatly lacked before; and considering the ability displayed by these people

in reproducing the images, which came from Espaa, I believe that soon we

shall not even miss those made in Flandes.4

Eventually the natives became apprentices themselves and took over

the production of paintings and sculptures. Since no formal school for art was

in existence during that time, religious friars organized painting sessions with

these Chinese artisans. These training sessions were not conducted with the

use of a curriculum, nor were the apprentices conferred with formal degrees

afterwards.5

Two centuries and a half later, in 1820, Damian Domingo opened an arts

studio in Santo Cristo. His students were young Tondeos and children of

powerful families in Intramurus and its neighboring districts. Domingo holds the

distinction of having opened the first art school in the country.6

4 Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robertson, eds., Documents of 1590, The Chinese and the Parian at Manila, The Philippine Islands, 1492-1898, Vol. 7, 1588-1591, (Cleveland: A.H. Clark, 1909; reprint, Manila: Cacho Hermanos, 1973), 227.

5 Rene B. Javellana, the Philippine Visual Arts: Education, 194. 6 Patrick D. Flores, Painting History: Revisions in Philippine Colonial Art (Manila: UP Office of

Research Coordination and National Commission for Culture and the Arts, 1998), 204

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Formal art education started three years later in 1823 when Damian

Domingo accepted the offer of the Real Sociedad Economica Filipina de

Amigos Del Pais to teach and become the director of their new school the

Academia de Dibujo.7 Although up to that time fine arts was not considered

university course or career, only something similar to a vocational profession,8

in the words of Patrick D. Flores;

the establishment of the Academia de Dibujo under the leadership of a Professor puts the discussion of colonial painting in the context of institutionalized art practice. Whereas previously painting was seen within the purview of catechetical ideology, painting on the establishment of the Academia was to assume institutional privilege, a form of legitimacy from the power of the academy or art world and the tradition or discipline of the Bellas Artes.9

At the Academia de Dibujo, students were formally taught how to draw

still life and the human form, the art of perspective, painting in oil and aquarelle,

and the preparation of colors and surfaces. They also learned the classical

ideals of the European academies.10

7 Real Sociedad Economica Filipina de Amigos Del Pais was the first overseas society that was

founded in Manila on April 26, 1781 with the aim to promote agriculture, industry, and commerce. See, Nicholas P. Cushner, Jr., Spain in the Philippines: From Conquest to Revolution (Quezon City: Institute of Philippine Culture and Ateneo de Manila University, 1971), 194

8 Macario Ofilada Mina, Fabian de la Rosa and his times, Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador, ed., (Quezon City: Vibal Publishing House Inc., 2007), 58.

9 Patrick D. Flores, Painting History, 222-223 10 Ibid.

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The Academia actively operated for nine years but closed down in 1832,

two years after the death of Damian Domingo. For eighteen years after that no

art school operated in the country until a group led by Mariano Roxas y Ubaldo,

Jose de Menchacatorre, and Juan Bautista Marcaida petitioned Governor-

General Claveria on May 21, 1845 to open an art school. They claimed that

one was needed for the fine arts. In response, the Governor-General

authorized the establishment of the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura on June 10,

1845. It was inaugurated on April 1, 1850 with Spanish painters who were

hired to teach the latest methods and techniques from Europe.11 When the

Academia was raised to the rank of Escuela Superior de Pintura, Escultura y

Grabado in 1893 it started to confer degrees almost the equivalent of a

university career and of more value than a diploma on Bachiller en Artes. That

was the equivalent then of a high school diploma.12

During the American regime, the Philippine Legislature approved Act No.

