Marcela Marcelo (1869 - March 21, 1897) was a Filipina general who fought during the

Philippine Revolution The Philippine Revolution ( or ; or ) was a war of independence waged by the revolutionary organization Katipunan against the Spanish Empire from 1896 to 1898. It was the culmination of the 333-year History of the Philippines (1565–1898), ...

against Spanish Colonial rule. She was dubbed as ''Selang Bagsik'' (Fierce Sela) for her bravery.

Personal life

Marcela was born in 1869 in the town of Malibay, which is now part of the present-day

Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...

. She belonged to an upper-class family that owns an

areca nut The areca nut ( or ) or betel nut () is the fruit of the areca palm (''Areca catechu''). The palm is originally native to the Philippines, but was carried widely through the tropics by the Austronesian migrations and trade since at least 15 ...

farm. She married Quirico Lugo, a man from Aguho,

Pateros Pateros, officially the Municipality of Pateros (; ), is the lone municipality of the Philippines, municipality of Metropolitan Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 65,227 people. This munic ...

, and bore him a son. As the Spanish offensive against Filipino revolutionaries escalated in the area, the people of Malibay, including Marcela, had no choice but to relocate to the Filipino controlled

Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...

A Woman in Revolution

Marcela's husband was a member of the ''

Katipunan The Katipunan (), officially known as the (; ) and abbreviated as the KKK, was a revolutionary organization founded in 1892 by a group of Filipino nationalists Deodato Arellano, Andrés Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, José Dizon, an ...

'' and was apprehended then killed by the Spanish. When Marcela's husband was being taken away by the Spanish ''

Guardia Civil The Civil Guard (; ) is one of the two national law enforcement agencies of Spain. As a national gendarmerie, it is military in nature and is responsible for civil policing under the authority of both the Ministry of the Interior and the Minis ...

'', she quietly watched, without wailing nor protesting. Right after Quirico's capture, she entrusted her son to her sister and sought for revolutionaries to attack the Spaniards on their trenches. Marcela had been an active member of the ''Katipunan'' and was promoted to the rank of general, leading her own platoon through skirmishes. It was rare and unexpected for a woman, but as opponents saw her fight, she was hailed as ''Selang Bagsik.'' Marcela gathered and trained young members of the Katipunan ranging from 14 to 18 years old. She also managed and organized the nursing of wounded Katipunan members in

Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...

Death

In 1897, Marcela died at the

Battle of Pasong Santol A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

in Perez-Dasmariñas. She led a troop to rush towards the center of the Spanish army, but the Spaniards were able to shoot Marcela in the head. Former president

Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...

's private secretary, Carlos V. Ronquillo, described Marcela as:

Memorials

A bust of Marcela was built in the plaza of Malibay,

, in memory of her. It is situated in front of the principal road, C. Jose Street. A school is also named after Marcela: Marcela Marcelo Elementary School, which is also located in Malibay.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marcelo, Marcela 1869 births 1897 deaths Women in war in the Philippines Women soldiers 19th-century Filipino women People from the Spanish East Indies 19th-century military personnel 19th-century Filipino people Women in 19th-century warfare