Petra Bernardo—The Woman General of the Katipunan
Illustration -- Petra Bernardo by Carlos "Botong" Francisco In the mid-1930s, a story emerged in newspapers and discussions about a certain Petra Bernardo, purportedly a woman general in the Katipunan. According to one narrative, the Supremo personally knew her and even tasked her to lead a "sandatahan," a unit armed with bolos and machetes—a woman general of the so-called "cuerpo macheteros." Is there truth to the story of Petra Bernardo? Her story begins in Dinalupihan, Bataan, where, according to one account, she was born to Florentino Bernardo and Narcisa de los Reyes in 1860. The family moved to Manila when Petra was young but later relocated back to Bataan. In 1893, she married Silverio Husayan. Strangely enough, after this period, she was known as "Petrang Anting Anting" and lived in Zambales with a niece. In 1895, Petra Bernardo was invited by a relative to Manila and was drawn to the Katipunan in Cavite the following year. She was said t