1870 that created the University of the Philippines in 1908. The Escuela

Superior de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado was chartered as one of its units to

become the UP School of Fine Arts.13 The objectives of the school were the

11 Rene B. Javellana, the Philippine Visual Arts: Education, 194. 12 Macario Ofilada Mina, Fabian de la Rosa and his Times, 58 13 In 1908, Rafael Enriquez, a product of Madrid Academy, with the assistance of others

organized the Asociacion Internacional de Artistas, campaigned for the establishment of a

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teaching and development of the graphic and plastic arts in their various and

manifold branches. An effort is made also to exert an influence toward the

advancement and refinement of those industrial trades which are of an artistic

nature, such as gold and silver work, ceramics, embroidery, lace-making,

furniture making, and metal work.14

Today, one hundred and eighty seven years after the Academia de

Dibujo of 1823, formal arts education in the Philippines has flourished. The

number of higher education institutions (HEIs) had multiplied. A 2010

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) report shows that there were 53

higher educational institutions (HEIs) all over the country offering a wide variety

of fine arts and design courses, such as; painting, sculpture, visual

communication, industrial design, interior design, and multi-media arts.

Enrollment has also vastly increased. The same report shows that an

average of twelve thousand students all over the country enrolled annually in

various fine and applied arts courses from the academic year 2000-2001 to

2010-2011. In the same report, CHED projected that this average will

_______________________ government school and sent a petition to the Philippine Commission through Pedro A. Paterno. See, Rene B. Javellana, the Philippine Visual Arts: Education, 196.

14 Cristino Jamias, The University of the Philippines: The First Half Century (Quezon City: University of the Philippines, 1963), 16-17

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increase to sixteen thousand yearly until the academic year 2012-2013.15 This

information is proof that fine and applied arts are attracting increasingly large

numbers of Filipino youth who want to pursue careers in advertising arts,

interior design, industrial design, and painting. Students flock to these courses

for good reason. People from all lifestyles are visually stimulated to make

consumer decisions daily through film, print and television advertisement, the

internet, the beguiling show windows of shopping malls. All these images are

created by artists.

Listed in Table 1 below are data culled from the CHED report mentioned

earlier. It shows that some 55,008 students have enrolled in these HEIs during

the 5-year period covering 2005 to 2010 (see Table 1).16

TABLE 1

HEI'S ENROLLMENT OF FINE AND APPLIED ARTS DISCIPLINE PROGRAMS FROM 2005-2010

AY 2005-2006 9,117 AY 2006-2007 9,052 AY 2007-2008 8,722 AY 2008-2009 13,063

15 CHED Report Summary of Tertiary Enrollment By Discipline Group and Academic Year,

electronic document, dated Nov. 30, 2010. 16 Report from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) listing the number of enrollments for

all 53 fine arts and design HEIs for a ten-year period covering 2005-2009. Twenty-two of these HEIs are found in the National Capital Region (NCR). See, Aiza Dilidili, Distribution of Higher Education Enrollment of Fine and Applied Arts Discipline Programs by Academic Year, electronic document, dated Nov. 30, 2010.

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TABLE 1 - continued

HEI'S ENROLLMENT OF FINE AND APPLIED ARTS DISCIPLINE PROGRAMS FROM 2005-2010

AY 2009-2010 15,054 TOTAL 55,008

Source: Distribution of Higher Education Enrollment of Fine and Applied Arts Discipline Programs by Academic Year (2005-2010), CHED Report, 2012.

In comparison, the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura opened with 70

enrollees when it was inaugurated on April 1, 1850.17 The University of the

Philippines School of Fine Arts had 703 enrollees in 1908. It was already large

by the standards of those times. Due the lack of space, school administrators

were compelled to postpone classes to April 1, 1910.18 For its part, the UST

School of Fine Arts could only muster 23 enrollees during the first four years of

operations, from 1935-1939.19

The CHED report also shows (see Table 2) that 33,778 or 61.4 percent

of all the students enrolled in the fine arts and design courses were enrolled

with the Top 10 higher education institutions listed therein.

17 Rene B. Javellana, CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Arts, 195. 18 Ruben Defeo and Patrick Flores, Forming Lineage: The National Artists for Visual Arts of the

University of the Philippines (Quezon City: Office f the President, University of the Philippines, 2008), 10.

