15
S.S. Thomas. They taught in English and instilled in Filipinos a deep faith in the general value
of education at the primary level.
Education began reaching the masses when the Philippine Assembly declared in the 1935
constitution that “the government shall establish and maintain a complete and adequate system of
public education and shall provide at least free public primary instruction and citizenship training
to adult citizens.”
17
When the Philippines became an independent nation in 1946, this mandate
evolved to universal primary schooling for all Filipinos. This expansion of primary education
resulted in a large demand for higher education. The University of the Philippines, the first
public institution of higher education that was opened in 1908, was not capable of
accommodating the large amount of applicants. The state commitment to free elementary
education for the masses left the state with little resources to invest in higher education. A new
generation of non-sectarian private tertiary institutions that were owned and founded by
prominent Filipino families and businessmen emerged to fill this gap.
18
These private venture
colleges multiplied after the passage of the 1917 Private School Law (Act No. 2706). This
American-sponsored law gave private colleges and universities full autonomy both in funding
and control.
19
This allowed many of these private venture colleges to operate as for-profit
institutions that eventually became highly profitable joint stock companies.
20
This dominance of private tertiary institutions was a blessing in disguise. Even though it
did fill the gap in demand for higher education, the autonomy left to these institutions for
funding and control over curriculum allowed private schools to be more concerned with
monetary gain. For example, in 1985, of the private tertiary schools, one-third were classified as
17
National Economic and Development Authority, Philippine Yearbook 1977 (Manila, Philippines: National Census
and Statistics Office, Republic of the Philippines, 1977).
18
Landé, "The Philippines," 315-16.
19
Gulosino, "Evaluating Private Higher Education in the Philippines: The Case for Choice, Equity and Efficiency,"
5-6.
20
Landé, "The Philippines."
Convention