Hospicio de San Jose

Hospicio de San José is a Roman Catholic welfare institution in the district of San Miguel, Manila in the Philippines. It is the first social welfare agency in the country, and as a foster care institution has been home to orphans, the abandoned, people with special needs and the elderly.^[1]

Hospicio de San José is a hospise located on the riverine islanf of Isla de Convalecencia (Spanish, "Island of convalescence"), an eyot in the middle of the Pasig River, and can only be accessed via Ayala Bridge. It was formerly located in the Pandacan district. From there, it was transferred to Intramuros, Binondo, Nagtahan, and Echague. In 1810, the Hospicio was permanently relocated to the Isla de Convalecencia.^[1]

Initially named the Hospicio General (General Hospice), Hospicio de San José was established in October 1778 during the Philippines' Spanish colonial period (1521-1898) by Don Francisco Gómez Enríquez and his wife Doña Barbara Verzosa. After being cured of a fever, Don Gómez Enríquez donated the sum of ₱ 4,000 to found the hospice that would take care of Manila’s “poor and unwanted children”, the physically and mentally disabled, and aging people. The initiative and example of Don Gómez Enríquez was followed by other charitable people of Manila.^[1]

The Hospicio de San José has two historical markers. The first, dated October 17, 1939, inscribed in English, was installed along Ayala Boulevard, San Miguel, Manila by the Historical Research and Markers Committee of the Philippines. In 1977, a second historical marker, incribed in Tagalog, was installed by the National Historical Institute.^[2]