Colegio de Santa Rosa

In 1739, a residential structure was demolished to pave way for the construction of Colegio de Santa Rosa. Plaza de Santo Tomas served as the pocket plaza between the Colegio de Santa Rosa and the former site of the University of Santo Tomas. The long, narrow plaza was dedicated to Thomas Aquinas. The statue of Fray Miguel de Benavides along with wrought iron fence attached in the 19th century and royal palms was also located at the middle of the plaza.[1]

Paula de Santissima Trinidad, or Paula Tejedor del Atas was born in Espluga Calba, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain on 1713. She went to Lerida to work as a criada, or maid in order to immerse herself as a social worker. From Tarragona to Manresa, she arrived in Manila on July 15, 1750 with the purpose of establishing a school for half Spanish half Filipino young women. She pleaded donations to wealthy Spaniards such as Don Pedro González Quijano and Don Francisco Javier Salgado in order to sustain her advocacy in establishing the school. Two houses, along Calle Solana, in front of the portería of the convent of Santo Domingo and another one facing the chapel of the University of Santo Tomas, were given as donations, respectively.[1]

In August 1750, along with the school, the beaterio was built and was placed under the protection of Santa Rosa de Lima. On September 22, 1774, the school and beaterio were placed under royal patronage – through the Real Cedula of 1774 by the Spanish Monarch Order. However, the institution must accept girls of other races in return. On June 16, 1782, she died and was buried at the chapel of the Virgin in Santo Domingo Church.[2]

Both institutions were later turned-over to the care of the Dominican friars, and subsequently passed-on to the Royal Audiencia in 1784, and then to a junta of alumnae and matrons of the city until 1886 when administration was transferred to the Daughters of Charity (Paules sisters), who renamed the school Colegio de Sta. Rosa. Two earthquakes in 1863 and 1880 paved the way for the construction of a new, bigger structure in place of the ruins. However, the building was destroyed by the initial bombing of Manila in 1941 forcing the sisters to transfer the school to Sta. Mesa.[2]

In 1948, the school returned to Intramuros with new administrators, the Sisters of the Congregation of the Servants of St. Joseph. In 1964, they shared the same sentiment that inspired Madre Paula when she founded the school in Intramuros, thus, responding to the demands for a Catholic institution in the municipality of Makati. Under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Moises Lopez, OAR, who was then president of the Board of Trustees, Colegio de Sta. Rosa acquired the lot offered by the Makati Development Corporation. Government permit was secured to open Colegio de Sta. Rosa in Makati, as a branch. Augustinian Recollect sisters are the present administrators from 1981 to the present day.[2]

Currently, Colegio De Sta. Rosa has three branches, the one in Intramuros, the original and first branch founded in 1750, the all-girls school branch in Makati founded in 1964, and lastly, the branch in Trece Martires, Cavite founded in 1997.

Although the post-war school buildings followed the modern style; recently, the buildings have undergone a facelift and the facade of Colegio de Sta. Rosa in Intramuros has been recreated in concrete rather than its original wood construction.[1]

• Colegio de Santa Rosa - Makati

• Media related to Colegio de Santa Rosa, Intramuros at Wikimedia Commons