Leading Filipino Women: Praxedes Julia Fernandez 1

Praxedes Julia Fernandez

The Famous Actress

(1871-1919)

          Praxedes Julia Fernandez was a famous actress. Through her talents in drama and music, she made the Philippines better known in many countries.

Julia, the Young Actress
      Today there are many well-known actresses. Through the movies and the television, people come to know great actresses and enjoy their good acting.
      In 1871 there were yet no movies or television not even a radio. People acted and entertained the public on the stage of a theater. One of the early Filipino actresses was Praxedes Julia Fernandez.
      She was born in Manila on July 21, 1871. Julia or Yeyeng, as she was better known, loved to sing when she was a child. She liked to pretend she was one of the people in stories that she read. She was seven years old when she joined a dramatic company, Compania Infantil, directed by Francisco Avellana.
      Yeyeng was determined to become a great actress. She studied singing and dancing under good teachers. She danced very well the Spanish dances, such as the jota and the fandango. She performed these dances in carillas or public shows.


The Great Actress
      When she was nineteen, Yeyeng was given important parts in long and difficult plays. She acted her parts well in La Viuda Alegre, La Mascota, La Cara de Dios, El Conde de Luxemburgo, Marina and Anillo de Hierro. She soon won the title of “Queen of the Drama.” A song for the army was named after her. It was called Yeyeng March.


Yeyeng Goes to Spain
       In 1894, Julia married Ricardo Pastor Paredes, a professor in the Escuela de Artes y Oficios in Iloilo. Soon after her marriage, she went to Spain with her husband. She continued to sing and act in many places in Spain.
      She won much praise in Spain. The newspapers praised her fine voice and her good acting. Later, she performed in other places, such as Macao and Hong Kong.
      Everywhere she went, she became known as a great actress. In this way, she won fame not only for herself but also for her country. She died on August 22, 1919.



Photo Source:

Retrato.com.ph

Leading Filipino Women: Pelagia Mendoza

Pelagia Mendoza

Woman Sculptor

(1867 - 1939)

         Pelagia Mendoza was our first famous woman sculptor. As a sculptor, she made statues of people and figures of animals and other subjects out of clay, stone, and marbles. Together with her husband, Crispulo Zamora, she also started a business of medal-making. The business still exists today.


Pelagia as a Child
        On June 9, 1867 in the town of Pateros, Rizal, a girl was born who was to become a famous woman. She was Pelagia Mendoza. Her parents were Leoncio Mendoza and Evarista Gotianking, both of whom were of Chinese descent.
        Pelagia could draw and make statues while still very young. Her parents encouraged her in this. They sent her to study first in the Escuela Municipal in Intramuros, and afterwards in the School of Fine Arts. She studied drawing, painting, and sculpture.


Pelagia Wins A Contest
       In 1892 the Spanish government held a contest to celebrate the 400th year of Columbus’ discovery of America. The contest was to make the best statue of Columbus’ head. Pelagia won the first prize in the contest. The prize consisted of a gold medal called Cruz de Merito Civil and a diploma. Pelagia received her prize from Governor Despujol.


Pelagia Builds a Business
      In 1893 Pelagia married one of her classmates, Crispulo Zamora. Crispulo had a special talent for making beautiful medals. He was known as the “Platero de la Virgen del Rosario.” The couple decided to start a business of making religious medals and other ornaments.
     As they were thrifty and industrious, they were able to save money enough to improve their business. They bought machinery and built a modern factory. Their shop introduced the art of baked enameling in the country.


Pelagia as a Mother
     Pelagia was not only an excellent sculptor. She was also a good mother. She trained her children in the business built by her and her husband. Her children were also talented. One of them became a sculptor like her. The others built their own respective engraving shops for the making of medals and metallic ornaments. They carried on their mother’s artistic work in metal.
     Pelagia Mendoza’s chidren were the proof of her success as a mother and artist. She died on March 13, 1939.

