Born in 1919, in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. Her father was the mayor of Pampanga. As a teenager she was interested in making dresses, makeup and perfume. Remedios was also a beauty queen in her local community. During the Huk Rebellion (Hukbalahap Rebellion, 1945-54), Japan invaded the Philippines. Remedios' father organized a rebellion against the occupying Japanese and was subsequently captured, tortured & executed. His body was then put on display, as an example to the native people. Her father's death, inspired Remedios to leave college and join the guerilla forces, against the Japanese. They gave her the famous nickname, Kumander Liwayway meaning, Commander Dawn. After leaving Pampanga, Remedios and her brother were recruited by the Huk Guerillas, near Mount Arayat. She quickly moved up through the military ranks, receiving both combat training and Marxist education.
She first served in the rebellion as a nurse. During the Huk Rebellion only 10% of the soldiers were female. However after just a few months, her superiors were able to recognize her fighting spirit and passion & she was appointed as captain of a squadron of over 200 men. Remedios' squadron went on to fight in Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales, provinces of the Philippines. During the Battle of Kamansi, the Philippine Army was ordered to retreat. Remedios and her squad refused, they successfully fought off Japanese forces, despite being vastly outnumbered. Remedios was known for dressing elegantly and wearing red lipstick into battle. Her reasoning was she was fighting to be herself; she embraced her femininity and simultaneously showed her troops how calm & composed she was in the face of death.
Remedios became a prisoner of war twice and narrowly escaped execution both times. But even after the end of the rebellion, Remedios still knew the struggle wasn't over. She joined the Huks again, in the fight against the new "democratic" government, which she considered "a farce". She was arrested and charged with treason but was later released. It was then she joined her husband, Bani Paraiso, as part of the expansion forces in the Visayas, in 1948. In a raid later that year, Bani was killed and Remedios was captured. Though she was eventually acquitted, her military career ended here.
After WW2, Remedios lobbied for veteran's pensions and became vocal about Filipino women's contribution to the war effort; all while raising a child. Remedios Gomez-Paraiso died at age 95 on May 15, 2014; due to cardiac arrest, in Quezon City, Philippines.
Side notes:
Visayas- one of the three major island groups in the Philippines.
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Female Rebels & Activists
Non-Fiction"We need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so fierce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational and so disciplined they can be free" ...
