Aquino leads re-interment rites for Tandang Sora remains

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III on Friday led the re-interment of the remains of Melchora Aquino or Tandang Sora, the Grand Lady of the Philippine Revolution.

In his speech, Aquino said Tandang Sora showed that neither age nor gender could stop a person who really wants to render service to the country.

Tandang Sora’s remains were exhumed earlier this week from the Himlayang Pilipino memorial park for re-interment at the shrine in her honor in Barangay Banlat in Quezon City.

Novaliches Bishop Antonio Tobias blessed the tomb at the shrine. Soldiers also fired a three vollies as a bugler played taps.

Tandang Sora’s remains were placed in an urn that was pushed inside a tomb at the base of brass statue of her at the shrine.

The statue depicts Tandang Sora attending to wounded Filipino fighters during the revolution for independence from Spanish colonizers.

Tandang Sora was born 200 years ago on Friday, Jan. 6, 1812, in Balintawak. She died on March 2, 1919 at the age of 107.