CHAPTER 4 COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND FINE ARTS 1946-2000

CAFA, 1946-1960 Rev. Fr. Eugenio Jordan, O.P. the wartime Acting Rector presided over the reorganization of the postwar University of Santo Tomas. Serving the

unexpended term of Rev. Fr. Silvestre Sancho, O.P. until 1944, he got his own mandate to serve until 1948. It was during his stewardship of the university after the war that the expansion and development programs, put on hold during the Japanese occupation, again went underway. This expansion

program included the elevation of the School of Architecture and Fine Arts to a college. It consequently established the College of Architecture and Fine Arts, or simply CAFA.113 Fortunately for us, 1999 National Artist Jeremias Elizalde Navarro was a prolific writer as he was a painter, and wrote a column at The Varsitarian from 1948 to 1951 titled Off the Palette.114 Our readings from these columns

College of Architecture and Fine Arts, UST General Announcements for 1947 to 1954, (Manila: UST. Press, 1946-1954). Jerry Navarro was a second generation modern. He was mentored by Botong Francisco of whom Navarro was a great fan. It was Galo Ocampo, however, who was instrumental in providing him the opportunity to work at The Varsitarian. See, Guillerma L. Mendoza, Jeremias Elizalde Navarro: The
114

113

provide us with anecdotes and commentaries of the various facets of the glorious years of modernism in the University. These anecdotes and

commentaries were drawn from firsthand account making it the closest thing this author can get to interviewing him, a renowned UST fine arts alumnus. Organization, 1946-1960 The year 1960 was chosen to mark the end of this period because it coincides with the schools 25-year anniversary of its foundation. It was a time for celebration, for taking stock of its accomplishments, and for redirecting their efforts and energies towards continuing the excellent work it had accomplished. This period started with the elevation of the School of Architecture and Fine Arts to the College of Architecture and Fine Arts. An important

consequence of this process was the appointment of the Colleges very own dean. The distinction of being the schools very first dean belongs to Architect Jose Victor Rocha. Administering the newly-established college was not new to Architect Rocha. As the School of Architecture and Fine Arts, Architect Rocha served as the schools director from 1941 up to 1942. He initially served in that
_____________________________
Thomasian Works, 1947 to 1951, Journal for the Arts Culture and Humanities, Vol. 3, No. 1, (Center for Intercultural Studies University of Santo Tomas: UST Publishing House, 2008), 28-30.

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position in acting capacity after the postwar reorganization in 1946. He was appointed the full-fledged Dean of the College two years later in 1948. He was succeeded in 1954 by Architect Carlos D. Arguelles. Dean Arguelles, on the other hand, held that position until 1959. Shortly after that in 1960, Architect Angel E. Nakpil would take over as dean until 1962.115 The first College Regent after the war, in 1946, was Rev. Fr. Gregorio Garcia, O.P. There were five more Dominican priests who succeeded him when he stepped down from that position in 1951. In 1951, Fr. Alfredo Panizo, O.P. became Regent until the end of his term in 1953. Fr. James McAvey, O.P. was appointed after him in 1953. Fr. MacAvey did not finish his term and was

immediately replaced by Fr. Adolfo Garcia, O.P. in 1954. Fr. Indalecio Alejo, O.P. was also appointed to that position from 1956 until 1959. It was Fr. Cirilo Gutierrez, O.P., who served as Regent the longest. His appointment as College Regent was from 1959 beyond the 25th year of the school. He stepped down in 1969.116 Beginning the School Year 1950-1951, as part of CAFA, the school of Fine Arts was organized into two departments, Painting and Sculpture. Each department was assigned their respective heads. Prof. Victorio Edades who
115 116

Ibid. Ibid.

