Tiong Se Academy

Tiong Se Academy 中西学院
Location
708 Sta. Elena Street, Binondo, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines 1006
Coordinates	14°36′13″N 120°58′21″E / 14.60365°N 120.97257°E / 14.60365; 120.97257
Information
School type	Private, Non-sectarian, Chinese
Motto	有恒，崇实，自重，爱群 (perseverance, truthfulness, dignity, selflessness)
Established	April 15, 1899
Founder	Tan Kong
School number	406335 (DepEd designated school ID)[1]
Principal	Mrs. Margarita C. Gutierrez[2]
Grades	Grades 1-6 Grades 7-8 (1st-2nd Year High School)
Years offered	3rd-4th Year High School
Medium of language	Mandarin Chinese, Hokkien(for Chinese classes) English, Filipino(for English classes)
Song	TSA School Song (中西学院校歌)
Nickname	Tiongseians
Former names	Anglo-Chinese School (c. 1904-1923, 1935-1975) First Chinese Elementary School (1923-1935) Tiong Se Academy (1975-1996, 2013-present) Philippine Tiong Se Academy (1996-2013)

Oldest Chinese School in Philippine Cities
Metro Manila	Tiong Se Academy
Baguio	Baguio Patriotic High School
Legazpi	Legaspi Chong Hua Institute of Technology
Daet	Camarines Norte Chung Hua High School
Iloilo City	Hua Siong College of Iloilo
Cebu City	Cebu Eastern College
Bacolod	Bacolod Tay Tung High School
Tacloban	Leyte Progressive High School
Cagayan de Oro	Kong Hua School
Iligan	Lanao Chung Hua School
Davao City	Davao Central High School
Zamboanga City	Zamboanga Chong Hua High School

Tiong Se Academy, (Abbreviation: TSA; simplified Chinese: 中西学院; traditional Chinese: 中西學院; pinyin: Zhōngxī Xuéyuàn) formerly known as Anglo-Chinese School and Philippine Tiong Se Academy, is a non-profit, non-sectarian private school located at Sta. Elena Street, Binondo, Manila near 168 Shopping Mall, the Cityplace Square, and Lucky Chinatown Mall. It was founded on April 15, 1899 in response to the growing need of education in the post-Spanish era Chinese community. The school turned the first page of formal Chinese education in the Philippines, earning the recognition of being the country's pioneer and oldest Chinese school.^[3]

Timeline

1899

• April 15 - The Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) was founded by Tan Kong, the first Chinese consul to the Philippines, inside the Chinese consular premises after consulting the Chinese community. It started with some twenty students, and no tuition fee was paid at that time for the school was then funded by the Chinese Charitable Association (Comunidad de Chinos).^[4][5]
• Mr. King Siao Tong held the post as the first school head.

1900

• ACS moved to Ongpin Street in Manila's Chinatown.

1904

• Mr. Sy Kian succeeded Mr. King as principal when the latter went back to China. It was during Mr. Sy's tenure when English was first taught in the school. (Eventually, the school was called Anglo-Chinese School.) Also, ACS became independent from the Chinese Charitable Association and organized its own Board of Trustees, a first among Philippine Chinese schools.^[4]

1907

• In order to balance the English and Chinese education of the school, Chinese classes were held in the morning and English classes were held in the afternoon.

1909

• Mr. Sy left the school leadership. Mr. Chua King Oh became the third principal of ACS.
• Enrollment increased to hundreds, forcing the school to move to a rented two-storey Spanish-style wooden house at 1235 Sta. Elena Street in Binondo, Manila.

1911

• Mr. Chua went back to China. Mr. Yu Nai Hu succeeded him as principal.
• ACS opened night classes, another first among Philippine Chinese schools.^[6]

1914

• Mr. Tiu Hun Chiong succeeded Mr. Yu as principal of ACS, as the latter shifted to business particularly in pharmacy.
• ACS, being independent from the Chinese Charitable Association for some time, suffered financially that almost resulted to its closure. But, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees Don Carlos Palanca Sr. (Tan Guin Lay) spearheaded the fundraising drive for the school. ACS was eventually raised back to financial stability.

