Hilaria del Rosario de Aguinaldo (born Hilaria del Rosario y Reyes; 17 February 1877 – 6 March 1921) was the first wife of General

Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who is the youngest president of the Philippines (1899–1901) and is recognized as the first president of the Philippine ...

, the first

President of the Philippines The president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sometimes referred to as ''Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of t ...

Life

Hilaria del Rosario y Reyes was born on February 17, 1877 in Tinabunan (now Pag-asa) in

Imus Imus, officially the City of Imus ( fil, Lungsod ng Imus), is a 3rd class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and ''de jure'' Capital city, capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cavite, Philippines ...

Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...

to Guillermo del Rosario y Bautista and Cristina Reyes y Flores. She was baptized four days later by Andrés Galdeano at Imus Church. Emilio Aguinaldo married her on

New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...

, 1896–the very same day he joined the Katipunan, the secret society that would initiate the Philippine Revolution that year. Although the title "First Lady" (Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish: ''Primera Dama'') was not used, and did not refer to the wife of the President of the Philippines (being used only with the onset of the American governors-general in reference to their wives) at the time, she is today considered the first First Lady of the Philippines. She complemented Emilio's military campaigns by caring for wounded soldiers and their families. In 1899, as the president's consort, she established the ''Hijas de la Revolución'' (Daughters of the Revolution) that later became ''Asociación de la Cruz Roja'' (Red Cross Association). The organisation is considered a precursor of the present Philippine National Red Cross, and for this she raised funds for medicines and other medical supplies. She was captured by American troops in 1900 and reunited with her husband after his capture by the Americans in 1901.

Death

Hilaria del Rosario de Aguinaldo died on March 6, 1921, aged 44, from pulmonary tuberculosis. She was buried the next day.

In popular culture

* Portrayed by Cristine Reyes in the 2012 film, ''El Presidente (film), El Presidente''. * Portrayed by Che Ramos in the 2018 film, ''Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aguinaldo, Hilaria 1877 births 1921 deaths Aguinaldo family, Hilaria Filipino Resistance activists Filipino Roman Catholics People of the Philippine Revolution First Ladies and First Gentlemen of the Philippines People from Kawit, Cavite Spouses of presidents of the Philippines 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in the Philippines