Leading Filipino Women: Sister Asuncion Ventura

Sister Asuncion Ventura

Guardians of Orphans

(1853 – 1923)

          This is the story of Sister Asuncion Ventura. She built the Orphanage of San Vicente de Paul, a home for orphans. She devoted her life to helping the poor and the needy.


Cristina’s Youth
          Cristina was born on July 30, 1853 and was the fourth child of Honorio Ventura, a wealthy lawyer of Bacolor, Pampanga. He and his wife, Cornelia Horcoma Bautista, were deeply religious. It was but natural that Cristina should be a child that was quiet and very fond of praying.
         After Cristina entered La Concordia College, she told her parents about her wish to be a Sister of Charity. Her wealthy parents were against this wish.
         But her parents died soon afterwards. After their death, Cristina carried out her wish to be a Sister. She became a member of the Compania de Las Hijas de la Caridad. While she was waiting to become a Sister of Charity, she worked in a military hospital in Manila. She took on the name of Sor Asuncion when she was made a Daughter of Charity in 1875.
        She now put into good use the money left by her parents. With the money, she built a home and school for orphans. It was called the Orphanage of San Vicente de Paul. This home was not only for orphans. It was also for children whose parents were very poor. All those admitted in the orphanage were given free food, clothes, shelter, and education up to the seventh grade.
        Sister Asuncion worked hard to make the orphanage a success. It was also known as the “Looban College.” One day the American Governor-General then, Cameron Forbes, visited it. He found Sister Asuncion in the kitchen preparing the food for the children.
       She told the governor about the needs of her orphanage. “We need more kitchen utensils and an ice box,” she said.
       “I will help your orphanage,” said Governor Forbes. “You are helping many poor people.” The governor kept his word. He asked the Philippine Legislature to pass a law giving some money to the orphanage. This was soon done.
        “The charitable acts of Sister Asuncion were many. Every month, she gave money to beggars. She helped people living far away, as those in China. She helped the Escuela Catolico de Paco, another school for poor children. She took care of her poor relatives and friends.
        She never rested in her work of mercy, and worked very hard even when she was already seventy years old.
       When she died on November 22, 1923, she left a will, or paper telling what should be done with her property. In her will she asked her niece, nephews, and other relatives to look after the orphanage. She wanted her work of helping the poor to be carried on after her death.

Leading Filipino Women: Trinidad Tecson

Trinidad Tecson

Mother of Biak Na Bato

(1848 – 1928)

         One of the bravest soldiers who fought in the Philippine Revolution was a woman. Besides fighting as a soldier, she organized groups of women to nurse the sick and the wounded. This brave woman was Trinidad Tecson. Her life was filled with fearless acts of service for her country.


Early Life
         The family of Rafael Tecson, a farmer, and his wife, Monica Perez, was a large one. They had sixteen children. One of these, born on November 18, 1848 in San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan was named Trinidad. She turned out to be the prettiest and brightest of the children. The mother tried to add to the family income by keeping a store.
          In the evening the father taught his sons and daughters how to read and write. After learning the alphabet, little Trining was sent to school. But she did not stay long in school. Her parents died leaving her and her brothers and sisters too young to care for themselves. Relatives took care of them until they grew up.


Trining and the Revolution
          In 1895 Trining Tecson joined the Katipunan. Members of the Katipunan were required to sign their names in their own blood. Trining signed hers in her blood.
          Just before the Revolution, Trining got some guns from the prison in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. She buried the guns under a bamboo tree. However, someone told the Spanish officials what she did. Spanish soldiers were sent to her home to arrest her and to get the guns. But Trining had run away to hide. The guns were never found by the Spanish soldiers.
          By this time the Revolution had begun. Trining joined the soldiers of General Llanera, and they attacked the town of San Miguel. Trining carried food to the soldiers.
          Once on her way to get food, Trining was almost captured by the Spanish soldiers. She pretended to be hit by their shots and threw herself on the ground. Then she crawled on the grass until she reached the tall bushes beside a brook. She hid for a while and escaped when the soldiers went away.


