Miguel Malvar - Early Life and Career

Early Life and Career

Malvar was born on September 27, 1865 in San Miguel, a barrio in Santo Tomas, Batangas, to Máximo Malvar (locally known as Capitan Imoy) and Tiburcia Carpio (locally known as Capitana Tibo). Malvar's family was not only well known in town for their wealth but also for their generosity and diligence. For his education, Malvar first attended the town school in Santo Tomas. Later, he attended the private school run by Father Valerio Malabanan in Tanauan, Batangas, a famous educational institution in Batangas at the time, where Malvar had fellow revolutionary Apolinario Mabini as his classmate. He then transferred to another school in Bauan, Batangas, after which he decided not to pursue higher education in Manila, prefering to settle down as a farmer. In turn, he helped his more studious younger brother, Potenciano, to study medicine in Spain. He was later elected as capitan municipal of his hometown.

In 1891, Malvar married Paula Maloles, the beautiful daughter of the capitan municipal of Santo Tomas, Don Ambrocio Maloles. Don Ambrocio was his successor as capitan municipal. Ulay, as she was locally known, bore Malvar thirteen children, but only eleven of them survived: Bernabe, Aurelia, Marciano, Maximo, Crispina, Mariquita, Luz Constancia, Miguel (Junior), Pablo, Paula, and Isabel. Malvar had the habit of bringing his family with him as he went to battle during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War.