Encarnacion Alzona
Encyclopedia
Encarnacion A. Alzona was a pioneering Filipino
historian
, educator and suffragette
. The first Filipino woman to obtain a Ph.D.
, she was conferred in 1985 the rank and title of National Scientist of the Philippines
.
and grew up in Tayabas
. Her father was a trial court judge and a distant relative of Jose Rizal
. Both her parents were voracious readers, a circumstance that fostered her academic inclinations. She obtained a degree
in history
from the University of the Philippines
in 1917, and a master's degree
the following year from the same university. Her thesis was a historical survey on the school education of women in the Philippines, a theme that proved apt in light of her later activism as a suffragette.
Alzona pursued further studies in the United States
as a scholar funded by the American government. She obtained another master's degree in history from Radcliffe College
in 1920, and a Ph.D.
from Columbia University
in 1923. Alzona was the first Filipino woman to have obtained a Ph.D.
Alzona returned to the Philippines in 1923 and joined the faculty of the Department of History of the University of the Philippines.
in 1920, women in the Philippines, then an American colony, were not accorded the same right. As early as 1919, Alzona spoke in favor of conferring the right of suffrage to Filipino women, in an article she published in the Philippine Review. In a newspaper article she wrote in 1926, Alzona lamented the fact that the Philippine legislature
, which she described as the "bulwark of conservatism" had yet to consider legislation in favor of women's suffrage.
In 1928, Alzona was elected President of the Philippine Association of University Women, an organization that eventually focused its efforts on launching a movement to grant women the vote. For her part, Alzona authored a book in 1934, The Filipino Woman: Her Social, Economic and Political Status (1565-1933), where she maintained the manifest equality of Filipino women despite the considerable deprivation of their social and political rights. Alzona's writings during this period bolstered social and political support for women's suffrage, which was finally granted in 1937.
and Graciano Lopez Jaena
. She authored a Spanish language
historical monograph
entitled El Llegado de España a Filipinas, for which she received the Lone Prize awarded by the Il Congreso de Hispanistas de Filipinas in 1954.
Alzona left the faculty of the University of the Philippines in 1945, although she would be appointed U.P. professor emeritus
of history in 1963. In 1955, she co-founded the Philippine Historical Association
along with other prominent historians such as Teodoro Agoncillo
and Gregorio Zaide. From 1959 to 1966, Alzona chaired the National Historical Institute (then the National Historical Commission).
Alzona was a tireless promoter of the works and legacy of her distant relation, the national hero Jose Rizal. In addition to translating his works and frequently lecturing on Rizal, Alzona served as the first president of the Kababaihang Rizal.
for the duration of the Japanese Occupation during World War II
. She was involved in the guerrilla movement against the Japanese.
After the war, Alzona was appointed by President
Manuel Roxas
as a member to the Philippine delegation to the UNESCO
. She served in the delegation until 1949, and was elected to chair the Sub-Committee on Social Science, Philosophy and the Humanities in 1946. From 1959 to 1966, Alzona was a member of the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines.
In 1985, Alzona was named as a National Scientist of the Philippines by President Ferdinand Marcos
.
Alzona was one of few Filipinos notable in their own right who reached centenarian
status, or whose life spanned three generations. She died 10 days shy of her 106th birthday in 2001. She is interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani
.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, educator and suffragette
Suffragette
"Suffragette" is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union...
. The first Filipino woman to obtain a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, she was conferred in 1985 the rank and title of National Scientist of the Philippines
National Scientist of the Philippines
The rank and title of National Scientist of the Philippines is the highest award accorded to Filipino scientists by the Philippine government.The award was created on December 16, 1976 by President Ferdinand Marcos through Presidential Decree Nos. 1003 and 1003-A, which also created the National...
.
Early life and education
Alzona was born in Biñan, LagunaBiñan, Laguna
The City of Biñan is a first class component city in the Republic of the Philippines. It is located in the Province of Laguna, in the island of Luzon, and also accessible from Metro Manila via the South Luzon Expressway, Biñan City has become both a suburban residential community of Metro Manila...
and grew up in Tayabas
Quezon
-History:Originally, what now forms Quezon was divided among the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, and Nueva Ecija. The area was first explored by Juan de Salcedo in 1571-1572, during his expedition from Laguna to Camarines provinces....
. Her father was a trial court judge and a distant relative of Jose Rizal
José Rizal
José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...
