Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio

Doña Gliceria Legaspi Marella de Villavicencio (May 15, 1852 – September 28, 1929), also known as Aling Eralian, is acknowledged as one of the famous Filipinos who gave her own wealth, time, knowledge and effort to help the Revolutionaries during the Philippine Revolution.

She is also recognized as a heroine of the Revolution, an ardent sympathizer and supporter of the Filipino struggle for freedom from colonial rule.

During the proclamation of the Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898, Gliceria Marella Villavicencio was given the name "godmother of the revolutionary forces".

Biography

Gliceria Marella Villavicencio was born on May 13, 1852, in Taal, Batangas. She was the third of seven children and the daughter of Vicente Marella and Gertrudis Legaspi. They were a wealthy family. At the age of 12 she attended the Santa Catalina College in Intramuros. When Gliceria's elder sister died, she had to take on the responsibility of managing the family estate.

In October 1871, Gliceria married Eulalio Villavicencio, a wealthy ship owner, who also came from a rich family. Together, Eulalio and Gliceria contributed a large portion of their fortune and effort to support the Philippine Revolution. Casa villavicencio, a house on the hill top, was gifted to her as a wedding gift by her husband. The house is used as a place for refuge and as a secret meeting site for revolutionary leaders. When the Spaniards found out about the couples revolutionary activities, their house was frequently searched by the Guardia Civil, where later Eulalio was arrested on charges of sedition and inciting rebellion. . Out of the many she had given, the most notable was the donation of her ship, the SS Bulusan, which was used in transporting Filipino soldiers, armaments, ammunition, and food supplies for the maintenance of the revolutionary forces. It was the first warship made available to the revolutionaries.

Gliceria Marella Villavicencio died on September 25, 1929. She had six children.