HISTORY OF NURSING IN THE PHILIPPINES

HISTORY OF NURSING
IN THE PHILIPPINES
By Rommel Luis C. Israel III

EARLY BELIEFS AND PRACTICES
A disease was primarily believed to be due to either another person,
whom which was an enemy, or a witch or evil spirits.
Filipinos were very cautious not to disturb other people
or the evil spirits for the good of their health. These evil
spirits could be driven away by persons with power to
banish demons.
2
By: ROMMEL LUIS C. ISRAEL III

EARLY BELIEFS AND PRACTICES
Belief in special gods of healing, with the priest -physician
(called “word doctors”) as intermediary.
If they used leaves or roots, they were called herb
doctors (“herbolarios”)
Filipinos who became sick were usually cared for by the
female family members or friends in the home.
3

EARLY
CARE OF
THE
SICK
The early Filipinos subscribed to superstitious belief and
practices in relation to health and sickness.
Herb men were called “herbicheros” meaning one who
practiced witchcraft.
Persons suffering from diseases without any identified
cause were
believed bewitched by “mangkukulam” or “manggagaway”.
4

EARLY CARE OF THE SICK
Difficult childbirth and some diseases (called “pamao”) were attributed to “nunos”.
Midwives assisted in childbirth. During labor, the “mabuting hilot” (good midwife) was called in.
If the birth became difficult, witches were supposed to be the cause. To disperse their
influence, gunpowder were exploded from a bamboo cane close to the head of the sufferer.
5

HEALTH CARE DURING
THE SPANISH REGIME
6

The context of nursing has
manifested through simple
nutrition, wound care, and
taking care of an ill member
of the family.
Taking care of a sick
individuals entails
interventions from babaylan
(priest physicians) or albularyo
(herb doctor).
In 1578, male nurses were
acknowledged as Spanish
Friars’ assistants for caring
sick individuals in the hospital.
They were referred
as practicante or enfermero.
The religious orders exerted
their efforts to care for the
sick by building hospitals in
different parts of the
Philippines.
7

PHILIPPINES'
EARLIEST
HOSPITALS
• Hospital Real de Manila
or Hospital Real de
Españoles Royal Spanish
Hospital (existed from
1577 to 1898) – it was
established mainly to care
for the Spanish king’s
soldiers, but also admitted
Spanish civilians; founded
by Gov. Francisco de
Sande.
8

PHILIPPINES'
EARLIEST
HOSPITALS
• San Lazaro Hospital
(1578, still exists
today) – founded by
Brother Juan Clemente
and was administered
for many years by the
Hospitalliers of San
Juan de Dios; built
exclusively for patients
with leprosy.
RUINS
9

PHILIPPINES'
EARLIEST
HOSPITALS
• Hospital de Indios (1586) – established by the
Franciscan Order; service was in general
supported by alms and contributions from
charitable persons.
10

PHILIPPINES'
EARLIEST
HOSPITALS
• Hospital de Aguas Santas (1590) – established
in Laguna; near a medicinal spring, founded
by Brother J. Bautista of the Franciscan
Order.
11

NURSING DURING THE
PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION
13

In the late 1890’s, the war between Philippines and Spain
emerges which resulted to significant amount of casualties.
Many women have assumed the role of nurses in order to
assist the wounded soldiers.
The emergence of Filipina nurses brought about the
development of Philippines Red Cross.
14

JOSEPHIN BRACKEN
• — wife of Jose Rizal, installed a field
hospital in an estate house in Tejeros.
She provided nursing care to the
wounded night and day.
15

ROSA SEVILLA DE
ALVERO
• Rosa Sevilla de Alvero — converted
their house into quarters for the Filipino
soldiers; during the Philippine-American
War that broke out in 1899
16

DONA HILARIA DE
AGUINALDO
• Dona Hilaria de Aguinaldo — wife of
Emilio Aguinaldo who organized that
Filipino Red Cross under the inspiration
of Mabini.
17

