Eva Kalaw ( Evangelina Reynada Estrada; June 16, 1920 – May 25, 2017) was a
Filipina
Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or other ...
politician who served as a senator in the
Senate of the Philippines
The Senate of the Philippines ( Filipino: ''Senado ng Pilipinas'', also ''Mataas na Kapulungan ng Pilipinas'' or "upper chamber") is the upper house of Congress of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines with the House of Representatives ...
from 1965 to 1972 during the presidency of
Ferdinand Marcos. She was one of the key opposition figures against Marcos' 20-year authoritarian rule and was instrumental in his downfall during the
People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of c ...
. As a senator, she wrote several laws relating to education in the Philippines, such as the salary standardization for public school personnel, the Magna Carta for Private Schools, the Magna Carta for Students, and an act to institute a charter for Barrio High Schools. She was also among the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
candidates injured during the
Plaza Miranda bombing
The Plaza Miranda bombing ( fil, Pambobomba sa Liwasang Miranda) occurred during a political rally of the Liberal Party at Plaza Miranda, Quiapo district, Manila, the Philippines on August 21, 1971. It caused nine deaths and injured 95 others ...
on August 21, 1971.
Early life
Kalaw was born in Murcia, Tarlac (present-day
Concepcion, Tarlac
Concepcion, officially the Municipality of Concepcion ( pam, Balen ning Concepcion; fil, Bayan ng Concepcion), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 169,953 peop ...
), on June 16, 1920, to Dr. Salvador Estrada and Demetria Reynado.
She took up Bachelor of Science in Education, with a major in home economics from the
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 20 ...
in
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 ...
. She was a member of the university's Sigma Delta Phi sorority.
An expert pistol shooter, she was once hailed the national ladies' champion in rapid-fire pistol shooting. She trained under the auspices of Filipino Olympian in shooting
Martin Gison
Martin Mauricio Gison (born 14 March 1914, date of death unknown) was a Filipino sports shooter. He is competed at five Olympic Games, the most for any Filipino as of 2008.
Gison's first Olympics was in 1936 at 22 years old. He also competed at ...
.
After graduating from UP in 1940, Kalaw taught in several universities such as the
Far Eastern University,
National Teachers College
The National Teachers College is a private, non-sectarian, educational institution located in Quiapo, Manila, Philippines, offering preschool, basic, and higher education.
History
It was founded and incorporated by Segundo M. Infantado, Sr. ...
and
Centro Escolar University while taking up postgraduate studies in social work.
On June 11, 1944, she married entrepreneur and
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March (Filipino: ''Martsa ng Kamatayan sa Bataan''; Spanish: ''Marcha de la muerte de Bataán'' ; Kapampangan: ''Martsa ning Kematayan quing Bataan''; Japanese: バターン死の行進, Hepburn: ''Batān Shi no Kōshin'') wa ...
veteran Teodoro Kalaw Jr., son of former
Batangas
Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( tl, Lalawigan ng Batangas ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Its capital is the city of Batangas, and is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and La ...
legislator Teodoro Kalaw.
They had four children: daughter Maria Eva (nicknamed "Chingbee"), and sons
Teodoro III, Salvador and Tyrone.
Her son Teodoro followed in her footsteps and became a national pistol shooting champion and Olympic pistol shooter himself.
Through her marriage to Kalaw, she became sister-in-law of fellow senator
Maria Kalaw-Katigbak
Maria Villanueva Katigbak ( Kalaw; February 14, 1912 – December 10, 1992) was a Filipina politician, journalist and beauty queen. She served as a Senator of the Philippines from 1961 to 1967 during the Fifth Congress.
Early life and educatio ...
.
Kalaw was very active in social work and was part of the different civic organizations in the country. She was the first president of the Jayceerettes Organization, founder and national chairperson of Samahang Filipina, director of the League of Women Voters and the Chamber of Home Industries of the Philippines, board member of the Special Child Study Center for Retarded Children and chairperson of the Youth Welfare Council.
She was also active in the Presidential Peace and Amelioration Campaign, the Rizal Red Cross, Anti–Tuberculosis of the Philippines and the Civic Assembly of Women’s Clubs in the Philippine Association of the University Women.
For her social work, she won a citation for being the Outstanding Volunteer Social Worker of the Year.
Political career
First term
A member of the
Nacionalista Party, Kalaw first entered politics in 1953 when she campaigned for Nacionalista presidential candidate and former
Defense Secretary
The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The ...
Ramon Magsaysay
Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay Sr. (August 31, 1907 – March 17, 1957) was a Filipino statesman who served as the seventh president of the Philippines, from December 30, 1953, until his death in an aircraft disaster on March 17, 1957. An automo ...
, who ran against the incumbent president
Elpidio Quirino
Elpidio Rivera Quirino (born Elpidio Quirino y Rivera; ; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the sixth president of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953.
