Para kay Anson Yu, isang writer at tour guide, kamangha-mangha ang mga gusali ng College of Holy Spirit Manila (CHSM).
Binisita ni Anson Yu ang CHSM noong March 10, 2022. Nalaman kasi niya na magsasara na ang makasaysayang eskuwelahan ngayong April, matapos ang 109 taon nitong operasyon.
Batay sa Facebook post ni Anson, ito ang una at huli niyang pagbisita sa nasabing campus ng CHSM sa Mendiola.
Kinunan niya ng larawan ang gusali ng CHSM, at hindi niya maiwasang mamangha sa neoclassical architecture nito, ang estilo na kumakatawan sa Maynila sa pagsisimula ng 20th century.
Ayon kay Anson, “The architect who designed the school’s original building is the German Arthur Gabler Gumbert.
“His other work that still survives today includes the Ides O Racca building in Divisoria, the China Bank Building, and the Yutivo Building in Binondo.”
Nasorpresa naman siya nang matuklasan na isa sa mahalagang feature ng CHSM building ay ang stained glass window na dinisenyo ni Fernando Amorsolo, ang kauna-unahang National Artist ng Pilipinas.
Dahil sa nasabing stained glass design ni Amorsolo, ani Anson ay nakadagdag iyon sa prestige ng history ng CHSM.
Aniya, “I didn’t even know about it until one of the tour organizers told me.
“But I later found out that not many of the students were aware of Amorsolo’s contribution to their school.”
Dalawa umano ang stained glass design doon ni Amorsolo, ngunit hindi niya nakunan ng picture ang isa pa.
Batay naman sa post ng Amorsolo Tiles Fundraising Project Facebook Page noong March 26, 2021, ang stained glass na ginawa ni Amorsolo para sa CHSM ang tanging disenyo na ginawa nito sa salamin.
Nakasaad sa post, “The only two Amorsolo artworks [circa 1931] on stained glass were installed in the windows at the Holy Ghost College, now called College of the Holy Spirit Manila. Yes, they're the ONLY ones of their kind.
“That's because Fernando Amorsolo (1892-1972), the first national artist of the Philippines, was a portraitist and painter of rural landscapes. Amorsolo was the most prolific among the painters of the pre-war period.
“His genre and anecdotal paintings being considered by his admirers as the true reflections of the Filipino Soul, not to mention the portraits for which he was very much in demand.”
Nag-react at naging nostalgic ang mga dating estudyante ng CHSM sa post ni Anson, at nagkomentong sana ay ma-preserve ang Amorsolo art piece.
May nabibili namang replica nito sa alumni association ng CHSM, ayon kay Anson.
Mapapansin sa larawan na ang Amorsolo art piece ay nasa magandang kondisyon pa.
Ang CHSM ay itinatag ng ng Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit noong 1913, at nakilala ito bilang The Holy Ghost College.
Isa itong all-girls school, at nagsimula lamang itong tumanggap ng male students noong 2005.
Noong November 22, 2021, inihayag ng pamunuan ng CHSM na magsasara na ang campus sa pagtatapos ng academic year 2021-2022.
Walang binanggit na dahilan ang pamunuan ng CHSM kung bakit sila magsasara.