. Both her parents were voracious readers, a circumstance that fostered her academic inclinations. She obtained a degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
from the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
in 1917, and a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
the following year from the same university. Her thesis was a historical survey on the school education of women in the Philippines, a theme that proved apt in light of her later activism as a suffragette.
Alzona pursued further studies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a scholar funded by the American government. She obtained another master's degree in history from Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
in 1920, and a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1923. Alzona was the first Filipino woman to have obtained a Ph.D.
Alzona returned to the Philippines in 1923 and joined the faculty of the Department of History of the University of the Philippines.
Involvement in women's suffrage
Even as American women won the right to voteSuffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
in 1920, women in the Philippines, then an American colony, were not accorded the same right. As early as 1919, Alzona spoke in favor of conferring the right of suffrage to Filipino women, in an article she published in the Philippine Review. In a newspaper article she wrote in 1926, Alzona lamented the fact that the Philippine legislature
Congress of the Philippines
The Congress of the Philippines is the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines. It is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate , and the House of Representatives although commonly in the Philippines the term congress refers to the latter.The Senate is composed of 24 senators half...
, which she described as the "bulwark of conservatism" had yet to consider legislation in favor of women's suffrage.
In 1928, Alzona was elected President of the Philippine Association of University Women, an organization that eventually focused its efforts on launching a movement to grant women the vote. For her part, Alzona authored a book in 1934, The Filipino Woman: Her Social, Economic and Political Status (1565-1933), where she maintained the manifest equality of Filipino women despite the considerable deprivation of their social and political rights. Alzona's writings during this period bolstered social and political support for women's suffrage, which was finally granted in 1937.
Historian
From her perch in the academe, Alzona wrote several books on the history of the Philippines. Her first book, published in 1932, was entitled A History of Education in the Philippines 1565-1930. It was lauded as "a comprehensive account of the education and cultural development of the country [and] probably the most complete and comprehensive work on the subject to date". Alzona also wrote biographies on pioneer Filipino women such as Paz Guazon and Librada Avelino, and undertook to translate historical works of Jose RizalJosé Rizal
José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...
and Graciano Lopez Jaena
Graciano López Jaena
Graciano López Jaena was a Filipino journalist, orator, and revolutionary from Iloilo, well known for his written work, La Solidaridad....
. She authored a Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
historical monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
entitled El Llegado de España a Filipinas, for which she received the Lone Prize awarded by the Il Congreso de Hispanistas de Filipinas in 1954.
Alzona left the faculty of the University of the Philippines in 1945, although she would be appointed U.P. professor emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
of history in 1963. In 1955, she co-founded the Philippine Historical Association
Philippine Historical Association
The Philippine Historical Association is a professional association of historians in the Philippines. It was founded on September 18, 1955 by a group of prominent historians at Carbungco Restaurant located at Lepanto St., Manila...
along with other prominent historians such as Teodoro Agoncillo
Teodoro Agoncillo
Teodoro Andal Agoncillo was a 20th-century Filipino historian. He and his contemporary Renato Constantino were among the first Filipino historians renowned for promoting a distinctly nationalist point of view of Filipino history...
and Gregorio Zaide. From 1959 to 1966, Alzona chaired the National Historical Institute (then the National Historical Commission).
Alzona was a tireless promoter of the works and legacy of her distant relation, the national hero Jose Rizal. In addition to translating his works and frequently lecturing on Rizal, Alzona served as the first president of the Kababaihang Rizal.
Public figure
Alzona chose to remain in ManilaManila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
for the duration of the Japanese Occupation during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was involved in the guerrilla movement against the Japanese.
After the war, Alzona was appointed by President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Manuel Roxas
Manuel Roxas
Manuel Acuña Roxas was the first president of the independent Third Republic of the Philippines and fifth president overall. He served as president from the granting of independence in 1946 until his abrupt death in 1948...
as a member to the Philippine delegation to the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. She served in the delegation until 1949, and was elected to chair the Sub-Committee on Social Science, Philosophy and the Humanities in 1946. From 1959 to 1966, Alzona was a member of the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines.
In 1985, Alzona was named as a National Scientist of the Philippines by President Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
.
Alzona was one of few Filipinos notable in their own right who reached centenarian
Centenarian
A centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
status, or whose life spanned three generations. She died 10 days shy of her 106th birthday in 2001. She is interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani
Libingan ng mga Bayani
is a national cemetery within Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City, Metro Manila in the Philippines. It was established as a fitting resting place for Filipino military personnel from privates to generals, as well as heroes and martyrs...
.