[1][2] Her parents were the prominent doctor Alfredo Guerrero and Filomena Francisco, who was celebrated as one of the Philippines' first female pharmacists.
[3] Her maternal grandfather was Gabriel Beato Francisco, a Tagalog writer, journalist, novelist, playwright.
[5] After being widowed in World War II she took a job as a proofreader before working her way up to be an editor and columnist.
[7] She wrote lectures, essays and short stories to other publications in the Philippines and the rest of the world.
In 2024, her daughter Lisa took on her mother's previous role as Chair of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
[12][13] She was laid to rest at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina, following a wake on 31 July and a funeral mass on 2 August.