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has already returned from the United States was given the task of heading the Painting Department. Francesco Riccardo Monti, an Italian sculptor who

resided in the Philippines since 1930 was hired to teach and develop the schools sculpture program. Sculpture.117 The Engineering and Fine Arts Building, 1950 During this period, in 1950, CAFA transferred to its newly constructed building. This new edifice was built to accommodate the increasing number of students enrolled in both Architecture and Fine Arts. This is the present Roque Ruao Building located at the Espaa-Lacson corner of the UST campus. Designed by Architect J. V. Rocha, Streets, the four-storey building was described by J. Elizalde Navarro in his regular column with The Varsitarian, as a beautiful affair and a functional architectural piece. CAFA, he reminisced, He was appointed to head the Department of

occupied three floors including a terrace where students may cool off their heads when the professors begin to heat up. It had a painting-drafting room with a skylight so that students may get on with their works even through
It was Monti who was commissioned by UST Rector Fr. Angel de Blas, O.P. to crown the Main Building with statues of Aristotle, St. Augustine, and William Shakespeare, among others, representing literature, philosophy, and religion. He died in August 11, 1958 from internal injuries he suffered from a car accident. See, Miko L. Morelos, The Italian Sculptor with a Filipino Soul, The Varsitarian, Vol. LXXVII, No. 4, September 9, 2005, http://www.varsitarian.net/circle/the_italian_sculptor_with_a_filipino_soul, accessed 07/31/2012, 9:24PM.
117

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inclement weathers. Art equipments were also new and made-to-order from stateside samples. Fine arts people initially beefed about in silence when it was rumored that the new edifice will be named as the Engineering and Architecture Building. They rejoiced when their new home was eventually

named as the Faculty of Engineering and the College of Fine Arts Building. One of the highlights of the inauguration of the Engineering and Fine Arts Building was an architectural and fine arts exhibit which J. Elizalde Navarro described as worth the three-floor climb. It will be CAFAs home until 2003.118 Curriculum, 1946-1960 The curriculum underwent four adjustments during this period. The

School offered sculpture as a four-year course in 1951 under the Department of Sculpture. It continued to be part of the departments course offering until 1962. However, when Francesco Monti died in 1958, the school administrators could not find someone to replace him as head of the department. In 1962, the department was dissolved and the sculpture as a field of specialization was eventually abolished.119

118 119

Jeremias Elizalde Navarro, Off the Palette, The Varsitarian, Vol. XXIII, No. 3, February 25, 1950, 4. Morelos, The Italian Sculptor, Ibid.

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The course of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design was likewise abolished and replaced with Interior Design in 1957 and Advertising Arts in 1958. Both

replacement courses were expansions of the initial two-year courses. According to Professor Edades the demand for the opening of these two specializations was persistent due to the growing importance of advertising arts in the expanding economic field. This new development called upon

advertising artists to embellish the devices by which business lured its market. It made advertising arts a sought-after career, resulting to an increase in the enrollment for both Architecture and Painting. Meanwhile, the two-year

vocational versions of Advertising Arts and Interior Design courses continued to be offered (see Table 12).120 TABLE 12 COURSE OFFERINGS, 1946-1960 1946-1947 1. Painting 2. Sculpture 3. Design 1947-1951 1. Fine Arts 1951-1957 1. Fine Arts 2. Sculpture (Vocational) 1. Modeling 1957-1960 1. Painting 2. Advertising Art 3. Sculpture

120

Ingle, Kites and Visions, 81; Edades, History of the Department of Fine Arts, 5.

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TABLE 12 - continued COURSE OFFERINGS, 1946-1960 1946-1947 1947-1951 1951-1957 2. Modeling 3. Ceramics 4. Painting 5. Drawing & Design 6. Interior Design & Decoration 7. Commercial Art
Source: 1946-1960 General Bulletin

1957-1960 4. Interior Design (Vocational) 1. Advertising Art 2. Interior Design

Table 12 also shows that the period covering 1951-1957 saw the offering of six vocational courses. By 1957, these vocational courses have

been integrated into the four-year course offerings when enrollment in those courses showed a trend in the upward direction. Enrollment, 1946-1960 Student population also vastly enlarged from a dozen initial freshmen in 1935. Shown in Table 13 below is a list of enrollees for the School Year 19531954 to 1959-1960. During the first semester of the School Year 1954-1955, the population of incoming first year students swelled to 106 from 67 in the previous year. By the School Year 1959-1960 it reached 285. The number of graduates also increased with the graduation of 39 students in 1960. They

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joined the ranks of the 170 who graduated since 1937 who were already practicing professionals.121 TABLE 13 ENROLLMENTS FOR THE PERIOD 1953 TO 1960 All Year Levels SCHOOL YEAR 1953-1954 1954-1955 1955-1956 1956-1957 1957-1958 1958-1959 1959-1960 1st Semest er 175 201 278 333 393 479 595 2nd Semest er 127 182 257 295 366 458 551 Incoming Freshmen 1st Semest er 67 106 139 164 193 210 285 2nd Semeste r 49 94 134 142 164 219 232

Source: Office of the University Registrar, Enrollment Data.

