Baluarte Elem. School commemorates founder's 135th birth anniversary
Martin Martinez (standing, 3rd from left) great grandson of
Don Rosendo with his classmates from ICCHS, Mrs.
Christine Mejica (far right) and a guest.
The faculty, students and alumni of Baluarte Elementary School (BES) commemorated last Saturday, March 1, 2008 the 135th birth anniversary of the school's founder Don Rosendo M. Mejica.
The simple commemoration kicked off with a holy mass held inside the school which was officiated by Rev. Fr. Tomas Delicana, parish priest of St. Anne Parish.
Members of the Mejica family led by Mrs. Marietta Mejica-Servigon, the remaining surviving daughter of Don Rosendo, also attended the holy mass.
After the mass, the faculty, students and guests offered flowers to the monument of Don Rosendo Mejica standing in front of the school's main building.
The faculty of Baluarte Elementary School.
Then, guests visited the Don Rosendo M. Mejica Historical Landmark, which is located just across the school.
The celebration was also highlighted by the presence of BES's golden jubilarians (Class '58) who donated five units of computer central processing unit (CPU), one laptop, books and toys for the school.
As a background, Don Rosendo M. Mejica established Baluarte Elementary School in 1905 out of his vision to uplift the literacy level of children believing that education could be a tool to fight poverty.
To raise money for the school, he organized the residents into an association called " Mga Baybayanon (coastal dwellers)." The association mobilized the civic spirit of the people of Molo who contributed money and labor to construct the school.
Mrs. Marietta Mejica-Servigon (6th from left) with the Golden
Jubilarians of BES, Fr. Tom Delicana (far right), Mrs. Pilar
Mejica-Martinez (5th from left) and Mrs. Christine Mejica
(7th from left).
This was the first public school building put up in the Philippines under the American regime. The government did not start building schools until after the passage of the Gabaldon Act in 1907.
The "nipa" school started with an enrollment of 65 pupils, including some old folks.
In 1910, Mejica wrote a letter to the Municipal Council of Iloilo to purchase a lot for the school and for this purpose he donated fifty pesos.
The petition was granted. In a Municipal Council ordinance No. 241, dated Aug. 15, 1910, the Council agreed to buy lots to be used as school site.
Don Rosendo Mejica's great granddaughters Anne Malata
and Agnes Mejica offer flowers at the monument.
Part of the ordinance stated: "Sa ubus matalastas sang Konseho ang sulat ni Ginoong Mejica, sang ika 9 sa Agosto 1910, nga naga-panugyan nga baklun ang isa ka puna nga duta sa dalan Antigua, nayun sa baybay sang Parian , nga maayo bulugsukan sing isa ka eskuelahan ..." (In response to the letter of Mr. Mejica to the Council, dated August 9, 1910, the Council recommends the purchase of the lot to be used by the school.)
The ordinance added that the council formed a committee headed by President Abeto and City Council members Locsin and Hervias to facilitate the purchase of the lot for educational purpose.
The original owners of the lot sold their properties at very low prices.
From then on, the lot became the haven of education for the Ilonggos.
Since then Baluarte Elementary School transformed and grew into a bigger school accommodating more pupils not only from Molo but from other districts of the city.
Notably, Baluarte Elementary School has already produced a lot of famous and distinguished people, among them former Senate President Franklin Drilon and the late Senator Rodolfo Ganzon.