DONA MARIA AGONCILLO
DE AGUINALDO
• Dona Maria Agoncillo de
Aguinaldo — second wife of
Emilio Aguinaldo; provided nursing
care to Filipino soldiers during the
revolution, President of the Filipino
Red Cross branch in Batangas.
18

MELCHORA
AQUINO a.k.a.
TANDANG SORA
• Melchora Aquino a.k.a.
“Tandang Sora” — nursed
the wounded Filipino
soldiers and gave them
shelter and food.
19

CAPITAN
SALOME
• Capitan Salome — a revolutionary leader in
Nueva Ecija; provided nursing care to the
wounded when not in combat.
20

AGUEDA
KAHABAGAN
Agueda Kahabagan — revolutionary leader in Laguna, also
provided nursing services to her troops
21

TRINIDAD
TECSON
• Trinidad Tecson (“Ina ng
Biak-na-Bato”) — stayed
in the hospital at Biak na
Bato to care for wounded
soldiers
22

HOSPITALS AND
NURSING SCHOOLS
23

Americans began training the first Filipino nursing students in 1907. Nursing students in the
Philippines studied many of the same subjects as nursing students in the U.S. However, it was
believed that the curriculum in the Philippines “was never a mirror-image reproduction of the
American nursing curriculum” and involved more than a simple transfer of knowledge from
American nurses to Filipino nurses.
The first Filipino nursing students also studied subjects that were more relevant to their patients,
such as “the nursing of tropical diseases” and “industrial and living conditions in the islands,” as
described by Lavinia L. Dock’s 1912 book A History of Nursing: From the Earliest Times to the
Present Day with Special Reference to the Work of the Past Thirty Years.
24

Hospital School of Nursing’s
Formal Training (1901 – 1911)
25

Iloilo
Mission
Hospital
School of
Nursing
(Iloilo City,
1906)
• he first hospital in the Philippines which
trained Filipino nurses in 1906 was Iloilo
Mission Hospital, established by the Baptist
Missionaries.
• When this health institution was built, there
were no strict requirements for the applicants
as long as they are all willing to work.
• This has been the beginning of development
of more nursing schools in the country.
• In this period, Pensionado Act of 1903 (or
Act 854) was mandated, allowing Filipino
nursing student to study in United States.
Among of the first wave of nurses who went
to United States
26

Iloilo
Mission
Hospital
School of
Nursing
(Iloilo City,
1906)
• It was ran by the Baptist Foreign Mission
Society of America.
• Miss Rose Nicolet, a graduate of New
England Hospital for Women and Children in
Boston, Massachusetts was the first
superintendent for nurses.
• It moved from its present location to Jaro
Road, Iloilo City in 1929.
• Miss Flora Ernst, an American nurse, took
charge of the school in 1942.
• In April 1944 graduate nurses took the first
Nurses Board Examination at the Iloilo
Mission Hospital.
27

Iloilo Mission Hospital School of Nursing
(Iloilo City, 1906)
28

Saint Paul’s
Hospital
School of
Nursing
(Manila,
1907)
• The hospital was established by the
Archbishop of Manila, Jeremiah Harty under
the supervision of the Sisters of St. Paul de
Chartres located in Intramuros.
• It provided general hospital services.
• It opened its training school for nurses in
1908, with Mother Melanie as superintendent
and Miss Chambers as Principal.
29

Saint
Paul’s
Hospital
School of
Nursing
(Manila,
1907)
30

Philippine
General
Hospital
School of
Nursing
(Manila,
1907)
• PGH began in 1901 as a small dispensary for
Civil officers and Employees in the City of
Manila and later grew as a Civil Hospital.
• In 1906, Mary Coleman Masters, an educator
advocated for the idea of training Filipino
girls for the profession of nursing with the
approval of Government officials, she first
opened a dormitory for Girls enrolled at the
Philippine Normal Hall and the University of
the Philippines.
31

