THE WOMEN

Gregoria “Oriang” de Jesus

Gregoria “Oriang” de Jesus (09 May 1875-15 March 1943) helped organize, grow and mobilize the the revolutionary secret society known as the Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan together with her husband, the great hero Andres Bonifacio. Known as Lakambini, Oriang was deeply involved in the revolutionary war from around the time of the Katipunan’s founding in 1892 until the open uprising of 1896 and beyond. The Katipunan threw off the yoke of Spanish colonialism and gave birth by 1899 to Asia’s first, though short-lived, Republic which, shortly after, was crushed by the boot of US imperialism. Wrote Oriang, “I had no fear of facing danger, not even death itself, whenever I accompanied the soldiers in the battle, impelled as I was then by no other desire than to see unfurled the flag of an independent Philippines, and I was present in and witnessed many encounters. I was considered a soldier, and to be true, I learned how to ride, to shoot a rifle, and to manipulate other weapons … without tasting food for the whole day, to drink dirty water from mud-holes or the sap of vines.” From Oriang’s direct experience and from edicts issued by the Katipunan, the leaders of the Philippine revolution against Spain were pioneers in the way they located violence against women at the center of the struggle for national liberation. Oriang worked closely with Emilio Jacinto and Macario Sakay. Of the latter, she said, “I know that he helped greatly the Katipunan. Macario Sakay was a true patriot.” Oriang was an ordinary person who acted like a giant by advancing the cause of national freedom.

Apolonia Catra

Apolonia Catra (Died: March 05, 1905) is the only named woman officer in the armed forces of General Macario Sakay, President of the Tagalog Republic, under the command of Lt. Col. Lucio de Vega. There is scant mention of her in historical accounts; even her date of birth is unknown. She was killed in combat on March 5, 1905, during the Philippine-American War. Theodore Roosevelt, then the US president, declared the end of Philippine-American hostilities in July 1902 even though the revolutionary war to overthrow foreign occupation raged on over an endless decade. The struggle was led by the likes of Sakay who, through brazen American duplicity, was captured in 1906 and hanged a year later by US troops. Apolonia is one of many historical ciphers in Philippine history: she is the only woman in the Alas ng Bayan series without a known portrait or photo. The artist John Earhard Guarin chose to depict as her likeness a young Nora Aunor. The Washington State newspaper Evening Statesman reported in 1905 that Catra “was surprised in the mountains and refused to surrender.” Like Sakay and others who fought under his leadership, Apolonia was branded a bandit by US authorities. In a 1968 study by the Ohio State University scholar George Yarrington Coats, Apolonia was described in a way that brings to mind current LGBT debates and issues surrounding extrajudicial killings (EJKs): “She dressed in men’s clothing and was well known for her cruelty and reckless courage.” High praise coming from a US academic.

Remedios Gomez-Paraiso “Kumander Liwayway”

Remedios Gomez-Paraiso (July 12 1918-May 15, 2014) was a guerilla who fought the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II under the alias Kumander Liwayway. She was an officer of the Hukbong Bayan laban sa Hapon or Hukbalahap. Kumander Liwayway was a fearless Filipina known for riding headlong into battle astride a horse, pistol in hand and wearing red lipstick. She led divisions spanning Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales and was one of the most trusted officers of Huk Supremo Luis Taruc. Liwayway believed she would return to civilian life after the defeat of the Japanese fascist forces. But the Cold War had just begun. Under instructions from US officers, the Philippine Constabulary hunted down Huk forces with murderous zeal and Liwayway was once more forced to fight from the mountains, this time as an officer of the Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan (HMB) of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP-1938). The journalist Tonette Orejas quotes Paraiso saying, “One of the things I am fighting for in the Huk movement is the right to be myself,” in response to comrades who criticized her for wearing makeup and appearing feminine. Liwayway brought up her grandchildren and great grandchildren, who affectionately called her “Mommy” and “Mommylola” respectively.

Maria Lorena Barros

Maria Lorena Barros (March 18, 1948-March 24, 1976) was the founding chair of Malayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan or MAKIBAKA. Laurie, as her mother called her, went underground soon after the declaration of Martial Law. She was a writer and a student of history, a daughter, wife, and mother, a warrior and a poet. The Bantayog ng mga Bayani writes, “[f]rom early childhood, Barros showed keen intelligence, a searching mind and precocious social awareness, nurtured by her mother Alicia Morelos. The latter, granddaughter of a Katipunero and herself a member of the Hukbalahap guerrilla resistance, would become her daughter’s closest friend and confidant.” Laurie graduated from the University of the Philippines in 1970 with a degree in anthropology. “[S]he was someone who refused to be confined to the stereotypical image of a student activist, or a feminist activist. She did not repress her natural charm and kindheartedness.” As an activist determined to advance the cause of national democracy while resisting military rule and the illegitimate Marcos government, Laurie joined the underground to fight the tyrannical dictatorship. In March 1976, she “was seriously wounded in an armed encounter with soldiers in … Mauban, Quezon… Medical treatment was promised by her captors if she would cooperate with them, but she said she would rather die for her beliefs. She was shot in the nape. She was 28 years old.”

Gloria Capitan

Gloria Capitan (March 28, 1959-July 1, 2016) was an anti-coal activist and human rights defender affiliated with the Coal-Free Bataan Movement. She was a former president of the Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Mamamayan ng Lucanin, a community-based organization that campaigned actively against the development of a coal plant and open coal storage facility in Barangay Lucanin, Mariveles, Bataan. Known for her physical strength and mental discipline, she would construct wooden houses using her own hands. She was known throughout her community as a fierce yet caring, fearless and hands-on leader ready to call out and resist environmental and social injustice. She was a woman made powerful by her conviction and obstinate refusal to accept a future devastated by dirty energy and greedy corporations. Gloria was assassinated in her own videoke cantina by two unidentified gunmen on July 01, 2016, the very day President Duterte was sworn into office. Her death was the first recorded extrajudicial killing under the Duterte administration. Gloria was known for her fortitude against adversity. She received many threats, but nonetheless continued to actively participate in and lead campaigns up to the time of her death. As she used to say, “Titigil lang ako ‘pag pikit na ang mata ko! Ano pa ba ang magagawa ko e patay na ako. Hindi ito para sa akin, kundi para sa mga apo ko, masakit ang loob ko kapag nakikita ko silang nagkakasakit”.