A lawyer by profession, Quirino ente ...
. In 1957, she also campaigned for Senator
Claro M. Recto
Claro Mayo Recto Jr. (born Claro Recto y Mayo; February 8, 1890 – October 2, 1960) was a Filipino politician, jurist, and poet. He is remembered for his nationalism, for "the impact of his patriotic convictions on modern political though ...
when he ran for president against incumbent president
Carlos P. Garcia
Carlos Polestico Garcia (November 4, 1896 – June 14, 1971) was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist, guerrilla and Commonwealth military leader who was the eighth president of the Philippines. A l ...
.
During the Garcia administration, Kalaw headed the
National Economic Protectionism Association, a non-government organization that staunchly promoted economic protectionism and promotion of Filipino businesses and products.
During the
1965 Senatorial Elections, Kalaw was part of the senatorial slate of the Nacionalista Party candidate
Ferdinand Marcos and won.
As senator, she introduced a total of 41 bills, including ones for salary increases of public school teachers (RA 5158); the creation of Local School Boards (RA 5447) and of the Barrio High School Charter/Magna Carta for Private Schools (RA 6054); the Educational Financing Act (RA 6728) and the inclusion of the presidents of student councils in the Board of Regents of all state colleges and universities.
During her term, she was the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Games, Amusements, and Tourism, as well as the Senate Committee on National Minorities.
Second term and martial law
Relations between Kalaw and the ruling Nacionalista Party were uneasy under the Marcos administration. The increasing authoritarianism of the Marcos government led Kalaw to become one of the few people within the party to criticize the administration. By 1971, convinced that the party will not include her in the senatorial slate for the upcoming elections, Kalaw decided to accept the offer from her cousin, opposition senator
Benigno Aquino Jr.
Benigno "Ninoy" Simeon Aquino Jr., (; November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983) was a Filipino politician who served as a senator of the Philippines (1967–1972) and governor of the province of Tarlac. Aquino was the husband of Corazon Aqui ...
, to become guest candidate of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
.
During the party's
miting de avance at
Plaza Miranda
Plaza Miranda is a public square bounded by Quezon Boulevard, Hidalgo Street and Evangelista Street in Quiapo, Manila. It is the plaza which fronts the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo Church), one of the main churches of the City ...
in
Quiapo, Manila on August 21, 1971, Kalaw was among the senatorial candidates present when an unidentified assailant threw two hand grenades at the stage. She wasn't seriously injured, but fellow party members such as
Senator Jovito Salonga, Manila mayoralty candidate
Ramon Bagatsing
Ramon Delaraga Bagatsing (August 19, 1916 – February 14, 2006) was a Filipino politician. He was the only Filipino of Indian ancestry and person with disability (as an amputee) to serve as Mayor of the City of Manila from 1971 to 1986. Baga ...
and Manila city councilor Ambrosio Lorenzo Jr. were among those seriously harmed. On election day, however, Kalaw, together with five other Liberal Party senatorial candidates—Jovito Salonga,
Genaro Magsaysay,
John Henry Osmeña,
Eddie Ilarde and
Ramon Mitra Jr.—won six out of eight Senate seats.
She was the first-ever female Filipino senator to win two consecutive terms.
Since the Plaza Miranda incident, Kalaw dedicated her second term to becoming full-time opposition to President Marcos. However, Marcos' declaration of
Martial Law
Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.
Use
Marti ...
and abolition of
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
cut short her term. Nevertheless, she continued in her activism in opposition of Martial Law, resulting in her imprisonment at
Fort Bonifacio
Fort Andres Bonifacio (formerly named Fort William McKinley) is the site of the national headquarters of the Philippine Army (Headquarters Philippine Army or HPA) located in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is located near the national headquarter ...
twice, including one in 1979 for allegedly participating in a coup attempt against Marcos.
Assemblywoman of Manila
Following her release from prison, Kalaw worked to unite a fragmented opposition by bringing together the remnants of the Liberal and Nacionalista parties to form
United Nationalist Democratic Organization
The United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO) was the main political multi-party electoral alliance of the traditional political opposition during the turbulent last years of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in the mid-1980s. It w ...
