Pura Santillan-Castrence facts for kids

Pura Santillan-Castrence (born March 24, 1905 – died January 15, 2007) was an amazing Filipino woman. She was a talented writer and a skilled diplomat. She was one of the first Filipino women to become famous for writing in English. The French government even gave her a special award called the Chevalier de Légion d'honneur.

Early Life and Education

Pura Santillan-Castrence was born in Manila, Philippines, in March 1905. She studied pharmacy and chemistry at the University of the Philippines. After graduating in 1927, she taught at the same university. Later, she continued her studies at the University of Michigan in the United States. She also became a professor of literature at the University of the East in Manila.

A Talented Writer

Pura Santillan-Castrence started her writing career in the 1920s. Soon, she became known as one of the best Filipino essayists of her time. Many of her essays were included in Philippine Prose and Poetry. This was a popular textbook used by high school students, and she helped write it! She also wrote columns for the Manila Daily Bulletin newspaper. Her articles appeared in many other national magazines and papers. She often wrote about feminist themes, which means she explored topics important to women. For example, she studied the female characters in famous Filipino novels like Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

Becoming a Diplomat

Pura Santillan-Castrence first joined the foreign service during World War II. She worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After the war, she held many different jobs in the Department of Foreign Affairs. In 1959, she was sent to the Philippine embassy in Bonn. At that time, Bonn was the capital of West Germany.

In 1964, President Diosdado Macapagal appointed her as the Assistant Secretary for Cultural Affairs. This job had the same rank as an Ambassador. She kept this important role during the first term of President Ferdinand Marcos. She stayed in this position until she retired from government service.

Later Years and Legacy

After retiring, Pura Santillan-Castrence moved to the United States. There, she taught at several colleges. Later in her life, she moved to Melbourne, Australia. She wanted to be with her daughter who lived there. Even at 94 years old, she started writing a regular column! She wrote for publications like the Bayanihan News and the Manila Mail. These papers were for Filipinos living outside the Philippines.

Even though she was legally blind, she would dictate her columns, and they were very popular. She wrote about important world events and her thoughts on them. When she was 100 years old, she published a book. It was a collection of her articles called As I See It: Filipinos and the Philippines.

Pura Santillan-Castrence passed away in January 2007. She was 101 years old. She was supposed to receive a special lifetime achievement award just one month later. Her life showed how much one person can achieve as a writer, educator, and diplomat.