1917

• ACS opened its branch school in Quiapo, Manila.

1918

• Mr. Tiu retired as principal. The post was temporarily vacated.

1919

• January 4 - Mr. Gan Bun Cho, the principal with the longest tenure (22 years), took position as school head.

1920

• Mr. Gan asked the help of Du Dingyou and Lu Jingzhong, two Chinese scholars studying at the University of the Philippines at that time, to form the first Chinese Boy Scout troupe in the Philippines.

1921

• March - Mr. Gan, together with some colleagues in the education circle, went to several cities in China for an educational observation. After returning to the Philippines, he initiated the use of Mandarin as a medium of instruction in Chinese classes, but it only lasted for one semester.

1922

• ACS enrollment reached 500 mark and a need for additional classrooms rose. Thus, a three-storey wooden building near the school located at Meisic Street was constructed and was given to ACS by the Chinese Education Committee.

1923

• The newly established Philippine Chinese High School (now Philippine Cultural College, the country's first Chinese secondary school) first held its classes in ACS using several classrooms in the Meisic school building.

1926

• ACS revived the use of Mandarin for its Chinese classes.

1929

• ACS celebrated its 30th Foundation Anniversary. More than 4,000 copies of the anniversary book were printed. It is believed that the said book was never to be found nowadays in the Philippines.

1930

• ACS formed its first basketball team (boys and girls, composed of ACS alumni). Both teams were able to compete in key cities nationwide and became undisputed champions during that time.

1935

• The ACS boy basketball team competed in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China and in Hong Kong (a colony of Great Britain at that time) and won the championships. These were the greatest achievements of ACS in sports, still insurmountable to date.

1936

• School facilities were augmented due to increase in enrollment. ACS, this time, rented an additional building, making the total number of classrooms rise to 34.
• ACS opened an English typewriting class and a bookkeeping class, the very first vocational education ever offered by a Philippine Chinese school.

1937

• When the Sino-Japanese War broke out in China, ACS opened a military training class. The graduates went back to their motherland to join the military forces. The school also started to make donations for the Chinese forces, an example of which is by setting aside one-tenth of their salary every month to help the military financially.

1939

• ACS opened day and night high school classes in the English department.

1940

• The school was highly praised for having the highest war donation nationwide amounting to more than Php 10,000.

1942

• The school was temporarily closed due to World War II and the school buildings were used as shelter for war refugees.
• January 12 - Mr. Gan Bun Cho was arrested by the Imperial Japanese Army for supporting the Chinese forces.
• April 15 - Mr. Gan, together with the Chinese consul Dr. Kwangson Young and seventeen others (six of which are ACS alumni) were killed by the Japanese in the Chinese Cemetery.

1945

• April - ACS immediately reopened after the Liberation of Manila, the first Chinese school to do so. Remedial classes were held.
• Mr. Ang Tun Yu was appointed as the seventh principal of the school. He held the post in just several months for he died on September 14 the same year due to stress and pressure of rehabilitating the school from the war.
• The board of trustees named Mr. Phi Nai Yong to succeed the late Mr. Ang.

1946

• The school's enrollment exceeded 2,500, more than 1,900 of which were of the day classes and almost 600 were of the night classes.
• ACS Quiapo branch became an independent Chinese elementary school, yet it retained its name as Quiapo Anglo Chinese School (now Philippine Scholastic Academy).

1947

• The school started its evening Chinese junior high school classes.

1949

• ACS celebrated its 50th Foundation Anniversary. Another anniversary book was printed for this purpose.
• The Philippine Chinese High School moved to Reina Regente Street when their school building was completed.

1956

• The curriculum of ACS, as well as other Chinese schools nationwide, was directly supervised by the Philippine government in order to discourage the schools from infiltrating communist ideals.