Trining in the Battlefield
          Trining dressed in men’s clothers when she fought in the battlefield. She wore a wide-brimmed hat. She fought like a man. She endured all the hardships on the battlefields. She was badly wounded in the battle if Zaragoza, where she fought under General Soliman. After her wound was a treated, she went back to fight again.
          Some of the battles in which she fought were those that took place in San Rafael, Dagupan, Malabon, Manila, San Isidro, Zaragoza, and San Ildefonso. She also fought under the command of General del Pilar. At one time she and her husband, Julian Alcantara, and two servants defended the entrance to the fort at Biak-Na-Bato. The Spaniards with a strong force tried to enter the fort. Trining and her small group of defenders beat them off.


The “Mother of Biak-na-Bato”
          Then Trining turned to more valuable work for the soldiers. She gave up fighting. Instead, she organized groups of women to nurse wounded and sick soldiers of the Filipino army.
          The sick soldiers called her Ina ng Biak-Na-Bato, or “Mother of Biak-Na-Bato,” because she nursed them back to health. Biak- Na- Bato or Halved Stone in translation is a cave in Bulacan which is a military base camp of the Filipino soldiers during the revolution against Spain in 1897 but became a seat of revolutionary government of the first republic of President Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippines.
          Trinidad Tecson may be said to be the first person to start Red Cross work in the Philipines. Her services to the soldiers of the Revolution were appreciated by General Aguinaldo. He said of her: “Trinidad Tecson of San Miguel helped the Revolutionists very much. Her work in caring for the sick during the years 1896-1897 was a great service. It was because of her work that she won the title: “Ina ng Biak-Na-Bato.”
          Trining’s group of nurses extended their work to the Ilocos and souther provinces. After the war, her nursing work was recognized by the American Red Cross. They gave her credit for starting Red Cross work in the Philippines.
         When Trinidad Tecson died on January 28, 1928, she was honored for her Red Cross work. As a recognition of her service during the Revolution .and of her bravery as a soldier, she was buried in the Veterans’ Tomb in the Manila North Cemetery.
         Today, the remains of Trinidad Tecson lie side by side those of other heroes of our country.

Leading Filipino Women: Leona Florentino

Leona Florentino

The Great Ilocana Poetess

(1849 – 1884)

       Leona Florentino was a great Filipino poetess. Her writings were known and praised not only in the Philipines but also in Europe.

Leona’s Parents

       In Vigan, Ilocos, Sur stands a simple statue. This statue was built in honor of the great Ilocano poetess, Leona Florentino.

Leona was born on April 19, 1849 in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Her father, Don Marcelino Florentino, was the richest man in the Ilocos province in those days. Her mother, Isabel, also came from a wealthy family. Leona and Jose Rizal were distant cousins. Rizal’s grandfather on his mother’s side, Felix Florentino, was a cousin of Leona’s father.

       Leona had many brothers and sisters. They were all brought up in a strict manner by their mother. She punished them by whipping when it was necessary. She did not believe in letting her children grow up doing nothing. She taught them to work and often told them that work was good for children.

Leona’s Education

       Leona was a very bright girl. Her mother taught her to read. Leona wrote her first poem before she was ten.

Leona, however, was not allowed to study in higher schools although her parents were rich. In those days it was not necessary for girls to be highly educated. So Leona did not go to college.

       But Leona studied by herself. She learned to speak English from Father Evaristo Abaya, the parish priest of Vigan. Father Abaya encouraged her to go on writing poems.

Leona’s Poems

This is one of her poems written in her native dialect, Ilocano:

EMILIA

Essem quen yamanco

Diac mayebcas

No addaca laeng a sicacoes

ti salum-at

Naipangena itoy aldao a

ingret gasat

a pannag casangay mo

cas umis-urayco a

nabay-bayag.

        The poem was written for Emilia, one of Leona’s friends, on her birthday. It expressed Leona’s good wishes. In English, it says: “I cannot describe my joy and thankfulness in finding you in good health, especially on this day, your birthday. I have been waiting for it for a long time.”

        Leona Florentino wrote not only poems but also plays. Her works were admired not only in the Philippines but also in Europe.