Philippine
General Hospital
School of
Nursing (Manila,
1907)
• In 1907, with the support of Governor General
Forbes and the Director of Health and among
others, she opened classes in nursing under the
Auspices of the Bureau of Education.
• Admission was based on an entrance examination.
The applicant must have completed elementary
education to the seventh grade. Julia Nichols and
Charlotte Clayton taught the students nursing
subjects.
• American physician also served as lecturers.
• In 1910, the Act No. 1976 modified the
organization of the school placing it under the
supervision of the Department of Health. The
Civil Hospital was abolished and the Philippine
General Hospital was established.
32

Philippine General Hospital School of
Nursing (Manila, 1907)
33

St. Luke’s
Hospital
School of
Nursing
(Quezon
City, 1907)
• The hospital is an Episcopalian Institution.
• It began as a small dispensary in 1903.
• In 1907, the school opened with three girls
admitted. These three girls had their first year
in combined classes with the PGH School of
Nursing and St. Paul’s Hospital School of
Nursing.
• Miss Helen Hicks was the first principal. Mrs.
Vitaliana Beltran was the first Filipino
superintendent of nurses and Dr. Jose Fores
was the first medical director of the hospital
34

St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing
(Quezon City, 1907)
35

36

Mary
Johnston
Hospital
and School
of Nursing
(Manila,
1907)
• It started as a small dispensary on Calle
Cervantes (now Avenida).
• It was called the Bethany Dispensary and
funded by the Methodist Mission for the
relief of suffering among women and
children.
• In 1907, Sister Rebecca Parrish together with
registered nurses Rose Dudley and Gertude
Dreisbach, organized the Mary Johnston
School of Nursing.
• The nurses’ training course began with three
Filipino young girls fresh from elementary as
their first students.
37

Mary Johnston Hospital and School of
38

Philippine
Christian
Mission
Institute
Schools of
Nursing
• The United Christian Missionary Society of
Indianapolis, Indiana- a Protestant
organization of the disciples of Christ
operated three schools of nursing.
39

Sallie Long
Read
Memorial
Hospital
School of
Nursing
(Laoag Ilocos
Norte, 1903)
No available records on file
40

The Start of
Nursing
Practice
(1911- 1921)
41

Promulgation of Act No. 2493 which amends Medical Law (Act No. 310)
allowing the regulation of nursing practice transpired during this period.
However, in 1919, the First True Nursing Law was enacted through Act
2808. During this period the Board Examiners for Nursing was also created.
The first nursing board examination was given on 1920.
The first executive officer of the Board Examiners for Nurses is a
physicians.
42

Mary
Chiles
Hospital
School of
Nursing
(Manila,
1911)
The hospital was established by Dr. WN
Lemon in a small house on Azcarraga,
Sampaloc, Manila.
In 1913, Miss Mary Chiles of Montana
donated a large sum of money with
which the preset building at Gastambide
was bought. The Tuason Annex was
donated by Miss Esperanza Tuason, a
Filipino Philanthropist.
43

Mary Chiles Hospital School of
Nursing
(Manila, 1911)
44

Frank
Dunn
Memorial
Hospital
(Vigan
Ilocos Sur,
1912)
• No documents available
45

San Juan
de Dios
Hospital
School of
Nursing
(Manila,
1913)
In 1913, through the initiative of Dr. Benito
Valdez, the board of inspectors and the
executive board of the hospital passed a
resolution to open school of nursing.
The school has been run by the Daughters
of Charity since then.
Sister Taciana Tinanes was the first
Directress of the School
46

San Juan de Dios Hospital School of
47

Emmanuel
Hospital
School of
Nursing
(Capiz,
1913)
In 1913, the American Baptist Foreign Mission
Society sent Dr. PH Lerrigo to Capiz for the
purpose of opening a hospital.
Miss Rose Nicolet assisted him.
The school offered a 3-year training course for
an annual fee of Php 100.00.
Miss Clara Pedroso was the first principal
48

Emmanuel Hospital School of Nursing
(Capiz, 1913)
49

Southern
Islands
Hospital
School of
Nursing
(Cebu,
1918)
The hospital was established in
1911 under the Bureau of Health.
The school opened in 1918 with
Anastacia Giron-Tupas as the
organizer.
Miss Visitacion Perez was the first
principal
50

