The early Filipinos subscribed in superstious beliefes and practices in relation to health and sickness. People who have unknown diseases were believed to be witchcraft. Midwives were called to assist in childbirth.During the Spanish regime, there were prominent persons who were involved in nursing works like Josephine Bracken, the wife of Jose Rizal and Melchora Aquino also known as Tandang Sora who both provided nursing care to the wounded. it was also during the Spaniards when the earliest hospitals were established in the Philippines. The earliest were Hospital Real de Manila and San Lazaro Hospital created in 1577 and 1578 respectively.
In 1906, Mrs. Mary Coleman Masters, an educator advocated for idea of training Filipino girls for the profession of Nursing.(Udan 2009). since then, there were development in the Nursing Curriculum.
The first nursing school was Iloilo Mission Hospital School of Nursing built in 1906. Other school of nursing followed the like St. Paul`s Hospital School, Philippine General Hospital, St. Lukes Hospital and MaryJohnson`s Hospital. Anastacia Giron Tupas, the first Filipino nurse to occupy the position of Chief Nurse and superintendent in the Philippines. In 1946, the University of Santo Tomas College of Nursing was created. This was followed by Manila Central University College (1947) and University of the Philippines (1948). Since then, there were increasing number of nursing schools in the country.
In 1970, there were 40 nursing schools in the Philippines. In 2010, there are already 350 existing Nursing schools.
