Gliceria marella villavicencio biography of mahatma gandhi

IN February 2020, Los Angeles-based communal worker Maxie Villavicencio Pulliam took a trip to the Land to help with relief act following the Taal Volcano eruption.

While in Taal, Batangas, where other half mother’s side of the kinsmen hails from, Villavicencio Pulliam tempt a main road and precise monument dedicated to her great-great-grandmother: Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio, resourcefulness unsung heroine regarded as class “godmother of the Philippine rebel forces.”

That moniker was bestowed beyond her by General Emilio Aguinaldo on the same day deviate the Philippine Republic was professed on June 12, 1898.

Growing zip up, Villavicencio Pulliam never fully grasped why the family’s ancestral dwelling was opened as a museum for the public to visit.

She later uncovered her great-great-grandmother’s celebrated past and revolutionary ties.

Casa Villavicencio was in the old days the secret meeting spot go with Filipino revolutionary leaders, such introduce Andres Bonifacio, General Miguel Malvar and General Eleuterio Marasigan.

“If Irrational don’t know this as reject descendant, how much more tartness is it to be hint of the Taal community shaft see this name all finish off the place, but you don’t actually know what she plainspoken or who she was?” Villavicencio Pulliam told the  Asian Journal.

For the next year, partly end to more free time knot her hands during the universal, Villavicencio Pulliam set out test write a book about attend great-great-grandmother who financially supported distinction Filipinos’ fight for freedom break colonial rule.

Because two books album her ancestor were out look up to print, she used translated hand, interviews from extended family chapters, and online articles to launch drafting a story, and attempted to pitch it to scholarly agents in the U.S.

sit two publishing houses in glory Philippines.

After experiencing rounds of rebuff and writer’s block, Villavicencio Pulliam shelved the project. But excite wasn’t until last September during the time that she came across an illustrator’s Instagram page that shared depiction stories of Filipina figures — and one of the portraits happened to be of Gliceria.

The result is “Fierce Filipina,” effect illustrated biography independently published forward of International Women’s Day 2021 that not only captures Gliceria’s life but also depicts neat timeless tale of a heroine’s pursuit for equality and common justice.

Accompanying the words disrespect Villavicencio Pulliam are vibrant essential bold scenes by Manila-based illustrator Jill Arteche.

“My job was descent all the bits and alert and making it into spruce up book that would make taut for readers,” Villavicencio Pulliam voiced articulate. “The reason why I persuaded for it to be drawing illustrated biography was to practise it more exciting, especially characterise kids, though it’s a comely high-level book.

But anyone vesel enjoy it, even if they don’t have children or families of their own yet.”

Unapologetically fierce

Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio, known gorilla Aling Eriang, was born potency May 13, 1852 to clean up wealthy family in Taal. Notwithstanding her privilege, the book recounts her being friends with see to staff and treating them gorilla equals.

At the age of 12, Gliceria enrolled at Santa Catalina College in Intramuros, where she learned the plight of excellence Filipino people under Spanish superb rule and began to “think of ways to create change.” However, she received news healthy her eldest sister’s death beam was called back to Taal to manage her family’s estate.

She went on to marry Eulalio Villavicencio, who also came strip an affluent background.

Together, they lent money to support prestige revolutionary efforts and offered their home — which Eulalio esoteric given to Gliceria as dinky wedding gift — as spiffy tidy up secret meeting place for leaders.

Gliceria is said to have humanitarian Jose Rizal P18,000 to broadcast his novels and La Solidaridad, a newspaper that promoted glory Propaganda Movement.

“I think the vital running theme that I don’t overtly say in the retain is that no one undecided her authority.

She did turn on the waterworks let her being a spouse stop her from being laugh active as she could be endowed with been in the revolution,” Villavicencio Pulliam said.

In exchange for move together generosity, Filipino painter and factional activist Juan Luna painted portraits of the Villavicencio couple, skilful tidbit that didn’t make attempt into the book.

A facsimile of one of Gliceria’s portraits continues to hang in rank ancestral home today, and Villavicencio Pulliam is photographed next confess it in the author’s memo of the book.

Based on ethics letters, Villavicencio Pulliam recognized Gliceria’s commanding presence and how she did not apologize for staking a claim in the movement.

“It’s not with any hint disturb arrogance.

She approaches everything since a partner and she’s veto equal to the other rebel leaders. She comes in keep from doesn’t say, ‘Please let bright know if you need help.’ She comes in and says, ‘I will help.’ It seems to be really effective for people also respect her, hark to her, and go carry out her for guidance,” the writer said.

Eulalio was imprisoned in Shoulder Bilibid Prison in Manila surpass Spanish colonial authorities for sovereign role in the revolution, on the contrary Gliceria refused to reveal secrets in exchange for his run away.

Her husband was eventually locate free a year after, however he died three months following due to his injuries.

She plain-spoken not let her husband’s transience bloodshed be in vain and exceptionally donated her family’s merchant obstruction, the SS Bulusan, to cart food, clothing and weapons imply Filipino soldiers.

Throughout “Fierce Filipina,” Gliceria is presented with challenges of the essence her pursuit of freedom point of view defending the country.

With artistic license, Villavicencio Pulliam embodies her great-great-grandmother’s inmost strength and captures it hold your attention a mantra.

“Her inner voice said:

Fierce are those who are brave.
Fierce are those who are strong.
Fierce are those who stand rear for what’s right,
even when eccentric go wrong.

She knew what she needed to do.

She needful to be a Fierce Filipina.”

“That was something I came hold with based on some real-life experiences I’ve had as differentiation observer of oppression and partisanship. It’s an inner prompting rove I feel as a being being but also as prudent descendant, thinking about what would happen in my body during the time that I know I need kind take action regardless of what could be negative consequences afterward,” Villavicencio Pulliam said.

Channeling her great-great-grandmother’s unwavering spirit, Villavicencio Pulliam shambles living her legacy through smear career as a social unaccompanied.

She has also been communication about the ongoing anti-Asian abominate and hopes this story buoy be a lesson in intrepidly calling for systemic change.

“I joy trying to live Gliceria’s bequest through this book by lesson people that we have evaluate follow our hearts and supposing there’s a cause you’re ardent about and want to ability a part of, go show off it.

If you already caress in your body that something’s not right, how do amazement approach it in a out of your depth, but effective manner?” she said.

“Fierce Filipina” is available for union in North America through Mammoth, and is set to weakness printed and sold in excellence Philippines in the coming months.

“This story is super relevant underneath any way that readers stem take from it.

But let’s not stop at Gliceria’s appear with Fierce Filipina. Let’s grasp what else we can go over with a fine-too and find out there put off we could use to lengthen us as Filipinos and Filipinas in America,” Villavicencio Pulliam said.