PINAY, APPRECIATE YOUR IDENTITY

PINAY, APPRECIATE YOUR IDENTITY

by Jusel T. VIllareal

202B 2nd Yr LIA/ LIA 

Arts, Media and Women. Those are the three topics we can choose for our Book Review that our college professor compel us to do. I was half an hour in the library deciding on what topic to cover until I finally got three books left. The first is a research book on how globalization affects media; the second is a fictional book about a woman’s quest to success and the last is an autobiographical narrative about Filipinas. I wanted to work on the second book but my professor had chosen the third one. At first I find it boring because I already know how Filipinas evolved through ages. From the typical ‘Maria Clara’ type who became ‘Lady Gaga’ in today’s generation. But as I continue reading, I have discovered a lot from the lives and perspectives of different Filipinas in different ages. I have realized that this book is more than what it seems like. The book, being narrative works of Filipina writers of several generations made me see the big difference of my life today with their lives before. I was able to see what has been sacrificed before that we benefit today.

I actually found this book as an eye opener to me as a Filipina. I ended up reading this book complacent because I realized that I actually covered the three topics: Arts, Media and Women in this book. Plus the realizations and knowledge I got.

            The book that I was talking about is entitled “PINAY: Autobiographical Narratives by Women Writers from 1926- 1998” Edited by Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo of the Ateneo de Manila University Press. This book is a collection of short pieces by Filipino women on a wide range of topics. All pieces were written in English or Spanish translated to English Language. This basically implies that the stories came from literate people. So I assumed that these excerpts is only limited to the stories of Filipinas who are in the mid to high class of society.

There are six sections in this book.   The first is about the experience of a growing up Filipina. Children during 1930’s are just like the children of today. One who loves playing out door and is always excited for Christmas. I can say that our country is truly rich in culture. Aguinaldosor the practice of visiting our godparents/ relatives for an entertainment in exchange of gifts during Christmas was already a practice during those times. Aside from this simple discovery, I have also realized the value of education. During the Later Spanish colonization, Education is only available to the member of the mid to high-class of society. And only later on did the government allowed women to study.Filipinas during those times have to live in a convent together with the rigorous Friars and Nuns and devote themselves to studying. Unlike now, where public and private schools are everywhere and all children in different classes have the right for education. That’s why I am grateful enough that my parents sent me to a good school and I don’t have to struggle the way the early Filipinas did just to attain education.

Section two is about Filipinas surviving a war. Many of the stories are very related to issues in the Women Unbound Challenge as they are about women left alone, women victimized solely because of their ethnic background and women losing their childhood to war and Women fighting on War.  Gregoria de Jesus, the widow of the katipunan’ssupremo Andres Bonifacio who plays a big part in the 1986 Revolution showed in her excerpt how life as a Katipunera is. “I had no fear of facing danger, not even death itself, whenever I accompanied the soldiers in the battle, Impelled as I was then by no other desire than to see unfurld the flag of an independent Philippines; I was considered a soldier, I learned how to ride, to shoot the riffle. I have known what it is to sleep on the ground without tasting food for the whole day, to drink dirty water from the mud holes. When I come to think of my life in those days, I am surprised how I stood it all, considering my youth then, and how I was spared” – These were just some of the excerpts that shows her endeavors during their times. Excerpts that is worth telling!

Section three of the book talks about FIlipinas falling in love and getting married. It is said all over the world that when you marry someone you also marry their family and for sure that is true in the Philippines. That’s why it is very complicated for early Filipinas to marry because their parents would always interfere. “It was 1952. We had gotten secretly married. That whole year that we continued living in our respective homes, we slept together in motels. If elopements or secret marriages now sound positively archaic, they were the only solution then to parents’ unrelenting strictness that allowed young people little private conversation and no dates. Of course it was a dangerous move. Girls secretly married guys they were in love with but hardly knew.” (Motel Weather, Gilda Cordero Fernando) In my own opinion, couples should have the blessings of their parents first before they marry because marriage is a sacred sacrament. And it is a decision that needs a lifetime commitment. Once you enter marriage, theres no backing out anymore. That’s why its just appropriate for us to seek guidance, advice and blessings from our parents before we marry. On the other hand, parents should realize that their children are grown up man/woman already. They can decide for themselves that’s why parents should just support their children’s decision. As long as they know in themselves that they don’t lack guidance to their children, then they shouldn’t worry.

Section four deals with motherhood. In the articles, we can see that mothers became smothering and over protective to their children. They hinder their children to explore and see the world by themselves. Reality of life was covered with make believe ideologies. Well I cannot blame these mothers because they were the one who experienced the cruel world. They were the one who spent sleepless nights wondering if their parents are still alive from the bandits. They were the one who heard bomb explosions during wars. I believe it’s just normal for parents to dream for a better life for their children. Maybe mothers during this time were over protective because they don’t want their children to experience cruelty just like how they did before.

The last section of the book discuss about Filipinas striking out, going away and earning for a living. There are articles about starting a restaurant, attending law school and working as a journalist and going abroad. One of the big aspects of life in the Philippines is that millions and millions of parents, husbands and wives have to leave their family sometimes for up to go out of the country to work so they can send money back to their families. Of course long periods away from the family are hard for them,, especially on the side of the children who clamors for maternal care. The articles show the turmoil in the mind of women who work off shore.   Of course they worry if their children are ok and most worry about the fidelity of their spouses. Many are in fact single mothers who leave their children in the care of a relative. Often their children were grown barely knowing them. The articles cover issues like homesickness, looking for love in another country, feelings of isolation, and living in cultures where all Asians are lumped together.

Over all I can say that Filipinas are truly a tough woman race. They have evolved through ages but remained the same compassionate & strong-minded women. I personally recommend this book to every Filipina at my ages out there because this book is truly a helpful gear for our quest to know more about Filipina identity. Having knowledge from these narratives and understanding the lives of Filipino women will allow us readers to appreciate what we have at present. For us to be able to realize what has been sacrificed in the past for the benefit of today’s generation. This book could also help students of Media like me because it gives us insights about people, especially Filipinas on their perspectives and way of lives. With this, we will know what kind of approach we will use as media persons.