This increasing trend in the enrollment of incoming first year students for the period covering 1953 to 1960, also shown in the above table, coincided with the implementation of major revisions in fine arts curricula during the previous year. The revisions featured the opening of two four-year courses; Painting and Sculpture, both leading to a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and six

121

Office of the University Registrar 1960 Enrollment Data

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vocational courses in Design. from.122

This gave students more courses to choose

Table 13 above also shows that the enrollment for all levels for the first semester of the School Year 1959-1960 was 595. It represented 340%

increase from the 175 for the first semester of the School Year 1953-1954. Of these 595 enrolled students for that period, 285 were incoming first year students: almost half of the student population. That school year chalked the highest percentage (135%) of increase in the enrollment of incoming first year students. Faculty, 1946-1960 When it started in 1935 the UST School of Fine Arts had only one fullpledge professor in the person of Victorio Edades, and two instructors; Jose L. De Ocampo and Severino Fabie. By the end of the 1950s, as student

population steadily increased, school administrators had to hire additional faculty members to augment its teaching staff in order to cope with the demand. By that time the school had a total of 22 teachers of different

classifications. Two of these were full-pledge Professors, three Associate

122

Ibid.

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Professors, three Assistant Professors, and 14 were of Instructor rank.123 In his Off the Palette column, J. Elizalde Navarro mentioned that Botong Francisco has been on leave for a year due to outside commissions which he has to attend to personally.124 He also mentioned the appointment that year of

Cesar Legaspi to the Schools roster of faculty. Professor Legaspi was an artist of note who was at that time the Director of the Philprom Advertising Agency and he was assigned to teach Commercial Art.125 Triumph of Modernism One important development during that period was the triumph of the Modernists over the Conservatives. This led to the acceptance of modernism in the Philippine arts. This was not only a victory for Victorio Edades and his Moderns but also for the school because it had steadfastly supported the movement from the start. The press war between Victorio Edades and Ariston Estrada was of essentially responsible for this development, but the founding of the Art Association of the Philippines sustained it. The AAP provided the

platform for the word war between the two groups. During its inaugural art
Department of Fine Arts: Officers and Faculty, University of Santo Tomas General Bulletin 19601961 (Manila: UST Press, 1960), 13-14 Jeremias Elizalde Navarro, Off the Palette, The Varsitarian, 21st Anniversary Edition, Vol. XXII, No. 1, August 30, 1949, 4.
125 124 123

Ibid.

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exhibition in 1948, the moderns led by Carlos V. Francisco, Vicente Manansala, Diosdado Lorenzo, Cesar Legaspi, and Hernando Ocampo, won all the prizes in that competition. All of them were faculty members of the UST school of Fine Arts. It renewed the clash between the modernists and conservatives, this time pitting Victorio Edades on the side of the former and the eminent Guillermo Tolentino on the latter. The results of the annual competition that followed did not help the cause of the conservatives because the moderns dominated the circle of winners. They did not only make off with the prizes but gained for themselves more followers. Because the market was going to the moderns, the conservatives, fighting for their livelihood, became apprehensive. Hostilities were soon to escalate, and in 1955 came to a head. The

conservatives staged a walkout from the competition that year to dramatize their protest against the alleged pro-modernist bias of the judges who gave all the prizes to Galo B. Ocampo, Manuel Rodriguez, and Vicente Manansala. By then the conservatives were a spent force.126

The Art Association of the Philippines or AAP was a private, non-profit, non-stock organization which was founded in 1948 by business woman and art patron Purita Kalaw Ledesma and other leaders of the community whose support she solicited to raise public consciousness of the fine arts and help struggling talented artists gain due recognition and respect through its national annual juried exhibition, or simply the Annual. See, Emmanuel Torres, Introduction: On the AAPs Ginto Exhibition, Catalogue of the Exhibition, Ginto: 50 Years of the Arts Association of the Philippines 1948-1998, Vol. 1, (Manila: Art Association of the Philippines and National Commission for Culture and the Arts, 1999), 35.

126

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The modernist faculty members of the School continued in their winning ways. J. Elizalde Navarro mentioned one such episode in his The Varsitarian column, the annual art contest was sponsored by the Manila Blue Printing House, he wrote: Two faculty members of the Department of Fine Arts of the University won two major prizes. Professor Bonifacio Cristobal got first prize for his Hingutuhan (Lice-hunting), and Professor Ricarte Puruganan, third prize for his This Earth.127 The students too brought honors to the institution. They consistently won in the Shell National Art Students Competition. For a period of ten years, since the competition started in 1951 up to 1960 UST Fine Art students have garnered thirty-eight out of sixty-six prizes during the annual art contest. 128 Because of these honors achieved by its faculty members and students, the school attained an enhanced status within the organizational field it had chosen to operate in. This meant that Filipino students, their parents, and the society in general approved of UST school of Fine Arts and now regarded it to be at par with the UP School of Fine Arts. By this time, the school had developed

Jeremias Elizalde Navarro, Off the Palette, The Varsitarian, 21st Anniversary Edition, Vol. XXI, No. 1, January 25, 1949, 34. The Shell National Art Students Competition was an annual affair that started in 1951 which was participated in by students from all over the Philippines. From the works submitted the Shell Company selected one painting what was featured in the Shell Christmas calendar. See, Sunday Times 03 February 1957, 5.
128

127

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its formal structures that dramatized their advertized result. It had successfully established a positive record of accomplishment and gained a certain degree of acceptance from other institutions within its organizational field. The

subsequent organized social response to this was a sharp increase in enrollment during that period which continued to rise steadily thereafter. Students who wanted to pursue degrees in fine arts and design began to look at the school as comparable if not better than the one in the state university. In 1960, the year it was to celebrate its twenty-fifth founding anniversary, the school boasted of a bumper population of 750 students enrolled in its various areas of specialization. Silver Jubilee, 1960 It was also the last year of Rev. Fr. Jesus Castaon, O.P. University Rector Magnificus. He presided over the celebration of the schools twenty

years foundation celebration. The September issue of The Varsitarian filed a report on that event: in order to celebrate the day of its birth, June 1935 to be exact, the faculty decided to go all-out and the University and school officials, aware of the relevance of the event, had promised to mark it with grand affair to end all grand affairs.129

129

Fine Arts: Grand Affair, The Varsitarian, Vol. XXX, No. 10, September 1960, 9.

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The celebration was highlighted by a weeklong arts exhibit starting at nine-oclock in the morning of August 27 with a motorcade staged by the students of the department. They toured the campus along with their muses in their gaily-festooned cars and jeeps. The student council put up a bazaar,

which sold objects ranging from paintings to cloth. An alumni homecoming was also organized. Rev. Fr. Jesus Castaon, O.P. cut the ribbon for the weeklong art exhibit of works on paintings, advertising arts, liturgical arts, and interior design. The report hastened to add that the celebration provided a brief reappraisal of the past.130 It had been a fruitful period, which was punctuated by awards and recognitions. In his message, Fr. Castaon congratulated the administrative and faculty staff, the alumni, and the student body. He stressed that that the department has given to creative thinking and the total development of the total aesthetic, intellectual and technical capacities of the students to enable them to make and live a well-rounded life in the community is indeed praiseworthy. He called upon all of the Departments of Fine Arts to

rededicate its efforts and energies toward continuing the excellent work that it has so far accomplished in training of Christian artists and in the laudable

130

Ibid.

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increase of its enrollment. Moreover, in closing, Fr. Castaon wished upon them for continued success and for the crystallization of it noble objectives which would redound to the advancement of the Arts not only in the University of Santo Tomas, but in the Philippines as well.131 Beyond the Twenty-Fifth Year After his term, eight more Dominican priests succeeded Fr. Castaon as the University Rector. During that period, the first Filipino Dominican was

elected Rector. He was Rev. Fr. Leonardo Legaspi, O.P. who served from 1971 to 1977. Architect Julio Rocha stepped down in 1954. He was replaced by

Architect Carlos Arguelles as the College Dean who served in that capacity until 1959. When the College of Fine Arts celebrated its 25th founding anniversary 1960, Architect Angel E. Nakpil, was CAFA Dean. For the next forty years, several more Architects took turns in administering the college as Dean. Rev. Fr. Cirilo Gutierrez, O.P. was the College Regent from 1959 to 1969. The list of Regents that succeeded him Fr. Benigno Villaroel, O.P., Fr. Jose B. Tinoko,

131

Jesus Castaon, O.P. A Message, Silver Jubilee Program Souvenir, 1960, TMS (photocopy), 5.

