Helena Benitez

{{Short description|Filipino Senator and civic leader (1914–2016)}} {{Philippine name|Tirona|Benitez}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Helena Benitez photo (cropped).jpg | image_caption = | office2 = Senator of the Philippines | term_start2 = December 30, 1967 | term_end2 = September 23, 1972 | office1 = Member of the Interim Batasang Pambansa from Region IV-A<ref name=facts /> | term_start1 = June 12, 1978 | term_end1 = June 5, 1984 | office = Member of the Batasang Pambansa from Cavite<ref name=facts /> | term_start = July 23, 1984 | term_end = March 25, 1986 | alongside = Renato Dragon and Cesar Virata | birth_name = Helena Zoila Tirona Benitez | birth_date = {{Birth date|1914|06|27}} | birth_place = Manila, Philippine Islands | death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|07|14|1914|06|27}} | death_place = Manila, Philippines | parents = Conrado Benitez (father) Francisca Tirona (mother) | spouse = | party = Independent (1986-2016) | other_party = KBL (1978–1986) Nacionalista (1967–1978) | relations = Marielle Javellana (grandniece) Albee Benitez (grandnephew) Jose Francisco Benitez (grandnephew) Javi Benitez (great-grandnephew) | children = | alma_mater = Philippine Women's University George Washington University University of Chicago Iowa State College | occupation = Educator Politician }}

'''Helena Zoila Tirona Benitez'''<ref name=facts /> (June 27, 1914 – July 14, 2016) was a Filipina academic and administrator of the Philippine Women's University.

==Early life and education== Benitez was born in Manila to Conrado Benitez, a ''pensionado'' to the United States and a member of the 1935 Constitutional Convention, and Francisca Tirona who was an educator and co-founder of Philippine Women's College in 1919.<ref name=facts>{{cite web|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/61715-fast-facts-helena-zoila-benitez/|last =Bueza |first =Michael|date=27 June 2014|title=Fast Facts: Helena Zoila Benitez is 100 years old|website=Rappler.com|access-date= 21 August 2015}}</ref> She graduated from Philippine Women's University and was a student at George Washington University (where she was Chair of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 1969 and the first woman to serve as President of the UN Environment Program in 1975).<ref>{{cite web|date=July 18, 2019|title=HELENA BENITEZ|url=https://popdc.wordpress.com/2019/07/18/helena-benitez/|access-date=January 20, 2021|website=popdc.wordpress.com/|publisher=Philippines on the Potomac (POPDC)|quote=}}</ref> She also took post graduate training from the University of Chicago and Iowa State University.<ref name=":0" /> [[File:Mira-Nila_House_Cubao_07.jpg |thumb|200px|left|Mira-Nila House]]

==Politics== She served in the Senate of the Philippines from 1967<ref>[http://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/former_senators/helena_benitez.htm Senators Profile - Helena Benitez]. Senate of the Philippines; accessed 2015-08-21.</ref> until Congress was closed when martial law was declared in 1972, and at the Batasang Pambansa from 1978 until it was abolished in 1986. Benitez wrote several bills involving the promotion of Filipino national culture, including Republic Act 5871, which established commissions devoted to preserving cultural artifacts. These commissions tried to revive indigenous arts and crafts through training, facilitation workshops, and funding institutions.<ref name=":0">{{cite book|last=Gonzalves|first=Theodore S.|url=https://public.ebookcentral.proquest.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=449811|title=The Day the Dancers Stayed : Performing in the Filipino/American Diaspora|date=2009|publisher=Temple University Press|isbn=|location=|page=|author-link=}}</ref>

==Cultural advocacy== Benitez also founded the Bayanihan Dance Company.<ref name="ps">{{cite news|last = Macairan|first = Evelyn|title = Helena Benitez at 100: Heart filled with gratitude|newspaper = The Philippine Star|date = 2016-06-29|url = http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/06/29/1340230/helena-benitez-100-heart-filled-gratitude|access-date = 2016-01-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Tejero, Constantino C. |title=A living treasure is still up and about with her advocacies |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=27 June 2013 |url=http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/110355/a-living-treasure-is-still-up-and-about-with-her-advocacies |access-date=21 August 2015}}</ref> Benitez was also the executive producer of the Bayanihan. Benitez was proud of the fact that the Bayanihan had highly authentic costumes and instruments from Filipino "tribal" peoples. She emphasized authenticity in the troupe's performance. She founded the troupe to be evidence of Philippine culture to the world. She negotiated a contract with Sol Hurok for the Bayanihan to perform on Broadway in New York City and got an exclusive endorsement from Philippine President Carlos P. Garcia, designating the Bayanihan as the official representation of Filipino traditional dance to the Americas and Europe. This led to the Bayanihan's historic performance on October 13, 1959, at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway, which paved the way for the Bayanihan becoming the most prominent Filipino dance troupe of that time.<ref name=":0" />

==Death== Benitez died on July 14, 2016, aged 102.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.manilatimes.net/breaking_news/helena-benitez-dies-at-102/ |title=Helena Benitez dies at 102 |publisher=The Manila Times |last=Antiporda |first=Jefferson |date=July 14, 2016 |access-date=July 14, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714224222/http://www.manilatimes.net/breaking_news/helena-benitez-dies-at-102/ |archive-date=July 14, 2016 }}</ref> She was the oldest surviving Senator of the Philippines.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/149332-trivia-philippine-senate/ |title=FAST FACTS: Trivia on the Philippine Senate |publisher=Rappler |date=October 16, 2016 |access-date=February 14, 2024}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://www.congress.gov/103/crecb/1994/06/21/GPO-CRECB-1994-pt10-1-3.pdf ''U.S. Congress: Extensions of Remarks'' ] {{wikiquote}} {{commons category-inline}} {{Cavite House Representatives}} {{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benitez, Helena}} Category:1914 births Category:2016 deaths Category:Senators of the 7th Congress of the Philippines Category:Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Cavite Category:Filipino women centenarians Category:Members of the Batasang Pambansa Category:Philippine Women's University alumni Category:George Washington University alumni Category:University of Chicago alumni Category:Iowa State University alumni Category:Politicians from Cavite Category:Women members of the Senate of the Philippines Category:Women members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines Category:Senators of the 6th Congress of the Philippines Category:Academic staff of Philippine Women's University