Graciano Lopez Jaena

Jaena was born in Jaro, Iloilo to Placido Lpez and Maria Jocaba Jaena. His parents were poor, as his mother was a
seamstress and his father a general repairman.
At the age of six, young Graciano was placed under the watch of Father Francisco Jayme.
At the age of 18 he had the audacity to write the story "Fray Botod" which depicted a fat priest.
He is remembered for his literary contributions to the propaganda movement. He founded the fortnightly newspaper, La
Solidaridad (Solidarity).
Ang La Solidaridad ang opisyal na pahayagan ng Kilusang Propaganda. Inilunsad ito noong 1889 at unang lumabas noong
ika-15 ng Pebrero 1889. Naglalaman ito ng mga isinulat ng mga propagandista o repormista sa pamamatnugot ni Graciano
Lopez Jaena hanggang Disyembre 15, 1889.
Ang sumunod na patnugot nito ay si Marcelo H. del Pilar na tumagal hanggang Nobyembre 15,1895. Ipinahayag ng
maraming Pilipino ang pagmamalabis ng mga Espanyol at Prayle sa Pilipinas sa kanilang mga lathalain sa pahayagan. At
upang itago ang kanilang tunay na katauhan ay nagsigamit ng ibat- ibang pangalan habang ginagawa ang pagtuligsa sa
kanila.
Lpez Jaena died of tuberculosis on January 20, 1896. His death was followed on July 4th by Marcelo H. del Pilar and on
December 30th of Jos Rizal by firing squad, thus ending the great triumvirate of propagandists. He died in poverty just shy
of his fortieth birthday and two and a half years before the declaration of independence from Spain by Emilio Aguinaldo.

Salud Algabre
A woman peasant leader of the Sakdal Movement of the 1930s.
Sakdal Uprising, also called Sakdalista Uprising, brief peasant rebellion in the agricultural area of central Luzon,
Philippines, on the night of May 23, 1935. Though quickly crushed, the revolt of the Sakdals (or Sakdalistas) warned of
Filipino peasant frustration with the oppressive land tenancy situation.
Born to a landed family in Cabuyao, Laguna, Algabre joined the Sakdal movement, a grassroots group in the 1930s that
pushed for full independence, the end of American rule as well as the equal distribution of land owned by the hacienderos.
As the only female member of the movement, she rose from the ranks to become the leader, earning her the moniker
of Henerala.
She actively participated during the groups two-day uprising that started on May 2, 1935, leading a group of men in
capturing municipal buildings and blockading roads.
However, authorities crushed the rebellion and arrested Algabre for her role. She was later released and stated that she
never regretted joining the movement with her husband and described it as the high point of our lives.
Decades later, she would be visited by various personalities across the country to seek her advice and wisdom, with one of
those visitors allegedly being Imelda Marcos.

Maria Rosa Henson (Lola Rosa)

Born in Pasay City on December 05, 1927.
In 1992, The Task Force on Filipino Comfort Women went on nationwide radio, calling for testimonies on the alleged sexual
enslavement of Filipino women by Japanese soldiers during the second World War. One came forward, the first to do so.
Her name was Maria Rosa Luna Henson. Then already 65 years old, she gave face and form to a terrible war crime that until
then had only been whispered about.
When war was declared on December 05, 1941, Rosa was 14 years old. Her mothers family all fled to Bulacan to escape
the Japanese troops landing in Manila. While gathering wood, Rosa was snatched by three Japanese soldiers and raped.
She survived the incident because a farmer brought her home to recover.
Two years after, an even more unfortunate incident happened to Rosa while she was passing a Japanese checkpoint with
members of the guerrilla movement. Afraid that the ammunition hidden in the sacks of grain would be discovered, Rosa
silently went to the checkpoint guard who by that time waved to her companions to proceed. Rosa was captured and
become a comfort woman for nine harrowing months.
Violence and humiliation were everyday occurrences in the garrison for comfort women. Not even captivity nor bouts of
malaria dampened the spirits of Rosa to survive, more so to help the resistance against the Japanese.
Overhearing Japanese soldiers planning to burnt her town to flush out members and supporters of HUKBALAHAP, Rosa
risked her life to inform a passing villager so when the Japanese arrived at the village there was not a single soul in the
village. The officer readily suspected Rosa who was in the same room during the planning. She was tied and beaten
senselessly. When the Japanese Imperial Army withdrew its troops in the Philippines, Rosa was freed from the garrison and
only regained consciousness after two months.
After a remarkable recovery at the age of 18, Rosa met Domingo who later became her husband and father to two
daughters. One day Domingo just disappeared without a word. It was not until nearly a year when she discovered her
husband's location, he had joined an armed group fighting the governments army for land redistribution. Coming out in
public as a comfort woman was a most courageous thing to do. In April 1993, along with other surviving comfort women
from the Philippines and other countries, she filed a lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court demanding compensation from the
Japanese government. During the visit of the Japanese Prime Minister to the Philippines in 1994, Tomiichi Murayama
brought out the idea of a Womens Centre as a form of compensation. Until now, the Japanese government insist that
compensation was already given in the form of reparations to the Philippines government after World War II.

