Melchora Aquino (January 6, 1812 – February 19, 1919) was a Filipino revolutionary. She became known as "Tandang Sora" ("tandang" meaning "old") because of her old age during the Philippine Revolution (1896-1899). She was also known as the "Grand Woman of the Revolution" and the "Mother of Balintawak" for her contributions.
Early life and marriage
thumb|left|upright|The historical marker installed by the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines at the Melchora Aquino Shrine in Quezon City in 2007]]Melchora Aquino was born on January 6, 1812, in Barrio Banlat, Caloocan (the present-day Barangay Tandang Sora, Quezon City). Having been born on the feast of the Epiphany, she was named after Melchior, one of the Three Wise Men.
Melchora, daughter of a peasant couple, Juan and Valentina Aquino, never attended school.
Later in life, she married Fulgencio Ramos, which became a refuge for the sick and wounded revolutionaries. She fed,", "Mother of the Philippine Revolution", and Tandang Sora (Tandang is derived from the Tagalog word matandâ, 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 whereabouts of the Katipuneros, she was arrested by the guardia civil on August 29, 1896. She was held captive in the house of a cabeza de barangay of Pasong Putik, Novaliches and then transferred to Bilibid Prison in Manila. While in prison, she was interrogated but she refused to divulge any information. She was then deported to Guam, Marianas Islands by Governor General Ramón Blanco on September 2.
After the United States took control of the Philippines in 1898, Tandang Sora, like other exiles, returned to the Philippines in 1903. She later became an active member of the Philippine Independent Church.
Death
She died at her daughter Saturnina's house in Banlat on February 19, 1919, at the age of 107. These were then transferred to the Himlayang Pilipino Memorial Park in Quezon City in 1970 and finally at the Tandang Sora National Shrine in 2012.
Legacy
left|thumb|Aquino's grave at the Himlayang Pilipino Memorial Park (Quezon City).
250px|thumb|right|Melchora Aquino, as depicted on the [[English Series 100 pesos banknote.]]
As a token of gratitude, a Quezon City barangay and a road were named after Tandang Sora. Her profile was also placed in the Philippines' five-centavo coin from 1967 to 1994. She was the first Filipina who appears on a Philippine peso banknote, in this case, a 100-peso bill from the English Series (1951–1966). Tandang Sora Street in the city of San Francisco is named in her honor.
In 2012, on the celebration of her 200th birth anniversary, the Quezon City local government decided to transfer Tandang Sora's remains from Himlayang Pilipino Memorial Park to the Tandang Sora National Shrine. They also declared 2012 as the Tandang Sora Year.
A Philippine Coast Guard vessel was named after her, the BRP Melchora Aquino.
In popular culture
- Portrayed by Angelita Loresco in the 2013 TV series Katipunan.
- Portrayed by Erlinda Villalobos in the 2014 film Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo.
- Referenced in the song "Babae" by Inang Laya
- A Picture Frame of Melchora Aquino was featured in the music video of "Pa-pa-pa palaban" by the Girl group G22