Rosa Sevilla de Alvero

Rosa Sevilla de Alvero (born Rosa Lucia Sevilla y Tolentino; March 4, 1879 – May 11, 1954) was a Filipino activist, educator, and journalist who advocated for women's suffrage in the Philippines.^[1]

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Sevilla, the second or maternal family name is Tolentino, and, for married women, the optional marital name is de Alvero.

Rosa Sevilla de Alvero
Sevilla as a staff of the La Independencia newspaper, c. 1898
Born	Rosa Lucia Sevilla y Tolentino (1879-03-04)March 4, 1879 Tondo, Manila, Captaincy General of the Philippines
Died	May 11, 1954(1954-05-11) (aged 75) Quezon City, Philippines
Known for	Women's suffrage in the Philippines
Spouse	Emilio Alvero
Children	5
Parent(s)	Ambrosio Sevilla Silvina Tolentino y Rafael

Biography

Sevilla was born on March 4, 1879, in Tondo, Manila to Ambrosio Sevilla, a sergeant of the Spanish Army, and Silvina Tolentino y Rafael, a relative of revolutionary and playwright Aurelio Tolentino.^[2] She grew up with Tolentino her aunt who often invited nationalists and intellectuals who advocated against what they call "colonial education" into their home.^[3] She studied to be a teacher, then graduated “maestra superior” at Assumption College.^[4] She later became the first female Dean of the University of Santo Tomas, and established the Instituto de Mujeres (now Rosa Sevilla Memorial School) on July 15, 1900.^[4]

Sevilla was a part of the editorial staff for Antonio Luna's newspaper, La Independencia and also wrote Spanish language works such as La Mejor, El Sueno del Poeta, and Prisonera de Amor.^[3]

During the early years of the American colonial period, she founded the Instituto de Mujeres in Manila at age 21, which became one of the first women's schools in the Philippines.^[1] The institute provided a curriculum to women that would help them prepare "to serve both God and country" giving them an alternative to American-run schools which mostly forbade the teaching of religion, as well as language subjects on Spanish and indigenous languages.^[3]

Later, in her mid-30s, she led a movement in 1916 for Filipino women to secure the right to vote, founding the Liga Nacional de Damas Filipinas. It was in 1937 when women were able to gain the right after a referendum.^[1]

Sevilla had also worked in the field of journalism, in which she became the editor for Spanish daily La Vanguardia, and established The Woman's Outlook, a magazine published by the General Federation of Women's Clubs of the Philippines.^[5]

She died on May 11, 1954, at 75 years old.^[4]

Personal life

She was married to Emilio Alvero, an artist.^[2]

Awards

• Presidential Medal of Merit: July 4, 1948
• Queen Isabella II of Spain Award: 1948

source:^[5][4]

Tribute

On March 4, 2021, Google celebrated her 142nd birthday with a Google Doodle.^[6] A street in Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines is named in her memory.