Marcela Mario de Agoncillo

June 24, 1860, Taal, Batangas- May 30, 1946, Manila, Spouse: Felipe Agoncillo
She was a Filipina renowned in Philippine history as the principal seamstress of the first and official flag of the
Philippines, gaining her the title of Mother of the Philippine Flag.
When her husband was exiled to Hong Kong during the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution, Agoncillo and the rest of the
family joined him and temporarily resided there to avoid the anti-Filipino hostility of some foreign countries. While in Hong
Kong, General Emilio Aguinaldo requested her to sew a flag that would represent their country. Agoncillo, her eldest
daughter and a friend manually sewed the flag in accordance with General Aguinaldo's design which later became the
official flag of the Philippines.
After the signing of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato on December 14, 1897, General Aguinaldo, after their voluntary exile, visited
the Agoncillo residence in Hong Kong. After having met them, Aguinaldo requested that Agoncillo immediately hand-sew a
flag according to his design which would embody the national aspirations of all Filipinos. After receiving the request,
Agoncillo delegated her eldest daughter, five-year-old Lorenza Agoncillo, and Mrs.Delfina Herbosa de Natividad, Jose Rizal's
niece by his sister Lucia, to help her.
The process took only a short time, but it was difficult. The three worked manually and with the aid of a sewing machine.
They had to redo the flag after the rays of the sun were not in the proper direction. Their eyes and hands suffered due to
the prolonged work session. Made from fine silk which she bought in Hong Kong, the flag was embroidered in gold and
contained stripes of blue and red and a white triangle with the sun and three stars on it. The flag was finished in five
days and became known as "the sun and the stars flag".
The design of the flagtwo solid fields, one blue and one red, held together by an equilateral white triangle with an eight-
rayed sun and three starswas created under the direction of Emilio Aguinaldo and the Junta. It embodied the ideals and
aspirations of the new Filipino nation.
The white triangle represented the emblem of the Katipunan; the three stars the principal islands of the archipelago-Luzon,
Mindanao and Panay; the sun the gigantic stridesmade by the sons of this land in the road to progress and civilization;
the suns eight rays the first eight provinces placed under martial law by Spain because of the insurrection-Batangas,
Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Morong (Rizal), Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Tarlac.
On May 17, 1898, the flag was delivered personally by Agoncillo and was packed among the things Aguinaldo brought back
to Manila. This was the flag that was hoisted from the window of Aguinaldo's house in Kawit, Cavite, during the
proclamation of Philippine independence on June 12, 1898 accompanied by the Philippine National Anthem Marcha
Filipina. However, she did not witness either this first public display of the flag or the time when the flag was unfurled
during the Malolos Congress because her husband remained in Hong Kong and she remained with him.

MARINA DIZON- SANTIAGO (1875-1950)

Heroine of the Philippine Revolution and one of the first women initiated into the Katipunan, she was born on July 18, 1875
to Jose Dizon, one of the thirteen revolutionary martyrs of Cavite. She was also a cousin of Emilio Jacinto. Having lost her
mother when she was barely eight months old, her aunt Josefa Dizon, Emilio Jacinto's mother, took care of her. Under such
a family atmosphere, her patriotism and nationalism easily came to the fore.
She studied music, painting, and modelling and became an accomplished singer and declaimer.
She was also a guitarist and violinist of the Trozo Comparsa Band. She wanted to be a teacher but her father frowned on
the idea. One night in 1893, she was accompanied by Emilio Jacinto to the house of Don Restituto Javier. There in the
presence of Gregoria de Jesus, the young wife of Bonifacio, Josefa and Trinidad Rizal and their nieces, Angelica Lopez and
Delfina Herbosa, Marina was initiated into the Katipunan.
A very active member of the organization, Marina presided initiation rites for women, kept the records, and acquainted
new members with the constitution and teachings of the Katipunan. She always reminded the members: "Be cheerful at all
times; do not show of impending rebellion. Be prepared to be orphans and widows someday. Be brave and carry on"
In 1896 her father was executed in Cavite, and in August of same year, her husband Jose Turiano was arrested and
imprisoned. To avoid having the records of the Katipunan fall to the hands of the authorities, she burned them. She sold
her valuables to raise money bribe the guards in order to let her visit her husband in jail.
She been on temporary peace when, on September 11, 1897, her husband was released. The American occupation in 1899
forced Marina and her husband to transfer residence to Meycauayan, Bulacan. They moved to Tarlac when the hostilities
ended. There she left Jose with Dr. Marcelino de los Santos and proceeded to Bamban. Jose slipped unnoticed to Manila
where he found work as an accountant. But he was suspected as a revolucionario and an order for his capture was issued
by the Americans. He avoided arrest by fleeing to Hongkong. He and Marina, however, were reconciled when he came back
later to the Philippines. Marina Dizon was widowed during the Second World War. In the twilight years of her life, she lived
with her unmarried daughter in Caloocan. She passed away on October 25, 1950.

