<div class="image-200">
<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-24/mercedes-tiongson.avif" alt="Mercedes Tiongson" loading="lazy" />
<div>
(Mercedes Tiongson. She became the wife of Teodoro Sandiko)
</div>
</div>

<p>
Sandiko was in fact already clandestinely teaching the women Spanish language.
</p>
<p>
The parish priest of Malolos, Felipe Garcia, objected, and the permission was denied for the reasons stated in the secret report of the priest. 
</p>
<p>
The petitioners did not abandon their efforts and, aided by Doroteo Cortes and Guadalupe Reyes, after going back and forth countless times, they finnally succeeded in obtaining the desired permission while Father Agustin Hernandez was acting parish priest of Malolos, but with the condition that not Señor  Sandiko, but Señorita Guadalupe Reyes, of Manila, be the teacher, and that the classes be held in the day-time and not at night. 
</p>
<p>
These young ladies were, among others:
</p>

<ul>
<li>
Cecilia Tiongson, 
</li>
<li>
Mercedes Tiongson, 
</li>
<li>
Aleja Tiongson, 
</li>
<li>
Agapita Tiongson, 
</li>
<li>
Filomena Tiongson, 
</li>
<li>
Paz Tiongson, 
</li>
<li>
Feliciana Tiongson, 
</li>
<li>
Anastacia Tiongson, 
</li>
<li>
Emilia Tiongson,  
</li>
<li>
Basilia Tantoco, 
</li>
<li>
Teresa Tantoco, 
</li>
<li>
Maria Tantoco, 
</li>
<li>
Rufina Reyes, 
</li>
<li>
Leoncia Reyes, 
</li>
<li>
Olimpia Reyes, 
</li>
<li>
Juana Reyes, 
</li>
<li>
Elisea Reyes, and 
</li>
<li>
Alberta Ui-Tangcoy.
</li>
</ul>
<p>
The memorial by the ladies presented was  quite uncommon among Filipino maidens at that time. It was very respectful and digniﬁed.  It reads as follows:
</p>
<div class="book-extract-ear">

<p>
To His Excellency, the Governor-General of the Philippine islands
</p>
<p>
Your Excellency:  
</p>
<p>
We the undersigned young women and several others appear before Your Excellency with due respect and represent:  That we are desirous of knowing the beautiful Spanish language, stimulated by and grateful for your generous intention of generalizing the Castillan tongue in this country; and as we are unable to acquire it in the Manila schools, some of us owing to their scant means and others on account of the pressing needs of then households. and can not study in the daytime because we are then busy with our more peremptory domestic duties. Therefore we now humbly beseech Your Excellency  to permit us to open a night school at the home of an old lady related to us, whither we shall go accompanied by our mothers to receive lessons in Spanish grammar from the teacher of Latin, salaried by us, who has in a short time given evidence of his aptitude for the teaching of Spanish by the progress which his pupils have made, while the teachers of this pueblo, whose professional good name we do, however, not wish to injure, have until the present writing not obtained positive results.
</p>
<p>
This is a mercy which we shall doubtless obtain from the well-known kindness of Your Excellency, whose important life God may preserve for many years.
</p>
<p>
Signatures<br/>
Malolos. December 12th l888.
</p>
</div>

<h4>
Source:
</h4>
<ol class="article-sources">
<li>
More About Rizal, Efipanio de los Santos, Revista Filipina, January 1917
</li>
<li>
Philippine News Agency archives
</li>
</ol>



Today in Filipino History, December 12, 1888, 20 young women of Malolos requested to open a night school for Spanish language