1964

• September - Mr. Phi died due to severe illness. The board selected one of its members, Mr. Tan Tiong Gong as acting principal.

1969

• ACS celebrated its 70th Foundation Anniversary.
• November 1 - ACS school building, along with most of the school records, was burned to ashes. Classes were temporarily held in several places including the state-owned Jose Abad Santos High School and the now-defunct COWHM Memorial Academy.^[7]

1970

• November 30 - The new five-storey ACS school building was about to be completed.^[7]
• December 7 - Classes were moved to the new ACS building.

1971

• Mr. Tan retired as principal. The school administration was temporarily headed by several supervisors.

1975

• February 24 - The school's entity was changed to Tiong Se Academy (TSA) as part of the Filipinization of Chinese schools (Presidential Decree 176 of 1973) implemented during the Marcos regime. It also limited the number of periods (from five down to three per day) of Chinese classes.^[8]

1976

• Dr. Shubert S.C. Liao, a retired professor at the University of the East, was appointed by the Board of Trustees to be the tenth principal of the school, ending the five-year vacancy of the post.
• June - Meeting the requirements set by the Philippine Ministry of Education, TSA opened its secondary curriculum for both English and Chinese.^[6]

1986

• Dr. Liao migrated with his family to the United States. The board appointed Mr. Catalino Tan, the son of the ninth principal Mr. Tan Tiong Gong, as the eleventh principal.

1995

• Mr. Tan retired as principal due to deteriorating health. Mrs. Julie Cheng Kin Tee served as acting principal for half a year.
• Then, the Board of Trustees named Dr. Cesar Y. Yu as the twelfth principal of the school. During his term, the school was at the height of environmental and security problems concerning the informal settlers living near the school.^{[citation needed]}

1996

• The school's entity was renamed to Philippine Tiong Se Academy (PTSA).

1997

• Mrs. Julie Tee succeeded Dr. Yu as school head.

1999

• PTSA celebrated its Centennial Foundation Anniversary.

2001

• Mrs. Tee retired as principal. The board designated Mrs. Shirley Kho-Sy as the officer-in-charge of PTSA.

2003

• PTSA marked its 105th year with celebrations at PhilAm Life Auditorium in Manila.^[7]
• Miss Loly Ong succeeded Mrs. Kho-Sy as principal.

2005

• Mrs. Huichin Auyong Chua, a former principal of Iloilo Central Commercial High School, was named sixteenth principal of PTSA.

2006

• February 20 - Philippine San Bin School (PSBS), a Chinese school in San Nicolas, Manila, formally merged with PTSA. PSBS school head Mrs. Margarita C. Gutierrez became the seventeenth principal of PTSA.^[9]

2009

• PTSA celebrated its 110th Foundation Anniversary at four different locations, namely: Century Park Hotel Manila (November 2009),^[10] SM City San Lazaro (November 2009), SM Mall of Asia Music Hall (January 2010), and SM City Manila (February 2010).

2011

• October 30 - PTSA, together with the Philippine Chinese Education Research Center and two other Philippine Chinese schools (among 46 chosen Chinese schools and organizations in 15 countries), was cited as a "Model School in Overseas Chinese Education" in the Second World Chinese Language and Culture Education Conference held in Xian, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.^[11]

2013

• The school name has been reverted to Tiong Se Academy due to inconsistency concerns with supervising government agencies.
• TSA started the total renovation of its forty-year-old school building.
• June 14 - TSA was recognized by the City Government of Manila as the first and oldest Chinese school in the Philippines. A historical marker was unveiled by then Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Vice Chairperson of Manila Historical Commission Miss Gemma Cruz-Araneta.

