CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The National Historical Commission of the Philippines, in cooperation with the city government, led the commemoration of revolutionary and patriot Nicolasa Dayrit-Panlilio on her 150th birth anniversary on Sept. 10 at the Heroes Hall here.
Born in San Fernando in 1874 to Florentino Dayrit and Antonina Pamintuan, the heroine volunteered to join the Filipino forces as a nurse during the Central Luzon campaign of the Philippine-American War, and served with distinction in caring for the wounded. She led a delegation of women along with Pampanga Red Cross leader Praxedes Fajardo to plead with Gen. Antonio Luna during his confrontation and stand-off with Gen. Tomas Mascardo for the latter’s slow actions to follow Luna’s orders. After unsuccessfully pleading with Luna to disengage, Pampanga Gov. Tiburcio Hilario asked Dayrit and her companions to intervene and convince Luna to back down. They met and successfully convinced Luna to disengage from the possible violent confrontation on April 24 1899 at the Bacolor Church Convent.
She continued to serve in a non-combatant capacity until the end of the Philippine-American War where she contracted various illnesses. She later married Dr. Vicente Panlilio and lived quietly in San Fernando until the outbreak of World War 2. She passed away in Manila shortly after its liberation on April 12, 1945.
NHCP chair Regalado Trota Jose, Jr. joined Mayor Vilma Caluag, Vice Mayor Benedict Jasper Lagman, Dr. Leticia Yap of the San Fernando Local Council of Women, descendants of the Dayrit-Panlilio Family, and other officials of the city in offering flowers at the Nicolasa Dayrit-Panlilio monument. This was followed by a mass in her memory and a short program with messages from the aforementioned officials. A cultural performance from the Teatro Fernandino capped off the day’s commemorative program. NHCP-PR
