Sofia de Veyra

Sofia Reyes de Veyra (30 September 1876 – 1 January 1953) was a Filipina feminist, clubwoman, teacher, and school founder, and president of the National Federation of Women's Clubs.

Early life

Sofia Reyes was born in Arevalo, Iloilo City, the daughter of Santiago Reyes and Eulalia Tiaozon.

Sofia Reyes de Veyra historical marker

Career

Sofia Reyes taught English as a young woman. She co-founded a nurses' training school at Iloilo City in 1907 with an American woman, Mary E. Coleman.[1] In 1917, she moved to Washington D. C. as a diplomat's wife, and while there gave lectures and was otherwise active in women's clubs. She wrote essays that were published in newspapers around the United States.[2] In 1922 she was the Philippines' delegate to the Pan-Pacific conference held in Baltimore.[3] She met with first lady Florence Harding, and received a certificate of appreciation from the American Red Cross for her contributions during World War I.[4] Sofia de Veyra was also noted for wearing the distinctive Philippine terno formal dress to events and while giving public speeches in the United States.[5]

Back in the Philippines by 1925, she founded the Manila Women's Club. In time she became president of the National Federation of Women's Clubs, and used her position to advocate for women's suffrage in the Philippines.[6] She was also appointed head of the domestic science department at Centro Escolar de Señoritas, a girls' school.[1] She also co-wrote a cookbook that was published in both English and Spanish, Everyday Cookery for the Home (1930, 1934).[7][8]

Personal life

Sofia Reyes married politician Jaime Carlos de Veyra in 1907. They had four children,[9] Their son Manuel E. de Veyra was a doctor during World War II serving at Bataan.[10] Their son Jesus de Veyra became a judge, and dean of the Ateneo Law School from 1976 to 1981.[11]

Sofia Reyes de Veyra died in 1953, aged 77 years. Her daughter-in-law wrote a biography, Faith, Work, Success: An Appraisal of the Life and Work of Sofia Reyes de Veyra, in 1959.[12] There is a historical marker honoring de Veyra's work in her home district in the Western Visayas region.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 "Filipino Lady Leads Islands Health Drive" Post-Crescent (25 June 1926): 17. via Newspapers.com
  2. ↑ Sofia de Veyra, "The Filipino Women in the Wide World" Evening Missourian (7 May 1920): 13. via Newspapers.com
  3. ↑ "Where Mother is Boss" Arizona Republic (30 May 1922): 3. via Newspapers.com
  4. ↑ Butch Dalisay, "History Made Personal" Philippine Star (12 October 2015).
  5. ↑ Wil Lundström-Burghoorn, Gender Politics in Asia: Women Manoeuvring Within Dominant Gender Orders (NIAS Press 2008): 18. ISBN 9788776940157
  6. ↑ "Sofia de Veyra: a Pillar of Women’s Suffrage" Gota de Leche (5 January 2015).
  7. ↑ Titchie Carandang-Tiongson, "The Thoroughly Modern Sofia de Veyra" Positively Filipino (7 August 2013).
  8. ↑ Rene Alexander Orquisa Jr., "Filipino Food, 1898-1946" in Robert Ji-Song Ku, Robert F. Manalansan, and Anita Mannur, eds., Eating Asian America: A Food Studies Reader (NYU Press 2013): 182. ISBN 9781479812035
  9. ↑ "On Equality with Husbands" Galena Weekly Republican (18 August 1922): 6. via Newspapers.com
  10. ↑ Manuel E. de Veyra, Doctor at Bataan 1941-1942 (New Day Publishers 1991). ISBN 9789711004606
  11. ↑ "The Early Years" Ateneo Law Journal.
  12. ↑ Rosario Avila de Veyra, Faith, Work, Success: An Appraisal of the Life and Work of Sofia Reyes de Veyra (University of San Carlos, 1959).
  13. ↑ Mark Segador, "Memories at Plaza Villa: Heritage and Prestige" Iloilo I Love (30 September 2011).
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/23/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.