María Josefa Gabriela Cariño de Silang (; 19 March 1731 – 20 September 1763) was a Filipino military leader best known for her role as the female leader of the Ilocano independence movement from
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
. She took over from her second husband
Diego Silang
Diego Silang y Andaya (; December 16, 1730 – May 28, 1763) was a Filipino revolutionary leader who allied with British forces to overthrow Spanish rule in the northern Philippines and establish an independent Ilocano state. His revolt was ...
after his assassination in 1763, leading her people for four months before she was captured and executed by the colonial government of the
Captaincy General of the Philippines
The Captaincy General of the Philippines ( es, Capitanía General de Filipinas ; tl, Kapitaniya Heneral ng Pilipinas) was an administrative district of the Spanish Empire in Southeast Asia governed by a governor-general as a dependency of the ...
.
Early life
Gabriela Silang was born in
Barangay
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolita ...
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
Ilocano father named Anselmo Cariño, a trader who ferried his wares from Vigan to Abra along the
Abra River
The Abra River, also called Lagben River, is the seventh largest river system in the Philippines in terms of watershed size. It has an estimated drainage area of and a length of from its source in the vicinity of Mount Data in Benguet province. ...
and a descendant of Ignacio Cariño, the first
Galicia
Galicia may refer to:
Geographic regions
* Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain
** Gallaecia, a Roman province
** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia
** The medieval King ...
n from Spain to arrive in
Candon
Candon, officially the City of Candon ( ilo, Siudad ti Candon; fil, Lungsod ng Candon), is a 4th class component city in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 61,432 people.
Dubbed as the ...
, Ilocos Sur in the late 17th century. Her mother was a Tinguian who was from a Tinguian
barrio
''Barrio'' () is a Spanish word that means " quarter" or " neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city, usually delimited by functional (e.g. residential, commercial, industrial, etc.), social, a ...
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
upbringing from the town's
parish priest
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
, and attained elementary level education at the town's convent school. After being separated from her parents early in her childhood, she was raised by a priest, who eventually arranged a marriage between her and the wealthy businessman. They married in 1751, and he died three years later.
Revolutionary involvement
Relationship with her spouse, Diego Silang
After being widowed by her first husband, Gabriela met future insurgent leader
Diego Silang
Diego Silang y Andaya (; December 16, 1730 – May 28, 1763) was a Filipino revolutionary leader who allied with British forces to overthrow Spanish rule in the northern Philippines and establish an independent Ilocano state. His revolt was ...
and married him in 1757.
In 1762, as part of what would later be known as the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
, the
Kingdom of Great Britain
The Kingdom of Great Britain (officially Great Britain) was a sovereign country in Western Europe from 1 May 1707 to the end of 31 December 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, wh ...
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southw ...
. After the capture of Manila, an emboldened Diego sought to initiate an armed struggle to overthrow Spanish functionaries in
Ilocos
Ilocos Region ( ilo, Rehion/Deppaar ti Ilocos; pag, Sagor na Baybay na Luzon/Rehiyon Uno; tl, Rehiyon ng Ilocos) is an administrative region of the Philippines, designated as Region I, occupying the northwestern section of Luzon and part of ...
and replace them with native-born officials. He joined forces with the British, who appointed him governor of Ilocos on their behalf. During this revolt, Gabriela became one of Diego's closest advisors and his unofficial aide-de-camp during skirmishes with Spanish troops. She was also a major figure in her husband's co-operation with the British.
Spanish authorities retaliated by offering a reward for Diego’s assassination. Consequently, his two former allies, Miguel Vicos and Pedro Becbec, killed him in
Vigan
Vigan, officially the City of Vigan ( ilo, Siudad ti Vigan; fil, Lungsod ng Vigan), is a 4th class component city and capital of the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 53,935 people.
L ...
on May 28, 1763.Commire, Anne, and Deborah Klezmer. Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Waterford, CT: Yorkin Publications, 2002. Print.
Revolutionary leadership in Abra
After Diego's assassination, Gabriela fled to
Tayum
Tayum, officially the Municipality of Tayum ( ilo, Ili ti Tayum; tgl, Bayan ng Tayum), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Abra, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 14,869 people.
Tayum is east of ca ...
, Abra to seek refuge in the house of her paternal uncle, Nicolás Cariño. There, she appointed her first two generals, Miguel Flores and Tagabuen Infiel. She later assumed her husband's role as commander of the rebel troops and achieved a " priestess" status amongst her community and followers. Her popular image as the
bolo
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* Bolo, a fictional tribe in ''bolo'bolo'' by P.M.
* Bolo, a character in the ''Shantae'' series
* ''Bolo'' universe, a science fiction universe created by Keith Laumer
* Prin ...
-wielding ''La Generala'' on horseback stems from this period.
Assault on Vigan and execution
On September 10, 1763, Silang attempted to besiege
Vigan
Vigan, officially the City of Vigan ( ilo, Siudad ti Vigan; fil, Lungsod ng Vigan), is a 4th class component city and capital of the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 53,935 people.
L ...
but the Spanish retaliated, forcing her into hiding. She retreated once more to Abra, where the Spanish later captured her. On September 20, 1763, Silang and her troops were executed by hanging in Vigan's central plaza.
Legacy
She is remembered as the “
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...
Order of Gabriela Silang
The Order of Gabriela Silang ( fil, Orden ni Gabriela Silang) is an all-female order of the Philippines founded on September 19, 2003.national decoration awarded by the Philippines whose membership is restricted to women. The organisation and
party list
An electoral list is a grouping of candidates for election, usually found in proportional or mixed electoral systems, but also in some plurality electoral systems. An electoral list can be registered by a political party (a party list) or can ...
Gabriela Women's Party
The Gabriela Women's Party (General Assembly Binding Women for Integrity, Reform, Equality, Leadership and Action) or simply GABRIELA, is a progressive Filipino political party that advocates for women's issues and represents Filipino women in th ...
("General Assembly Binding Women for Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership, and Action"), which advocates for women's rights and issues, was founded in April 1984 in her honour. The BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) is named after her. Asteroid 7026 Gabrielasilang, discovered by
Eleanor Helin
Eleanor Francis "Glo" Helin (née Francis, 19 November 1932 – 25 January 2009) was an American astronomer. She was principal investigator of the Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) program of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (Some sources gi ...
at Palomar in 1993, is named in her honor. The official was published by the
Minor Planet Center
The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Function
T ...
on 8 November 2019 ().
Descendants
A list of the closest-living relatives of Gabriela Cariño Silang through her paternal uncle, Nicolas Cariño:
* Ambassador José Maria Ancheta Cariño
* Dion Cariño
* Rosarito A. Cariño
* Nehemiah Cariño
* Jan Philippe Cariño
* Felipe Cariño
* Sergio Cariño
* John Leonard Cariño
* Jose Angelo Cariño
* Therese M. Cariño
* Christine M. Cariño
* Gloman Merritt
* Glozy Merritt
* Princess Mynn Hosea Merritt
* Materno Marcos ma. Guzman Carino
* Carlo Antonio Cariño Diy
* Rolando A. Cariño
* Donya Soccoro Cariño De Leon
* Elizabeth Cariño De Leon
* Hermoso Cariño De Leon Jr.
* Dr. Noel Cariño De Leon
* Jocelyn Cariño De Leon
* Jasper De Leon De Jesus
* Jizyt De Leon De Jesus
* Jinkyl De Leon De Jesus
* Jixtryl De Leon De Jesus
* Eva Cariño
* Pheobe Gazmen-Cariño
* Adelaida Cariño
* Candonino Gazmen-Cariño
* Nestor Gazmen-Cariño
* Abraham Cariño-Gazmen
* Seny Fe Cariño-Gazmen Mangay-ayam
* Jessie Carino-Gazmen Cruz
* Agnes-Jocelyn Cariño-Arcelona Stupp
* Emmanuel Cariño-Arcelona
* Melvin Cariño-Arcelona
* Ann-Loretta Cariño-Arcelona Maxey
* Belen-Eloisa Cariño-Arcelona Stewart
* Dr. Milenda Palafox Cariño-Arcelona
Some of Silang's living relations still reside in the ancestral house at the Cariño family seat of Tayum. The house, now a museum and art gallery called the ''Casa Museo Cariño'', is maintained by Rosarito A. Cariño. Among the rooms on display is the bedroom of Gabriela Cariño Silang while she used the house of her uncle, Nicolas Cariño, as her headquarters when she fled after Diego's murder in 1763.Rosarito A. Cariño 7th generation great-grandson and Museum Curator of Gabriela Cariño- Silang Gallery of Fine Arts and Museo Nicolas Cariño and Gloman Merritt 8th generation great-grandson.
In popular culture
* Silang was portrayed by Tanya Gomez in the 1996 TV Series ''Bayani'' of
ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Philippine commercial broadcast network that serves as the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company unde ...
in the two-episode "Gabriela Silang: Ang Alap" and "Diego Silang: Ang Sulat."
* Silang was portrayed by
Kris Bernal
Kristine Ann Tan Bernal (born May 17, 1989) is a Filipino actress who became known for winning the fourth season of the reality-based talent search '' StarStruck'' of GMA Network. Bernal rose to fame as the other half in her loveteam with A ...
in the 2013
GMA Network
GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...
historical drama
A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and s ...
series ''
Indio Indio may refer to:
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* Indio, Bovey Tracey, an historic estate in Devon, England
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'' and by
Glaiza de Castro
Glaiza Castro Galura-Rainey (born January 21, 1988), known by her stage name Glaiza de Castro, is a Filipino actress, recording artist and advocate. She is recognized as the industry's "''Drama Royalty''" for her acting prowess and versatility ...
in the
GMA News TV
GMA News TV (GNTV; visually rendered in its logo in all capital letters as GMA NEWS TV) is a 24-hour Philippine-based international pay television channel owned by Citynet Network Marketing and Productions Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of G ...