Melchora Aquino
Melchora Aquino de Ramos (born January 6, 1812 in Caloocan , † March 2, 1919 in Quezon City ) was a Filipino revolutionary who in the history of the island state as Tandang Sora ("Tandang" is derived from the word matanda from the language Tagalog and means old ), as it was 84 years old when the Philippine Revolution broke out in 1896.
For her courageous contribution to the history of the Philippines , she won the title of Grand Woman of the revolution and became a popular heroine of her country.
Early stage of life
Aquino was born on January 6, 1812 in Caloocan. She was the daughter of Juan and Valentina de Aquino, a family of farm workers who never had the opportunity to go to school. Even so, she had received a little education that enabled her to read and write. She was also very talented for singing. She performed at local celebrations and sang at church at Holy Mass .
She married Fulgencio Ramos, a cabeza de barangay (mayor) and had six children with him. Ramos died when their youngest child together was just seven years old. As a single mother, she cared for her children by growing rice and sugar cane.
Participation in the revolution
Melchora came into contact with revolutionary forces through her son, who was a member of the Katipunan , a secret organization under the leadership of Andrés Bonifacio which sought the independence of the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule. When the Philippine Revolution broke out in her province in 1896, she decided to actively support the insurgents.
In her hometown she had a small camp that quickly became a refuge for sick and wounded revolutionaries. She cared for the wounded, gave them medical treatment and encouraged the revolutionary fighters with her motherly advice and prayers. The secret meetings of the Katipuneros also took place in her house . In this way she earned the title of Mother of the Katipunan .
When the Spaniards became aware of the extent and location of their activities, they sent a commando to arrest them. On April 29, 1896, she was charged with assisting the Katipunan's activities and, despite her advanced age of 84, was detained in Bilibid Prison in Manila . Here she was interrogated, but despite her situation, she held fast to her convictions and stood by her participation in the revolution and her support for the Katipunan. Shortly thereafter, she tried to flee to Novaliches, but was caught by civilian guards and taken back to Bilibid Prison for further interrogation. After a while, the Spanish authorities deported them to the islands of the Mariana Islands .
After the United States gained control of the Philippines in 1898, Aquino returned to the Philippines from their exile in 1903, along with other outcasts. She lived here until her death at the age of 107 on March 2, 1919, at her daughter's home in Quezon City. Her body is buried in her own back yard and the burial place can now be visited as a public cemetery under the name Himlayang Pilipino .
Post fame
A district and a street of Quezon City were named after her as a token of recognition of her services.
In addition, their profile is shown on the five centavo coin that was valid between 1967 and 1992.
Web links
- Biography of Melchora Aquino ( Memento of October 17, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- Biography of the national heroine
- Biography of Melchora Aquino
Individual evidence
- ^ Coin Types from the Philippines . Worldcoingallery.com . Retrieved January 12, 2011.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Aquino, Melchora |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Melchora Aquino de Ramos |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Filipino revolutionary, mother of the Katipunan |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 6, 1812 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Caloocan |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 2, 1919 |
| Place of death | Quezon City |