Josefa Capistrano: Putting Mindanaoan Women in War

Known as “Mindanao’s Gabriela Silang”, Josefa Capistrano is the founder of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines’s (AFP) Women’s Auxiliary Service (WAS). A former labor leader in
the 1950s and ex-captain of the UP Women’s Rifle and Pistol Team, she formed the auxiliary
service during the Second World War where the women not only nursed the soldiers but also
served as resistance fighters and spies for the Filipino-American forces. Under Josefa
Capistrano’s leadership, WAS grew to a strong number of 3,000 members by the end World War
II. Due to this major contribution for the liberation of the Philippines by encouraging and
influencing Mindanaoan women to take their part in the war, Josefa was awarded the Military
Merit Medal in 1946. She did not accept the merit at first, not until the army recognized WAS as
an official military unit. Her wish was not granted until Diosdado Macapagal’s recognition of the
WAS (renamed Women’s Auxiliary Corps) as a part of the AFP in 1963, but was short-lived as it
was dissolved in 2013.

When we think of World War II, we think of the men who fought and the women who
medicated, helped in the sidelines, or stayed at home. When we hear the word, “war hero”, we
immediately think of the men who fought for our independence. Little do we know of the people
behind them or even of the people like them but different in gender. The Philippine resistance
movement, has its origins in the cultural and socio-economic diversity of our homeland. They’ve
made significant contributions to the national effort to free our country and women guerilla
fighters, specifically, have achievements as great as the men’s. If anything, they had more to fear
than the men since they are more prone to sexual offenses as immoral as rape or being used as sex
slaves. In textbooks and articles, the role of Mindanaoans during the war had been neglected,
especially Mindanaoan women. The fact that little is documented about Josefa Capistrano and the
Women’s Auxiliary Services proves that they’d just been glossed over instead of being highlighted
by historians.

If Josefa Capistrano were a man, she would be more known for her contribution. This is
the double-standard when it comes to military achievements; men are better praised than women
whom are met with doubt or surprise. Being a woman at her time, it must had been hard to create
the WAS, having to convince other women who hought that they had no business with the war nor
with the Japanese occupation. Her and the female guerilla fighters not only fought for the liberation
of our homeland but also for the rights of women to participate in the military.

References:

Acosta, Z., & Bulan, A. (2019, March 08). Women in Philippine history you should
know about. Retrieved from http://nolisoli.ph/58570/women-philippine-history-know/

FilipiKnow. (2018, December 05). The 10 Most Incredible Filipina Warriors of WWII.
Retrieved from https://filipiknow.net/filipina-heroes-of-wwii/

Women Warriors of the Philippines - WWII Heroines Helped Liberate Their Country.
(2018, June 25). Retrieved from https://www.warhistoryonline.com/guest-bloggers/women-
warriors-philippines-wwii.html