 Aldaba was born in 1917, the fifth of 15 children.She was born and raised in Malolos, in the province of Bulacan, Philippines, by her father, a provincial treasurer of Malolos, and her mother, a homemaker.Aldaba graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Philippine Women's University in 1936, a Bachelor of Education degree from Philippine Women's University in 1938, and a Master of Arts in psychology from the University of the Philippines in 1939.