▁islands , ▁settled ▁in ▁various ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire ▁province . ▁ ▁The ▁national ▁government ▁then ▁was ▁only ▁able ▁to ▁provide ▁elementary ▁education ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁such ▁communities , ▁but ▁the ▁migr ants ▁saw ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁more ▁school ing ▁for ▁their ▁young ▁ones ▁beyond ▁the ▁elementary ▁level . ▁ ▁The ▁O bl ate ▁F athers ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁religious ▁con greg ations , ▁who ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁emp ire ▁province ▁to ▁minister ▁mainly ▁to ▁the ▁spiritual ▁needs ▁of ▁the ▁migr ants ▁who ▁were ▁mostly ▁Catholic , ▁respond ed ▁by ▁opening ▁secondary ▁schools ▁and , ▁where ▁feas ible , ▁colleg es ▁in ▁these ▁communities . ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁also ▁done ▁in ▁the ▁Sul u ▁Arch ip el ago ▁as ▁the ▁native ▁popul ace ▁began ▁to ▁realize ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁formal ▁education . ▁In ▁all ▁instances , ▁the ▁name ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁schools ▁so ▁founded ▁was ▁also ▁Notre ▁D ame . ▁Further ▁emphas izing ▁this ▁early ▁spirit ▁of ▁on eness ▁was ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁a ▁common ▁school ▁uniform ▁for ▁the ▁students ▁and ▁the ▁same ▁school ▁h ymn . ▁ ▁Thus ▁begun ▁the ▁commit ment ▁to ▁serve ▁the ▁educational ▁needs ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁and ▁its ▁younger ▁educational ▁needs ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁and ▁its ▁younger ▁gener ations ▁under ▁the ▁b anner ▁and ▁insp iration ▁of ▁Notre ▁D ame . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁they ▁worked ▁together ▁to ▁hold ▁annual ▁athlet ic ▁compet itions , ▁the ▁Notre ▁D ame ▁Me ets , ▁which ▁was ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁biggest ▁event