, () () (USI, formerly Colegio de Sta. Isabel) is a private Catholic university run by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent De Paul in Naga, Camarines Sur, Philippines. It was founded by the Rt Rev. Francisco Gainza, O.P., Bishop of Caceres, in 1868 as the first normal school for women in Asia, named in honor of the university's patron, St. Isabel, Queen of Hungary.
Queen Isabella II's Royal Decree in 1867 opened Escuela-Colegio de Sta. Isabel (ESCI) in 1868 under the Diocese of Cáceres of Rt Rev. Francisco Gainza's episcopate in Nueva Cáceres. ECSI introduced the Escuela Normal de Maestra in 1872, founding the first normal school for women in Asia, named in honor of the university's patron, St. Isabel, Queen of Hungary. Three years later, ESCI was renamed to Colegio de Sta. Isabel (CSI). In 1898, it housed the interim government for Elias Angeles' regional rebellion. Americanized with secular Thomasite instruction in 1901, the colonial-era curriculum was gradually diluted yet CSI retained its primary Vincentian doctrines. During World War II, CSI became a temporary co-educational facility under a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere-based syllabus, offering education to Ateneo de Naga pupils when their campus was requisitioned by the Japanese from 1940 to 1941, subsequently transferring all classes to the convent of the Cathedral and the Archdiocesian Seminary throughout the duration of the war. In 1968, CSI introduced its Graduate School. CSI was granted university status by virtue of the Higher Education Act of 1994 in 2001, conferred a year after in 2002, and is now officially referred to as Universidad de Sta. Isabel de Naga, Inc. (USI).
The university offers elementary and secondary education through the Basic Education Department (USI-BED), a Higher Education Department (USI-HED), and Graduate School. The campus is a leading institution in implementing the St. Louise de Marillac Educational System (SLMES) worldwide across Vincentian institutions.
In accordance to the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, otherwise known as the "K-12 Basic Education Program" in conjunction with the "SHS Academic Track, Technical-Vocational Livelihood", USI-BED combines both elementary and secondary education under a single departmental faculty and student governing body, the Student Central Council (SCC), and a collection of classrooms in the St. Louise de Marillac Building (SLM Bldg.) and St. Vincent de Paul Building (SVP Bldg.). USI-BED is composed of Preschool, Elementary, and high schools separated into both Junior High School with a Night High School Program and Senior High School curricula.
History
Opening of the Escuela-Colegio de Sta. Isabel
Proposals of Rev. Francisco Gainza In February 1863, during Rev. Francisco Gainza's consecration to the episcopated by Abp. Gregorio Meliton, Archdiocese of Manila, he planned reformations for the Diocese of Caceres with Fr. Gregorio Velasco, C.M. in the Las Islas Filipinas: the establishment of a colegio-beaterio ran by the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and the redirection of the Seminario Conciliar. Velasco described Gainza's endeavors as a "daring pursuit" (era una empreza atrevida).
Establishment of a colegio-beaterio in Nueva Cáceres Upon Gainza's initialization of his diocesian reformations since his arrival in Nueva Cáceres on 19 March 1863, he worked toward the colegio-beaterio by first erecting an edifice across the Cathedral and near the Episcopal Palace. On 8 October 1866, Gainza briefed the Ministry of Overseas Colonies, Alejandro de Castro, of his proposals for a colegio-beaterio in Nueva Cáceres. In his letter, he stressed the absence of the diocese's primary normal school for girls to wit:
In the same letter, Gainza requested de Castro to lobby the authorization, both the funding for the journey and the ₱150 monthly wages of the five Provincial Visitors of the Sisters of Charity administering the school, and subsidization of personnel and supplies. At the end of the letter, Gainza proposed renaming the blank Colegio of Nueva Cáceres after Queen Isabella II and St. Elizabeth of Hungary (Santa Isabel de Hungría):
Isabella II's enthusiasm with the colegio-beaterio On 29 June 1867, Gainza headed for Southern Europe in Rome, for his quinquennial visit ad limina on the 18th centenary of Saint Peter, then Madrid, where he discussed with Isabella II his proposals of the colegio-beaterio. Met with resounding approval, Gainza described his meeting with the Queen:
Royal decree from Spain A royal decree from Her Majesty, dated November 5, 1867, formally authorized Gainza to construct the multidepartmental "colegio-beaterio" (all-girls school) ran by the Hijas de Caridad de Sta. Vincent de Paul (Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul) in Nueva Cáceres; it was referred to as the Escuela-Colegio de Sta. Isabel. In the decree's three provisions, it read:
Arrival of the Daughters of Charity By January 1868, Gainza and the six sisters departed Madrid for Nueva Cáceres. After two months of sea travel, they arrived at Manila, where they were joined by Vincentian and Dominican monks, such as Mariano Cuartero, O.P. and Rev. Uy of the Diocese of Jaro for the rest of the excursion. On 4 April 1868, the six sisters, Francisca Sales Montoya, the first superior of the Sisters of Charity in Nueva Cáceres, Crisologa Navarro, Ignacia Ostolozas, Juana Morga, Rita Delome, Antonia Novao were welcomed by Fr. Vicente Garcia at Pasacao Beach southeast of Nueva Cáceres, resting at Pamplona for the night.