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O.P., Fr. Francisco Tuao, O.P., Fr. Alfredo Loresco, O.P., Fr. Lucio Gutierrez, O.P., and Fr. Isidro Abao, O.P.132 Victorio C. Edades was still in-charge as its Director when the school celebrated its 25th founding anniversary.133 When he retired in 1967, he was replaced by Cenon M. Rivera. The position of Director was, however,

abolished after Cenon Riveras term due to revisions in the University Statutes. Instead, the Department of Fine Arts was administered by department heads who were appointed from among its faculty members.134 A lot has taken place within the CAFA during its first twenty five years. It had undergone transformations to various forms and processes attaining institutional legitimacy and achieving greater fit with rest of UST. Yet, in spite of all these the school of Fine Arts remained true to its mission of training students to become Christian fine and applied artists. Victorio Edades believed then that from that time onwards, the success of the College of Architecture and Fine Arts was tremendous. He felt that the College continued to lead in Architecture and all branches of Fine Arts in the country, its alumni having

132

The lists of Deans and Regents were sourced from the University General Bulletin from 1935 to

2000. Department of Fine Arts: Officers and Faculty, University of Santo Tomas General Bulletin 19601961 (Manila: UST Press, 1960), 13-14
134 133

Edades retired in 1966. See, Ingle, Kites and Visions, 83.

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designed and constructed fine hotels, cultural buildings, business and office condominiums in flourishing districts of Manila and suburbs.135 As an aside, the University of the Philippines also merged their Fine Arts and Architecture colleges in 1961. However, this arrangement lasted only until 1970 because the two academic units were again separated.136 In 1978, UP also undertook expansion of course offerings that led to academic restructuring of programs offered into three departments; the Department of Studio Arts, Department of Theory, and the Department of Visual Communications.137 Artistic Renaissance during the Martial Law Years One important development during the period following the schools first 25 years was the presidency of Ferdinand E. Marcos and his martial law regime. History, mass media, and collective consciousness chronicle Ferdinand Marcos rule as a period of profound turmoil, human right violation, and economic instability. It saw the deterioration of the political and economic

condition in the Philippines which triggered the decline of support on Marcos plans. Social unrest ensued and reached its peak after the assassination of former Senator Benigno S. Aquino in August 21, 1983. The incident sent
135 136 137

Ibid., 81. Defeo and Flores, Forming Lineage, 14. Ibid., 16.

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thousands of Filipinos to the streets calling for Marcos removal from post. The 1986 electoral strategy which he hoped would satisfy the people and preserve his hold on the presidency only increased their determination to end his rule and seated Corazon Aquino, widow of Benigno Aquino. She became President of the Philippines ousting Marcos from Malacaang Palace and ending the twenty-one years rule through People Power. However, not everyone would dismiss the Marcos regime as a monumental failure in governance. The Marcos government and its supporter claimed that: Its early years werea time of rebirth: peace, order, and discipline restored, the nations strength renewed, and indigenous beliefs, customs, and traditions revalued. Through Ferdinands governmental policies and his wife Imeldas social welfare and cultural programs, the First couple aimed to bring prosperity and enhance the well-being of the Filipinos. While he formed the body of the nation, she gave it a soul; while he used the law to govern, she used the arts to inspire [italics mine].138 While in power, the Marcos regime embarked on an unprecedented effort to advance the cause of national art and culture through Imelda Marcos. She inaugurated museums and sponsored artist exchange and education abroad. She also opened gallery exhibits, collected and commissioned
138

Pearlie Rose Baluyot, Institutions and Icons of Patronage: Arts and Culture in the Philippines During the Marcos Years, 1965-1986 (Manila: University of Santo Tomas Publishing House, 2012), 1.

