MANILA, Philippines - Former senator Eva Estrada Kalaw, the first woman who won election to the Senate, died yesterday at the age of 96.
The Senate flew its flag at half-staff yesterday afternoon as part of the institution’s tradition whenever one of its members, past or present, passes away.
Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said a necrological service for the senator would be held at the Senate next Thursday.
Kalaw was elected senator in 1965 under the Nacionalista Party. She later switched to the Liberal Party and was one of the lawmakers injured in the bombing of the LP political rally in Plaza Miranda in Manila on Aug. 21, 1971.
From then on, Kalaw actively participated in protest actions against the Marcos regime.
She was elected member of the Batasang Pambansa in 1984. She unsuccessfully ran for vice president during the 1986 snap elections.
In 1992, she again aspired for the vice presidency as runningmate of then vice president Salvador Laurel, but they lost to Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada.
Kalaw founded and became the first president of the Jayceerettes organization. She also founded and became national chairman of the Samahang Filipina.
She was director of the League of Women Voters and the Chamber of Home Industries of the Philippines. She was special appointee for one peso a year of the Manila Council for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency.
She was also board member of the Special Child Study Center for Retarded Children, Association for the Study of Allergens, chairman of the Youth Welfare Council, Boys Town Drive, Presidential Peace and Amelioration Campaign, San Juan Boy Scouts, Rizal Girl Scouts, San Juan Community Chest, Rizal Red Cross, Anti-Tuberculosis of the Philippines, Civic Assembly of Women’s Clubs in the Philippine Association of the University Women, Kababaihang Rizalista and many other organizations.
Kalaw was born on June 16, 1920 in Murcia, Tarlac to Salvador Estrada and Demetria Reynada.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Education degree from the University of the Philippines.
She was married to Teodoro Kalaw, a businessman.