SIMEONA PUNSALAN- TAPANG(1923)

The Last -living woman HUK commander. She Honored for her contribution to attaining social justice for farmers.
(Pablo- Her husband, a Huk who was killed in 1949.)
Tapangs first husband, a Huk fighter, died in an encounter. She remarried but her second husband, also a Huk fighter, also
died in battle.
She never remarried and chose to raise her only child, Ligaya, now 66, alone.
In her younger days, she was known as Commander Guerrero who fought for social justice with the Hukbalahap guerrilla
army.
She is regarded as the last-living highly-ranked female huk veteran, having fought the japanese in central luzon during
world war II when she was just a young adult.
Tapang was an organizer for Katipunang Pambansa ng mga Magsasaka sa Pilipinas before World War II. After being
imprisoned by the Japanese, she joined Apalit Squadron 104, one of the groups strongest squadrons.
As part of the HUKBALAHAP (Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon), an anti-Japanese army founded in Central Luzon, Simeona
Punsalan-Tapang is described by the HUKs Chief Commander Luis Taruc as a big-bodied woman with a mans strength.
After the war, Tapang joined the communist-led army Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan, becoming part of the Central Luzon
regional command because she wanted to continue fighting for the farmers.. She was assigned to the Central Luzon
Regional Command as an inspector in Bataan.
The contribution and efforts made by veteran Tapang for our country is incomparable and is fully recognized by the
Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO).
Her self-sacrificing attitude and noble intentions for our country deserve to be awarded with medals and honors. As such,
PVAO presented her with certificate recognition and World War II medal that symbolizes the valiant efforts made by
veteran Tapang to proclaim freedom in our homeland.

Melchora Aquino (Tandang Sora)

January 6, 1812- March 2, 1919 (107 y/o), Daughter of Juan and Valentina Aquino
She never attended school however, she was apparently literate at an early age and talented as a singer and performed at
local events as well as at Mass for her Church. She was also often chosen for the role of Reyna Elena during the Santacruzan
Later in life, she married Fulgencio Ramos, a cabeza de barrio (village chief), and bore six children (Juan, Simon, Estefania,
Saturnino, Romualdo, and Juana). Ramos died when their youngest child was seven and she was left as a single parent for
their children. Aquino continued her life as an hermana mayor active in celebrating fiestas, baptisms and weddings.
In her native town, Tandang Sora operated a store, which became a refuge for the sick and wounded revolutionaries.
Secret meetings of the Katipuneros (revolutionaries) were also held at her house.
Thus she earned the names "Grand Woman of the revolution", "Mother of Balintawak", "Mother of the Katipunan",
"Mother of the Philippine Revolution", and Tandang Sora (Tandang is derived from the Tagalog word matand, which
means old). She and her son, Juan Ramos, were present in the Cry of Balintawak and were witnesses to the tearing up of
the cedulas. When the Spaniards learned about her activities and her knowledge to the where about of the Katipuneros,
she was interrogated but she refused to divulge any information. She was then arrested by the guardia civil and was
deported to Guam, Marianas Islands. After the United States took control of the Philippines in 1898, Tandang Sora, like
other exiles, returned to Philippines until her death on March 2, 1919, at the age of 107. Her remains were then transferred
to her own backyard (now known as Himlayang Pilipino Memorial Park, Quezon City).

Captain Nieves Fernandez

The only known Filipino female guerilla leader and formerly a school teacher, shows US Army Pvt. Andrew Lupiba how she
used her long knife to silently kill Japanese soldiers during the Japanese occupation of Leyte Island. Image taken by Stanley
Troutman, 7 November 1944, Mabuhay Las Pias, Leyte Island, Philippines.
Captain Nieves Fernandez was the only known Filipino female guerrilla leader. Working with guerrillas south of Tacloban,
Miss Fernandez rounded up native men to resist the Japanese. She commanded 110 native who killed more than 200
Japanese with knifes and shotguns made from sections of gas pipe. The Japanese offered 10.000 pesos for her head. She
was wounded once. There is a bullet scar on her right forearm.
Because of its availability, the bolo became a common choice of improvised weaponry to the everyday peasant, especially
during the Japanese occupation. There is a rich tribal history in Filipino culture of beheading enemies and doing rituals with
their head
In the Northern province of Luzon, headhunter warriors are tattooed to represent their successful enemy headhunts. This
headhunting still went on during WWII, instead of using guns Filipino warriors would hide in the forests and ambush the
Japanese. They would bring back their heads to their tribe and do a black magic ceremony with it.
The technique she is showing is cutting a carotid artery and the internal jugular, which leads to the brain. The trick is to stab
sharply into that soft spot directly behind/below the ear lobe. Once you push the blade in about two inches you give a
sharp, upward thrust while twisting the blade ninety degrees. This operation causes the knife to enter the base of the
victims brain, causing instant unconsciousness. And the twisting of the blade somehow causes the victim to suck in air so
screaming is impossible. If performed correctly, the only sound the victim will make is that of the physical struggle. And
that is taken care of from the start because of the way you attack from behind.

