Rafael Palma y Velásquez (: October 24, 1874 May 24, 1939) was a
Filipino politician, Rizalian, writer, educator and a famous
Freemason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
. He was a senator from 1916 to 1921 and was the fourth president of the
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 2008 ...
.
Biography
Palma was born in
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
on October 24, 1874 to
''Don'' Hermógenes Palma, a clerk at the
''Intendencia'' Office, and Hilaria Velásquez. His younger brother was the soldier-poet
José Palma, the author of the
Spanish poem ''Filipinas'', which is, along with its subsequent translations, used in the
Philippine National Anthem.
In 1885, he began his studies at the
Ateneo de Manila and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1892, he began his law studies at the
University of Santo Tomas
The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Migu ...
. While enrolled in the university, he was employed in the Office of the Bureau of Lands.
He was also a reporter in ''La Independencia'', the first Filipino daily newspaper, founded and directed by
Antonio Luna
Antonio Narciso Luna de San Pedro y Novicio Ancheta (; October 29, 1866 – June 5, 1899) was a Filipino army general who fought in the Philippine–American War before his assassination in 1899.
Regarded as one of the fiercest generals of hi ...
. When Luna died in 1899, Palma assumed the paper's editorship. Aside from ''La Independencia'', he was also involved in other papers, writing for ''La Patria'', among others; and co-founding, along with
Sergio Osmeña
Sergio Osmeña Sr. (, ; 9 September 1878 – 19 October 1961) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fourth president of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. He was vice president under Manuel L. Quezon. Upon Quezon's sudd ...
and
Jaime de Veyra, ''El Nuevo Día'', the first daily newspaper in
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 1 ...
.
In 1901, he passed the bar examinations. That same year, he founded the newspaper ''
El Renacimiento
''El Renacimiento'' () was a bilingual Spanish–Tagalog language newspaper. It was printed in Manila until the 1940s by the members of the Guerrero de Ermita family. Its directors were Fernando Ma. Guerrero, Teodoro M. Kalaw, and Rafael Palma ...
,'' which was first published on September 3. He married Carolina Ocampo in February 1902.
He left the newspaper work in 1903 and practiced law while also teaching at the ''Escuela de Derecho.''
He started politics when he became a member and secretary of the Association of Peace. In the
1907 Philippine Assembly elections
The first Philippine Assembly elections were held across the Philippines on July 30, 1907. The Philippine Organic Act of 1902 established a bicameral Philippine Legislature composed of the appointed Philippine Commission as the upper house and ...
, he ran and subsequently won as an assemblyman representing the province of
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 southwest o ...
. On July 6, 1908, Governor-General
James A. Smith appointed him as a member of the
second Philippine Commission
The Taft Commission, also known as the Second Philippine Commission ( Filipino: ''Ikalawang Komisyon ng Pilipinas''), was established by United States President William McKinley on March 16, 1900, following the recommendations of the First Phili ...
, becoming the youngest member to serve up to 1916. In the
1916 Philippine Senate elections, he was elected as a senator, representing the
4th district.
In September 1916, he was appointed by Governor-General
Francis B. Harrison, through Executive Order No. 64, as
Secretary of the Interior and served until his resignation in July 1920. In July 1925, he was inaugurated as the fourth president of the University of the Philippines. He served as UP president up until 1933 when he resigned due to the
Hare-Hawes-Cutting bill controversy wherein then-Senate president
Manuel Quezon
Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina, (; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier and politician who served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his de ...
threatened to cut the university's appropriations due to Palma's championing of the law. He then again ran for senator but lost to Juan Sumulong. In 1934, Palma was elected to the
1934 Constitutional Convention.
In the later years of his life, Palma was appointed by President Quezon as chairman of the National Board of Education.
He held that position until his death in Manila on May 24, 1939, at the age of 64.
Honors
Books
*''The Pride of the Malay Race'', the English translation by Justice Román Ozaeta of Palma's biography of Filipino national hero
José Rizal
José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is considered the national h ...
.
*''The Woman and the Right to Vote''
*''The New Mentality'', 1929.
Places named after him
* Barangay Rafael Palma Real Estate Property,
Diffun, Quirino.
* The building presently occupied by the
Department of Justice and first named as University Hall was also previously named Palma Hall. A historical marker on the life of Rafael Palma is located on its ground floor.
* Palma Hall, which houses the
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy of the
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 2008 ...
–
Diliman, was named after him.
*
University of Bohol
The University of Bohol, also referred to by its acronym U.B., is a private nonsectarian co-educational basic and higher education institution institution of higher learning in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines. It is the first university to ...
, a private school in
Tagbilaran, Bohol was named the Rafael Palma College in 1946 until it was given its present name.
* Palma Bridge,
University of the Philippines Los Baños
* There are many other schools in the country that are named after Rafael Palma, such as Rafael Palma Elementary School in
Pasay
Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 440,656 people.
Due to its location ju ...
and Rafael Palma Elementary School along
Zobel Roxas Street (under the jurisdiction of
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
but geographically located in
Makati
Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines.
Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...
).
References
External links
*
* http://www.glphils.org/kinship/palma.htm
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palma, Rafael
1874 births
1939 deaths
Department of Education (Philippines)
Filipino educators
Filipino Freemasons
Filipino journalists
Filipino writers
Senators of the 5th Philippine Legislature
Senators of the 4th Philippine Legislature
Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Cavite
People from Manila
University of the Philippines alumni
Presidents of universities and colleges in the Philippines
Members of the Philippine Commission
Filipino newspaper editors