Curricula

English curriculum

K-12 Basic Education System

Since school year 2012-2013, the school complies with the K-12 Basic Education Curriculum implemented by the Department of Education and is now effective for Kindergarten, Elementary, First Year and Second Year High School (which are now called Grade 7 and Grade 8, respectively). The remaining year levels for high school will still follow the 2002 10-Year Basic Education Curriculum, completing the secondary course for four years only. Additional senior high school year levels Grade 11 and Grade 12 will start on June 2016 and June 2017, respectively.

Pre-school

Level	Typical Age	Subjects
Nursery	3-4	Reading and Phonics Language and Spelling Arithmetic Writing Computer Physical Education
Kinder One	4-5
Kinder Two	5-6	Reading and Phonics Language and Spelling Arithmetic Science and Health Filipino Writing Computer Physical Education

Elementary and secondary

Grade/ Year Level	SUBJECTS
	English	Science	Math	Filipino	Makabayan
					Araling Panlipunan	Music	Physical Education	Arts/TLE	GMRC/Values	Computer	Citizenship Advancement Training
Under K-12 Basic Education System
Grade One	English	Science	Math	Filipino	Sibika at Kultura	Music	PE	Arts	GMRC	Computer Fundamentals
Grade Two										Computer Fundamentals and MS Paint
Grade Three										MS Word
Grade Four	English	Science	Math	Filipino	Heograpiya, Kasaysayan, at Sibika	Music	PE	Arts	GMRC	MS PowerPoint
Grade Five										MS Excel
Grade Six										Corel Draw
Grade Seven	English (Philippine Literature)	General Science	Elementary Algebra	Filipino (Panitikan: Ibong Adarna)	Kasaysayan at Pamahalaan ng Pilipinas	Music	PE	Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE)	Values Education	Internet Webpage Design, JavaScript
Grade Eight	English (Asian Literature)	Biology	Intermediate Algebra	Filipino (Panitikan: Florante at Laura)	Kasaysayan ng Asya					Macromedia Flash
Under 2002 (10-Year) Basic Education Curriculum
Third Year	English (Afro-Asian Literature)	Chemistry	Geometry	Filipino (Panitikan: Noli Me Tangere)	World History	Music, Arts, P.E. and Health (MAPEH)		Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE)	Values Education	Visual Basic	Citizenship Advancement Training
Fourth Year	English (World Literature)	Physics	Advanced Algebra and Trigonometry	Filipino (Panitikan: El Filibusterismo)	Economics					Adobe Photoshop

• Computer education programs in all levels are provided by H&D Information Technology, Inc. (Happy D Workshop).

Chinese curriculum

The school's Chinese curriculum will not be affected by the K-12 Basic Education System. The number of years for studying Chinese will still be ten (10) years. No Chinese courses will be added for the additional two years of senior high school. TSA now uses the simplified Chinese characters for teaching Chinese since the first semester of school year 2007-2008 for elementary and high school levels and since June 2012 for pre-school.

Pre-school

Grade Level	Subjects
Nursery	华语 Huayu	写字 Writing	常识 General Knowledge	儿歌 Rhymes	唱游 Singing	律动 Rhythm	工作 Arts	算术 Math
Kinder One
Kinder Two

Elementary and secondary

In elementary and high school levels, TSA maintains a three-period-per-day (fifteen periods a week) policy as mandated by the Filipinization law of the late President Marcos, which is in effect to date.
In June 2012, the school added a new Chinese Culture (文化) subject in order to educate today's generation of Filipino-Chinese of the culture of their ancestors.

Grade/Year Level	SUBJECTS							Total Periods
	华语 Huayu	说话 Speaking	作文 Composition	写字 Writing	文化 Chinese Culture	算术 Math	音乐 Music
Grade One	7	3	1	1		2	1	15
Grade Two	7	3	1	1		2	1	15
Grade Three	7	3	1	1		2	1	15
Grade Four	7	3	1	1		2	1	15
Grade Five	7	3	1	1		2	1	15
Grade Six	7	3	1	1		2	1	15
First Year	7	2	2	1	2		1	15
Second Year	7	2	2	1	2		1	15
Third Year	7	2	2	1	2		1	15
Fourth Year	7	2	2	1	2		1	15

Grading system

Generally, the grading system of the school is based on the student's performance through homeworks, seatworks, oral recitations and/or class discussions, class behavior (in some subjects), drills, projects, long tests, and periodical exams.