Mara Josefa Gabriela Cario Silang

born on March 19, 1731 in Barangay Caniogan, Santa, Ilocos Sur.
The Joan of Arc of Ilocandia and Henerala
She successfully led her men through their first battle in her hometown, Santa. Gabriela and her troops descended on
Vigan on September 10, 1763 then took lead on several attacks against Spanish forces. On September 20, 1763, Silang and
her troops were executed by hanging in Vigan's central plaza.

Josefa Llanes escoda SPIRITUAL LEADER OF THE UNDERGROUND during World War II in The Philippines.
She was the eldest of the seven children of Mercedes Madamba and Gabriel Llanes
She went to Philippine Normal School in Manila to earn her teaching degree, and graduated with honors in 1919.
While working as a teacher, she earned a high school teachers certificate from the University of the Philippines in 1922. She
became a social worker for the Philippine Chapter of the American Red Cross (the Philippines was a colony of the United
States at the time). The Red Cross granted her scholarship to the United States, where she earned a masteral degree
in Sociology.
During her first trip to the United States, while she was at the Women's International League for Peace (1925)
She met Antonio Escoda, a reporter from the Philippine Press Bureau whom she later married. They had two children:
Maria Theresa (who later became President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines during Pres.Corazon Aquino's
Administration); and Antonio, Jr. Also in 1925,
Josefa received a Master's Degree in Social Work from Columbia University. She returned to the United States again in 1933
to undergo training in Girl Scouting sponsored by the Boy Scouts of the Philippines
She returned to the Philippines to train young women to become Girl Scout leaders, then proceeded to organize the Girl
Scouts of the Philippines. On 26 May 1940, President Manuel L. Quezon signed the charter of the Girl Scouts of the
Philippines. Josefa became the group's first National Executive.
By 1944, news of the underground activities of Josefa Llanes Escoda and her husband Antonio reached far and wide. As the
Japanese Occupation stretched on, Josefa Llanes Escoda and Antonio had intensified their "smuggling" activities of sending
medicines, clothings, messages, and foodstuff to both Filipino war prisoners and American internees in concentration
camps.
Antonio was arrested in June 1944, and Josefa was also arrested two months later, on 27 August. She was imprisoned
in Fort Santiago, the same prison as her husband, Antonio Escoda, who was executed in 1944, along with General Vicente
Lim, who was imprisoned with him.
On 6 January 1945, Josefa was then evidently taken and held in one of the buildings of Far Eastern University occupied by
the Japanese. She was last seen alive on 6 January 1945, but severely beaten and weak, and was transferred into a
Japanese Transport Truck.
It is presumed that she was executed and buried in an unmarked grave, either in the La Loma Cemetery or Manila Chinese
Cemetery, which Japanese forces used as execution and burial grounds for thousands of Filipinos who resisted the
Japanese occupation.
Towards 1945, Japanese atrocities escalated. An order from the High Command directed soldiers to execute all non-
Japanese in Fort Santiago (where the Escodas were imprisoned). There was whole-sale massacre all around. The soldiers
bayoneted, machine-gunned and shot civilians. They threw grenades at them, burned their houses and mutilated them.
Fort Santiago prisoners were executed and beheaded.

Gliceria Marella Villavicencio

She was born on May 13, 1852 in Taal, Batangas. She was the third child of seven children and the daughter of Vicente
Marella and Gertrudis Legaspi. They were a wealthy family. At the age of 12 she attended the Santa Catalina College in
Intramuros. When Gliceria's elder sister died, she had to take on the responsibility of managing the family estate.
In October 1871, Gliceria married Eulalio Villavicencio, a wealthy ship owner, who also came from a rich family. Together,
Eulalio and Gliceria contributed a large portion of their fortune and effort to reinforce the Philippine Revolution.
Casa villavicencio, a house on the hill top, was gifted to her as a wedding gift by her husband.
She used up many of her wealth to extend material aid to the insurrectos.
Out of the many she had given, the most notable was the donation of her Ship, the SS Bulusan, which was used in
transporting Filipino soldiers, armaments, ammunition, and food supplies for the maintenance of the revolutionary forces.
It was the first warship made available to the revolutionaries.
She was a founder of the Batalion Malaya, gave financial and moral support to the revolutionaries and continually provided
food, clothing and ammunition to the soldiers. Her house became the secret meeting place of revolutionary leaders
including Andres Bonifacio, General Miguel Malvar and General Marasigan.
The Revolutionary government named her Madrina-General de las Fuerzas Revolucionarios (Matriarch-General of the
Revolutionary Forces) on the same day that the Philippine Republic was proclaimed on June 12, 1898 "in recognition of the
valuable services and her effective monetary aid to the Revolutionist army."
Gliceria's patriotism is best appreciated by remembering that she was of the ilustrado class, prone to acts of cowardice and
collaboration with enemies of national freedom. As an ilustrado however, Gliceria was an enlightened one. Knowing she
had everything to lose in supporting and joining the revolutionaries, she still embarked on her patriotic task with quiet
enthusiasm, courage and fortitude.

