(For the centennial ‘souvenir program’ of the Alumni Association,
published with consent from the author)

by Dr. Luciano PR Santiago

The Colegio del Buén Consejo (CBC) in Pasig City was inaugurated by the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation on April 26, 1909. The fourth oldest enduring school for girls in the Philippines and the first in Pasig, it was the continuation of an earlier school known as the Beaterio-Colegio de Santa Rita de Pasig established on the same site in 1740. The original founder was the Pastor of Pasig, Fray Félix Trillo, OSA. First named for the patroness of Pasig, The Immaculate Conception, the beaterio was an Augustinian religious house with an orphanage and school for girls. Its main benefactors were the pious couple, Doña María Rita González del Rivero y Quijano, the second Marquesa de Monte Castro y Llanahermosa and her cousin-consort, Don Pedro González del Rivero.

During the British Occupation (1762-64), the exiled Christian King of Joló, Fernando I took refuge in the beaterio. The invaders ransacked the buildings and transformed them into a military garrison. When the Marquesa died in 1766, the beaterio gratefully changed its name to Sta. Rita in her memory and that of her patroness Santa Rita de Cascia (1377-1447). "The Patroness of the Impossible" was an Augustinian nun whose body has remained incorrupt to this day.

In 1883, due to the restricted number of beatas in Pasig, the Philippine Augustinian Province requested the Spanish beatas of Barcelona to take charge of the newly established Casa Asilo de Ntra. Sra. de la Consolación de Mandaloya (Mandaluyong). Six beatas, including the blood sisters Rita and Consuelo Barceló accepted the invitation and set up a new beaterio with orphanage in the former Casa Hacienda of the Augustinians. This was the nucleus of the present Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation (ASOLC).

Due to an internal conflict in the Casa Asilo in 1884, the religious community was split into two. A faction of Spanish sisters together with the paying students were sent to the Beaterio of Pasig Here they occupied separate quarters.until old age and/or illness forced them as well as the other Spanish beatas in Mandaluyong (except Mothers Rita and Consuelo Barceló) to return to Spain in 1887-88..The Casa Asilo was replenished with the first ten Filipino Augustinian sisters who professed their vows in 1890. Many of them were to serve later as superior, directress or mistress of novices in CBC.

The Beaterio of Pasig was closed down in 1896 due to the turbulence of the Philippine Revolution against Spain and the Filipino-American War. The last two beatas, Sor Miguela Molina, a centenarian, and Sor Juliana Cruz had to change to secular clothes and return to their respective families of origin. The military governments of the victorious countries, Spain, The Philippines and The United States successively took turns in occupying the beaterio buildings.

When the institution was revived thirteen years later, the Archbishop of Manila Jeremiah Harty recognized the community soul of the old beaterio in the Hermanas Agustinas Terciarias de las Islas Filipinas (formerly the Casa Asilo and now ASOLC) for they were of the same Augustinian tertiary order, tradition, spirit and charism and racial background. The prelate granted the Augustinian sisters the “perpetual use for free” of the chapel, building and lot of the beaterio and gave the school a new name in honor of Our Lady of Good Counsel. The image of the new patroness, now enshrined in the chapel, was painted by Sor Micaela de la Milicia de Diós, OSA (1871-1915), a Filipino sister, in time for the inauguration. CBC was the first of several foundations made by Mother Consuelo Barceló, OSA (1857-1940) as the superior general and co-foundress of the congregation. Now a candidate for beatification, she is considered the foundress of CBC together with Mother Teresa de Jesús Andrada, OSA (1855-1940) who took over the foundation in behalf of the congregation and Mother Clara del Santísimo Sacramento, OSA (1872-1924), the first superior and directress. CBC also served as the novitiate house of the Augustinian sisters from 1911 to 1919 and 1943 to 1945 during the Japanese Occupation.

At first a primary and intermediate school for girls, CBC inaugurated the High School Department in 1933 as a co-educational institution of learning in time for its Silver Jubilee (1934-35). It remained as such until 1951 when the male students transferred to the Pasig Catholic College. During most of the war years (1941-45), CBC remained open to students at all levels. In the American bombing at the close of the war, the front building facing the town plaza was completely destroyed. It was rebuilt by 1947 during the Reconstruction Period, when Sor Simpliciana de San Agustín, OSA was at the helm as the Mother Superior and Directress (1945-51).

With justifiable pride, CBC celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1959 and Diamond Jubilee in 1984. The surge in student population in the 60s and 70s spurred a series of modern building programs, albeit at times uncoordinated, and the vast improvement of school facilities. Though imperative, it unfortunately obliterated historical structures such as the original chapel, except its façade, the old beaterio edifice spared from destruction in the war, and the storied cave-like dungeons that covered a subterranean river.

The Credit Union, the Laboratory Cooperative for Students and the Christian Neighborhood Community were introduced in the 70s. For the first time, a lay person and long time faculty member, Ms Felicidad San Juán, was appointed as the high school principal in 1975-78. Initiated in 1979, the fortified Catholic School Student Development Program was completed in 1984. The Family Council was set up in the mid-1980s and the Labor Union was fully organized in 1987. The High School building in the church patio was reclaimed by the parish in 1993. The following year, the High School Department was closed down amidst widespread disappointment and protests. On the other hand, the Pre-school was opened in 1996 which together with the Elementary School flourishes up to the present. In both levels in 2004, CBC became co-educational again for the first time since 1951. To serve the Church of the Poor in response to the call of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, the Contextualized Catechetical Formation Center was established in 2001.

“Remembering the past with gratitude and moving forward with hope” is CBC’s theme as it enthusiastically celebrates its centennial in 2009. In appreciation of its profound heritage, one of its major projects among others is the restoration of its 19th century façade.