Significant Events in May in Filipino History

On May 13, 1852, Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio was born in Taal, Batangas to a wealthy couple, Vicente Marella and Gertrudis Legaspi. She was the third child of seven children.

On May 13, 1903, Apolinario Mabini, often referred to as "the Sublime Paralytic", died of cholera in Manila at the age of 38.

On May 14, 1915, Isidro Kintanar, a selfmade man, a lawmaker, was born in Barrio Talaytay, Argao, Cebu. He was second to the youngest of 13 children of Carmiano Kintanar, an agriculturist, and Sofia Camasura.

On May 14, 1935, the Constitution of the Philippines was ratified by a large majority of the Filipino people.

On May 15, 1867, Ysidra Cojuangco was born in Malolos Bulacan. She was the daughter of Antera Estrella, a native of Malolos, and Co Yu Huan, who emigrated from China to the Philippines in 1836. Co Yu Huan was later baptized as Jose Cojuangco through Roman Catholic rites.

On May 15, 1893, Jose Nepomuceno, known as the Father of Philippine Movies, was born in Manila. Nepomuceno pioneered the motion picture industry in the Philippines in 1917, and has produced several hundred films throughout his lifetime.

(The Lung Center of the Philippines before the fire)

On May 16, 1998, a fire that lasted 13 hours and killed 25 people, swept through the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City, engulfing much of the hospital in thick smoke and flames. The flames also spread to a ward of the adjoining National Kidney and Transplant Institute, forcing an evacuation of that hospital as well.

On May 16, 1565, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, issued an order to his soldiers to declare gold and other jewels taken from burial places of the natives of Cebu. It was learned, according to the order, that soldiers were opening graves and finding gold without reporting these finds to Legaspi or to the majesty's officials.

On May 16, 1899, La Democracia, the first Filipino newspaper to recognize the sovereignty of the United States in the country, started publication. It urged the Filipino people to accept the new government and to help heal the wounds of war.

On May 17, 1857, Pascual H. Poblete, a Filipino writer and publisher, one of the Tagalog translators of Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere, was born in Naic, Cavite to Francisco Hicaro and Maria Poblete. He was named Pascual Hicaro at birth but would later adopt his mother's maiden name for his surname. Pascual finished his Bachelor in Arts degree at the Liceo de Manila.