On the next day, 5 April 1868, the Sisters vacated Pasacao via Pamplona and the Bicol River then docking at Camaligan en route to Nueva Cáceres. Upon arrival, they were welcomed by Rt Rev. Francisco Gainza, O.P., Bishop of Caceres at his Episcopal Palace in the Diocese of Caceres.
Inauguration of the Escuela-Colegio de Sta. Isabel On 12 April 1868, the Escuela-Colegio de Sta. Isabel was formally opened. During the inauguration, Rev. Francisco Gainza delivered a speech at the Mary's Garden of the present day Higher Education Department (HED) noting the Queen's complacence in the establishment of the Colegio and paid his gratitude to Her Majesty, saying:
Escuela-colegio education system
General policies The Escuela-Colegio de Sta. Isabel, a diocesan school decreed therein, consisted of two instructions: the primary instruction and their students (colegialas), and the normal school and their teacher students (normalistas). Both were distinctly independent units with different statutes, academic policies, and curriculum.
General statistics On the opening year of the Colegio, the school received a general total of 220 enrollees with more day than boarding students: a meager 70 boarding students from the principalia of Nueva Cáceres and Albay (internas), because of budgetary constraints at the time; and 150 day students (externas).
Primary school
Departmentalization After the provision, the primary school had two departments: the Boarding and Day School for Girls (Colegio de Niñas Internas y Externas) and the Municipal School for Poor Girls (Escuela Municipal para Las Niñas Pobres).
Grade levels The primary school was composed of three levels: entrada (entrance), ascenso (intermediary), and termino (final); with the curriculum enshrined in Castilian studies of Catholic doctrine. Colegialas had subjects in Spanish, its grammar, orthography, and literature; Christian Doctrine (Doctrina Cristiana); Principles of Morality; Sacred History; Arithmetic, with 19th-century concepts in integers, fractions, decimals, and measuring; Rules of Courtesy (Reglas de Urbanidad); voice lessons; women's work, such as different studies of needlework. On 4 August 1868, Fr. Gainza ratified the primary school's implementing statutes, the Estatutos; herein the provisions of the Escuela Normal de Manila's 20 December 1863 Decree were adopted.
Normal school In the normal school, the academic year began on 1 July and ended on 15 May, on the feast of San Isidro Labrador. Comparable to Nueva Cáceres and Manila's colegio-beaterio, the normalistas studied Religion, Morals, Sacred History, Spanish, Arithmetic, Geography, History, Rules of Courtesy, and Pedagogy, with Geometry, Natural Sciences, and Music being voluntary.
Training for primary teachers
Gainza lobbying On 14 December 1869, Gainza lobbied to Gov-Gen. Carlos María de la Torre y Navacerrada of a proposal to recruit 100 16 to 20 year-old women pensionadas (scholars) from 100 towns under his episcopate chosen by their principalia and parish priests; they were to train pedagogy for two to four years then take charge of their town's primary schools as teachers or assistants, with Gainza specifically requesting the pensionadas be shouldered by provincial funds, a fee of six pesos a month or 72 pesos a year. Notably, Gainza added:
On 3 January 1870, de la Torre reassured to Gainza that the secular civil government would support them financially, but did not directly acknowledge his requests; he instead requested him a draft regulation for the normal school. Because de la Torre consolidated liberal policies, his conservative successor after his abrupt departure on 4 April 1871, Rafael de Izquierdo, had repealed Gainza's curricula, stalling his proposals altogether.
On 11 January 1872, Gainza received a royal decree signed by Amadeo I to raise the Colegio to "Escuela Normal de Maestras." This was thereby made to be inaugurated solemnly on the Feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia.
Three months after the abdication of the Spanish throne and the establishment of the First Spanish Republic, Minister of Overseas Colonies Juan Cristobal Sorni issued "Orden del Poder ejecutivo autorizando a los Cien Pueblos de la Diocesis de Nueva Cáceres Para Mandar una Joven a la Escuela de Niñas de Dicha Ciudad para que Despues Pudiera Dirigir La Escuela De Su Respectivo Pueblo," granting Gainza's proposal of authorizing his recruitment policy and its funding.
Ad interim training Promulgated upon the "Escuela Normal de Maestras," a government decree dated 19 June 1875 approved ad interim regulations for Colegio educators in Nueva Cáceres and was duly signed by Gov-Gen. José Malcampo, then published later in Gaceta de Manila on 23 June 1875.
Principled after the catechetical teachings of the Daughters of Charity, the integration of the poor studentry with the day and/or residential studentry into one curriculum was segregated in a multidepartmental structure: the Colegio de Niñas Internas y Externas and Escuela Municipal para Las Niñas Pobres. The program of studies required the aforementioned, elementary knowledge, instruction in Spanish, and women's work such as needlework. Primary courses lasted three years, with an optional additional year for graduate studies; a ratifiable schedule was to be sent annually to the governor for approval. Resident pupils funded locally were to reach ten years, under penalty restitution.
Staff of Colegio The normalista staff enumeration was regular, with the ethical and religious guidance of the teacher studentry notably administered by a secular priest, the moral and religious supervision by a Diocese of Caceres bishop, and secular supervision by an alcalde-mayor, the bishop, the administrator of public finances, and a board member consolidating the staff for a period of three months. Upon accomplishment of the triennal course and the general public examiniations, students were granted the Teacher's Certificate, licensure to teach in either day or residential schools, especially in Escuela-Colegio de Sta. Isabel; if not over the age of twenty-three thereof, and other rewards.
Late 19th century