19 Enrollment data sourced from the office of the UST University Registrar.

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TABLE 2

TOP 10 HEI'S ENROLLMENT OF FINE AND APPLIED ARTS DISCIPLINE PROGRAMS FROM 2005-2010

Region Institution Name Rank 5-Year Total NCR NCR NCR R7

NCR NCR

NCR NCR NCR NCR

University of Santo Tomas De La Salle College of Saint Benilde Far Eastern University University of San Carlos University of the Philippines System University of the East-Caloocan Eulogio Rodriguez Institute of Science & Technology Asia Pacific College Mapua Institute of Technology-Manila Ateneo De Manila University

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9

10

10,435 5,398 3,824 3,503 2,800 2,493

2,113 1,101 1,074 1,037

TOTAL 33,778 Source: Distribution of Higher Education Enrollment of Fine and Applied Arts

Discipline Programs by Academic Year (2005-2010), CHED Report, 2012.

The University of Santo Tomas College Of Fine Arts and Design is first

on the list with 10,435 students enrolled. The De La Salle College of St.

Benilde ranked second with 5,398 enrollees. The Far Eastern University

follows in the third place with 3,824 students. The University of the Philippines

College of Fine Arts with 2,800 enrollees was ranked in the sixth place.

However, the report does not support an inference that the UST CFAD is the

preferred higher education of learning for the fine and applied arts although it

had been consistently on the top of that list for the period covered by the report.

For one thing, the UP College of Fine Arts has the most stringent quota policy

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that it had disqualified scores of students applying for enrollment. The UST

CFAD is, nonetheless, one of the preferred schools for that discipline.

Statement of the Problem

Launched in 1935, the UST fine arts school started with just 16 students.

It was then a minuscule department of the College of Engineering.20 After

having gone through several organizational transformations, first as part of the

School of Architecture and Fine Arts in 1938, then of the College of Architecture

and Fine Arts in 1946, it became the College of Fine Arts and Design on

November 17, 2000. In that sixty-five year period, the school has transformed

itself into an institution that had become a byword in the field of fine arts

education in the country. It is now an autonomous and independent academic

unit, earning the well-deserved college status. This interesting story of the

UST school of fine arts has not yet been written to date. This thesis tells that

story and answers the question of how the UST Fine Arts school transformed

from 1935 into the UST College of Fine Arts and Design in 2000? Specifically it

will answer the following questions:

1. What were the goals and objectives of the Dominicans of the

University of Santo Tomas for establishing the UST fine arts school?

20 The College of Engineering became the Faculty of Engineering in 1939. See, University of Santo

Tomas Faculty of Engineering, Thomasian Engineer Journal, (Thomasian Engineer Media, 2007), 4-8

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2. Who were the personalities involved in the tasks of administering the

school and achieving its goals and objectives.

3. How did its curriculum, organization, enrolments, and faculty evolved

into its form in 2000.

4. What were the schools contributions to the enhancement of the

Philippine society, in particular in the development of fine and applied

arts education?

Objectives of the Study

By necessity, this thesis attempts to determine the different

developmental stages through which the UST School of Fine Arts (1935) has

gone through toward its transformation to the UST College of Fine Arts and

Design (2000). This problem was undertaken for the following reasons:

1. To trace the origin, growth, and development of the UST school of

fine art;

2. To identify the personalities involved in the realization and

achievement of the schools goals and objectives,

3. To show the evolution of the schools curriculum, organization and

administration, physical settings, faculty and student body; and thus,

4. To define the role of the UST fine arts school in the development of

Philippine fine and applied arts education.

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Significance of the Study

During the last seven-seven years, the UST school of fine arts has

become a byword in the field of fine arts education. The author believes that

because of this its story deserves a detailed study. It has to be told because

the school has achieved and contributed in no small measure to the

development of fine arts education in the country.

1. The schools presents students and thousands more that are

expected to enroll in the coming years are the primary benefactors of

this thesis. An accurate narration of the schools history will provide

them with the assurance that they could trace their roots back from a

long line of illustrious Thomasian artists who have greatly influenced

the development and strengthening of the countrys advertising,

interior design, and industrial design industries.

2. This thesis also serves as a declaration of appreciation to former

administrators, professors, and graduates. It will be an assurance

that their legacies will continue to be revered and nurtured by those

who came after them.

3. This historical narrative will also interest scholars for they too will

know about the school that had produced National Artists (Ang

Kiukok and Jerry Elizalde Navarro), commercially successful painters

(Andres Barroquinto and Ronald Ventura among others), award-

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winning sculptures (Joe Datuin), and even Thomasian artist alumni

who are recognized and given prestigious awards here and abroad in

the field of animation.21

4. More than just a purely historical account, this thesis also attempts

an analytical study of the administration, faculty, curriculum, students,

and other activities of the institution. From this analytical study,

certain trends in the area of administration, faculty, curriculum,

students, and alumni may be drawn. As such, it will inevitably show

the institutions strengths and areas that may possibly accept further

improvements. These analyses, based on the institutions 1935-2000

experience may help contribute to the formulation of policies

regarding faculty, administration, curriculum, student requirements

and activities, and alumni. In the final analysis, this could be where

the importance of this thesis may be found.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This thesis is not an attempt to present a definitive history of the UST

School of Fine Arts. Its scope covers only the first 65 years of its existence -

from 1935 to 2000. The timeframe is limited to 2000 when the school was

21 R. V. Nagales, Only in Hollywood: Cavite-born UST alum co-directs Pixar film, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 03 September 2011, 5.

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transformed into the College of Fine Arts and Design, making it a college that is

autonomous and independent from the College of Architecture.

The limitation that this thesis is not the complete or final work on the

school is compensated by the fact that it is an attempt to make a thorough

study by recreating event making full use of the sources of this history. It will

include a survey of the different courses offered at different times in the school.

Of utmost significance is the account of the progressive development of the

school not only in the curriculum but also specially in the enrollment, faculty,

and physical plant improvements.

However, this thesis will not delve into other problematic areas such as

nuances of arts nor detailed achievements of the school's faculty or graduates

that would only veer the discussions away from the stated objectives of this

thesis. It will be an institutional narrative inasmuch as it will reconstruct the

institutional history of the UST School of Fine Arts.22

Theoretical Framework

New institutionalism, the sociological approach in particular, is the

theoretical framework that will best serve the purposes of this thesis. It is a

theory that focuses on developing a sociological view of institutions in the way

22 Shambu Prasad, C., A. Hall, et al., Engaging Scientists through Institutional Histories, ILAC Brief No. 14 (Rome, Italy: Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and Institutional Learning and Change Initiative, 2006). See, http://www.cgiar-ilac.org/content/institutional-history/accessed 13 November 2012/9:16PM.

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they interact and the way they affect society.23 The theory provides arguments

that institutions operate in an environment consisting of other institutions, called

the institutional field, which is described as those organizations that, taken

together, constitute a recognized area of institutional life. They are the key

suppliers, resource and product consumers, regulatory agencies, and other

organizations that produce similar services or product. In this institutional field,

every institution is influenced by institutional peer pressure exerted by the

collection of organizations that operate in a single domain; as identified by

similarity of services, products, or functions; and other organizations that

influence the performance of the focal organizations such as key suppliers and

customers, regulatory agencies, funding sources, and competitors.24 The main

goal of organizations is to survive and in order to do so, they need to do more

than succeed economically; they need to establish organizational legitimacy,

which is defined as the degree of cultural support for an organization, the extent

to which the array of established cultural accounts provides explanation for its

existence.25

23 Edward Alan Miller and Jane Banaszak-Holl, Cognitive and Normative Determinants of State

Policymaking Behavior: Lessons from the Sociological Institutionalism, Publius, vol. 35, no. 2 (Oxford University Press: 2005), 195, Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4624709, Accessed: 16/10/2011 20:01

24 Paul J. DiMaggio and Walter W. Powell eds., New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991), 64-65

25 Ibid., 170

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The focus on legitimation as a sustained and driving force among

organizational actors is an important element of this approach. The UST

School of Fine Arts will be shown here as one such actor, which in its desire to

survive and strive to become legitimate, has adopted certain procedures,

routines, beliefs, and structures of similar organizations in the organizational

field that it perceives to be more legitimate or successful. These adaptations

will be reflected in the Schools organizational characteristics because it had

adopted emergent, socially defined elements and legitimated practices

promoted by the wider institutional environment.26

Review of Related Literature

This review of related literature is an attempt to provide readers with a

picture of the state of knowledge and of major questions in the subject and to

justify this thesis. After having assessed the materials about the period in

review on the history of The University of Santo Tomas, this author concludes

that there exists no comprehensive or analytical study about the UST School of

Fine Arts. In this connection, this author, based on the above assessment has

confirmed the need to pursue the reconstruction of the narrative regarding the

transformation of the University of Santo Tomas School of Fine (1935) to its

26 Ibid., 147-160

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present form, the College of Fine Arts and Design (2000). For this reason, this

thesis is a pioneering work on the subject.

Three masteral theses were reviewed to justify this work. The first one

was entitled The University of Santo Tomas College of Nursing (1946-1971): A

Historical and Analytical Study, presented by Cresencia Reyes S. Foronda as

a masteral thesis to the UST College of Nursing in 1972.27 As the title

suggests, it was a narrative of the UST College of Nursing from its founding in

1946 until 1971. Its discussions included a brief history of nursing education in

the Philippines, a narrative on establishment of the college in 1946 highlighting

the roles of University and College officials in its establishment, detailed

analysis of the evolution of the Colleges curriculum, and an account of its

student body from the early stages of the college up to 1971.

The second masteral thesis entitled The College of Education of the

University of Santo Tomas: Its History, Development, and Progress, was

written by Bienvenida Paradero and was presented to the Graduate School of

UST in 1948.28 The author discussed the reasons for the launching of the UST

College of Education. It also talked about the different stages that the college

had undergone through its development from 1926 until 1946. The thesis also

27 Cresencia Reyes S. Foronda, The University of Santo Tomas College of Nursing (1946-1971): a

Historical and Analytical study, MA thesis, 1972. 28 Bienvenida Paradero, The College of Education of the University of Santo Tomas: Its History,

Development and Progress, MA thesis, 1948.

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included a survey of the different courses offered at different times in the

College, and the subjects taken compared with those required by the Bureau of

Private Schools. It described the development of the College of Education not

only in enrollment but also in the curriculum. It further discussed opportunities

offered it to its students in the fields of public service and leadership in the

teaching profession. On the later part of the thesis, the author summarized the

colleges contributions in the evolution of a better Philippine society.

These works were included in the review of related literature because

they are also institutional histories institutions within the University of Santo

Tomas system. However, the UST School of Fine Arts is different and

administratively independent from the College of Nursing and the College of

Education. In addition to that, the works Ms. Foronda and Ms. Paradero are of

different periods because The University of Santo Tomas College of Nursing

(1946-1971): A Historical and Analytical Study, covered a 25-year period while

The College of Education of the University of Santo Tomas: Its History,

Development, and Progress, 20-year period from 1926 to 1946. Moreover,

Ms. Forondas work narrates a brief history of its institutional environment as

well. In her case, it was the history of nursing in the Philippines. Ms. Paradero

did not. On the other hand, one of Ms. Paraderos work similarities to this

thesis is her presentation of the opportunities that the College of Education

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offered it to its students in the fields of public service and leadership in the

teaching profession, and the summary of its contributions to Philippine society.

Finally, both works did not use the new institutionalism framework employed in

this thesis.

Another unpublished literature reviewed for this thesis was the work

written by Leonila S. Castro entitled An Institutional History of Centro Escolar

de Seoritas, 1907-1941.29 Although an institutional history, this work differs

from this thesis on the subject institution because it is a general history of the

Centro Escolar de Seoritas. Moreover, during most of the period covered that

started in 1907 and ended in 1941, the UST School of Fine Arts was not yet in

existence. For her framework, Ms. Castro employed the challenge and

response theory of Arnold Toynbee.