English curriculum

Currently, in all departments, the grading system used is averaging, which means each final grade in a grading period contributes 25% to the final rating of a subject, since there are four grading periods/quarters.

Grading Period/Quarter	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter
Highest Possible Grade	90	92	94	96
Passing Grade	75	75	75	75
Lowest Possible Grade	68	68	65	65

Promotion and retention policies

• Elementary
  • A student must obtain a final rating of 75.00% to pass a subject. Below such grade is not considered "passed". For such instances, he/she is required to take summer classes.
  • However, if he/she fails in two (2) or more major subjects; or in one (1) major subject and two (2) minor subjects; or in three (3) or more minor subjects, he/she is retained in the same level, even if the general average is passing.

• Secondary
  • A student must obtain a final rating of 75.00% to pass a subject. Below such grade is not considered "passed". For such instances, he/she is required to take summer classes.
  • However, if the student fails in three (3.0) or more units, he/she is retained in the same level, even if the general average is passing. Below is the table of subjects and its corresponding units.

Subject	Grade 7	Grade 8	3rd Year	4th Year
English	1.5
Science	1.8
Mathematics	1.5
Filipino	1.2
Araling Panlipunan Social Studies	1.2
Values Education	0.9		0.6
T.L.E.	0.6
Computer	0.6
Music	0.6		1.2
P.E.	0.6
C.A.T.			0.3
TOTAL	10.5		10.5

Chinese curriculum

Averaging is also used as the grading system of the Chinese department. The highest possible grade is 100; and the lowest possible is 60. For elementary and high school levels, the more number of periods in a week the subject has, the greater its part in the general average of the student. In this case, the "Huayu" (华语) subject has the most number of periods in a week (seven (7) periods), thus it contributes 7/15 (for there are 15 periods in a week for Chinese classes) of the general average.

Promotion and retention policies

• Pre-school, Elementary, and Secondary
  • A student must have a general average of 75.00% in order for him/her to be promoted to the next grade/year level.
  • Nevertheless, if his/her general average is above 75.00% and yet has failed one or more subject/s, he/she is required to take summer classes.

Extra-curricular Activities

Sports-oriented Wushu Lion/Dragon dance Volleyball Basketball Badminton Table tennis Chess

Arts Rondalla Violin Dancing Choir

Student Organizations Math Club Science Club Scouting Movement (Boys/Girls)

TSA school song

English Tiong Se Academy, beloved school, Oldest one among Chinese school. Glorious melting pot for century, Great school seat of all with brightest mind. Character builder, moulder of youth, Cradle of wisdom, thousands of students. Truly and faithful, we promise loyalty, Dear alma mater, Tiong Se Academy.

Chinese 中西，中西，我中西，屹立岷江百馀年。 历史悠长推第一，陶铸学子数万千。 德智体群四育并臻，游息藏修儿童乐园。 自重爱群，立己立人，有恒崇实，为学真诠。 中西，中西，我中西，家国安危我与共。 千斤重担落双肩，勇敢挑起直向前。 吃得苦兮挑得远，历艰难兮志弥坚。 努力奋斗，我中西，没有退后只向前。

Trivia

School Heads of Tiong Se Academy (formerly Anglo-Chinese School)

