Background
Tecson was born in San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan, one of sixteen children of Rafael Tecson and Monica Perez.
Tecson was born in San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan, one of sixteen children of Rafael Tecson and Monica Perez.
She was given the title "Mother of Biak-na-Bato" by General Emilio Aguinaldo. She was also cited as the "Mother of the Philippine National Red Cross" for her service to her fellow Katipuneros. She learned to read and write from schoolmaster Quinto.
She practiced fencing with Juan Zeto and was feared throughout the province, called "Tangkad" (tall) by her peers.
Katipunan
At first she was a dedicated councilor of Logia de Adopcion, a masonic lodge founded in 1893 for Philippine women. In 1895 at the age of 47 she joined the Katipunan, signing her oath with her own blood, although women members were not required to do southern
She helped the group by pilfering firearms from a courthouse in Caloocan and in San Isidro. She was working under General Mariano Llanera when the Revolution began.
In a battle in San Miguel, she was almost captured while delivering food to the soldiers, but escaped by pretending to be dead.
She took part in a battle led by General Francisco Macabulos of Nueva Ecija, General Llanera, General Isidro Torres and General Gregorio del Pilar of Bulacan.
On the battlefield, she tended to the wounded Katipuneros.
In the bloody battle of San Miguel and Zaragosa she was shot in her right thigh. Tecson and the others were forced to retreat to Biak-na-Bato, which became the revolutionary headquarters of General
Emilio Aguinaldo. She joined the revolutionary forces led by General
Gregorio del Pilar and participated in the assault on the province of Bulacan and Calumpit. She also served in the Malolos Republic and was designated as the Commissary of War.
During the American drive northward, she was in Cabanatuan. Bringing with her sick and wounded revolutionaries, Tecson crossed the Zambales mountains to Santa Cruz then to Iba.
On January 28, 1928, she died in Philippine General Hospital at age 79.
Her remains lie in the Plot of the Veterans of the Revolution in Cementerio del Norte.
