Geronima Josefa Tomelden Pecson (December 19, 1896 – July 31, 1989) was an educator, suffragette, and social worker who became the first
woman senator of the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
in 1947 and the first woman member of the Executive Board of the
(UNESCO) in 1950.
Early life
Pecson was born in Barrio Libsong in
Lingayen
Lingayen, officially the Municipality of Lingayen ( pag, Baley na Lingayen; ilo, Ili ti Lingayen; tgl, Bayan ng Lingayen), is a 1st class municipality and capital of the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has ...
,
Pangasinan
Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan ( pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Pangasinan, ; ilo, Probinsia ti Pangasinan; tl, Lalawigan ng Pangasinan), is a coastal province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capit ...
as the second child of Victor Tomelden, a census inspector, and Maria Paz Palisoc, a teacher.
She gained her elementary and secondary education from Lingayen's public schools and her college education 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 200 ...
, where she graduated with degrees in Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts.
She began her career as a classroom teacher at the
Manila High School and Ermita Elementary School in 1919. After seven years, she became a teacher and later Principal of the Soler Intermediate School and the Santa Clara Primary School (later known as Gomez Elementary School). In 1934, she began teaching at Far Eastern College (now
Far Eastern University
Far Eastern University (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Pamantasan ng Malayong Silanganan''), also referred to by its acronym FEU, is a Private university, private non-sectarian Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Manila, Philippines ...
),
Centro Escolar University
Centro Escolar University ( tl, Pamantasang Centro Escolar) also referred to by its acronym CEU is a private non-sectarian higher education institution in San Miguel Manila, Philippines
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of ...
and the
University of Manila
, mottoeng = ''Country Science and Virtue''
, type = Private Non-sectarian Research Coeducational Basic and Higher education institution
, established =
, founders =
, academic_affili ...
. She eventually joined the faculty of the Zamboanga Normal School (now
Western Mindanao State University
}) is a state university located in Zamboanga City, Philippines. It has two campuses: the main campus of 79,000 square metres and 9,147 square metres in the city proper, and the satellite campus of 200,000 square metres in San Ramon about 20 kil ...
) when her husband was assigned to teach there.
She married Potenciano Pecson, a teacher and lawyer, who was elected as
representative
Representative may refer to:
Politics
* Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people
* House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities
* Legislator, som ...
for the
First District of Pangasinan from 1928 to 1935 and was later appointed an associate justice of the
Court of Appeals
A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of t ...
in 1953.
Pecson also became active in women's groups. She became involved in social work as co-founder, board member, treasurer, and first vice-president of the National Federation of Women's Clubs of the Philippines (NFWCP) and as a
suffragette
A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...
who advocated for Filipino women's right to vote – which was granted on April 30, 1937, following a
special plebiscite.
Political career
Before becoming a senator, Pecson served as the private secretary of President
Jose P. Laurel
José Paciano Laurel y García (; March 9, 1891 – November 6, 1959) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, and judge, who served as the president of the Japanese-occupied Second Philippine Republic, a puppet state during World War II, from 1943 ...
and as Assistant Executive Secretary of President
Manuel Roxas
Manuel Acuña Roxas (born Manuel Roxas y Acuña; ; January 1, 1892 – April 15, 1948) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fifth president of the Philippines, who served from 1946 until his death due to heart attacks in 194 ...
. In 1947, she was picked as a candidate by 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 ...
and won the third spot in the
senatorial election.
During Pecson's tenure as a senator, she headed the Senate Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Health and Public Welfare, and the Joint Congressional Committee on Education. Apart from being a member of
Commission on Appointments
The Commission on Appointments ( fil, Komisyon sa Paghirang, abbreviated as CA) is a constitutional body which confirms or rejects certain political appointments made by the President of the Philippines. The current commission was created by th ...
and of the
Senate Electoral Tribunal
The Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) is an electoral tribunal that decides election protests in the Senate of the Philippines. It consists of 6 senators nominated by the Senate, and 3 justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, who are desig ...
, Pecson pioneered Philippines laws that included the 1953 Free and Compulsory Education Act, the Vocational Education Act, laws related to establishing training facilities for instructors of arts and trades in certain national schools, and laws that upgraded the
School of Forestry of the University of the Philippines and the
Philippine Normal School
The Philippine Normal University (PNU; fil, Pamantasang Normal ng Pilipinas) is a public coeducational teacher education and research university in the Philippines. It was established in 1901 through Act No. 74 of the Philippine Commission '' ...
into colleges.
She ran in the
1953 Philippine Senate election for a second term but lost and placed ninth out of twenty candidates. At that time, only eight senators have to be elected.
Later life and legacy
![PNUManilajf9881 07](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/PNUManilajf9881_07.JPG)
In the 1950s to 1960s, Pecson chaired the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines and became the first Filipina and woman member of UNESCO's Executive Board. She also served as chairperson of the
Philippine Red Cross
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC; fil, Krus na Pula ng Pilipinas) is a non-profit humanitarian organization and a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
The PRC was established in 1947, with roots in the Philippine Rev ...
.
Pecson was a member of the board of trustees of a number of schools and universities, among which were Centro Escolar University, the Philippine Normal College, and the Philippine College of Commerce (now the
University of the East
The University of the East ( fil, Pamantasan ng Silangan), also known as UE, is a leading private university located in Manila, Philippines. Founded in 1946, business tycoon Lucio Tan acquired the university in 1990. UE was once labeled as the ...
); and a member of the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines.
She also served as a board member of the Philippines Tuberculosis Society and the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement. In her later years, she was a consultant of the Ministry of Education & Culture (now the
Department of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
).
In 1996, President
Fidel 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 ...
created a special committee for the commemoration of her centennial birth anniversary.
The main building of the Philippine Normal University in Manila was renamed ''Geronima T. Pecson Hall'' in 2005 to honor her.
Honors and awards
National honors
*
![PHI Legion of Honor 2003 Legionnaire BAR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/PHI_Legion_of_Honor_2003_Legionnaire_BAR.svg)
:
Philippine Legion of Honor
The Philippine Legion of Honor ( fil, Lehiyong Pandangal ng Pilipinas; es, Legion de Honor Filipino) was established by President Manuel Roxas, through Philippine Army Circular No. 60 dated July 3, 1947. The Philippine Legion of Honor was patterne ...
, Legionnaire (LLH) – (April 9, 1958)
*
Rizal Pro Patria Award
The orders and decorations conferred upon civilians and military personnel in the Republic of the Philippines are listed by orders of precedence. Philippine civilian orders and decorations are conferred by the President of the Philippines in hi ...
(1961)
*Outstanding Award for Excellent Service in Philippine Education (1964)
Foreign honor
*
![ESP Alfonso X Order GC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/ESP_Alfonso_X_Order_GC.svg)
:
Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise
The Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise ( es, Orden Civil de Alfonso X el Sabio) is a Spanish civil order established in 1939, recognising activities in the fields of education, science, culture, higher education and research.
The order was create ...
, Grand Cross (1953)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pecson, Geronima
1896 births
1989 deaths
Senators of the 1st Congress of the Philippines
Senators of the 2nd Congress of the Philippines
Women members of the Senate of the Philippines
Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians
People from Pangasinan
Filipino educators
Filipino women educators
Recipients of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise