"Live" List of Great Filipinos in History

     After reading Ambeth Ocampo's column in the Inquirer today (‘Viva Pancho Villa!’ - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos, July 15, 2010) I got the idea of posting a list of notable Filipinos so I could keep track of them in a single list.  This post will be updated from time to time as I slowly gather names of people who interest me.  This will afford a quick and easy reference for me and for other interested readers who wish to be inspired and to spur fellow Filipinos to take pride in our great heritage and help build a strong, dignified and noble Filipino nation -- wherever they are in the globe.

     So to start, I will be listing two names mentioned by Ambeth Ocampo in today's interesting column about famous Filipinos laid to rest at the North Cemetery and a few other names from previews readings.  

     This list may not present links to the famous Filipinos but I hope you can fill in the details as you do your own research.  Most of these people can be searched easily via Google but let me remind you that information floating in the internet should always be absorbed with caution until validated by authorities and cross-references, unless the online author is merely stating an opinion.

     A link to this post will be included in the "Favorite Links" section in this blog's sidebar, along with other history links. 


POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT: 

• Apolinario Mabini – “the Sublime Paralytic”, the “Brains of the Revolution”, First Philippine Prime Minister
• Felipe Agoncillo - "Outsanding first Filipino Diplomat.  Had a sign outside his office that read "Free legal services to the poor anytime."   Husband of Marcela Agoncillo.  Era:  Philippine Revolution and Fil-Am War.
• Mateo Luga – Ibanag veteran of the Philippine Revolution and Philippine-American War who distinguished himself in Luzon and Cebu.
• Sancho Valenzuela - "Businessman (rope-making business) who used his resources to prepare for the upcoming (Philippine) revolution".  Executed with 3 other martyrs in Bagumbayan.

SPORTS:

• Paulino Alcantara - Spanish-Filipino football legend who played for the Philippines and in Spain.  His record is still yet to be matched.  It's interesting to note that Spain is this year's (2010) World Cup champions, and they've won it for the first time.  Come on Filipino football enthusiasts, you have a legend to follow!
• Pancho Villa - Filipinino flyweight boxing champion who died in 1925.
• Teofilo Yldefonso - first Filipino who won an olympic medal.  Yldefonso is not a familiar name today, but his breast stroke style was studied and copied in Europe where it was once known as the “Yldefonso stroke.” He is from Piddig, Ilocos Norte.  Survived the Death March during WWII and died in a concentration camp.