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artworks, and led the preservation of historical artifacts, monuments and sites. She spearheaded the establishment of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1966 through Executive Order No. 30, s. 1966 to showcase national artistic productions of original Filipino works in art, dance, music, poetry, and theater. In 1978, the Philippine High School for Arts was founded through her initiatives. It main objective was to train Filipino youth to become cultural

leaders in the Philippines. More importantly, Imelda Marcos reorganized the National Museum to safeguard the nations artistic, historic, and cultural heritage.139 To recognize career artists, President Marcos established the National Artist Award (Gawad Pambansang Alagad ng Sining). It was institutionalized through Presidential Proclamation No. 1001 that the president signed on April 27, 1972. The award aimed to give appropriate recognition and prestige to Filipinos who have distinguished themselves and made outstanding

contributions to Philippine arts and letters.140 The effect of these presidential efforts on national art and culture was tremendous. The artist was placed on a pedestal to be emulated by young

139 140

Ibid., 8.

The National Artists of the Philippines Guidelines, http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca/orgawards/org-awards-national-artist-guidelines.php/accessed 07/10/2012, 7:37 AM.

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men and women with artistic inkling in them. Figures in Table 14 below shows that during President Marcos presidency, from 1965 to 1986, enrollment to the UST fine arts school steadily increased. It eventually breached the one

thousand mark in the school year following the declaration of martial law. TABLE 14 FINE ARTS ENROLLMENT, 1965-1986 School Year 1969-1970 1970-1971 1971-1972 1972-1973 1973-1974 1974-1975 1975-1976 1976-1977 1977-1978 1978-1979 1979-1980 1980-1981 1981-1982 1982-1983 1983-1984 1984-1985 1985-1986 1st Semester 882 912 1,277 1,460 1,569 1,652 1,595 1,608 1,748 1,768 1,629 1,740 1,750 1,692 2nd Semester 805 807 900 873 1,05 1,405 1,461 1,416 1,515 1,561 1,594 1,639 1,622 1,661 1,550

Source: Office of the University Registrar, Enrollment Data. Note: Enrollment data from 1974-1986 include enrollees for vocational course in Commercial Art.

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Curriculum Even with the introduction of the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) in 1973, students flocked to the fine arts and design courses of the UST College of Architecture and Fine Arts.141 It offered vocational courses on

Commercial Art and Furnicraft (also Furniture Design) in 1976 to accommodate students who wanted to take up fine art course in college but flunked the NCEE (see Table 15). program.142 It was the Universitys commitment of support to the

Enrollment data beginning School Year 1978-1979 included

enrollments in the four-year course of BFA Industrial Design. The course on Industrial was first offered as a two-year vocational course in 1935.143 TABLE 15 COURSE OFFERINGS, 1960-1997 4-Year Courses Painting Sculpture Interior Design Advertising Arts Industrial Design3 Vocational Courses Advertising Arts Interior Design Furnicraft Commercial Art

Source: General Bulletin from 1960-1997 P.D. 146 signed into law by Pres. Marcos in 1973 requiring the passing of NCEE for college admission. See, http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/presdecs/pd1973/pd_146_1973.html/accessed 09/07/12, 4:32PM The Committee on Proposal Preparation, Proposed Establishment of an Independent College of Fine Arts and Design: Historical Overview, TMs (photocopy), 2. Industrial Design Hails its 25th, CFAD Atelier Bulletin, (Manila: College of Fine Arts and Design, Second Semester 2003-2004), 4.
143 142 141

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By this time the College had become, according to of Prof. Edades, a phenomenal institution embracing Painting, Interior Design, and the

Advertising Arts, and excelling in every artistic endeavor.

These political,

social, economic, and cultural realities brought about changes with far-reaching effects in the Schools organizational structure and focus and organizational objectives. However, necessary revisions in the University Statutes

subsequently impacted the Schools organization.

The abolition of the

Directors position during the time of Rev. Fr. Frederick Fermin, O.P., highlighted for the first time the need, as expressed by its faculty members, to separate the department from CAFA so that it could have it own administrator. This prompted Fr. Fermin to appoint department heads instead. The time for autonomy and independence insofar as the Dominican owners were concerned has not yet come.144 During the schools 50th founding anniversary in 1985 celebration was without much fanfare. The political and economic upheaval besetting the

country also affected the University prompting University Treasurer, Fr. Testera, O.P. to issue on June 18, 1984 a memorandum to all deans, regents,

144

Gil Obispo Santos, Historical Overview, 1997, TMS (photocopy), n.p.

