A prominent and popular character in the Philippine National History; Juliana Rolim was born in Palay, Philippines. She was the cousin of Spanish explorer Captain Henry Banks, who had found the gold in Manila Bay. From her birth, she was a promising youngster who was apprenticed at an early age in the family’s farm in Buluan, but fate took its toll on this promising young woman; she was thirty years old when her marriage to Garcia Sepulprado of Spain became unsuccessful. Her untimely death at childbirth left her husband, who died shortly thereafter of a heart attack on the way to Europe. The death of her husband left her free in his absence, and she decided to pursue her dreams of traveling and settling abroad.
Growing and studying in Europe during the early part of her adulthood; Rolim exhibited very unique personality traits that set her apart from other women. Rolim was very tall; standing at only 170 pounds she had the physical stature of a lady of European elegance. Her bold personality and fearless attitude towards life influenced her to look for different types of jobs that would allow her to work on a personal level, while being assured of earning a considerable income. From an early age Rolim enjoyed a passion for reading; this would prove very helpful in her later career as she spent much time researching various topics on anthropology, mythology, botany, zoology, physiology, history, languages, music, literature and art all which would greatly help her in her chosen profession as a botanist and forensic anthropologist.
A notable attribute of Rolim’s which set her apart from the other botanists was her thick skin; this would prove beneficial in the field of her career because it would enable her to resist violent conditions that were occasionally experienced by other botanists. From childhood Rolim was interested in the life of the locals of Mindanao Island; this would enable her to live amongst the people for a considerable period of her early career. Exploring and studying Mindanao Island proved very enlightening for Rolim; this would also prove useful in her selection of areas in which to specialize in her career. Rolim’s commitment to her studies and profession paid off when in 1960 she was given the commission of the first ever university in the Philippines; this would usher in a new era for the Filipina academics in the sciences.