Andres Bonifacio
The Great Plebeian The Father of Philippine Revolution Father of Katipunan
He was born on November 30, 1863 in Tondo, Manila. His father Santiago was a tailor, a local politician and a boatman who
operated a river-ferry; his mother, Catalina de Castro, was employed in a cigarette-rolling factory.
A self-educated man through reading books. Aside from Tagalog and Spanish, he could speak and understand English,
which he learned while working at J.M. Fleming and Co. In 1892 Bonifacio was one of the founding members of Rizal's La
Liga Filipina.
On July 7, 1892, the day after Rizal's deportation was announced, Bonifacio and others founded the Highest and Most
Respected Society of the Country's Children.
On May 3, 1896, Bonifacio held a general assembly of Katipunan leaders in Pasig, where they debated when to start the
revolution. Santiago Alvarez and Emilio Aguinaldo both of Cavite, disagreed due to lack of firearms.
Finally out in the open, the revolution was marked by the tearing of cedulas in Caloocan. ("Cry of Balintawak" or "Cry of
Pugad Lawin)
Rival Factions: the Magdalo, headed by Emilio Aguinaldo's cousin Baldomero Aguinaldo, and the Magdiwang, headed by
Mariano lvarez, uncle of Bonifacio's wife. Bonifacio did not deserve the title of Supremo since only God was supreme.
In April 1897, a note comes to Aguinaldo from Gen. Severino de las Alas. It comes from the village of Indang. Aguinaldo
orders the arrest of Bonifacio. Bonzn and Paua attacked Bonifacio's camp. Bonifacio and Procopio stood trial on charges of
treason against Aguinaldo's government and conspiracy to murder Aguinaldo. The Bonifacio brothers were found guilty
despite insufficient evidence and recommended to be executed. The Bonifacio brothers were executed on May 10, 1897 in
the mountains of Maragondon. Both were shot to death. Bonifacio attempted to escape after his brother was shot, but he
was also killed while running away after his brother was shot, Bonifacio was stabbed and hacked to death.
Lapu-lapu: The First Filipino Hero
He was a ruler of Mactan, an island in the Visayas, Philippines, who is known as the first native of the archipelago to have
resisted Spanish colonization
Legend has it that he was a skilled horseman by age six and could read and write by age seven. By age eighteen, he was a
champion swimmer and diver, and a champion boxer and wrestler. By the time Magellan set sail for the
Moluccas,Kolipolako was known as Kaliph Pulaka or Lapulapu.He had become the ruler or king of his people, one of several
tribes peacefully sharing the island of Mactan.
According to oral tradition, his parents were Kusgano and Inday Puti, He had an older brother, Mingming. It was said that
the term Mactan derived from the name of his grandmother, Matang Mantaunas, who was a powerful queen during his
times. Lapu-Lapu was a most honored Bagani, a traditional term of warrior. He was known for his courage and skill in
warfare. He was married to a beautiful princess, Bulakna, daughter of Datu Sabtano, and bore a son named Sawili who
grew up as a brave warrior like his father.
He was regarded as the first Filipino hero because he was the first to resist the Spanish's entry in the Philippine island in
Visayas area. He refused to acknowledge the King of Spain and be converted in Christianity

JESSE ROBREDO (May 27, 1958 August 18, 2012)

