The Tandang Sora National Shrine (Filipino: ''Dambana ni Melchora (Tandang Sora) Aquino'') is a national monument and memorial park in

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...

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 ...

. It is dedicated to Filipino revolutionary and centenarian,

Melchora Aquino Melchora Aquino de Ramos (January 6, 1812 – February 19, 1919) was a Filipino revolutionary. She became known as "Tandang Sora" because of her age during the Philippine Revolution. She was known as the "Grand Woman of the Revolution" an ...

who is also known as "Tandang Sora".

Background

, popularly known as Tandang Sora is a key figure in the Philippine Revolution who offered shelter and medical aid to

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 ...

revolutionaries despite her old age. She was known by the titles of "Mother of the Katipunan" and the "Grand Woman of the Revolution" for her role in the revolution. The place where the memorial is situated, along in present-day Banlat Road in a

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...

named in honor of her is her birthplace. After her death, her remains were initially buried at the Mausoleum of the Veterans of the Revolution at the

Manila North Cemetery The Manila North Cemetery (Spanish: ''Cementerio del Norte'') is one of the oldest cemeteries in Metro Manila, Philippines. The cemetery is owned by and located in the City of Manila, the national capital, and is one of the largest in the metropo ...

before being transferred to the Himlayang Pilipino. In 2012, her remains were transferred to the Tandang Sora Shrine.

History

The Tandang Sora Shrine was "restored" by the Quezon City government in 2005 as a tribute to Melchora Aquino and the shrine was built in 2008 during the tenure of then-Quezon City Mayor

Feliciano Belmonte Jr. Fernando Feliciano "Sonny" Racimo Belmonte Jr., Knights of Rizal, KGCR (born October 2, 1936) is a Filipino people, Filipino politician who served as a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for the Fourth District of Quezon City from ...

Prior to the shrine's construction, a marker is already present near the site of the shrine although it is generally hidden from view from the public by houses. The Quezon City Council declared 2012 as Tandang Sora Year, a year-long celebration to mark the 200th birth anniversary of Melchora Auino. In line of the commemoration, there were efforts by the city government to have Aquino's remains which were then-located at the nearby Himlayang Pilipino exhumed and re-interred in the shrine. Such moves required approval from the Congress and their bid was helped by the approval of the

National Historical Commission of the Philippines The National Historical Commission of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan ng Pilipinas, abbreviated NHCP) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural herita ...

(NCHP) of the plan in 2011. The Himlayang Pilipino also gave consent for the exhumation of Aquino's remains. Melchora Aquino's remains were then re-interred at the Tandang Sora Shrine on January 6, 2012, on her birth day. The re-interment ceremony was led by Novaliches Bishop Antonio Tobias who blessed Aquino's casket. The memorial was later declared a national shrine on March 2, 2012, by the NHCP through a resolution.

Shrine

The shrine is situated along Banlat Road in Barangay Tandang Sora,

. It covers an area of and features a bronze sculpture. The remains of Melchora Aquino, which consists of three small bones and ash at the time of her re-interment in the shrine, is housed inside a small wooden casket, which in turn is placed inside a square space at the foot of the bronze sculpture designed by

Toym Imao Abdulmari de Leon Imao, Jr. (born 1968), better known by either Toym Leon Imao or Toym Imao, is a Filipino multi-media visual artist whose art is known for its commentary on Filipino social conditions, as well as for its pop culture sensibilities ...

. An art gallery is also hosted within shrine grounds which features paintings and other sculptures dedicated to Tandang Sora made by local artists from Quezon City. It also has a pavilion and stage for events, and a mini-museum dedicated to Melchora Aquino.

References

{{coord missing, Philippines Monuments and memorials in Metro Manila Buildings and structures in Quezon City National Shrines of the Philippines Parks in Quezon City