Narcisa de Leon
| Narcisa Buencamino Vd.ª De de León | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Narcisa Buencamino October 29, 1877 San Miguel, Bulacan, Captaincy General of the Philippines |
| Died | February 6, 1966 (aged 88) Quezon City, Philippines |
| Other names | Doña Sisang |
| Occupation | Filipino film producer & entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1938 - 1966 |
| Spouse(s) | José de León (1904-1934) |
Narcisa Buencamino-de León (October 29, 1877 – February 6, 1966) was a Filipino film producer. Clad daily in the frugal rural dress of the camisón, saya and chinelas,Doña Sisang, as she was widely known, was already a 61-year-old widow when she entered the film industry. Nonetheless, she chartered her family-owned LVN Pictures into a dominant position in post-World War II Philippine cinema. In addition, de Leon was one of the most highly regarded Filipino businesswomen of the first half of the 20th century.
She was born Narcisa Buencamino in San Miguel, Bulacan at October 1877, the daughter of a poet and the granddaughter of a Chinese merchant. Her father died when she was five, and she was later forced to stop schooling after the fourth grade to work for a living. In her teens, she was working odd jobs as a cook and a seamstress, and she would eventually enter the business of making umbrellas.
In 1904, she married José de León, a local government official in San Miguel, with whom she would have five children. The family settled in San Miguel, Bulacan.
The de León couple ventured into the rice production business, and soon would be recognized as among the leading rice producers in Luzon. By the 1920s, the couple would own several high-valued real properties in Bulacan, Manila, and other prime locations within Luzon. They also engaged in philanthropic activities and donated a hospital to their hometown of San Miguel.
De León was widowed in 1934. She moved her family to Manila, took charge of the family business, and refocused it towards real estate. It was said that the business soared to new heights when she took full control after her husband's death. She would also become the first woman appointed to the board of directors of a government corporation when she was named by President Manuel Quezon to the board of the National Rice and Corn Corporation.
In the 1950s, De León would be among the organizing shareholders of Republic Cement Corporation, which soon became among the leading cement producers in the country.
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