Espiridiona Bonifacio y de Castro (May 1, 1872 – May 26, 1956) was a

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

Katipunera. She was one of the first female members of Confederation established by her older brother

Andres Bonifacio Andres or Andrés may refer to: *Andres, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Will County, Illinois, US *Andres, Pas-de-Calais, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France *Andres (name) *Hurricane Andres * "Andres" (song), a 1994 song by L7 See also ...

. The others were her older brothers Ciriaco and

Procopio Bonifacio Procopio Bonifacio y de Castro (1873 – May 10, 1897) was a Filipino independence activist and revolutionary during the Philippine Revolution of 1896 against Spain. He was a member of the secret revolutionary society turned revolutionary govern ...

Family background

Bonifacio was born in Tondo,

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

. Her father was Santiago Bonifacio of

Taguig Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig ( fil, Lungsod ng Taguig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 886,722 people. Located in the northwestern shores of ...

, a tailor who served as a teniente mayor of Tondo, Manila. Her mother was Catalina de Castro, a native of

Cabangan, Zambales Cabangan, officially the Municipality of Cabangan, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 28,118 people. Cabangan is from Iba, from Olongapo, and from Manil ...

, a mestiza born of a Spanish father and a Filipino-Chinese mother who was a supervisor at a cigarette factory. She was the fourth of six children. Her siblings were Andrés, Ciriaco, Procopio, Troadio and Maxima.

Her life

Her nickname since she was a teenager was “Nonay”; her grandchildren still call her Lola Nonay. She joined the revolution as a teenager, going with either the group or hers brothers wherever they went. Her older brothers were her ''de facto'' parents. She hid bullets in the pots she cooked rice in and hid guns under her skirt. She took care of the wounded and sick Katipuneros and cooked for them.

Entering the Katipunan

The women's chapter of the

Katipunan The Katipunan, officially known as the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK; en, Supreme and Honorable Association of the Children of the Nation ...

was formed in July 1893. There were only around 30 women members of the Katipunan, limited to wives, daughters and close relatives of Katipuneros.

Her agony

The Bonifacio siblings were orphaned at an early age and Andrés had to act as the family's breadwinner. Nonay, as a teenager, was dependent on her brothers for guidance. Her three older brothers were all part of the armed struggle.

Marriage

In 1893, when she was seventeen years old, she married

Teodoro Plata Teodoro Plata (1866 – February 6, 1897) was a Filipino patriot, and a co-founder of the Katipunan, the secret society which sparked the Philippine Revolution against Spanish rule in 1896. He met Andrés Bonifacio at a boarding house in Manila ...

, one of the founders of the Katipunan. She was widowed when Plata was executed in Bagumbayan in 1896 when the Spaniards discovered the Katipunan.

Death

She died on May 26, 1956, in

Paco, Manila Paco, formerly known as Dilao, is a Manila#Barangays and districts, district of Manila, Philippines located south of the Pasig River, and San Miguel, Manila, San Miguel, west of Santa Ana, Manila, Santa Ana, southwest of Pandacan, Manila, Panda ...

, and was interred at the

Manila South Cemetery The Manila South Cemetery is a cemetery in Metro Manila. It is an exclave of San Andres, Manila surrounded by land under the jurisdiction of the city of Makati. History The land which the cemetery occupies was previously part of the Haciend ...

In popular culture

* Portrayed by

Isabel Oli Maria Olivia Daytia-Prats (born October 20, 1981), better known by the screen name Isabel Oli, is a Filipina model and actress. Background Oli is the youngest of seven children to a Filipino father of Chinese descent and a Filipina mother of S ...

in the 2014 film, '' Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonifacio, Espiridiona 1872 births 1956 deaths Filipino revolutionaries Filipino people of Chinese descent Filipino people of Spanish descent Katipunan members People from Tondo, Manila People of the Philippine Revolution People of Spanish colonial Philippines Burials at the Manila South Cemetery