1. Mr. King Siao Tong (龔紹庭), 1899–1904

2. Mr. Sy Kian (施亁), 1904–1909

3. Mr. Chua King Oh (蔡鏡湖), 1909–1911

4. Mr. Yu Nai Hu (楊乃甫), 1911–1914

5. Mr. Tiu Hun Chiong (張雲章), 1914–1918

6. Martyr Gan Bun Cho (顏文初), 1919–1941

7. Mr. Ang Tun Yu (洪敦友), 1945

8. Mr. Phi Nai Yong (彭乃揚), 1945–1964

9. Mr. Tan Tiong Gong (陳忠戇), acting, 1964–1971

10. Dr. Shubert Liao (廖西白), 1976–1986

11. Mr. Catalino Tan (陳義耀), 1986–1995

12. Dr. Ceasar Yu (楊家標), 1995–1997

13. Mrs. Julie Cheng Kin Tee (莊秀瑾), 1997–2001

14. Mrs. Shirley Kho-Sy (許友真), OIC, 2001–2003

15. Ms. Loly Ong (顏琳琳), 2003–2005

16. Mrs. Huichin Auyong Chua (歐陽慧真), 2005–2006

17. Mrs. Margarita Chua Gutierrez (蔡蕊沓), 2006–present

• The location of Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) at the time of its founding is now "the present site of a public elementary school" in San Fernando Street, Binondo. It is still unconfirmed whether the site is the present-day Pedro Guevara Elementary School or the Marcela Agoncillo Elementary School.
• 中西, when read in Hokkien, is Tiong Se. "中" stands for China (中国) and the Chinese language, and "西" stands for the Western Hemisphere (西洋) and the English language. These two Chinese characters have always represented the school since the early 20th century, when English was added to the languages taught in the school.
• The fifth principal of Anglo-Chinese School, Tiu Hun Chiong (Chinese: 张云章; served: 1914-1918), is the great-grandfather of the famous basketball player and TV personality, Chris Tiu.^[12][13]
• Even years before the 1969 fire, the school had already plans of constructing a new five-storey school building, however, due to conflict of interests, the plan was not realized. The board of trustees then decided to start working on the plan in time for the 70th Foundation Anniversary. Incidentally, it was that Great Meisic Fire (as dubbed by local Chinese media) that finally drove the construction of the new school building to a start.

Notable Alumni

• Mr. Tan Tiong Gong (陈忠赣), ninth principal of ACS, Batch 1919 Chinese Day Class
• Mr. Ralph Nubla Sr. (高祖儒), former chairman of PTSA Board of Trustees, former Chairman and President, Philippine Bank of Communications (PBCom), and former president, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (1966-1970, 1981-1985)^[14][15]
• Hon. Claudio Teehankee, Sr. (郑建祥), 16th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (He sworn in President Corazon C. Aquino in 1986.), Batch 1929 English Day Class
• Mr. Jimmy T. Tang (董尚真), former President, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (1993-1997)^[14]
• Mrs. Teresita Ang-See (洪玉华), human rights advocate, Batch 1949

External links

• Facebook - Philippine Tiong Se Academy
• Philippine Tiong Se Academy - PCERC.org

See also

• List of Chinese schools in the Philippines

References

Preceded by First	Oldest Chinese School in the Philippines April 15, 1899	Succeeded by Hua Siong College of Iloilo February 25, 1912

v t e Chinese schools in the Philippines College Bohol Wisdom College Cebu Eastern College Chiang Kai Shek College Grace Christian College Hua Siong College of Iloilo Philippine Cultural College High School Ateneo de Iloilo Bacolod Tay Tung High School Camarines Norte Chung Hua High School Foundation Davao Central High School Davao Christian High School Divine Word Academy of Dagupan Iloilo Scholastic Academy Iloilo Sun Yat Sen High School Immaculate Conception Academy-Greenhills L.I.G.H.T. Christian Academy Lanao Chung Hua School Leyte Progressive High School Lorenzo Ruiz Academy Manila Patriotic School MGC-New Life Christian Academy Philippine Chen Kuang High School Philippine Chung Hua School Philippine Tong Ho Institute Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu Saint Jude Catholic School Saint Stephen's High School Tiong Se Academy Xavier School Zamboanga Chong Hua High School International Schools Chinese International School Manila Saint Gabriel International School Former Westminster High School