Poveda community mourns the passing of Maruxa Pita

Maruxa Pita, a stalwart in the Poveda community in the Philippines, has passed away. The unfortunate news was confirmed to GMA News Online Sunday by the Teresian Association (TA), an international association of the Faithful of the Catholic Church founded by Saint Pedro Poveda. 

Maruxa passed away at 3am on Sunday, January 19, at St. Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City. She was 94 years old. 

"She was lovingly accompanied by members of the Teresian Association and peacefully returned to the Father," read a message from members of the TA. 

Despite being a Spanish citizen, Maruxa spent most of her life in the Philippines. From Madrid, she arrived in Manila in 1957 and helped establish Institucion Teresiana, a new school for girls that opened in 1960. It later became Saint Pedro Poveda College.

A constant figure in the Quezon City campus of Poveda, where she served as school principal in its earlier days and taught Spanish until her latter years, Maruxa managed to establish the Makabata School Foundation in 1995, to help less fortunate Filipino children to study for free.  

In relaying the sad news, the TA noted how Maruxa passed on the Feast of Sto Niño, and related how she dedicated her entire life to teaching children. They requested to "please omit flowers" and encouraged instead to make donations to Makabata Foundation, Inc. 

— LA, GMA Integrated News