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Trivia no. 17: Colegio de San Juan de Letran

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3–5 minutes

Renacimiento Manila
23 Aug 2020

The Colegio de San Juan de Letran is currently the oldest school in Intramuros. It is a private educational institution of basic, higher, and advanced learning under the Filipino friars of the Order of the Preachers.

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Contrary to popular misconception, the name of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran is not directly derived from a saint. The name of “San Juan de Letran” was derived from a building in Rome, the St. John Lateran Cathedral.

The Lateran Cathedral in Rome. The full name of the church is “Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist at the Lateran.”
Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

Letran has two foundation dates: 1620 and 1630. The Colegio de San Juan de Letran as we know it today was formally established in 1630 upon the union of two pre-existing institutions which were both established in 1620–the Colegio de los Niños Huerfanos de San Juan de Letran and the Colegio de Huerfanos de San Pablo y San Pedro.

The Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the early 18th Century (marked in an “N”). Notice on the lower left the bridge which connected it the Colegio de Santa Rosa from across the street. Detail from the map of Antonio Roxas Fernandez, 1717. Original with the British Museum.

Letran was not original to Intramuros. The school first held campus in the suburbs outside the walls of Intramuros, in the site now occupied by Park n’ Ride in Lawton, Manila. It was in 1668 when it first settled on the lot it now occupies in Intramuros.

In 1690 Letran was declared ecclesiastical college, while in 1865, the colonial government categorized it as a First Class school. Apart from the University of Santo Tomas, there were only two First Class schools in the Philippines: Letran and the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. It’s First Class status allowed Letran to operate courses leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

The main facade of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the early 20th Century. This was later demolished in the 1930s for the construction of a bigger school building. Photo from the Intramuros Administration Archives.

In 1930 Letran celebrated its 300th Anniversary.

Plans for expansion after the Tercentenary were developed. With congestion becoming a chronic problem, it was decided that the old bahay na bato type main building must demolished in favor of a four-storey modern structure. In 1937 this new building was inaugurated.

The new school building, as seen here, was constructed in 1937. Photo from the Intramuros Administration Archives.
The bombing of Letran by Allied troops during the Battle of Manila, 1945. Photo from the Intramuros Administration.
The ruins of Letran after the Second World War. Despite suffering major damage, the building survived and was subsequently restored in 1946. Photo from the Intramuros Administration Archives.

During the Second World War the school suffered many damages. Fortunately, the main building remained relatively intact. In 1946 the ruined edifice was restored to its former prewar glory.

The main building of Letran, undated. ca 1960s? Photo from the Intramuros Administration Archives
Letran at present. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

Today the Colegio de San Juan de Letran is one of the finest schools in the country. Its legacy in the history of the development of education in the Philippines is sterling, and its heritage in Intramuros is peerless.

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References
Torres, Jose Victor (2005). Ciudad Murada. Manila: Intramuros Administration.
Javellana, Rene (2003). In and Around Intramuros.
Photo sources
Intramuros Administration Archives
Wikimedia Commons

RENACIMIENTO MANILA is a group of artists, creators and history enthusiasts committed to heritage advocacy, with particular interest on Manila’s built heritage. As such, the purpose of Renacimiento Manila is to produce art to promote and realize Manila’s cultural rebirth and for it to materialize its core philosophy, the Renacimiento Movement. The Renacimiento Movement. What, then, is the Renacimiento Movement? The movement is the core philosophy of the organization. It is founded on the reality that heritage is a cornerstone of holistic development and that it is indispensable in ensuring quality of life. As such, cultural revival is necessary for the promotion of heritage in the national agenda. Heritage should be driven by the people, regardless of race, gender, creed, or religion. This cultural revival can be achieved through the following ways: government support, the advancement of private initiatives, and the engagement of the people.

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