Jose Victor Z. Torres book In Transition: The University of Santo Tomas

During the American Colonial Period (1898-1935) was written to trace the

history of UST during the American colonial period, specifically from 1898 the

arrival of the first American forces in the Philippines to 1935 the end of

American rule and the beginning of the Commonwealth era.30 This survey on

UST covering that period showed the interaction of UST with the policies and

29 Leonila Castro, An Institutional History of Centro Escolar de Seoritas, 1907-1941, MA thesis,

1997. 30 Jose Victor Torres, In Transition: the University of Santo Tomas during the American Colonial

Period (1898-1935), (Manila: UST Publishing House, 2007).

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politics of the Americans through the re-creation of the events that made that

history. It also showed how the university survived as an institution of learning

in spite of the enormous changes that occurred under the American rule.

Dr. Torres work is a general history of the University of Santo Tomas

and not of an institution within its system. The scope of his work began in 1898

and ended in 1935, which marked the beginning of the scope of this thesis.

Although it tackled the features of American-sponsored education, it did not

delve into art education in particular.

The work of Mr. Jose Victor Jimenez, like this thesis, is an institutional

history. It is entitled Education under the American Colonial Regime: The De

La Salle University Experience.31 Mr. Jimenez first tackled the changes in

Philippine education that was brought about by the coming of the Americans

and the introduction of their system of education in the country. He contrasted

this with the Spanish system and made this as the jump off point for his

narration of the founding of the De La Salle University. This included the

justification for the schools establishment, identification of personalities

involved, evolution of its curricula and its faculty. It was already pointed out that

Mr. Jimenez work and this thesis are both institutional histories. While both

31 Jose Victor Jimenez, Education under the American Colonial Regime: The De La Salle University

Experience, The Journal of History, Vol. 48, No. 1 & 2 (Quezon City: Philippine National Historical Society with the Public Affairs Office, United States Embassy-Manila and the University of Asia and the Pacific, 2002), 83-107.

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included in its narration topics above-mentioned, they are different in the choice

of subject institution. The De La Salle University is an independent and

autonomous institution ab initio while the subject of this thesis is an institution

on its way to independence and autonomy. Moreover, the history of De La

Salle University began in 1911 while that of CFAD in 1935.

Methodology

The design for this thesis is historical. It is based upon the reports of

observations which cannot be repeated although similar events may occur.

This design is used to throw light on the subject institutions present, thereby,

giving it a sense of continuity from the past. Chronicling the institutions events

of enduring worth confers upon its individual members a consciousness of unity

and a feeling of importance of its achievements.

On the matter of the establishment of the subject of this thesis, it was

relatively straightforward. It stemmed from the authors interest in the fine arts.

This enabled him to utilize prior knowledge of the subject. His choice was also

affected by motivations and values as a member of the UST College of Fine

Arts and Design faculty. These considerations, and the fact that it will be useful

in his professional life, were important because they sustained his interest over

a period of time. Fortunately for this writer, the problem tackled herein had

been left untouched for the last sixty five years.

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The next step was the formulation of the objectives of this thesis. It was

completed through background readings and the literature reviews. Again

fortunately for this writer, after his review of related literature, no new official

reports or publications were made during the research and writing of this thesis.

Through his work as faculty member of the School the writer was an active

participant and was totally enmeshed in the subject of this thesis. This close

involvement is significant because it explained how he gained access to

important documentary evidences, close observation, and the subjects of his

interviews.

What followed was the work of collecting data with consideration of

documents and remains or relics of primary and secondary sources, of

bibliographic procedure, and organization of materials. The primary sources

used in this thesis were documents that include school directives, memoranda,

university statutes, committee reports, surveys, annual reports, courses of

study, catalogues, prospectuses, newspapers, periodicals, journals, and

personal materials such as biographies and legal instruments executed by

individuals. Secondary sources include such materials as histories of art

education, histories of the University of Santo Tomas and of related academic

units, bibliographies, and encyclopaedias. Unfortunately, some very important

documents especially those letters, memoranda, reports, minutes of meetings

23

that would give details on the Schools historical narrative were not made

available to the writer. At that time and up to the present date they were being

catalogued at the UST Archives. A written request was made but archive

personnel failed to find these important documents. Alternative sources of

information were then pursued.

