Jessie Lichauco

Jessie Lichauco ( Coe; January 10, 1912 – November 1, 2021) was a Cuban–Filipino philanthropist and activist.

Early life Jessie Coe was born in Isla de los Pinos, Cuba on January 10, 1912. Her father settled in Cuba after the Spanish–American War where he met Jessie's mother. She was later sent to St. Augustine, Florida, where she was raised in a convent school after she lost her parents as a young girl.

While working in Washington D.C., Coe met Marcial P. Lichauco, a Filipino lawyer who was working as a secretary for the OsRox Mission, which was seeking Philippine independence from the United States. She came to the Philippines upon Lichauco's invitation in the 1930s at the age of 18, marrying him on December 29, 1933, at the University of Santo Tomas Chapel. She and her husband were the first couple to be wed in the newly constructed chapel. After their marriage, Lichuaco lived almost continually in the Philippines.

Lichauco was granted Philippine citizenship in 2013 through Republic Act No. 10356 which was signed into law by President Benigno Aquino III.

In popular media Lichauco was the subject of the documentary film Curiosity, Adventure, & Love, in which she portrayed herself. The film includes her migration to the Philippines, the meeting with her husband, Philippine history from her perspective, and her insights on the Filipino people during World War II. Special Jury Prize, 2016 World Premieres Philippines Film Festival Best Documentary, 2017 SOHO International Film Festival Best Documentary Feature, 2017 NYLA (New York Los Angeles) International Film Festival Best Documentary Feature, 2017 Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Excellence Award for the categories of Human Spirit and Biography, Exceptional Merit for sub-categories of Viewer Impact: Motivational/inspirational and Editing, 2017 Docs Without Borders Film Festival.