Historical timeline and milestones

• 1983: Graduated from BS Metallurgical Engineering in UP 
• Association: UP Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Association of the Philippines
• Helped organize Science and Technology for the People (STEP)

Memorable Quotes

On her Facebook page, Grace wrote that she is grateful for:

• Having the ability to see things for what they are while keeping her heart full of love and compassion.
• Her life and other lives on earth or the universe and parallel universes: “that we may all live in equilibrium”.
• For peace: “I don’t want to live in war, anger, or strife.”

As remembered by family and friends

“Grace provided the definition of who I am. It was because of her that I was introduced to ideas and people that have helped us grow together as activists. We stayed on this path as we lived our lives. There were a lot of challenges and we just kept to our beliefs. Even after death, she continues to lead me to a way of life that has been nourished of what she has defined for me.” — Grace’s husband

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“Grace and I were born only fourteen months apart and being younger than her, she always got new clothes while I got the hand-me-downs. Despite this family practice that may seem unfair to others, Grace grew up and remained as the most generous and unselfish person that I know. She is always giving something to others and never thinks highly about herself.

She is my role model since we were children. We had the same set of teachers in elementary and high school who noticed her intelligence and always compared my performance with hers, so I have to catch up academically.

“In college, we went to different universities.She became an activist, the iskolar ng bayan at UP Diliman. She left our home for a few months and we were all very worried, especially my parents. One day, she came home as if nothing happened. She was very dedicated to the movement, but we never really sat down and talked about it. She just encouraged me to attend some study sessions with her UP friends that were held in our province.

“When I think of Grace, I remember her sumptuous dishes, the rice cakes of Nueva Ecija she loved to cook, her devotion to her children, her aspiration that all of them will finish their college degrees, her love for and camaraderie with her friends in high school and college, her role as Ate Grace and her love for our parents, her hard work and being the foundation and breadwinner of her family.” — Grace’s sibling

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“We called her Linagrace since there are about 3 or 4 classmates named Grace in our batch. She was one of the smartest classmates we had and yet, she was quiet and humble. 

She loved our high school batch like her own family. It was a pleasant surprise to see her in Canada where I again experienced how she valued friendship. She contributed a lot of efforts to reunite us.I still clearly remember the joy and excitement on her face during our reunion. 

I saw her resilience and bravery when I accompanied her to several doctors’ appointments and when she told me the diagnosis that she only had several months to live. A strong woman who faced life’s adversities with grace and dignity, she shared with me how she prepared for her death. During these trips to the clinic, she shared with me her love and dreams for her children.”  — A school friend

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“Grace was a college friend of my boyfriend. She was a truly generous person. The first time I met her was at a dormitory cafeteria. We were student activists and we were always short of cash. She paid half of my boyfriend’s meal and I paid the other half. We laughed at our miserable situation but ate our simple meals heartily.

Years later, we became mothers and she would invite my husband and her other college friends to celebrate her children’s birthday and baptisms. We all love the dishes that she cooked on those occasions. 

With the free tickets I got from my work at the UP, we attended concerts with our children in tow. Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and other classical music enthralled her so much that she saved money to provide piano lessons for her children.

When I went to Canada, she hosted me and we had fun talking about our days as young student activists and shopping for food. Grace insisted that I borrow her camera to document my presentation. I refused to take her offer and she was clearly worried that nobody would take pictures of my lecture.

During my stay, I requested her to help another friend by printing her application for Canadian citizenship. Without hesitation, she told me to use their computer and printer even though she does know my other friend personally.” — A college friend

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“I met Grace when we were in college but we became very good friends when we married our college boyfriends and had children. She was my gym buddy and we ate out after our workouts. 

Grace was a gentle and level-headed person who never made impulsive decisions. She was my confidante who gave me valuable advice in my role as a wife and mother and in handling family problems. She was a very good cook and she taught me how to prepare ragu and menudo, which became staple dishes during special family occasions.

“Highly resourceful, she learned new skills to provide for the needs of her children. Her devotion to her children and her friends are admirable.” — A college friend

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