16 Great Women in the Philippine History

1. Leona Florentino (1849-1884)

Also known as Mother of Philippine Women’s Literature.She became the first

internationally recognized Filipina poet at a time when Philippine society was
largely patriarchal.

Born in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Florentino started to write poems at the age of ten. Her
Works (written in Ilocano and some in Spanish) Naangawan A Kablaaw (“A Jolly
Birthday Greeting”) Nalpay A Namnama (“Blasted Hope”).

The statue of Leona Florentino was located at Crisologo Street, Heritage Village,
Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines.

Leona Florentino’s ancestral home in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur now houses the
Provincial Tourism Center, the Vigan Heritage Commission, and the famous Café
Leona.

She was a distant cousin of Jose Rizal and she was the mother of Isabelo de los
Reyes.

2. Encarnacion Alzona (1895-2001)

Also known as The first Filipina historian and also the first Filipina to obtain a
doctoral degree.
In an era when Filipinas were somehow considered intellectually inferior to
Filipino men, a woman named Encarnacion Alzona (1895-2001) refused to be
defeated.
Her fight for gender equality opened a lot of opportunities for women that
would not have been possible if she had refused to take a leap of faith.
In 1919 Alzona participated in the pensionado program of the American
government which, for the first time in many years, provided equal opportunities
for middle- and upper-class Filipinas to study in the US.
Alzona never stopped fighting for women’s rights and believing that education is
the key to gender equality
September of 1937, the election bill that grants the right to vote to all citizens
(male and female, 21 years of age and who can read and write) finally became a
law.
Alzona’s most prominent works include “The Filipino Woman: Her Social and
Political Status 1565-1933,” published in 1934 as part of the campaign for
 woman suffrage in the country, and “A History of Education in the Philippines:
1565-1930,” her first book that was released in 1932.
Alzona was elected Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Social Science,
Philosophy, and Humanities during the 1946 meeting of the UNESCO in Paris.
In 1985, she received her highest award when she was given the distinction of
National Scientist by the National Academy of Science and Technology.

3. Pelagia Mendoza (1867-1939)

The first known Filipina sculptor in history.

She was the first female student ever accepted at the Academia de Dibujo y
Pintura. Filipina artist to gain international recognition.
Pelagia Mendoza married Crispulo Zamora established an engraving business,
Crispulo Zamora and Sons, Inc., which became known for religious jewelry and
ornaments.
When her husband’s died in 1922, Mendoza took over the business. By traveling
to different countries and studying the different carving techniques used in
those places, Mendoza was able to help modernize the metal-working and
engraving industry in the Philippines.
All of Mendoza’s works–including the award-winning bust–were destroyed when
her family home at Sta. Cruz was bombed during WWII.
All of Mendoza’s works–including the award-winning bust–were destroyed when
her family home at Sta. Cruz was bombed during WWII.

4. Olivia Salamanca

Olivia Salamanca in Filipino dress. Pioneer Woman Physician of the Philippines.

In 1910, Salamanca obtained the degree of doctor of medicine from the
Women’s Medical College in Philadelphia.
She was the second Filipina to become a physician after Dr. Honoria Acosta-
Sison who graduated from the same school in 1909. After she finish her degree
Salamanca returned to the Philippines and served as the first secretary of the
Philippine Antituberculosis Society.
Salamanca was also diagnosed with tuberculosis. Despite her deteriorating
health, she still led an active life, travelling back and forth between Philippines
and Hongkong until her untimely death in 1913 at the age of 24.Salamanca was
one of the first Filipinos to be subjected to the use of tuberculin in the
treatment of tuberculosis
Maestro Manuel Ruiz y Javier, her elder sister’s teacher, was so impressed by
her that he composed a mazurka entitled “Olivia.”To honor her contributions as
 a pioneer Filipino physician, the Philippine Medical Women’s Association named
the place at the corner of General Luna and T. Kalaw as “Plaza Olivia
Salamanca.”

5. Magdalena Leones

Also known as Lioness of Filipina Agents

Born and raised in Kalinga. She spent most of her early twenties nursing the
wounded and providing vital intelligence information to the Allied forces.
Indeed, she was the ultimate Filipina spy.
Magdalena was forced to take over a new role when the American soldiers from
the Japanese-occupied Baguio City chose to retreat to her hometown. She
assisted Reverend Nagel of the United Evangelical Church who became the
chaplain to the American soldiers led by Colonel John Horan. She also served as
an interpreter between English and Ilokano/Kalinga speakers.
After the Fall of Corregidor in 1942, Magdalena was imprisoned together with
Horan’s troops. She was later freed and subsequently joined the guerrilla Fil-
American Irregular Troops (FAIT) in Manila.
Magdalena left FAIT and joined USAFIP, NL (the United States Armed Forces in
the Philippines, Northern Luzon) as its. special agent
From 1944 to 1945, Magdalena escaped death thrice and traveled back and forth
between Manila and provinces such as Pampanga, La Union and as far as Bicol to
secure intelligence information, medical supplies, and other important
provisions.
In 1945, the United States Army awarded Magdalena “Maggie” Leones the Silver
Star, the third highest military decoration that can be given to a member of any
branch of the United States armed forces
She was the only Filipina WWII veteran who was awarded the Silver Star medal
She also received four more awards; The Philippine Liberation Medal, The
Resistance Movement Medal, The World War II Medal, The Philippine
Independence Ribbon.
Trivia: Magdalena Leones was caught several times, but was able to escape each
time due to her wits and sweet talk.

