Archaeologists on February 9 unearthed the grave of Filipino World War II guerilla and scientist Maria Orosa at the Malate Catholic School compound, nearly 75 years since her martyrdom.
Orosa who was born in Taal, Batangas, passed away on February 13, 1945, after a bombing during the Battle for Manila. The unearthed epitaph said Orosa “died in line of duty.” She “used science to save thousands of Filipinos and Americans in Manila from malnutrition and hunger by smuggling food beyond Japanese lines.”
“Orosa [was] an outstanding student, winning a partial government scholarship in 1916 to attend the University of Seattle. [She] completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in pharmaceutical chemistry, as well as an additional degree in food chemistry,” Google said.
Orosa is credited for more than 700 recipes and preservation techniques, including the country’s favorite condiment, banana ketchup, and food like powdered calamansi juice.