(UNIDO), which would serve as the main opposition party against Marcos'
Kilusang Bagong Lipunan. The
assassination of opposition figure Benigno Aquino Jr. on August 21, 1983 further emboldened the opposition parties to fight Marcos, and in 1984, Kalaw ran as assemblywoman and won one of six seats in the
Regular Batasang Pambansa
The Regular Batasang Pambansa (English: Regular National Assembly), or the First Batasang Pambansa, was the meeting of the Batasang Pambansa from the beginning of its session on July 23, 1984 until it was abolished by President Corazon Aquino on ...
for Manila. She was joined by fellow UNIDO assemblymen
Jose Atienza Jr., Carlos Fernando,
Gemiliano Lopez Jr. and
Gonzalo Puyat II
Gonzalo "Lito" G. Puyat II (May 21, 1933 – January 7, 2013) was a Filipino sport administrator and politician. Puyat was the longest-serving president of the Basketball Association of the Philippines from 1968 to 1995 and was the president of FI ...
who occupied four of the remaining seats (the last seat going to KBL candidate
Arturo Tolentino
Arturo "Ka Turing" Modesto Tolentino (September 19, 1910 – August 2, 2004) was a Filipino politician and diplomat who served as the Senate president and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. He ran as the vice-presidential running mate of Ferdin ...
).
Vice presidential bid
In November 1985, President Marcos called for a
snap presidential election in order to convince the American government that he is still in control of the Philippines amid the economic crisis that affected the country since the assassination of Aquino. Kalaw, along with Senator
Salvador Laurel
Salvador Roman Hidalgo Laurel (, November 18, 1928 – January 27, 2004), also known as Doy Laurel, was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the vice president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992 under President Corazon Aquino an ...
, were among the opposition members who expressed their intention to run for president. However, majority of UNIDO members preferred Aquino's widow
Corazon Aquino as the party's official presidential candidate. Both Laurel and Kalaw decided to give in to Aquino after nationwide signature campaign gathered more than a million signatures urging Aquino to run for president. In her choice of vice president, however, Aquino chose Laurel over Kalaw, who decided to unsuccessfully ran as a third vice presidential candidate under the Kalaw-wing of the Liberal Party. However, the snap elections on February 7, 1986 were mired with allegations of rampant fraud by the government, and the tandem of Aquino and Laurel came to power as president and vice president respectively after a peaceful
People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of c ...
from February 23–25, 1986 that toppled the Marcos regime.
Post-EDSA Revolution
After the
People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of c ...
, Kalaw joined the opposition against
Corazon Aquino's administration. She was among the few UNIDO members who joined the
Grand Alliance for Democracy, a coalition party that consisted mostly of defectors from Marcos' Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, Nacionalista Party and the UNIDO. She was one of GAD's senatorial candidates during the
1987 Senatorial Elections but lost.
In 1992, Kalaw was reunited with former Vice President Laurel, and the two ran together as the Nacionalista Party's candidates for President and Vice President during the
1992 Philippine presidential election
The 1992 Philippine presidential and vice presidential elections were held on May 11, 1992. This was the first general election held under the 1987 Constitution. An estimated 80,000 candidates ran for 17,000 posts from the presidency down to muni ...
s, but they both lost to Aquino's Defense Secretary
Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel Valdez Ramos (, ; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military ...
and former actor and Senator
Joseph Estrada
Joseph Ejercito Estrada, (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor. He served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, the 9th vice presi ...
.
Kalaw's last foray in public service was her appointment as managing director and resident representative of the Philippines at the
Manila Economic and Cultural Office
The Manila Economic and Cultural OfficeIn .In tl, Tanggapang Pang-ekonomiya at Pangkultura ng Maynila. Also known as the Philippine Representative Office in Taiwan(; tl, link=no, Tanggapan ng Kinatawan ng Pilipinas sa Taiwan). is the representa ...
, the country's
de facto embassy in
Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
during the Ramos and Estrada administrations.
Awards
Among Kalaw's many awards, the most prestigious was the Mahatma Gandhi Freedom Award which was conferred to her on April 2, 1985 by the Department of Anthropology of the
College of William & Mary
The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William I ...
in
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The award is given annually to outstanding scholars or public figures who, given by personal example, have given meaning and substance to freedom. Among other recipients of the award were her cousin Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., Senator Jovito Salonga,
K. R. Narayanan, H. R. Choudry and K. S. Bajpai.
Death
Kalaw died on May 25, 2017, at 96 due to an undisclosed ailment. She is survived by her daughter Chingbee Kalaw-Cuenca, sons Teodoro III, Salvador and Tyrone, as well as 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Her remains were laid to rest at Loyola Memorial Park in
Parañaque.
Notes
References
External links
Eva Estrada Kalawprofile on the Senate of the Philippines website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Estrada-Kalaw, Eva
1920 births
2017 deaths
People from Tarlac
Senators of the 7th Congress of the Philippines
Senators of the 6th Congress of the Philippines
Nacionalista Party politicians
Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians
Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Manila
People from Manila
Candidates in the 1992 Philippine vice-presidential election
Candidates in the 1986 Philippine vice-presidential election
Members of the Batasang Pambansa
20th-century Filipino women politicians
20th-century Filipino politicians
Women members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
Women members of the Senate of the Philippines
University of the Philippines Manila alumni
Burials at the Loyola Memorial Park