Southern Islands Hospital School of
Nursing (Cebu, 1918)
51

A Much Established Professional
Organization: 1921 – 1931
52

The Filipino Nurses Association was established on October 15, and the organization
initiated the publication of Filipino Nurse Journal. Later, this journal was changed to
The Philippine Journal of Nursing.
Amendment of certain sections of the Act 2008 was conducted in 1922 under Act
3025 passed by the 5th Legislature. This policy is entitled An Act Regulating the
Practice of Nursing Profession in the Philippine Islands, which necessitates all nurses
who are practicing the profession to register yearly.
In 1929, the organization also became a member of the International Council of
Nurses.
53

• Through the 1930s, Philippine schools of nursing continued to adopt those
aspects of American professional nursing they deemed relevant and
appropriate, such as higher admission standards and the specialization of
public health nursing.
54

Public Health Nursing
Development: 1931 – 1941
55

In 1933, the nursing institution have increased their requirement. During
this period, they have implemented that to enter nursing education an
applicant must be able to complete secondary education.
The first collegiate nursing graduates of the Philippines graduated from
University of the Philippines School of Public Health Nursing in 1938.
56

Other
Schools of
Nursing
1. Zamboanga General Hospital School of
Nursing (1921)
2. Chinese General Hospital School of Nursing
(1921)
3. Baguio General Hospital School of Nursing
(1923)
4. Manila Sanitarium Hospital and School of
Nursing (1930)
5. St. Paul School of Nursing in Iloilo City
(1946)
6. North General Hospital and School of
Nursing (1946)
7. Siliman University School of Nursing (1947)
57

Nursing during World War
II
58

With the occurrence of the
largest and most violent armed
conflict in the history of
mankind, there was a re-
emergence of nursing needs as
well as new programs to entice
women into training.
In the US, the government
empowered the women to
contribute. In fact, more
women worked outside of the
home and as well as growth
opportunities involving nurses
multiplied.
59

While in the Philippines, World War II made public health nurses in Manila assigned to
devastated areas to attend the sick and the wounded.
A year after, thirty one nurses who were taken prisoners of war by the Japanese army and
confined at the Bilibid Prison in Manila were released to the Director of the Bureau of
Health. And just like in the US, a lot of public health nurses joined the guerillas or went
to hide in the mountains during this time.
60

In 1946, post war records of Bureau of Health showed that
there were 308 public health nurses and 38 supervisors
compared to the pre-war 556 public health nurses and 38
supervisors.
It was in the same year when the creation of the Nursing
Office in the Department of Health was recommended by
Mrs. Genera De Guzman, technical assistant in nursing of
the DOH and the President of the Filipino Nurses
Association.
61

The Degree of Bachelor of
Science in Nursing: 1941 – 1951
62

A nursing curriculum which was based on the thesis presented by Julita V. Sotejo,
graduate of the Philippine General Hospital School of Nursing, tackles on the
development of a nursing education within a University-based College of
Nursing.
This dissertation was the beginning of nursing curriculum that have made the
Nursing Institution of the country as a baccalaureate course.
During this period, College of Nursing was also created.
63

When the Japanese occupied the Philippines in 1942, training and
practice at the hospital schools of nursing in Manila was “violently
disrupted.”
However, U.S. colonial patterns in Philippine nursing education soon
returned after the U.S. reclaimed the country in 1945 and even after
the Philippines gained independence from the U.S. July 4, 1946.
64

The First Colleges of
Nursing in the Philippines
65

University of
Santo
Tomas-
College of
Nursing
(1946)
• In its first year of existence, its enrollees were
consisted of students from different school of
nursing whose studied were interrupted by the war.
• In 1947, the Bureau of Private Schools permitted
UST to grant the title Graduate Nurse to the 21
students who were of advanced standing from 1948
up to the present.
• The college has offered excellent education leading
to a baccalaureate degree.
• Sor Taciana Trinanes was its first directress.
• Presently, Associate Professor Glenda A. Vargas,
RN, MAN serves as its Dean.
66