He was born on May 27, 1958 in Naga City to Jose Chan-Robredo, Sr. (19232015) and Marcelina Manalastas-Robredo
(19272013). He was the third of siblings: he had a brother, Jose "Butch" Robredo Jr., a businessman; and three sisters:
Dra. Jocelyn Robredo-Austria, who lives in the USA; Jenny Robredo-Tang; and Penny Robredo-Bundoc.
1986 Robredo returned to Naga City, where he became Program Director of the Bicol River Basin Development Program, an
agency tasked to undertake integrated area development planning in the three provinces of the Bicol region.
He was elected as Mayor of Naga City at the age of 29 on 1988. His three terms as mayor ended on June 30, 1998
2001, he was elected again as Mayor of Naga City and finished his second three terms on June 30, 2010.
For 19 years, Robredo was able to transform Naga City from being dull and lethargic to being one of the "Most Improved
Cities in Asia," as cited by Asiaweek Magazine in 1999.
In recognition of his skills and competence as a leader and development manager, Robredo was elected President of the
League of Cities of the Philippines, the national association of city mayors on 1995.
Robredo also chairs the Metro Naga Development Council. He served as chairman of the Regional Development Council,
the regional planning and coordinating body of Bicol's six provinces and seven cities, from 1992 to 1998.
Benigno Aquino III was Secretary of Interior and Local Government, until Aquino named Robredo to succeed him. At least
two politicians from Bicol, Luis Ortega and Luis Villafuerte, Sr. expressed opposition to Robredo's confirmation by the
Commission on Appointments of which Villafuerte himself was a member. In March 2012, the Commission on
Appointments bypassed Robredo's nomination.His nomination was bypassed again in June 2012. Another confirmation
hearing had reportedly been set on August 29, 2012, eleven days after Robredo's sudden death.
On August 18, 2012, he boarded a Piper PA-34 Seneca in Cebu City to fly to Naga City, however the airplane's pilots decided
to make an emergency landing at the Moises R. Espinosa Airport in Masbate City due to engine failure. The aircraft carrying
Secretary Robredo along with his aide, Police Chief Inspector June Paolo Abrazado crashed off the shore of Masbate Island.
His aide survived the crash. Search and recovery operations were conducted by Philippine Coast Guard/ Philippine Coast
Guard Auxiliary, Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force and the local government of Masbate, with assistance from a number
of foreign technical divers. Robredo's body was found at 8:15 am, Tuesday, August 21, 2012 (PHT). The news was
confirmed by DOTC Secretary Mar Roxas. He said the body was found 800 meters (2,600 feet) off Masbate at 54 metres
(177 feet) deep. Robredo died leaving his wife, lawyer Maria Leonor Gerona Robredo, and three daughters.
Dangal ng Bayan Award by the Civil Service Commission, 1990
Ramon Magsaysay Award, 2000
Philippine Legion of Honor, Chief Commander (posthumous), 2012
Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award (posthumous) by the Civil Service Commission , 2012
Quezon Service cross (posthumous), 2012

Emmanuel MANNY Dapidran Pacquiao

He is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion, in which he has won ten
world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes.
Fighter of the Decade by BWAA and Fighter of the Year by WBO
Pacquiao was born in December 17, 1978 in Kibawe Bukidnon, Philippines . He is the son of Rosalio Pacquiao and Dionesia
Dapidran Pacquiao. His parents separated when he was in sixth grade after his mother discovered that his father was
living with another woman. He is the fourth among six siblings: Liza Silvestre-Onding & Domingo Silvestre (from first
husband of his mother) and Isidra Pacquiao-Paglinawan, Alberto Bobby Pacquiao & Rogelio Pacquiao.
Manny completed his elementary education in General Santos City and dropped out of high school due to poverty and left
home at 14 years of age.
One day in 1990, watching television, he saw the invincible Mike Tyson fall to James "Buster" Douglas, and fell in love with
boxing.
Pacquiao started his professional boxing career in 1995 at 106 pounds at the age of 16. His early fights usually took place in
small venues and were shown on Vintage Sports Blow by Blow evening boxing show (hosted by John Ray Betita). His first
professional fight was a four-round bout against Edmund Ignacio on January 22, 1995, which Pacquiao won via decision,
thus becoming an instant star of the program.
Pacquiao has a record of 45 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws, with 35 wins coming by way of knockout.
Pacquiao lost his first bid for congress in the town where he grew up, General Santos City, in 2007. Team Pacquiao railed at
his opponent, incumbent Darlene Antonino-Custodio. She trounced the boxer by a large margin.
It is the first time that a Filipino has been considered the best at a major sport around the world. For a community with a
large number of its young generation still looking for their identity, it has given many of them a figure that they can identify
with and help them become proud of being Filipino.
Pacquaios story of rags to riches gives inspiration to a country whose majority of its citizens are in poverty.
His story is a constant reminder to Filipinos that they control their own destiny no matter what their current status in life is.
He has given them a glimpse of what their nation could be and should be. In a country stricken with poverty, political
instability, and violence, as long as Pacquiao is in the ring, the Philippines become a nation united.