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directors, and office heads announcing austerity measure such as; freeze hiring policy, cutting down on expenses, and reduction of purchases.145 The situation was further aggravated by the increasing militancy within the ranks of the students. It was the time of boycotts and welgang bayan. UST students were not immune from these developments. In November 22 that year what started as a 30-minute barricade planned by students from the Faculty of Engineering and CAFA to demand roll back of tuition fees and recognition of students democratic rights became a five-day university-wide barricade unprecedented in scale in the history of the University. It resulted to widespread disruption of classes.146 During that rally, in addition to their

demands for a rollback in tuition fees, recognition of students democratic rights, Filipinization of the University, and the investigation of alleged siphoning of UST funds to Hong Kong, College of Fine Arts students agitated for separation from the College of Architecture.147 Summary Increase in enrolment was brought about by the many changes in the curriculum which were geared towards attracting more students, and the
145 146 147

Freeze hiring policy adopted in view of forecasted deficit, The Varsitarian vol. LV, no. 28, 1984, 2 Ma. Regina S. Bautista, And then there were five, The Varsitarian, Vol. LV, No. 28, 1984, 12 Gil Obispo Santos, Historical Overview, 1997, TMs photocopy, n.p.

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improvements of school facilities and the building of CAFAs new home the Roque Ruao Building. The triumph of the modernism over the conservatives was another factor that contributed to the golden years of the School. Legitimacy for the school was not slow in coming during this period. All the years of labors and hard works put in by the school administration, the faculty members and the students brought success to the school. This was precipitated in no small measure by the postwar rehabilitation of the country after the Japanese occupation and the support for the arts by President Marcos during the martial law regime. After the defeat of the Japanese in 1945, the restoration of the old political order and the massive rehabilitation of damaged structures and the return of economic activities in the country after the Japanese defeat resulted to the increase in the demand for professional fine and design artists. This prompted university officials to immediate reorganize for the opening of classes in order to resume the aborted expansion program aborted by the war. Part of this reorganization was the elevation of the school to college status thereby creating the College of Architecture and Fine Arts. The prewar controversy between the moderns and the conservatives was finally resolved during this period to the advantage of the former. UST

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being the bulwark of modernism immensely benefited from this development. The contest that started before the war culminated with the Moderns running off with prizes in competitions and in the process gained more followers. Most of these winners were members of the UST school of Fine Arts. It also helped that its listed National Artists among distinguished administrators and faculty members in the persons of Victorio C. Edades (1976), Carlos Francisco (1973), Vicente Manansala (1982), Hernando R. Ocampo (1991), and Jeremias Elizalde Navarro (1999). Even during the Japanese occupation, modernists like Botong Francisco have already been given recognitions. During this period UST fine arts and design students themselves have been winning national art competitions. Its graduates gained national prominence in the field. The schools espousal of modernism was an important factor in breaking the dominance of conservatism and initiated the change in the main direction of Filipino painting and obliterated the cultural isolation of Philippine arts from the rest of the world. In the words of the acknowledged leader of the modern art movement in the Philippines Victorio C. Edades, modern art has given the Philippines a new direction. To find pleasure in the visible qualities of even the commonest object of everyday life, to use color structurally, to investigate every department of our environment which we directly experience, and to

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blend and integrate all our impressions with our Oriental heritage and our traditional Christian culture these are profound lessons with which the great modern art movement is inspiring our progressive artists today so that they may create masterpiece which will claim their places in the art galleries of the world. President Marcos was also unequivocal in his support of the artists and the arts. Because of this some sort of renaissance occurred during his

administration. In spite of his personal motives, his unprecedented patronage helped in the development of arts in the country which eventually gained for the artists the recognition and appreciation they deserved. All these factors collaborated to bring about heightened consciousness of the fine arts and design among Filipinos and which was evidenced by the increased enrollment in the UST school of Fine Arts during that period. From the beginning of CAFA, Fine Arts had always been subordinate to the College of Architecture. Fine Arts faculty would later on make the mistake of declaring that Architecture and Fine Arts as organizationally equal in their pitch for the separation of department from CAFA. The Dominican owners of the University, however, have already made clear this point by appointing

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Architects, and not Artists, to the position of Dean from the start in 1946 until their separation in 2000.

110