The Foundation of Hospitals and Orphanages in the History of the Philippines
Loading ...The History of the Philippines indicates that Spaniards did not only want to build colony in the Philippines; they also want their new colony become an independent country that could stand on its own even without the support of the King of Spain. Thus, the missionaries and governor-generals built hospitals and orphanages after establishing more schools and colleges in the country. Here is an article about the foundation of hospitals and orphanages in the country during the Spanish regime.
Because Christianity is humanitarian and the Spanish colonizers were Christians, social welfare was an important goal in the Philippines as a colony. As early as the sixteenth century, the sick and the needy among the natives were given special care and attention.
In 1578 a Franciscan lay brother named Juan Clemente founded the first hospital in Manila. From this hospital developed the present Hospital de San Juan de Dios and the San Lazaro Hospital, now called Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital, two of the leading medical institutions in the country today.
Other early hospitals opened in Manila were the Hospital de San Gabriel in 1588 and the Hospital Real (Royal Hospital) in 1612. Hospitals were also established in the provinces. Among these were the Hospital de Aguas Santas in Los Baños, Laguna (1602), the Hospital de San Jose in Cavite (1641), the Leper Hospital in Laoag (1814), and the Leper Hospital in Cebu (1850).
In the early years of the Spanish regime, orphaned and homeless children were cared for in colleges and monasteries. The Real Hospicio de San Jose, the country’s first orphanage, was established in Manila in 1810. Other orphanages founded during the Spanish times were the Asylum of St. Vincent de Paul (1885) in Manila; the Asylum for Girls (1882) in Mandaluyong; and the Asylum for Boys (1883) in Malabon, both in Rizal.
So far, as what the Philippine History indicates, these are the hospitals and orphanages built during Spanish occupation in the Philippines.
