Our Vision
To recognize the pioneering efforts of Mr. William Knowles Hotchkiss, an American educator, who, moved by an intrepid and altruistic spirit, journeyed from America to Cantilan, Surigao del Sur in 1906 to pursue a dream; to establish a living and dynamic tribute to his memory; to continue and perpetuate his vision and ideals; and to finally bring to full fruition his lifelong dream to educate, enlighten, and uplift; to share his love for the English tongue; to instill a sense of community and social mobility; to promote a heightened awareness of the environment and the importance of its preservation, and to impart values essential to becoming a responsible and dedicated citizen of the local and global community; and to make available the universal right to education to those who can least afford it and for whom education is a dream just barely within reach -- by the establishment of a school accessible to the needy and by extending support and scholarships to those who are economically disadvantaged. This school shall be established in Cantilan, Surigao del Sur, a place that he and his children have called home for decades. This school shall serve the people who embraced Mr. Hotchkiss as one of their own and to whom his children and their children shall forever be grateful.
William K. Hotchkiss and Hermenegilda Azarcon with their children (L to R): Joseph O. Hotchkiss, Caroline Hotchkiss-Gonzalez, William K. Hotchkiss II
About William K. Hotchkiss
William Knowles Hotchkiss of Lyons, New York, set sail for the Philippine Islands in 1906. He was a public school teacher and civil servant and his first assignment was to teach in Surigao City. His life in the Philippines was full of adventures, characterized by his passion for learning and teaching and his pacific worldview. William's indomitable spirit led him to travel halfway around the world at the age of 26, leaving behind the trappings of the early 20th century modern world to answer the call of his teaching vocation in the remote towns of the Philippine Islands. Since 1906, William only went home to New York once. He found his home and his heart in Cantilan, raising his family of three with his wife Hermenegilda Azarcon. Their children - William II, Joseph, and Caroline - were all born and raised in Cantilan. William spent the remainder of his years in their home in Baybay, a replica of which still stands in the original location. Of his children, two of them carried on with the teaching tradition - William II and Caroline. Among the third and fourth generation Hotchkisses, a handful are also in the same profession. In one of his many letters to his mother, William detailed his dream of establishing a school here in Cantilan. Today, more than 100 years later, we see the fulfilment of his vision.
About the Foundation
We are a social profit organization that aims to promote the legacy of William Knowles Hotchkiss in his adopted hometown, Cantilan, Surigao del Sur. The Hotchkiss Foundation is a SEC-registered non-profit, non-stock organization established in 1998 by William K. Hotchkiss III, the grandson of William.
The Foundation's main advocacies are education and environmental protection. Its projects include the establishment of the Hotchkiss Learning Center in 2000 and the school's Ecoscouting program, the preservation of Bill's Sanctuary in Inijakan, and the development of organic and sustainable farming practices.
The Foundation's main advocacies are education and environmental protection. Its projects include the establishment of the Hotchkiss Learning Center in 2000 and the school's Ecoscouting program, the preservation of Bill's Sanctuary in Inijakan, and the development of organic and sustainable farming practices.
© 2012 - 2023 The William K. Hotchkiss Foundation