UNIVERSITY OD STO.
TOMAS COLLEGE OF
NURSING
67

Manila
Central
University-
College of
Nursing
(1947)
• The MCU Hospital first offered BSN and
Doctor of Medicine degrees in 1947 and
served as the clinical field for practice.
• Miss Consuelo Gimeno was its first principal.
Presently, Professor Lina A. Salarda, RN,
MAN, EdD serves as its Dean.
68

MANILA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF NURSING (1947)
69

University
of the
Philippines
Manila-
College of
Nursing
(1948)
• The idea of opening the college began in a
conference between Miss Julita Sotejo and UP
President.
• In April 1948, the University Council
approved the curriculum, and the Board of
Regents recognized the profession as having
an equal standing as Medicine, Engineering
etc.
• Miss Julita Sotejo was its first dean.
• Presently, Professor Josefina A. Tuason, RN,
MAN, DrPh is once more reappointed as the
Dean of UP Manila College of Nursing
70

UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
71

Proliferation of Nurses as
a Workforce: 1951 – 1971
72

The Philippine Nursing Law was approved under the Republic Act No. 877 on
June 19 1953.
Then further amendment was created in 1966 which limits that practice of
among nurses 21 years old and above.
The increasing number of nurses in the Philippines have also brought about
the celebration of Nurses’ Week which was proclaimed by President Carlos P.
Garcia under the Proclamation No. 539.
The continuous increase of nurses had also resulted to the first round of
migration, particularly in United States. In fact, between 1966 and 1985 about
25,000 Filipino nurses have migrated to United States.
73

Nursing Profession
Development: 1971 – 2001
74

Regulation of the practice of health care providers, the Presidential Decree No. 223, was
mandated which brought about the establishment of the agency, Professional Regulation
Commission.
During this period, the Philippine Nursing Act of 1991 was also amended under Republic Act No.
7164 which expanded nursing practice to other roles such as management, teaching, decision
making, and leadership.
The qualification of nurses or faculty’s in the academe was also updated to Master’s Degree in
Nursing or equivalent.
Another important event in Philippine Nursing history is the creation of Nursing Certification
Council in 1999 under the Board of Nursing through Resolution No. 14 which supervise the new
programs’ implementation conducted by Specialty Certification Boards. This improvement also
prompted the start of Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) in the Philippines.
75

Further Changes in Nursing
Law: 2001- to Present
76

During this period, the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 was
enacted under the Republic Act No. 9173 which entails
changes on existing policies under Republic Act No. 7164.
These changes underscore on the requirements for
faculty and Dean of the Colleges of Nursing, as
well as the conduct for Nursing Licensure Exam.
77

REFERENCES
• History of medicine in the Philippines. (2020, December 31). Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_medicine_in_the_Philippines
• Wayne, G. (2015, May 26). History of Nursing in the Philippines. Nurseslabs.
https://nurseslabs.com/history-nursing-philippines/
• ST. LUKE’S THROUGH THE YEARS: A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE.
(n.d.). Www.stlukes.com.ph. https://www.stlukes.com.ph/news-and-events/news-
and-press-release/st-lukes-through-the-years-a-tradition-of-excellence
• 78

REFERENCES
• HISTORY of NURSING in the PHILIPPINES A.1.1. Early Beliefs and
Practices (Diseases and Their Causes and Treatment Were Shrouded with
Mysticism and Superstitions.) 1. (n.d.). Docslib. Retrieved August 6, 2023,
from https://docslib.org/doc/5805508/history-of-nursing-in-the-
philippines-a-1-1-early-beliefs-and-practices-diseases-and-their-causes-and-
treatment-were-shrouded-with-mysticism-and-superstitions-1
• San Juan De Dios Educational Foundation Inc. - College. (n.d.). Sjdefi.edu.ph.
Retrieved August 6, 2023, from https://sjdefi.edu.ph/history.php
•
By: ROMMEL LUIS C. ISRAEL III 79

HISTORY OF NURSING IN THE PHILIPPINES

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