She graduated valedictorian from the Orani Elementary School and salutatorian from the Bataan High School . She was a member of the Santa Ana Women’s Club, the Samahang Bataan, and has headed the Division for Women’s Compensation of the Department of Labor. She was a successful defense lawyer, civic leader, labor leader, and director of the Kawanihan ng Bigay-Pala ng Manggagawa.

Her first essay was published in Taliba in 1922. Her writings carried themes on nationalism, on the patriotism of Rizal, and on the popularization of Filipino as a language.

She has more than 240 short stories and poems in Filipino. She translated some of Jose Rizal’s poems published in various magazines during the 1930s and the 1940s. In 1970 she published her novel Erlinda ng Bataan (Erlinda of Bataan), a novel about Erlinda, who was separated from her boyfriend, Narciso, and disguised as a man, joined guerillas for four years.

Her other novels are: Bulaklak ng Kamya (Camia), Busilak (Immaculate), Nagbabalik na Luwalhati (Glory Regained), Malilimot Ko Ba? (Will I Forget?), Ngayon at Bukas (Today and Tomorrow), Sumbat ng Budhi (Prick of Consience), Sundan Mo Ako (Follow Me), Balimbing (Opportunist), Susi ng Patawad (Key of Forgiveness).

Her short story, Ang Mangingisda (The Fisher) was anthologized in 50 Kuwentong Ginto ng 50 Batikang Kuwentista (50 Golden Stories by 50 Great Storytellers), edited by Pedrito Reyes, 1939.

She is a recipient of several literary awards, including an Award of Merit accorded to her by the National Federation of Women’s Club, 1950, for her poems in tagalog, the Commonwealth Literary Award, 1940, for her short stories, and an Award of Merit from the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa for her essay entitled “Si Valeriano Hernandez Peña at ang kanyang Nena at Neneng” (Valeriano Hernandez Peña and His Nena at Neneng).