Some of her poems were shown at an International Exposition in 1887. A big library in Paris contains some of her works. But most of her poems were lost during the Revolution. Only a few of them have been saved.

       This great poetess wrote on many subjects. She wrote about love, good conduct, and religion.

       She wrote about the people around her whom she loved. Leona’s poems and plays described the life of the people in the Ilocos provinces. She praised what was good. She criticized what was bad.

      Among her great poems are To A Young Woman On Her Birthday, Castora Benigna, and Leon XIII.

      According to Eulogio B. Rodriguez, a former Director of the Bureau of Public Libraries, Leona Florentino was the greatest Filipino poetess of her time. She died on October 4, 1884.


Photo Sources:

www.retrato.com.ph

Leading Filipino Women: Teodora Alonzo

Teodora Alonzo

Mother Of Our National Hero, Jose Rizal

(1827-1911)

       Teodora Alonzo was the mother of Jose Rizal, the greatest hero of our country. Rizal owed his early education, his character training, and love for truth and liberty to his talented and industrious mother. Teodora Alonzo was well fitted to be the mother of a hero.


Teodora’s Childhood
     Teodora Alonzo came from a well-to-do and educated family. Her parents were Captain Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo and Brigida de Quintos. Teodora, like the rest of her sisters and brothers, was born in Manila. They grew up in a pleasant, orderly home where industry and kind acts were the rule.
    When Teodora was a little girl, the Alonzo family moved to Calamba, Laguna. Her mother taught her the alphabet and how to read from the cartilla and the caton. Then Teodora entered the Santa Rosa College, a school in Manila for girls. At this school, the girls studied Spanish, religion, and ways of keeping the home.
Teodora was very talented. While still a student, she wrote poems and translated Spanish stories into Tagalog.


Teodora’s Marriage
     Teodora was to make use of her talents in later life. She married Francisco Mercado of Calamba. They had eleven children. One of them was Jose – the future hero. When the children were older, the family’s name was changed to Rizal.
     Dona Teodora devoted her life to the education of her children. She taught them how to read. She taught them their prayers, and good manners. She told them stories which had good lessons.
The most interested listener was her son Jose. One of her stories that Jose never grew tired of hearing was the story of the foolish moth and the bright lamp. The little moth was attracted by the light and flew around the lamp. Its mother told the little moth not to go near the light. The little moth did not listen to its mother. It went close to the light and was burned to death.
     Jose never forgot this story. When he was a grownup man, he wrote; “The story showed me things I had not known before. Moths were no longer insignificant insects. Moths talked, they knew how to advise, just like my mother.”


Mother of a Hero
     Dona Teodora helped her husband manage their farm. She worked hard and saved in order to be able to send her children to school in Manila and in other countries. She soon realized how bright Jose was.
      She taught him how to write poems. To his mother, Jose showed the poems and the stories he wrote. When he was five years old, he wrote a play that pleased the Capitan del Pueblo, or mayor of the town. For his play, little Jose was given a prize of two pesos. He went to school in Binang, Laguna. Later he studied in Ateneo de Manila and the University of Santo Tomas.
      Dona Teodora continued to save money so that Rizal could go to Europe to continue his studies.


Dona Teodora’s Sufferings
      While Rizal was away, Dona Teodora was accused of a crime she did not do. She was sent to prison. While in prison her eyes contracted a disease. She almost became blind. Later on Rizal, who had now become a doctor, cured her eyes. He operated on her eyes and helped her to see again.
       During this time Rizal wrote Noli Me Tangere, his famous book attacking unjust Spanish officials. Because of this book, the officials considered him an enemy of Spain. All his relatives were suspected of being against the Spaniards. His mother was often in danger of being thrown into prison again. So were his sisters and brothers.
       Her friends advised Dona Teodora to go away and hide from the Spaniards. She refused to go away. “I will stay here,” she said bravely. “I will not run away because I have not done anything wrong. I believe in justice.”
       Like his mother, Rizal did not run away when he was accused of being an enemy of the government. He was arrested, but his enemies gave him a false trial. He was sentenced to death, and on December 30, 1896, he was shot on Luneta, in Manila.
      Dona Teodora lived through that awful day, and for many years afterwards. She had the comfort of seeing her son recognized as a great hero. The Philippine government offered her a life pension, but she refused it.She said, “No, I cannot accept the money. I do not want to be paid for what Rizal did for his country.”
     When Dona Teodora died at the age of 85, the government had her remains lay in state for several days at the Marble Hall, the principal government building then. Many people attended her funeral as their last act of respect to the mother of the greatest Filipino hero.

