User:Marjoe7/Gardeopatra G. Quijano

Gardeopatra G. Quijano Gardeopatra, known to her family as “Mama Gardz” was born in May, 11, 1908. She was eldest of nine children, her sister Lourdes died before reaching her teens. Her father, Bishop Juan P. Quijano, was a great influence in her life that inspired her to stay with her faith and active part of the Philippine Independent Church as president Women of the Philippine Independent Church (WOPIC) from 1975-1977.

As young woman, she was inspired to be independent and not shy from opportunities that women had at the time. Gardeopatra took an active role in women’s struggle and through writings wrote Lourdes, one of the first literatures in the Philippines written in Cebuano. She later wrote Bag-ong Kusog, which means “New Force”, which became a popular pre-war periodical. Her literature works totaled over 150 stories, of which some lost and stolen after the WWII.

After completing her studies, she became a dentist and practiced for a few years of which she stopped when her younger brother Gedeon sought a political career. While her brother looked at becoming a mayor, he was instead appointed by President Manuel Roxas as provisional governor of Misamis Occidental. She helped Gedeon in work, and continued to do so in succeeding elections as campaign manager.

She lived in Oroquieta City, next door to her brother in a modest traditional two story house constructed in Mohagony, where she stayed in close contact to help with Gedeon and church Philippine Independent Church, just across her home. She did not go back to writing after her brother ended his political servitude of five terms. Gardeopatra instead moved into her borther’s home, when Gedeon moved to the U.S. Gedeon having served in the U.S. Army, when he was recruited as a physician during the war earned him citizenship. Gardeopatra opened her clinic at Gedeon’s home where she practiced as a dentist. She later became an instructor at Southern Capital Colleges and continued her devotion to her faith, and created the Bishop Juan P. Quijano Theological Education Fund, which donors included President Ferdinand E. Marcos, former member of the Philippine Independent Church.

She later moved to Cagayan de Oro City to live the rest of her life with her sister Catalina, where she was able to see her nephew become a priest, Rev. Father Dwight Q. de la Torre.