Eva Estrada Kalaw facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eva Estrada-Kalaw
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Senator of the Philippines | |
| In office December 30, 1965 – September 23, 1972 |
|
| Assemblywoman from Manila | |
| In office June 30, 1984 – March 25, 1986 Serving with Lito Atienza, Carlos Fernando, Mel Lopez, Gonzalo Puyat II, and Arturo Tolentino
|
|
| Representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office | |
| In office 1997–2001 |
|
| President | Fidel Ramos Joseph Estrada |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Evangelina Reynada Estrada
June 16, 1920 Murcia, Tarlac, Philippine Islands |
| Died | May 25, 2017 (aged 96) Manila, Philippines |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Political party | Nacionalista (1965–1972; 1987–1992) |
| Other political affiliations |
Liberal (1986–1987) UNIDO (1984–1987) |
| Spouse | Teodoro V. Kalaw Jr. |
| Children | 4 (Valerio Kalaw, Teodoro Kalaw III., Salvador Kalaw, and Maria Eva Kalaw) |
| Residence | Manila |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Professor |
Eva Kalaw (born Evangelina Reynada Estrada; June 16, 1920 – May 25, 2017) was an important Filipino politician. She served as a senator in the Senate of the Philippines from 1965 to 1972. This was during the time Ferdinand Marcos was president.
Eva Kalaw was a strong voice against President Marcos's long rule. She played a big part in the People Power Revolution that led to his downfall. As a senator, she helped create many laws about education in the Philippines. These laws included better salaries for public school teachers and new rules for private schools and students. She was also hurt in a bombing incident in 1971 while campaigning.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Eva Kalaw was born in Murcia, Tarlac (now Concepcion, Tarlac), on June 16, 1920. Her parents were Dr. Salvador Estrada and Demetria Reynado. She studied at the University of the Philippines in Manila, earning a degree in Education. She focused on home economics.
Eva was also a very skilled pistol shooter. She was even the national ladies' champion in rapid-fire pistol shooting! She learned from Martin Gison, a Filipino Olympian in shooting. After college in 1940, Kalaw taught at several universities. She also continued her studies in social work.
On June 11, 1944, she married Teodoro Kalaw Jr., a businessman and war veteran. They had four children: Maria Eva (called "Chingbee"), Teodoro III, Salvador, and Tyrone. Her son Teodoro III also became a national pistol shooting champion and an Olympic shooter.
Social Work and Community Involvement
Eva Kalaw was very active in helping her community. She was involved in many different groups across the country. She was the first president of the Jayceerettes Organization. She also founded the Samahang Filipina.
She was a director for the League of Women Voters and the Chamber of Home Industries of the Philippines. She also helped the Special Child Study Center for Retarded Children. Eva was active in groups like the Rizal Red Cross and the Anti–Tuberculosis of the Philippines. For all her hard work, she was named the Outstanding Volunteer Social Worker of the Year.
Political Career
First Term as Senator
Eva Kalaw first got involved in politics in 1953. She joined the Nacionalista Party. She helped campaign for presidential candidate Ramon Magsaysay. In 1965, she ran for senator with Ferdinand Marcos and won.
As a senator, she proposed 41 new laws. Many of these laws were about education. For example, she worked on laws to increase salaries for public school teachers. She also helped create local school boards. Another important law she worked on was the Barrio High School Charter. This law helped set up high schools in smaller towns. During her time, she led committees on tourism and national minorities.
Second Term and Martial Law
Life within the Nacionalista Party became difficult for Kalaw under President Marcos. She was one of the few people in the party who spoke out against his increasing power. By 1971, she joined the Liberal Party as a guest candidate. This was for the upcoming senatorial elections.
On August 21, 1971, while campaigning at Plaza Miranda in Manila, an attacker threw grenades. Eva Kalaw was among the candidates present and was injured. However, she was not seriously hurt. Despite this, she and five other Liberal Party candidates won Senate seats. She became the first Filipino woman senator to win two terms in a row.
After this incident, Kalaw spent her second term strongly opposing President Marcos. However, her term was cut short when Marcos declared Martial Law. This meant he took more power and closed the Congress. Eva Kalaw continued to speak out against Martial Law. Because of her activism, she was put in prison twice at Fort Bonifacio.
Assemblywoman for Manila
After being released from prison, Kalaw worked to bring together different opposition groups. She helped form the United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO). This group became the main opposition against Marcos's party.
When Benigno Aquino Jr. was assassinated in 1983, it made the opposition even stronger. In 1984, Kalaw ran for assemblywoman for Manila and won. An assemblywoman was like a representative in the new parliament called the Regular Batasang Pambansa.
Vice Presidential Candidate
In November 1985, President Marcos called for a special election. Eva Kalaw wanted to run for president. However, most of the UNIDO members wanted Corazon Aquino, Benigno Aquino Jr.'s widow, to be their presidential candidate.
Both Kalaw and Salvador Laurel decided to support Corazon Aquino. But when Aquino chose Laurel as her running mate, Kalaw decided to run for vice president on her own. The election in February 1986 was full of problems and claims of cheating. After a peaceful uprising called the People Power Revolution, Marcos was removed from power. Corazon Aquino became president, and Salvador Laurel became vice president.
After the Revolution
After the People Power Revolution, Eva Kalaw joined the opposition against Corazon Aquino's government. She ran for senator again in 1987 but did not win. In 1992, she teamed up with former Vice President Laurel. They ran for president and vice president under the Nacionalista Party. However, they both lost to Fidel V. Ramos and Joseph Estrada.
Eva Kalaw's last public service job was in Taiwan. She worked as the managing director for the Manila Economic and Cultural Office. This office acts like the Philippines' embassy in Taipei, Taiwan. She held this position during the Ramos and Estrada presidencies.
Awards and Recognition
Eva Kalaw received many awards. One of the most special was the Mahatma Gandhi Freedom Award. She received this award on April 2, 1985, from the College of William & Mary in Virginia, United States. This award is given to people who show great meaning and importance to freedom through their actions. Other famous people who received this award include her cousin Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and Senator Jovito Salonga.
Death
Eva Kalaw passed away on May 25, 2017. She was 96 years old. She is survived by her daughter Chingbee, and her sons Teodoro III, Salvador, and Tyrone. She also had 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Her burial took place at Loyola Memorial Park in Parañaque.
Images for kids
-
Eva Kalaw, a Filipino politician and senator.
