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Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio – Doña Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio was named as the “godmother of the revolutionary forces” by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo during the proclamation of the Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898. Her passion in supporting the revolution against the Spaniards, and later the Americans, was inflamed by the death of her husband, Don Eulalio Villavicencio in February 1898. He was incarcerated by the Spaniards along with Pablo Ocampo and Dr. Ariston Bautista for supporting the Katipunan and the revolutionary movement. Of the material aid she extended to the insurrectos the most notable was the SS Bulusan, a ship which made trips from Manila to Batangas and back. It also transported Filipino soldiers, armaments and ammunitions and food supplies for the maintenance of the revolutionary forces. It was the first warship made available to the revolutionaries. Aling Eriang, as she was affectionately called, was born in Taal on May 13, 1852 and died on September 25, 1928. She had six (6) children.
Felipe Agoncillo – Don Felipe Encarnacion Agoncillo, a man of rare intelligence and admirable patriotism, is best remembered as a revolutionary hero, statesman, and the first Philippine diplomat. After graduating from the University of Santo Tomas with degrees in Bachelor or Arts and Licentiate in Jurisprudence, both magna cum laude, he started his career by setting up a law office in Taal and won popular acclaim for the free services he rendered his poor clients. He was brilliant, fearless and was outspoken about the abuses of the Spanish oppression. He was to be exiled by the Spanish government to Jolo in April 1896, but, managed to escape to Hong Kong via Japan. He organized the revolutionary junta in Hong Kong and was eventually appointed by General Emilio Aguinaldo as a diplomat representing the Philippine Republic to the United States and to the Treaty of Paris in 1898. He served as representative of Batangas in the First Philippine Assembly in 1907. He also served as Secretary of Interior under Governor General Leonard Wood. In 1930, he was chosen president for the first plenary session of the Independence Congress held in Manila. Don Felipe Agoncillo was born on May 26, 1859 and died September 29, 1941. He was married to Marcela Marino and has five (5) children.
Marcela Mariño de Agoncillo – The wife of Don Felipe Agoncillo, Dona Marcela, also known as “Roselang Bubog” is best known as the maker of the first Philippine flag that was unfurled at the proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite. Born from one of Taal’s oldest and most respected families, she was educated in a Catholic convent school, which in those days emphasized sewing and arts in the curriculum for girls. In 1898, while in exile in Hong Kong with her husband and children, she received orders from General Emilio Aguinaldo to make the flag, a task she welcomed as an opportunity to serve her motherland. With the design finally made, she started her task of sewing with meticulous care with the help of Delfina Natividad (Rizal’s niece) and her daughter, Lorenza. Marcela died on May 30, 1946, at 80 years old.
Vicente Ilustre – Don Vicente Encarnacion Ilustre obtained a law doctorate at the Universidad Central de Madrid. It was also in Madrid that he associated with other Filipino patriots like Rizal, Plaridel, Naning Ponce, Galicano Apacible and others – whose chief pre-occupation was resolving the seething Philippine situation. He left Madrid fro Paris and on January 8, 1900, proceeded to Hong Kong where he accepted the offer by the Mabini cabinet to represent the country in the United States. He was consequently elected Director of Diplomacy in the Central Revolucionaria de Hongkong. In 1913, Vicente became a member of the Philippine Commission under Gov. Gen. Francis Burton Harrison where he served as president of the Committee for Mindanao and Sulu. Thereafter, he became a Senator in the First Senate of the Philippines. He was also instrumental in the installation of two very important public utilities in Taal, that of light and water. He was born in Taal, Batangas on Sept. 6, 1869 and died in Manila on Sept. 27, 1928 at the age of 59. He was married to Doña Rita Villavicencio.
Gen. Ananias Diokno – Gen. Ananias Noblejas Diokno was the only Tagalog general to lead a full scale military expedition to the Visayas against the Spanish forces. He led the Battalion Maluya, a revolutionary force organized by Doña Gliceria Marella Villavicencio and General Marasigan with the help of Timoteo Marella and Capitan Apolonio Admana. He was also responsible for the transport of arms from Japan, sent by the revolutionary Government. General Diokno with his officers and soldiers, embarked for Sorsogon on the steamers Bulusan, Taaleño and Purisima Conception, to help organize the first revolutionary government of the Bicol region. In November 1898, the Philippine forces reached the port of Pandan, Ibahay, Capiz and defeated the Spanish forces. After a week they went to Iloilo and demanded the immediate surrender of the Spaniards. When the Americans came to Capiz on March 4, 1901 the Filipino troops were forced to flee to the mountains and later were urged to surrender. Many men surrendered but General Diokno, with a handful of loyal stalwarts retreated to the hinterlands and resorted to guerrilla warfare. Having been badly wounded in a skirmish, he was captured and imprisoned by the Americans. Gen. Diokno was born in Taal on January 22, 1860 and died on November 2, 1922 in Arayat, Pampanga.
Sources:
Taal Grand Lady of Batangas , tourist brochure
Wikipedia.org
