León María Guerrero (botanist)

León María Guerrero y Leogardo (January 21, 1853-April 13, 1935) was a Filipino scientist, educator, writer, revolutionary leader and politician who was the first licensed pharmacist in the Philippines and one of the most eminent botanists in the country in his time.

Early years

León was one of the 14 children of León Jorge Guerrero and Clara Leogardo. He was born on January 21, 1853 in Ermita, Manila. He was the brother of Filipino painter Lorenzo Guerrero,Juan Luna's teacher; Lorenzo painted the altar of the San Sebastian church in Quiapo. Leon Jorge was the uncle of poet-politician, Fernando María Guerrero, who won a seat at the Philippine Assembly in 1907. Leon Maria is the grandfather of diplomat León María Guerrero and foremost Filipina writer Carmen Guerrero Cruz Nakpil.

During the First Philippine Republic, Leon Maria was a member of Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo's cabinet and of the Malolos Congress which convened at the Barasoain Church in Malolos.

Being a scion of one of the most prominent families of Manila during the last years of Spanish colonial period, he was among the first students of the Ateneo de Manila University when it was founded in 1859 and known as the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. After completing his primary and secondary education, he enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas, where he graduated in 1875 with a bachelor's degree in [pharmacy], specializing in botany and zoology. The following year, he was licensed to practice pharmacy.

First licensed Filipino pharmacist

Guerrero was appointed head of the military pharmacy in Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur and at the marine hospital in Kawit, Cavite. Later he would manage the popular Binondo Pharmacy in Manila.

His scientific curiosity led him to study the therapeutic uses of Philippine plants, from which he extracted pharmacological ingredients.

Pharmacological botanist

His work on pharmacological botany and the distinction of being the first licensed pharmacist in the country earned him in 1887 an appointment as professor of descriptive botany at the University of Santo Tomas.

In 1889, he was appointed member of the council of health of the Manila City Council and was enrolled as a member of the Socieda Espanola de Historia Natural. He was also invited to be an auditor and associate of the La Revista Internacional de Farmacografia.

His accomplishments also earned him an appointment as chemical expert of the Audiencia Real, the supreme court during the Spanish colonial period.

He also pursued special studies in ornithology and lepidopterology, securing him a position as zoologist in the forestry bureau of the Spanish colonial government.

Revolutionary leader

Despite his links to Spanish officialdom, Guerrero openly joined the independence struggle when the Philippine Revolution of 1896 broke out.

He was named professor of pharmacy of the Universidad Literaria de Filipinas, which was founded by the Philippine Revolutionary Government on October 19, 1898. He was a member of the Malolos Congress which was convened on 15 September 1898 and approved on November 29, 1898 the Malolos Constitution]] This gave birth to the First Philippine Republic.

While serving as professor at the literary university which was then based in Bulacan and Tarlac provinces, he also contributed to La Independencia, the official organ of the revolutionary movement, edited by revolutionary general [Antonio Luna].

When President Emilio Aguinaldo formed his cabinet in 1899, he named Guerrero secretary of agriculture, industry and commerce.

Politician

After the collapse of the First Philippine Republic, Guerrero returned to Manila. He was among the former revolutionists who founded the Asociacion de Paz to re-establish peace in the country. He was among the founders of the Partido Democrata (Democratic Party) which advocated absolute Philippine independence from the United States, but through peaceful means.

He was among those who founded the Liceo de Manila and became its president until May 1903. He became chairman of the board of the Pharmaceutical Union and member of the American Pharmaceutical Society.

In 1907, he was elected delegate to the First Philippine Assembly and named president of the committee on public instruction which entitled him to a seat in the board of regents of the University of the Philippines, which would be established the following year.

Educator

After his stint in national politics, Guerrero returned to teaching and became dean of the college of pharmacy of the University of Santo Tomas. He also served as assistant director of the Bureau of Census and an official of the Bureau of Science.

Some of his important works are Notas Preliminares Sobre Las Materiales Colorantes Vegetales de Filipinas, Drogas Vegetales de Filipinas, Medicinal Plants of the Philippine Islands and Medicinal Uses of Philippine Plants.

Honors

In recognition of his work in botany, taxonomists named a genus of plants, Guerreroia monocephala, and a species of orchids, Dendrobium guerreroi, in his honor.

In 1921, the University of the Philippines conferred on Guerrero a degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa.

Guerrrero died on April 13, 1935 at the age of 82. He was survived by his wife, Aurora Dominguez, and sons Bishop Cesar Maria Guerrero and Alfredo Guerrero, a physician, whose wife, Filomena Franciso was his pupil and the first lady pharmacist of the Philippines.

References

• National Historical Institute (1995). Filipinos in History Volume 1. Manila: National Historical Institute.

Guerrero Nakpil, Carmen, Myself, Elsewhere (Nakpil Publishing:San ) 2006 (Part 1, autobiography, author describes like with her grandfather Leon Ma. Guerrero)