Eugenia Eggie Duran Apostol

Apostol was born on September 29, 1925, the second child and second daughter among eight children of Fernando
Ballesteros Duran, a doctor and member of the National Assembly, and Vicenta Obsum.
She married Jose "Peping" Apostol on February 18, 1950.
Apostol attended Holy Ghost College (now College of the Holy Spirit), where she finished elementary school as a
valedictorian in 1938.
She graduated magna cum laude at the University of Santo Tomas with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Letters in 1949.
She wrote a column for Commonwealth, a national Catholic weekly and copy for Philippine Manufacturing Company (now
Procter & Gamble).
1. THE SENTINEL
In 1950, Apostol became women's section editor of The Sentinel, a national news weekly, which succeeded Commonweal in
1949 as a publication of the Archdiocese of Manila.
2. Sunday Times Magazine
In 1954, Apostol became women's section editor and associate editor of Sunday Times Magazine, the supplement of the
country's leading daily, The Manila Times.
3. Manila Chronicle
In 1964, Apostol moved to the Manila Chronicle as editor of its new Sunday supplement Woman and Home. Woman and
Home was phased out in 1969 but Apostol stayed on with the Chronicle as editor of its expanded Better Living section.
4. Woman's Home Companion
Apostol became editor of the Woman's Home Companion, the first Martial Law women's magazine in the Philippines.
5. Mr & Ms Magazine
Apostol quit Woman's Home Companion in 1975 to launch Mr & Ms Magazine. Amongst her shareholders was Christina
Ponce Enrile wife of the Defence Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile. The magazine struggled for some years before it broke even
due, Apostol says, to a crowded women's magazine market.
6. Philippine Inquirer (weekly)
Apostol launched the Philippine Inquirer, a tabloid-size weekly, on February 4, 1985 with herself as publisher and editor-in-
chief and a staff of only two writers - JP Fenix and Candy Quimpo (now Candy Gourlay)
Foundation for Worldwide People Power
On January 9, 1996 Apostol founded the Foundation for Worldwide People Power, with the aim to improve facilities and
teaching in Philippine public schools.
Recognitions: Time Magazine Sixty Years Of Asian Heroes and Ramon Magsaysay Award

Gerardo Valeriano Ortega Doc Gerry

Anti-Mining Advocacy in Palawan
A Filipino journalist, veterinarian, politician, environmental activist, and community organizer.
Doc Gerry was born on August 28, 1963, the son of Rafael Totoy" Ortega, who was the Municipal Mayor of Aborlan, in the
island province of Palawan
He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Gregorio Araneta University Foundation near Manila. In 1988
he married Patria Gloria "Patty" Innocencio in a church wedding in Bulacan.
They later had five children. The eldest, Mika Ortega, worked as an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC)
Officer of ABS-CBN Foundation's Kapit Bisig para sa Ilog Pasig
Ortega was a devout Roman Catholic and was one of the local leaders of the Catholic group, Couples for Christ, in Palawan.
1988- he began working as the director of Crocodile Farming Institute (Palawan Wildlife Resource and Rehabilitation
Center) in Irawan, Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
2001- he resigned at CFI and run for a position of Provincial Board of Palawan. He became the foremost critic of Gov. Mario
Jose Reyes. He won as governor of Palawan (2001). He became the project director of Bantay Kalikasan Palawan (2004)
Ortega also began serving as an anchor/commentator in a number of radio stations in Palawan, allowing him to promote
his environmental advocacy and continue his anti-corruption campaign (2004-2011).
By late 2009- Ortega had begun regularly receiving death threats because of the hard-hitting nature of his radio programs,
at one point prompting the family to get a bodyguard for him.
In January 24, 2011, Ortega, together with Bantay Kalikasan decided to launch a broad campaign against mining in Palawan,
in response to the approval of large scale mining by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development(PCSD) the month
before.
Ortega was getting ready to travel to Manila for the launching of the Ten Million Signatures Campaign for the banning of
mining operations in the province of Palawan when he was assassinated.
He has often been lauded as a hero of the Philippine Environment since he was assassinated on January 24, 2011, allegedly
due to his anti-mining advocacy.

Lorena Baros
Maria Lorena Morelos Barros was born on March 18, 1948. Her father Romeo Barros was an Ilokano fisherman while
her mother Alicia Morelos had different odd jobs as a cigarette and fruit vendor, secretary of the family corporation
and an assistant to the owner of a movie house. Lorena grew up with her mother and her aunts. Her family was not
well-off; however, they valued education and proper manners.
Maria Lorena Barros founded the Malayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan (Free Movement of New Women) or
MAKIBAKA, a militant womens organization shortly before the Martial Law. When Martial Law was declared, she
went underground, was later captured and was a top political prisoner. She escaped to the countryside as a guerrilla
fighter and was killed during a military ambush at 28 years old.
In an underground ceremony in 1970, Lorena married Felix Rivera, a member of the KM and a top graduate of
the Arellano High School, where he was editor-in-chief of the school paper. He was also a former Political Science
Student at the University of the Philippines. However, Felix was killed in 1971 in San Agustin, Isabela as a guerilla
fighter of the New Peoples Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Even if saddened
by the death of her husband, she tried to control her feelings and channeled it towards her poetry, particularly in the
poem Sampaguita.
In April 1970, MAKIBAKA or the Malayang Samahan ng Bagong Kababaihan (Free Movement of New Women) was
established, with Lorena as the founding chair. Prior to MAKIBAKA, both the Kabataang Makabayan or KM (Nationalist
Youthanother anti-imperialist and national democratic youth organization) and the SDK had a womens bureau,
namely the SDK-WOC (Womens Organization Committee) and the KM Womens desk. Initially, the need for
establishing a womens organization separate from the SDK and the KM was questioned, saying that such an
organization would divide the ranks. However, Lorena clarified the ideological line, saying that a womans
organization would specifically address the womens issues in a semi-feudal, semi-colonial and patriarchal Philippine
society.

