Press Release
May 30, 2017

Senate to honor the late Senator Kalaw

The Senate will hold a necrological service in honor of former Senator Evangelina "Eva" Estrada Kalaw on Thursday, June 1, at 10 a.m. The former lady senator passed away last May 25, at the age of 96.

Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, will present a resolution to Kalaw's family expressing the Senate's sympathy and condolences on the death of the former senator during the necrological service.

Pallbearers of the Philippine National Police (PNP), honor guards and band members will wait for the arrival of the family and the casket bearing the remains of Kalaw at the front of the Senate building at 9:30 a.m.

Pimentel and other senators in attendance as well as Senate Secretary Lutgardo Barbo, Senate officials and employees, will receive the remains of Kalaw at the foyer of the main entrance of the Senate building and escort her to the Session Plenary Hall.

Aside from Pimentel, former President and current Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada, former Senators Edgar U. Ilarde, Rene A.V. Saguisag, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, Senators Gregorio B. Honasan II, Loren Legarda and Risa Hontiveros are expected to deliver eulogies for Kalaw.

Kalaw's youngest son, Valerio, will receive the resolution on behalf of their family and deliver a response for the eulogies.

Kalaw was the fifth woman to be elected in the Senate in 1965 and was the first woman to win a re-election in 1971. She served with fellow female Senators Magnolia Antonino, Maria Kalaw Katigbak, Helena Benitez and Tecla San Andres Ziga during the sixth and seventh Congresses. During her stint as senator, Kalaw authored 41 bills, including the salary standardization for public school teachers, creation of Local School Boards and the Education Financing Act. She was the chairperson of the Senate Committees on Games and Amusement as well as Tourism and the National Minorities.

Kalaw was a known opposition leader during the administration of former President Ferdinand Marcos. When Martial Law was declared, she continued to express her opposition which eventually led to the People Power Revolution in 1986.

Kalaw ran under UNIDO Presidential candidate Salvador Laurel for vice president in 1992 but lost to Manila Mayor Estrada.

Her last visit to the Senate was when she attended the inauguration of the "Women in the Senate" photo exhibit in celebration of Women's Month last March.

Born on June 16, 1920 in Murcia, Tarlac to Demetria Reynada and Dr. Salvador Estrada, Kalaw later married businessman Teodoro Kalaw and was blessed with four children.

She graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree in education, major in home economics where she was an active member of the Sigma Delta Phi Sorority.

She was known for her activism and was once hailed as the ladies' champion in rapid fire pistol shooting where she trained under Olympic shooter Martin Gison.

Kalaw was the founder and chairperson of Samahang Filipina and was the first president of the Jayceerettes foundation. She was given a citation for being an outstanding volunteer social worker.

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