The College of the Holy Spirit Manila celebrates 100 years of excellence
MANILA, Philippines - Spirited women will always make a mark.
The College of the Holy Spirit Manila (CHSM) rekindles the beacon of academic excellence as it prepares to commemorate its centenary in July 2013.
The historic event is already drumming up excitement among “Spirited Women” both here and abroad. The Centennial Celebration Commission was formed recently with Vicky Garchitorena Arpon as chair, together with fellow alumnae Gloria Manalang Angara, Toni Gregory Palenzuela, Deanna Go Bio and Sr. Victoria Pascasio, SSpS.
According to Dr. Felina Co Young, the current and first lay president of CHSM, the centennial celebration will underscore the college’s legacy of excellence. “It’s going to be a gathering of the best minds and the best graduates of CHSM. We will showcase how CHSM has made a difference not just in the lives of our graduates but also in society,” declared Dr. Young, a CHSM alumna and a distinguished academician.
With the theme “Spirit Ablaze! 2013,” the centennial celebration will highlight CHSM’s significant history and traditions that will hopefully inspire its current and future students to become achievers and change agents in society, much like the roster of prominent alumnae. For the past century, CHSM has served as seat of quality education producing exceptional individuals and, in the process, became one of the pillars of Philippine society.
Home of Spirited Women
CHSM traces its roots to the coming of four German sisters who sailed to the Philippines via San Francisco, California. Sr. Cyrilla, Sr. Cleta and Sr. Cortona headed the SSpS congregation that established their ministry in Bangued, Abra in 1912. A year later, the nuns settled in Manila and opened the first CHSM school on July 17, 1913 in Legarda Street with 23 young girls and boys.
The stringent yet “spirited” upbringing of the nuns became well known and the alumnae of the Centennial Committee fondly recalled their days under the watchful eyes of the SSpS sisters.
“The nuns instilled among us the importance of work ethics that helped us excel as individuals,” Angara shares.
“They may be strict but they never killed the creativity in you,” echoes Go Bio. She said that the college’s distinct approach in higher education, particularly in the liberal arts, was what prompted her to enrol in CHSM, as well as its dedication to Christian and holistic formation. As Go Bio puts it, “We learned to be modest and let our work speak for us.”
Over the years, the school developed a reputation for four disciplines: music, art, sciences, and education, and a number of its alumnae have gained prominence in different fields. The school’s Music Hall has produced luminaries including famed opera singer Jovita Fuentes and multi-awarded composer Edith Gallardo.
Dolly Quimbo-Perez, the country’s first female landscape artist, was also educated within the hallowed halls of CHSM, as well as philanthropists Imelda Ongsiako Cojuangco and Rosie Osmeña Valencia, internationally-acclaimed fashion designer Josie Cruz Natori, well-known caterer Lyn Sunico, and Ramon Magsaysay awardee Sheila Coronel, to name a few.
A century and beyond
As the countdown for the CHSM centenary begins, Dr. Young and the Centennial Celebration Commission members have drawn plans to mark the college’s milestone. Thousands of alumnae, including those in the US, have already expressed their participation in what will be a glorious homecoming.
The Commission never overlooks the spirit of generosity that’s why they are planning to grant 100 scholarships to deserving students.
“We are in the process of raising funds to send 100 students to CHSM,” declared Arpon. “We are also tapping our alumnae to give lectures and workshops during the Centennial Week to inspire the new generation of CHSians.”
“Our alumnae are the best feature of the CHSM,” Dr. Young added. “Through their examples, we hope to encourage the young ones to become well-rounded achievers.”
Dr. Young also sees that CHSM Centennial as a turning point in the college’s academic history. Plans have already been laid down for a comprehensive curriculum review to make their courses relevant to the changing times.
“We are very pleased to note that the employability rate of CHSM graduates has reached an impressive 96 percent in 2010-2011,” Dr. Young enthused. She stressed that one of the goals of CHSM is to produce more competitive graduates and minimize the academic and industry disparity in terms of desirable candidates for employment.
“Of course, on top of this goal we will continue to imbue our students with the tenets that CHSM has been known for in the past century, and these are the values of spirituality, service and excellence. With these virtues, we hope to leave a lasting legacy for future generations of true Spirited Women,” Dr. Young concludes.