GEN. JOSE IGNACIO PAUA ( A Chinese General in the Philippine Revolution)

Gen. Jose Ignacio Pauas Chinese name is Hou Yabao
He was born on April 29, 1872 in Lao-na, Fujian province in China.
In 1890 he migrated to the Philippines with his uncle at the age of 18, supposedly to seek greener pastures.
He apprenticed as blacksmith in Jaboneros street in Binondo, Manila until he became an expert and earned a
reputation in producing weapons, ammunition and repairing firearms seized by the revolutionaries from the
Spaniards.
His knowledge in martial arts and experience as gunsmith were an asset to the revolution, which led him to be
introduced to Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo by his patron and best friend Gen. Pantaleon Garcia.
He recruited his fellow Chinese blacksmiths and in two days set up the official Katipunan arsenal, where they
produced indigenous bamboo cannons, refilled empty bullet cartridges with homemade gunpowder, produced
paltik revolvers and modified broken rifles.
Pauas first war exploit was during the Battle of Binakayan on Nov. 10, 1896 when he fought Spanish troops in hand-
to-hand combat.
Among the casualties in that fierce Spanish offensive was Col. Candido Tirona. Two days later, Paua earned himself a
spot promotion from lieutenant to captain of the infantry.
He also figured in several succeeding battles in Imus, Dasmarias, Zapote and made a good account of himself.
His life was even made into a movie by Larry Santiago Productions in the fifties.
As a notable representation of the Chinese contribution to the Philippine Revolution, Paua was responsible for
building a munitions factory in Imus, Cavite, raising from among his fellow Chinese 400,000 Mexican dollars much
needed by the depleted revolutionary coffers, and personally risking his life in leading his men in the actual
battlefield.

Gang Tianco Badoy Capati

She was born the youngest of ten children born to Justice Anacleto Badoy and English Literature Teacher Pura Tianco.
She went to St. Scholastica's College, Manila for grade school, and then to Assumption College for her secondary
education.
She wanted to take Education and/or Industrial Engineering at the University of the Philippines Diliman, but ended up
studying Art History there. Badoy was a member of the Philippine Youth Team of Volleyball as well as the University
of the Philippines Volleyball Varsity.
She is a Filipina public intellectual, radio and television host, feature writer, businesswoman, and educator. She is best
known for founding RockEd Philippines.
Achievement
In July 2005, Rock Ed Philippines was born, conceived by Badoy as a 10 - year program to rock society through
alternative education with the help of celebrities, musicians, poets, artists, entrepreneurs, writers, et al.", and
directing the passions of the youth towards seeing the Philippines meet the UN vision of development as expressed in
the Millennium Development Goals.
The early, awareness-building stages of the program focused on bringing the youth together through music. At the
center of the effort was Rock Ed Radio, a weekly radio program on NU 107, anchored by Badoy and by poet Lourd de
Veyra. (The show later moved briefly to another station, Jam 88.3, and then it returned to NU 107 until its last
broadcast on November 4, 2010.) Rock Ed also put up awareness-building concerts, including some in unusual public
places, such as "Rock the Rehas," held at the New Bilibid Prison, and "Rock the Riles," held at a MRT-3 station.
Awards and Citations Received
Gang Badoy was recognized for her work in RockEd through The Outstanding Women in the Nations Service
(TOWNS) award for that 2010. The Philippine President Benigno Aquino III presented it to her at the Malacaan
Palace on November 5, 2010.
Gang has not only achieved awards but also has achieved several honors from famous online names such as Yahoo!
Philippines as one of the 12 Women Who Make a Difference through their Advocacies and have captured famous
magazines and newspapers such as Esquire Magazine & Philippine Star for a full article.
On December 13, 2010, Badoy was also honored as one of the Philippines' Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in an
awarding ceremony, also held in Malacaang Palace.

Antonio Meloto Tito Tony

He also known as the Chairman and Founder of Gawad Kalinga(GK)
in 1985, he became an active member of Couples for Christ (CFC), he became a leader and set up the CFC Family
Ministries in 1993.
during at that time that he was assigned as the country Coordinator for Australia, he felt the need to start the work
with the poor.
Bagong Silang, Caloocan City- he initiated a youth development program for gang members and juvenile deliquents.
In 1999, the first Gawad Kalinga house was built by Tony and members of his Couples for Christ Community.
From this first Gawad Kalinga Community of 2,000 homes in 18 villages in Bagong Silang, Gawad Kalinga has grown
into 21,759 homes GK Villages throughout the Philippines and countries including Papua New Guinea, Cambodia and
Indonesia.
June 12, 2009, he launched his book Builder of Dreams during the opening ceremony of Gawad Kalingas annual
global summit in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
GK hopes to end poverty for the 5 million of the countrys poorest families and envisions that by 2024, the Philippines
would be slum and squatter-free.