Heritage of the Spanish Colonial Period

With the Spanish colonial period, I see the establishment of the University of Santo Tomas
as one of the best contributions of the Spaniards in the country. The four hundred years of the
existence of the university proved its excellence in the field of education in the country; apart from
its contribution to the culture and heritage of the Filipinos. With the establishment of the university,
I found the maces, the bell, the big dry seal, the silver tray and the hourglass as part and symbols
of educational system in the university.
One of the best item/collection that symbolizes the Spanish colonial period in the museum
are the university maces itself. On May 20, 1865, a royal order from Queen Isabella II gave the
Rector Magnificus of the University of Santo Tomas the power to direct and supervise all the
educational institutions in the country making the rector to be the ex-officio head of the secondary
and higher education in the country.1 Even before, the rector has always been the highest authority
in the university and it is being symbolized by 17th century silver maces.
With these maces, we could see its importance to the academe as they symbolize the
spiritual and temporal academic powers and the spiritual order of the Rector Magnificus of the
university.2 These maces are made of pure silver, each measure 95 centimeters by 15 centimeters
in diameter, with the old logo of UST in it. These maces’ symbolisms were exemplified since the
17th century through academic processions such as Paseo de los Doctores wherein the candidates
for doctoral degrees were accompanied in a parade from Intramuros to Santo Domingo Church.3

1
History. University of Santo Tomas. Retrieved from http://www.ust.edu.ph/about/history/. Accessed March 10, 2018.
2
History of the Rectorship. The Varsitarian. June 10, 2008. Retrieved from
http://varsitarian.net/features/20080610/history_of_the_rectorship. Accessed March 10, 2018.
3
Rectors Regalia Heighten Pomp and Pageantry. June 17, 2012. The Varsitarian. Retrieved from
http://varsitarian.net/news/20120617/rectors_regalia_heighten_pomp_and_pageantry. Accessed March 10, 2018.
And even today, the maces are used in academic processions and ceremonials in the university in
showcasing the unwavering academic excellence and dedication of the oldest university in Asia.
Aside from the maces, there are still other academic symbols in the museum that I consider
significant not just in the history of UST, but also representing how the Spaniards, the Dominicans
to be in particular, shaped the foundation of academic excellence in the university.
By this, the bells that called the students to the classroom, the silver tray where grades were
cast by the tribunals during the examinations, the hourglass that kept the time for each question.

Sand watch, part of the paraphernalia of the UST student’s “Noche Triste.”