Copyright Quisumbing Family 2007. All rights reserved.
By 1927, the sending of fellows and
pensionados for foreign study, a deep-rooted policy of the University,
was designed to prepare adequately trained personnel for the permanent teaching
staff. According to the University President in 1928, the sending of
pensionados abroad had paid off in yearly savings by not hiring
foreigners with big salaries. He noted the excellent records of their fellows
and pensionados in various foreign universities. He hoped that in the
coming years they would be of greater service to the University and that the
sacrifice which the University had provided them in their schooling and
maintenance abroad would be a profitable investment.
In 1926 advocates of
radical changes in the pensionado system on account of favoritism called
for its abolition. After 1929 these calls were further bolstered by the
difficulty of securing practical assignments for pensionados and
university fellows in the United States due to the economic depression and the
unemployment situation. While the government tried to accommodate them in
positions, their employment, however, became dependent on existing vacancies and
availability of funds.
From 1929 to 1932, limited appropriations were set aside for
pensionados in the United States and for a few new appointments. On
December 29, 1932, the Governor General ordered the pensionado agent to
finish her work and close her office due to the fact that there were one regular
and three partial pensionados in that country. Finally, the Office of the
Philippine Pensionado Agent was abolished on February 23, 1933 and after
that date the staff of the Bureau of Insular Affairs took charge of the
allowances, transportation and other matters for few remaining
pensionados.28
Despite the retrenchment
policy in the late 1920’s and 1930’s, the sending of Filipino pensionados
to the United States was never completely stopped: the University of the Philippines still
sent pensionados and fellows to the United States on a more or less
regular basis; the Philippine
Bureau of Health in cooperation with the Rockefeller Foundation was in the
financial position to give many of its leading medical practitioners
postgraduate training; and the Philippine Army gave the officers the special
instructions and training in the United States.
With the inauguration of the Philippine Commonwealth Government on November 15, 1935, it was necessary to define the position of this government in regards with the support of Filipino students in the United States and elsewhere. On May 11, 1938, President Manuel Quezon issued an administrative order stating the necessary rules and regulations. This order reasserted many of its previous basic policies. Selection was made on the basis of competitive examinations conducted by the Bureau of Civil Service under the direction of the Office of the President. The pensionados sent abroad were to specialize on courses not available in the country. Applicants who were wealthy were given preference. The pensionado was required to serve the Commonwealth Government for two years for every year of scholarship enjoyed. If the pensionado would decide not to serve the government, he would have to reimburse the government the total expenses of his scholarship. All pensionados employed in the government or private firms were obligated to refund the government not less than twenty five percent of the total expenses for their scholarships payable by a monthly installment of ten percent from their salaries until fully paid.
As noted earlier, the Office of the Philippine Pensionado Agent was never revived after its abolition in 1933. From that year to July 1, l939 the Bureau of Insular Affairs took charge of the pensionados there. After the latter date, the Division of Territories and Islands Possessions under the Department of the Interior assumed all the functions of the Bureau, including the taking care of the pensionados. By order of President Quezon dated September 28, 1940 these pensionados in the United States were to be supervised by the Philippine Resident Commissioner while monthly allowances and other financial matters were to be handled by the Philippine disbursing agent of the said Division. With the Philippine Commonwealth Government in exile at Washington, D.C., President Quezon directed Dr. Arthur B. Rotor to assume the responsibility of all matters pertaining to the government pensionados and university fellows in the United States.29 Despite the fall of the Philippines into Japanese hands, the pensionados still enjoyed the benefits to which they were entitled. According to the Resident Commissioner on February 20, 1942, he estimated about 350 private Filipino students who were adequately supported. He made arrangements for those who entered this country on student visas to secure employment here if they wanted to. In summary, to compare the pensionados of the three different periods Dr. Marquardt had much to say about them as follows: of the first period (1903-1914) few of them were high school graduates and so they spent part of their time on secondary and college work; of the second period (1919-1935) all completed their high school and had some experiences in their line of work before pursuing advanced studies in the United States; and of the third period (1935-1943) all were selected through the competitive examinations as well as for their training and experience.30
Emilio’s Studies in the United States
As noted in the preceding pages on the pensionado movement, Emilio and other members of the 1903 first batch did not take the first competitive examinations which were yet to be scheduled in March 1904 as provided by law. They were selected and appointed at the discretion of the Civil Governor and were possibly the only batch exempted from these competitive examinations. Emilio, who had graduated his Bachelor of Arts from the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in 1900, was recommended for appointment solely on the basis of his previous academic record being unsurpassed among 100 students and had also shown remarkable progress in the study of the English language for the last six months.
From appendix III, item #75 OF K. Munden's report on Philippine Pensionados who was with the Division of Interior Dept Archives.1945.
Emilio Quisumbing, Manila. This Student at the time of his appointment was markedly backward in his English and his appointment was recommended solely on account of his previous record as a Student, which was unsurpassed among the hundred Students. He had graduated from the Liceo de Manila, and while a student, learned French by himself because he could not find suitable textbooks in Spanish in his sciences. He is a very enthusiastic worker and his progress in English during the last six months has been remarkable. He is of an analytic temperament, and thorough and exact in his work. He wishes to study civil engineering and I recommend that he is assigned to this course. He graduates from the high school at the end of the present semester. He is as well fitted for a technical course as any Student.
