WHAT I THINK OF THE Cosmopolitan Colleges
By VICENTE DEL FIERRO Editor and Columniet, "The Star Reporter'"
It is hard to resist the tempta- tion to write about the Cos- mopolitan Colleges of which Mr. Isayas R. Salonga is the ener- getic President. In the first place,
he was our pal in the DMHM when he was a reporter for the Mabuhay, one of the "Ms” in the DMHM and in the second place, he is a man who bears watching and this columnist is always watch- ing the career of men such as Mr.
Salonga.
The moment he saw us entering his office, President. Salonga sur- rendered hie seat, and held h>s con- ference with some student leaders elsewhere. That is why you find us writing this, right at his office on Plaza Sta. Cruz, this Monday evening, January 13th with the cool breezes of the twilight filtering through a side window, which over- looks the battered remains of once proud Santa Cruz Church...
Our subject, the Cosmopolitan Colleges, was founded before the war by Mr. Salonga, and will ce- lebrate its sixth year of existence this month. Six eventful years.
Founded shortly before Pearl Har- bor, and continued under the Ja- panese regime as a business school, look at Cosmopolitan Colleges to- day! It not only occupies this whole edifice; it not only rents half of the floor space in the building across the street; it has also bran- ches in Solis, Tondo, in Sta. Ana, Felix Huertas, Carriedo, Manila and in Pasay, Pasig and Mandalu- yong, Rizal.
President Salonga practically defied the Japs when he operated this College under their very noses.
We remember distinctly that shortly after the occupation he re- opened this school at Patemo Bldg,
and at the Santas—Pilar Budd- ing. It is no exaggeration to state that during the occupation, he had one of the largest, if not the largest, secretarial school here.
* Luck comes to those who go af- ter it. Mr. Salonga fortunately was located in a building that was not much damaged during the libe- ration, so that he was able to open the college as soon as conditions appeared relatively peaceful, even while the war was still going on.
Re saw the signal and met it.
The signal was clear — there was eagerness to go to school every- where, after the night of the Ja- panese occupation in the same way that people everywhere were eager to take hold of anything printed, after the press blackout of the Japanese regime.
Going after his opportunity with his characteristic enthusiasm and boundless courage, Mr. Salonga en- larged his school until today, it has high school and collegiate as well as vocational departments and nine branches.
With an enrollment in excess of 8,000, Cosmopolitan Colleges to- day may be considered one of the largest private schools in the coun- try.
The institution is moving vigo- rously forward, in keeping with the accelerated tempo of the atomic age. With a man of such enter- prising foresight and indefatigable industry as President Salonga at the helm, this institution literally and actually, is reaching for the stars.
National Collegiate Students Conference Held In Baguio
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★
A total of 128 delegates re- presenting fifteen colleges from Manila attended the National Col- legiate ‘students’ Conference held in Baguio last December 26-31 to discuss problems, to promote clo- ser relationship and to foster lead- ership among the youth. The conference was under the joint auspices of the YMCA and the YWCA. Avelino H. Basilio of the College of Education represented the Cosmopolitan Colleges.
All activities during the con- ference were planned by a stu- dent committee composed of the following: Troadio Quiaaon, Jr.
(UP) Chairman; Ester 0. de Je- sus, (AC) Co-Chairman; Moises Cuello, (AC) Vice-Chairman;
Adelina Relacion, (NTC) Co-Vice- Chairman; assisted by an advi- sory board composed of the fol- lowing: President Clemente Uson, Chairman; Mrs. Flora Ylagan, Co-Chairman; Mrs. Filomena Bar- celona, Dr. Emilio M. Javier, Mrs.
Josefa Jara Martinez, Dr. Pater- no Santos, members, and Mr. Al- varo Martinez as Conference Ex- ecutive.
In the five day confab the stu- dent delegates discussed current issues and listened to speeches by Gil Puyat of the Philippine Cham- ber of Commerce, Mrs. Virginia Oteyza-de Guia, Vice-Mayor of Baguio; Dr. Emilio Javier and Mrs. Asuncion P. Perez, Direc- tor of Public Welfare. The stu- dents also enjoyed making the rounds of Baguio; they visited the Trinidad Valley Agricultural School, the rice terraces, the Igo- rot vegetable gardens and Camp John Hay.
Gil Puyat spoke on the neces- sity of allowing foreign capital in the Philippines. He believes that in protecting the Filipino businessman, we don't have to discriminate on foreign capital.
He averred that no other nation can work more harmoniously with the U. S.
[To be continued in the next issue)
THE COSMOPOLITAN CLARION Page 19
