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<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-14/francisco-ortigas.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Francisco Ortigas" />
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(Francisco Ortigas)
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Nothing definite was known of his early education, but at the age of 10, after the death of his father, his uncle brought him to Manila where he enrolled in the <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/2884/the-history-of-colegio-de-san-juan-de-letran" class="news_link">Colegio de San Juan de Letran</a>. Some of his classmates were <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/2748/today-in-philippine-history-september-11-1875-francisco-ortigas-a-prominent-lawyer-and-businessman-during-the-american-era-was-born-in-porac-pampanga" class="news_link">Sergio Osmeña</a>, Francisco Imperial, <a href="https://kahimyang.com/articles/2918/vicente-madrigal-the-first-filipino-tycoon-was-born-on-april-5-1880-in-gumaca-tayabas" class="news_link">Vicente Madrigal</a>, <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1265/today-in-philippine-history-august-19-1878-manuel-quezon-was-born-in-baler-aurora" class="news_link">Manuel Quezon</a>, and many others who later became leaders and prominent citizens of the country.
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After graduation from the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, he enrolled in the College of Law of the <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1092/the-foundation-of-the-college-of-santo-tom-s-of-manila" class="news_link">University of Santo Tomas</a>. While still a student, he worked in the law office of Don Jose Juan Ycazas, a prominent Manila lawyer. As an apprentice, he avidly read voluminous books to improve himself. 
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He obtained his law licenciate in March 1896 and joined the young lawyer <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1529/today-in-philippine-history-june-17-1863-rafael-del-pan-was-born-in-intramuros-manila" class="news_link">Rafael del Pan</a>, son of the great journalist Jose Felipe del Pan, to start a law office at Plaza del Carmen, Quiapo. The second phase of the Revolution in 1898, however, caused the partnership to be disrupted. Three years later, however, he opened his own law office which proved to be more lucrative.
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In 1899, the American military governor appointed him Registrar of the South District of Manila until 1901. In 1902 he was Registrar of Deeds for the whole City of Manila. In order to devote more time to his new position, he had to close his law office.
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As a Spanish-speaking lawyer, he found difficulty with law practice since court litigations were alternately conducted in English and Spanish. He and his wife took English lessons under Sergeant Frederick Fisher of the U.S. Third Infantry who later became a judge and finally justice of the Supreme Court.
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In 1904, he was again a law partner of Rafael del Pan. Frederick Fisher joined the law office and they formed the famous Ortigas, del Pan and Fisher Law Office. Under Act 1120, the Ortigas law office was designated by the government to investigate certain reports on anomalous titles arising from the purchase of the friar lands.
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In 1906, he was offered a professorial chair in the University of Santo Tomas. Because of the introduction of the English legal system, there were "chaos and imperfections" in the administration of justice. It was, therefore, imperative to have some modifications and revision in the Code of the Philippines. 
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In 1910, Ortigas left his colleagues in his law office to join the Code Commission, then composed of Judge W.J. Goldsborough, Rhode, del Pan and Manuel Araullo. Harmonizing the divergent streams of legal thinking in the administration of justice under the new regime was the main achievement
of the Ortigas Committee.
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In 1912, he was lecturer on Mortgage Law and Obligations and Contracts Law in the <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1188/today-in-philippine-history-june-18-1908-the-university-of-the-philippines-was-established" class="news_link">University of the Philippines</a>. He was offered the bench but he refused it because of poor health. It was against his
conscience to draw salaries from the government without being able to perform one's duties efficiently. He refused too when he was offered the presidency of the University of the Philippines. To extend his services to the institution, he, however, accepted membership in
the Board of Regents.
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Francisco Ortigas: A Prominent Lawyer and Businessman

Today in Philippine history, September 11, 1875, Francisco Ortigas, a prominent lawyer and businessman during the American era, was born in Porac, Pampanga

September 11, 1875: Francisco Ortigas, a prominent lawyer and businessman during the American era, was born in Porac, Pampanga