6. Maria Ylagan Orosa (1893-1945)

Also known as The War Heroine, banana ketchup inventor, and the first Filipino
nutritionist. .
A pioneer in food technology, nutrition, and preservation. Inventing some of the
most amazing foods we know today–banana ketchup, Calamansi Nip (a
powdered form of calamansi), Soyalac (powdered soya beans), just to name a
few.

At the age of 23, she went to the US as a stowaway armed with a dream of
getting a college degree. After doing odd jobs to support her education, Orosa
finally earned degrees in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Food Chemistry, and
Pharmacy. (Orosa’s mission in life was plain and simple).

When she became the first Filipino to be appointed assistant state chemist of
Washington in 1920.She left the position in 1922. As the chief of Plant
Utilization Division of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Orosa started to bring local
food technology into a whole new level.

Among Orosa’s countless innovations include the use of Philippine fruits in wine-
making; coconut in preparing honey, flour, cassava, cooking oil, and candy; and
pineapple in making vinegar. She also pioneered the making of catsup from
banana, extracting insecticide from tobacco dust, and making toyo from soy.

As a war heroine and humanitarian, Orosa devised a process of canning food for
the guerrillas. She was a captain in Marking’s Guerillas during WWII and supplied
food to soldiers, prisoners of war, internees, and religious communities in UST
and concentration camps.

Orosa died when she was hit twice by shrapnel during a bombing raid in Manila
on February 13, 1945. Orosa founded the Home Extension Service which taught
barrio housewives different ways to earn extra income and improve their
homemaking skills.

To honor this contribution, former President Carlos P. Garcia declared

November 29–Orosa’s birthday–as Home Extension Day.Florida Street in Ermita
was renamed after her.

Orosa was the first to produce and export frozen mangoes in the US during an
era when freezing was still relatively unknown. Dr. Kruze, a food technologist in
Berkeley, Orosa also invented the famous “Palayok-Oven,” a device specially
made for housewives who had no electricity.

She left behind more than 700 recipes which were results of her experiments.
7. Clemencia Lopez y Castelo

Also known as The first Filipina to visit the White House.

At the age of 26 and with no relatives to guide her, Clemencia Lopez y Castelo
went to the White House in the U.S. with one goal in mind: to appeal the case of
her brothers who were imprisoned in the Philippines for supporting the
revolution and refusing to pledge allegiance to the US.
Born in Balayan, Batangas to a prominent Lopez family, Clemencia knew from
the start that nationalism runs in their blood.
Clemencia traveled to the U.S. to meet with then-President Theodore Roosevelt
on behalf of her brothers
She made a speech before the Massachusetts Association for Women’s Suffrage
to uphold the woman’s right to vote as well as the desire of the Philippine
women to free their country from American colonization. She returned in the
Philippines in 1905.
Clemencia became a founding member of the Philippine Feminist Association, an
organization dedicated to the “promotion of social welfare and the
encouragement of the participation of women in public affairs.”
To pay tribute to her courage and accomplishments, the National Historical
Commission of the Philippines installed in February 2013 a historical marker in
the Lopez home in Batangas.

8.Nicolasa Dayrit Panlilio (1874-1945)

Also known as The Peacemaker of Pampanga.

Born to a wealthy family in San Fernando, Pampanga, she was more than a local
beauty.
Nicolasa wholeheartedly volunteered to care for the sick and wounded during
the Philippine-American War
Historians best remember her for helping end the rift between two famous
Filipino generals. Gen. Antonio Luna and Gen. Tomas Mascardo
Historians best remember her for helping end the rift between two famous
Filipino generals. Gen. Antonio Luna and Gen. Tomas Mascardo
Some historical accounts suggest that Nicolasa was among the women who
sewed the flag of the Pampanga Batallion during the Philippine Revolution of
1898.
She died on April 12, 1945, at the age of 71 due to heart failure.
9. Maria Carpena (1886-1915)

Also known as: “Nightingale of Zarzuela” and the first Filipino recording artist in
history.
She became the first Filipino recording artist in 1908. A native of Santa Rosa in
Laguna, Maria was born with a superb talent in singing.
Maria married a sales agent named Jose “Pepe” Alcantara. Sadly, in 1904, She
became a widow at only eighteen years old. She was left to take care of their
two kids, Florita and Jaime Alcantara.
Her biggest break happened in 1902 when she was chosen by Severino Reyes,
director of the Gran Comania de Zarzuela Tagala, for the lead role in Minda
Mora.
She went on to star in numerous plays including Walang Sugat, Lukso ng Dugo,
and La Confianza Mata al Hombre. After receiving an invitation from Governor
General Howard Taft to go to the US in 1908, She embarked on a journey that
would soon place her name in Philippine history. Accompanied by the Molina
Orchestra, she recorded “Ang Maya” and other songs for Victor Recording
Company, making her the first Filipino recording artist in hist.
Maria’s life was cut short when she died of health complications after
undergoing appendectomy on March 8, 1915.
Professor H. Otley Beyer, a renowned anthropologist, described Maria as a “real
nightingale” who would “sing at the Luneta to 20,000 people and her voice
would be heard clear through Manila Hotel.”

10. Gabriela Cariño Silang (1731– 1763)

Her full name is María Josefa Gabriela Cariño Silang considered as a National
Hero
Born March 19, 1731, and known as Gabriela Silang, is remembered as a fearless
warrior and a great leader of the people of the Philippines.
Silang was a fearless Ilocaña warrior who assumed her husband’s role as
commander of rebel troops after his assassination in 1763.
She rallied fighting forces (including the native Itneg people) to carry on the war
against Spain in their home province of Ilocos, launching guerrilla attacks against
Spanish garrisons — attacks that caused Spanish soldiers to fear her name.
Her brave legacy has persevered long past her death.
The memory of Gabriela’s actions has continued to guide women and men in the
struggle against imperialism.
 For her final battles at the liberation of Vigan, she led over 2,000 men to go
against an army of over 6,000 Spanish soldiers backed by a powerful artillery.
The battle proved unsuccessful for the General, so she and 80 remaining troops
retreated to unexplored regions of Abra, where they were eventually captured.
The Spanish made her witness the public executions of her men before publicly
hanging the General herself in September 1763
Despite the loss, Gabriela Silang is still recognized for her immense courage in
fighting for the independence of Ilocos.
Trivia: Gabriela Silang was widowed twice in her lifetime. At 20, she was forced
to marry a wealthy old man who passed away after three years. It was after his
death that she met Diego Silang, who was a mail carrier at the time.

11. Melchora Aquino (1812– 1919)

Also known as Tandang Sora National Hero. Born on January 6, 1812.

She married Fulgencio Ramos. Melchora Aquino was 84 years old when she
became involved with the Philippine revolution.
She largely contributed to the Katipunan and was nicknamed the Mother of
the Katipunan. Melchora Aquino de Ramos was a Filipina revolutionary who
became known as "Tandang Sora" because of her age during the Philippine
Revolution.
Bravely opened her home to help aid wounded Katipuneros.
Tandang Sora earned her nickname after taking care of Andres Bonifacio and
other Katipuneros in 1896, risking her life as she provided them with food
and nursed the wounded.
Her bravery was best displayed after she was arrested by Spanish authorities,
who subjected her to grueling interrogations in hopes that she would reveal
the location of the Katipunan hideout.
She refused to give in and was deported to Guam under the decree of
Governor General Ramon Blanco.
Trivia: Tandang Sora was the first Filipina to be featured on the Philippine
peso. Her portrait graced the ₱100 bill from the English series from 1951 to
1966.

12. Josefa Llanes Escoda (1898– 1945)

Born on 20 September 1898 in Dingras, Ilocos Norte. Josefa was born in Dingras,
Ilocos Norte as Josefa Llanes (y) Madamba
Escoda is one of the two women to appear on the current series of Philippine
peso notes.
 This honor does not go without merit, as she was a certified social worker,
suffragette, civic leader, and war heroine
She trained young women teachers from the public and private sector to
become Girl Scout leaders.
When World War II broke out, Escoda’s involvement in aiding prisoners of war
and stranded women and children led to her arrest, torture, and eventual
execution at the hands of the Japanese.
Trivia: As an active member of the suffrage movement of the Philippines, Josefa
Llanes Escoda was quoted as saying that “The modern woman is no longer the
wife that clings; she now helps the husband. The women’s demand for
independence is motivated by their desire to help their husbands in
governmental affairs which always required the moderation and wisdom of
women.”

