2020-11-05 Thu

Mother of Katipunan was a title given to Melchora Aquino for her heroic contributions to the Philippine revolution against Spain.

Popularly known as the Fifth of November revolution, the Anti-Spanish Revolution in the Philippines was a political movement that in 1898 created a government on Negros Island in the Philippines, ending Spanish control of the island and paving the way for a republican government. When the war broke out in 1896, Aquino was 84 years old, hence, she was called "Tandang Sora.".

This Filipino revolutionary had the qualities of a literate and highly intelligent person. Melchora used her store as a means to provide the revolutionaries with medical care. She not only gave them medical attention but also encouraged them with prayers and motherly advice. Many revolutionaries sought refuge in her store and held secret meetings at her home.

When the Spaniards arrested her, she refused to provide any information about the revolutionaries. She was exiled in the Marianas Islands. She returned to the Philippines in 1898 during the American regime. She died in 1919 at the age of 107. April 15, 1951, the first depiction of Melchora Aquino image on our currency is on 100-Pesos bill of English Series banknote. She was also the first Filipina Hero to appear on the Pilipino currency.

Image Courtesy: numismatics.ph