Leading Filipino Women: Melchora Aquino

Melchora Aquino

Mother of the Revolution

(1811-1919)

        Melchora Aquino or Tandang Sora, is known in Philippine history as the “Mother of the Philippine Revolution.” This revolution was the successful fight of the Filipinos to win their freedom from Spain. It started in 1896 and ended in 1898. During the Philippine Revolution Melchora Aquino gave help to many Filipino soldiers.


Tandang Sora
      Melchora Aquino was born on January 7, 1811 to a hardworking couple Juan Aquino and Valentina Hanule and they live in the little barrio of Pasong Tamo in Balintawak, north of Manila. She kept a little store by which she supported herself. She was already 85 years old in 1896, the year when she started on her great work. She was, however, far from weak and helpless. In fact, at this age she was a vigorous, industrious old woman. She tended her store and helped her neighbors. The poor around her often got many things from her store without paying for them. Her neighbors affectionately called her Tandang Sora.
       The year 1896 was a troubled year for the Philippines. The Filipinos could no longer endure that unjust government of Spanish officials and were ready to revolt or overthrow the government. Many Filipinos led by Andres Bonifacio had formed a secret society called the Katipunan, whose purpose was to make plans for the revolt.


Cry of Balintawak
       The Katipuneros, or members of the Katipunan, had their meetings in Pasong Tamo, in a house near the store of Tandang Sora. Then the Katipunan was discovered by the Spanish government officials. The officials sent the Guardia Civil, or government soldiers, to arrest the Katipuneros. However, someone was able to warn the Katipuneros, who were having a meeting in Pasong Tamo.
       The Katipuneros broke up their meeting. But they did not have much time to run away because the Guardia Civil were almost upon them. Some of the Katipuneros ran through the back fence and escaped. The others ran to the store of Tandang Sora.
“Please hide us Tandang Sora,” the Katipuneros cried. “If we get caught, we shall not be able to continue our fight for freedom.”
Tandang Sora at once took the Katipuneros to her bodega. She covered them with rice sacks and told them to hide behind her big jars. The Guardia Civil did not find them.
      Then the famous “Cry of Balintawak” was sounded by Andres Bonifacio. The Filipinos had decided to fight. The Revolution was on! Then Tandang Sora was a busy woman, day and night.


Tandang Sora’s Heroic Acts
      Often after dark, wounded soldiers would knock on her door. She took them in and nursed them until they got well. Sometimes the soldiers were hungry, dirty, and ragged. She fed them and gave them clothes and money. Some of the soldiers were often discouraged. They wanted to stop fighting. Tandang Sora cheered them.
      The Spanish officials soon heard of the brave and kind old woman who was helping the Katipuneros. Government soldiers were sent to arrest her.


Her Exile
      Tandang Sora was caught. She was sentenced to prison and kept at the Bilibid Prison for a while. Then after another trial she was sent to the Marianas Islands. These islands are far away in the Pacific Ocean. She was exiled there with other Filipinos who had fought for their country.
     Meanwhile her countrymen continued their fight. The Americans arrived in the Philippines and got the islands from Spain. The Americans set free all the exiles in the Marianas Islands. Among them was Tandang Sora.


Her Last Years
     Tandang Sora came back poor and homeless. But she was not discouraged. She looked for work and lived many more years. When she died on March 2, 1919 at the ripe age of 108, she ended a useful life to be proud of and worthy of being followed by others.