After the data have been collected these were subjected to criticisms,

both external and external. This is a very important step because it will test the

authenticity and provenance, and historical reliability of these materials. Before

becoming part of the narrative, these data were accepted as completely reliable

after having been weighed individually for trustworthiness and credibility.

Furthermore, it is an important that the findings of the research

process, the overall conclusions, and particularly, the recommendations are

made available to a wider audience. This way some of the findings, results and

conclusions will be used to influence future developments and strategies. For

this reason, the author has taken the responsibility of summarizing the

message of the thesis in a form that is memorable and easy to assimilate.

Thus the final step involved the presentation of facts in a readable form

involving problems of organization, composition, exposition and interpretation.

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Thesis Outline

The most important documents for this thesis were collected from the

UST Archives, the Office of the University Registrar, and the Heritage Library.

The documents provide the bulk of information required to accomplish its

objectives are copies the Universitys General Bulletins. They are as the

primary source of information on the mission of the School, the curricula, its

officers and faculty members. They also list descriptions of subjects, enrolment

requirements, and governmental recognitions. These General Bulletins, which

were published chronologically, in addition to other compiled documentary

evidences and observations, facilitated the authors task of determining the

periodization for this thesis.

The process, contentious as it is, must be accomplished for without it,

the past contained in the data that have been collected and compiled, would be

nothing more than just scattered events that are difficult to analyze and study.

The challenge here is to avoid events from overlapping, conflicting, or

contradicting one another for there are many ways to periodize this thesis.

Periodization based on the terms of office of UST Rectors from 1935 to 2000

was an option. However, it would be cumbersome because there were 15

Rectors during that period. It would be difficult to relate the resulting timeline to

the stated objectives of this thesis. Neither can we periodize using the terms

office of the College Dean for the same reason. More importantly, the school

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did not have one until 1946. In the end, this writer settled for the periodization

based on the stages that the School had undergone in developing into an

autonomous college in 2000. Foremost considerations here were the

objectives and the materials available for this thesis.

This thesis is divided into six chapters. The resulting division shows how

it incorporated the rest of the research data. They are as follows: Chapter 1,

the introduction begins with a short narration of the history of art education in

the Philippines. Data on the subject assembled from various sources after

having been analyzed were presented in the background of the study to show

the state of affair of arts education in the country before the launching the

School. It is followed by the statement of the problem, the objectives of the

study, and the theoretical framework, and review of related literature. It also

gives the scope and division of the study.

The remaining five chapters describe and analyze the actual narrative of

the institutions transformation. Chapter 2 entitled UST School of Fine Arts,

1935-1938, concentrates on the recount of the story of the School in 1935 and

the political-social-economic framework during that time that influenced its

establishment. The year 1938 marks the end of that period because of the

Schools entry into the next stage of its development. This stage will be

discussed in Chapter 3, UST School of Architecture and Fine Arts, 1938-

26

1946. Discussions in this chapter will commence with the state of affairs in the

School during this stage of its development. This six-year period which was

interrupted by the Japanese occupation (1942-1945), will conclude in 1946

when the School had again developed and entered another stage. As the

School nears the closing stage of its institutional development, the thesis will

explain in Chapter 4, UST College of Architecture and Fine Art, 1946-2000,

the circumstances that led to the granting of a separate and autonomous status

in 2000. Chapter 5 delves on the actual process that were undertaken to

separate the school of fine arts from the College of Architecture.

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 School of Fine Arts, 1935-1938

Chapter 3 School of Architecture and Fine Arts, 1938-1946

Chapter 4 College of Architecture and Fine Arts, 1946-2000

Chapter 5 College of Fine Arts and Design

Chapter 6 Summary of Findings and Conclusion

Although this thesis had been affected by the writers own motivations

and values it did not exclude in this investigation materials that yielded views

contrary to his hypothesis. This work therefore is as open and transparent as

possible.