13. Corazon Aquino 1933- 2009)

A politician and she was born January 25, 1933, in Tarlac, Philippines.
María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco Aquino
When Marcos unexpectedly called for elections in 1986, Corazon Aquino became
the unified opposition's presidential candidate. She took office after Marcos fled
the country, and served as president, with mixed results, until 1992
Filipino politician who served as the 11th President of the Philippines,
becoming the first woman to hold that office.
Corazon Aquino was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People Power
Revolution, which ended the 21-year rule of President Ferdinand Marcos.
She was named Time magazine's Woman of the Year in 1986. Prior to this, she
had not held any elective office.
She emerged as leader of the opposition after her husband was assassinated on
21 August 1983 upon returning to the Philippines from exile in the United States.
In late 1985, Marcos called for snap elections, and Aquino ran for president with
former senator Salvador Laurel as her running mate for vice president. After the
elections were held on 7 February 1986, the Batasang Pambansa proclaimed
Marcos and his running mate Arturo Tolentino as the winners; allegations were
made of electoral fraud, with Aquino calling for massive civil disobedience
actions.

14. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo(1947)

A politician and she was born on April 5, 1947, in San Juan in the Philippine
province of Rizal.
 Macapagal-Arroyo recalled, as quoted in The Power and the Glory: Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo and Her Presidency by Isabelo T. Crisostomo
1987, she was invited by President Corazon Aquino to join the government as
Assistant Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry.
She was promoted to Undersecretary two years later.
In her concurrent position as Executive Director of the Garments and Textile
Export Board, Arroyo oversaw the rapid growth of the garment industry in the
late 1980s.
Arroyo entered politics in the 1992 election, running for senator.
Arroyo ranked 13th in the elections, earning a three-year term. She was re-
elected in 1995, topping the senatorial election with nearly 16 million votes.
As a legislator, Arroyo filed over 400 bills and authored or sponsored 55 laws
during her tenure as senator, including the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law, the
Indigenous People's Rights Law, and the Export Development Act.The 1995
Mining Act, which allows 100% foreign ownership of Philippine mines, has come
under fire from left-wing political groups
Though the latter lost to popular former actor Joseph Estrada, Arroyo won the
vice presidency by a large margin, garnering more than twice the votes of her
closest opponent, Estrada's running mate Senator Edgardo Angara.Arroyo
began her term as Vice President on June 30, 1998
She was appointed by Estrada to a concurrent position in the cabinet as
Secretary of Social Welfare and Development.
Development.Arroyo resigned from the Cabinet in October 2000, distancing
herself from Estrada, who was accused of corruption by a former political
supporter, Chavit Singson, Governor from Ilocos Sur.
She had initially resisted pressure from allies to speak out against Estrada, but
eventually joined calls for Estrada's resignation.

15. Imelda Marcos (1929)

Born in the Philippines in 1929

Imelda Marcos eventually married politician Ferdinand Marcos in 1954.
She became the first lady of the Philippines in 1965.
Marcos herself was particularly scrutinized for her spending, which included a
huge shoe collection and investment in New York real estate. In 1986, she and
her husband fled the country. Marcos eventually returned home and was elected
to the national congress in both 1995 and 2010, with two of her children
entering politics as well.
16. Miriam Defensor-Santiago (1945)

15 June 1945 – 29 September 2016

A Filipino academic, lawyer, judge, author, and statesman, who served in all
three branches of the Philippine government: judicial, executive, and
legislative. She also worked at the United Nations while studying abroad
In 1988, Defensor Santiago was named laureate of the Ramon Magsaysay
Award for government service with a citation for bold and moral leadership
in cleaning up a graft-ridden government agency
She ran in the 1992 presidential elections but was controversially defeated.
In 2012, Defensor Santiago became the first Filipina and the first Asian from a
developing country to be elected a judge of the International Criminal Court.
She later resigned the post, citing chronic fatigue syndrome, which turned
out to be lung cancer.
On 13 October 2015, Defensor Santiago declared her candidacy for President
of the Philippines in the 2016 election after her doctors from the United
States declared her cancer 'stable' and 'receded', but lost in the election.
In 2016, she became part of the International Advisory Council of the
International Development Law Organization (IDLO), an intergovernmental
body that promotes the rule of law.
Defensor Santiago was known as the Dragon Lady, the Platinum Lady, the
Incorruptible Lady, the Tiger Lady, and most popularly, the Iron Lady of Asia
She is colloquially known in Philippine pop culture as simply Miriam or MDS.
She became a special assistant to the Secretary of Justice for ten years after
her higher studies abroad
At a young age, she became a legal officer to the United Nations afterwards
due to her constitutional and international law knowledge and experience.
Defensor Santiago served as Legal Officer of the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees at Geneva, Switzerland.
She was assigned to the Conferences and Treaties Section
Defensor Santiago was appointed judge of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of
Quezon City, Metro Manila by President Ferdinand Marcos
She was the youngest judge appointed to Metro Manila, and exempted from
the practice of first serving as a judge outside Metro Manila.
Defensor Santiago organized the People's Reform Party (PRP) and ran with a
senatorial ticket during the 1992 presidential campaign. Ramon Magsaysay
Jr was her running mate.