Copyright Quisumbing Family 2007. All rights reserved.
Engineer Emilio Arguelles Quisumbing
1885-1976
A Filipino Pensionado of 1903
By Jose R. Quisumbing*
1942-2007
Introduction
The book Filipinos in America: A Journey of Faith reviewed by Rev. Miguel A. Bernad, S.J. in the Kinaadman XXVI: 190-192 (2004) did not spell out the actual names of persons who stayed in the United States from 1903 to 2003. It nevertheless inspired this author who has not seen or read the original book as of this writing (2007) to write this biographical sketch of one person who was there in 1903. This particular person was his paternal grandfather. Emilio Arguelles Quisumbing was one of the first Filipino scholars sent to that country for collegiate studies by the Government of the Philippines
in 1903.1
Birth to Adolescence
Emilio A. Quisumbing’s parents were Honorato de los Reyes and Ciriaca “Akang” Arguelles Quisumbing who had eight children: seven males and one female with two of them, Carlos and a nameless daughter, dying as infants. Emilio was the eldest of six remaining brothers. He was born on April 28, 1885 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.2 He was probably taught the 3 R’s by his mother during his childhood and later by private tutors for several years. This particular situation was true during Jose Rizal’s times. At that time the elementary schools did not exist until the enactment of Act No. 74 passed by the Philippine Commission on January 21, 1901 provided for such schools in the Philippines.3
His father, Honorato, worked with the Spanish government in Santa Cruz, Laguna (the capital of the province at that time). The entire family later transferred their residence to Los Banos. During the early days of the American occupation he and his two companions (a cochero and a policeman bodyguard) disappeared without a trace. At that time he was in possession of several land titles since he was engaged in buying and selling lands as a real estate broker (the present term of this profession) as his part time job to earn extra money for the family. Norberto was still a baby at the time of his father’s disappearance. 4 This mystery remains unsolved until the present time.
With his disappearance, his widow, Ciriaca,5 had to raise her six sons (Emilio, Fernando, Manuel, Francisco, Eduardo and Norberto) from boyhood to maturity by selling live pigs grown in their backyard. Emilio was then studying liberal arts at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila.6 His course of study was similar to that of Jose Rizal at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila in Intramuros with Spanish as the medium of instruction.
In March 1902, the Philippine Commission approved a law authorizing the establishment of the high school system in the country to be supported by provincial funds.8 The Bureau of Education (later the Bureau of Public Schools) under the Department of Public Instruction was created in November of that year.9
When the English language was introduced as a medium of instruction by the Americans in both elementary and secondary levels of the public school system, certain private schools in Manila chose not to change its medium of instruction. After several years these schools adopted English as its medium due to pressure of competition especially in government examinations.10 Emilio and other members of his batch had to overcome their deficiency of the English language in the selection and appointment of pensionados. Because of this deficiency they had to take remedial classes in the United States upon arrival.
It should be noted that after English was accepted by all Philippine schools, succeeding batches of pensionados did not have to undergo remedial classes.
The Pensionado Movement
Presented is a short summary of the pensionado movement. A continuation of Emilio’s life story can be found on page 7.
It should be noted here that educational authorities at the start of the civil government in the Philippines planned to send Filipino students to the United States for their education and “complete Americanization.” In mid 1902 the Federal Party petitioned the Philippine Commission to enact a law providing for the sending of 100 students to the United States for further education in academic and special professional branches. Thus, a bill for this purpose was prepared by Dr. Pardo de Tavera, a member of the Philippine Commission. With his bill pending for approval in the Commission, he who lacked the knowledge to communicate in fluent English made use of the services of William Alex Sutherland, a translator in the Office of the Executive Secretary and a former Spanish instructor at the University of New Mexico. As a result of their correspondence, the conditions pertaining to the Filipino students such as their admission to the schools, the scope of curricula, the tuition and other expenses, and the adaptability of the schools to the Philippine Government’s purposes were determined and accurately specified. It also underscored the importance of openness of the faculties and school authorities as well as of the members of the student bodies in their acceptance of these Filipino students.
The proposal of educating Filipinos in the United States had aroused considerable interest in the country as shown by comments in the press and by the suggestion representatives of educational and missionary groups to the American officials. Two examples of missionary and public interests were mentioned in this source material.
The Federal Government agency which supervised the civil affairs of the Philippine Islands was the Bureau of Insular Affairs of the War Department. Its chief, Col. Clarence R. Edwards, realized that if more Filipino students were sent to the United States for education, the Bureau of Insular Affairs would be responsible for their progress and welfare. In this connection, he sought the help of Prof. James T. Young of the University of Pennsylvania whose special field of study was in the government of colonies and dependencies. In reply to Edwards’ request regarding the bringing of Filipinos to this country under an agreement they could be placed in respectable homes throughout the entire country and attend the public schools, he made mention of the
