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<a href="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-25/san-juan-de-dios-hospital-o.avif" rel="lightbox"> 
<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-25/san-juan-de-dios-hospital.avif" alt="San Juan de Dios Hospital" loading="lazy" />
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(San Juan de Dios Hospital and Calle Real de Manila, date unknown.  Source: <a href="https://sjdefi.edu.ph/index.php" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">San Juan De Dios Educational Foundation, Inc.</a>)
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<h3>
Founding and Early Development (1578-1868)
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The story of SJDEFI begins on June 24, 1578, when Fray Juan Clemente, one of the <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1891/august-2-1577-the-first-franciscan-mission-arrived-in-manila" class="news_link">Franciscan missionaries who arrived</a> in the Philippines, established a dispensary after studying medicinal plants. Recognizing the need for healthcare, he constructed a nipa hut and a bamboo hospital, each measuring 300 square meters, in what would become the foundation of the oldest hospital in the Philippines. Fray Juan Fernandez de Leon served as the first hospital chaplain, and the facility later expanded to include three huts. Named after San Juan de Dios, a Portuguese-born soldier turned healthcare worker from Spain, the hospital embodied a mission of compassionate care.
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In 1594, the Confraternity of Mercy (Hermanidad De Misericordia) was organized to provide financial support, taking over the hospital's administration by 1596. However, the institution faced significant challenges early on. In 1603, a fire destroyed the hospital, and in 1645, an earthquake caused further devastation. After the <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1375/today-in-philippine-history-november-30-1645-a-strong-earthquake-occurred-in-manila" class="news_link">1645 earthquake</a>, the Hospitaller Brothers of St. John of God assumed management, reconstructing the facility as the Hospital de San Juan de Dios.
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The hospital faced another setback in 1863 when a second earthquake left it nearly ruined, making maintenance increasingly difficult. On August 17, 1865, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_II" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Queen Isabela II</a> issued a Royal Decree transferring administration to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daughters_of_Charity_of_Saint_Vincent_de_Paul" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul</a>, a religious order dedicated to charitable service. The transition was completed on April 16, 1868, after a brief period under the Council of Inspectors, with Sr. Francisca Villanueva, D.C., appointed as the first Sister Superior. This marked a new era of stability and growth for the institution.
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A Historical Look at San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation