Asuncion Arriola-Perez was born on August 15, 1895 in the Gasan, Marinduque province of the Philippines. She was the oldest child in a family of six children. Her parents were Quirico Arriola and Severina Mandac. After graduating from high school in 1915, she completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of the Philippines in 1917. In 1926 she completed a master’s degree in sociology at the University of Wisconsin. Arriola-Perez began her career in 1920 as a high school teacher. From 1926 to 1930 she was Executive Secretary of Associated Charities. From 1941 to 1942, she was director of the Bureau of Public Welfare. After the Second World War, she held this position again until she was appointed Commissioner of Social Welfare in 1947. This position was upgraded in 1951 to Administrator of Social Welfare, a position at cabinet level. She was the first Filipino woman at that level. After President Elpidio Quirino lost the election, she resigned from the government. Asuncion Arriola-Perez died in 1967. She was married to Cirilo B. Perez, who was held captive by the Japanese in Fort Santiago during World War II and eventually executed. Together they had two sons and a daughter.
We are lucky to have a paper written by her from 1916 entitled “Primitive Beliefs Regarding Death and the Ceremonies Connected With It In the Island of Marinduque”.
