Camagay, Ma. Luisa T. 1989. “Women through Philippine History.

” In The Filipino Woman in Focus: A Book of

WOMEN THROUGH PHILIPPINE HISTORY

[Introduction, 28]

“A review of works pertinent to the history of women reveals that Filipino woman
became the object of study in the late twenties and thirties. Prior to this period, mention of
women could be culled from early Spanish accounts of the missionaries. Of these early Spanish
accounts are those of Colin, Plasencia and Chirino – all of which have been translated into
English and are now part of the Blair and Robertson Collection (1903-1908). Caution however
must be taken when using these sources as they were written with a religious bias. It is noted for
instance, that the early missionaries seem to overly emphasize the sexual freedom enjoyed by
the Filipino woman which contrasted with the restriction required of the Spanish woman during
the same period.” (Camagay 1989, 28)

Early Images of the Filipina, 28-31

“The first work which chronicled the development of the Filipino woman was Maria
Paz Mendoza-Guazon’s The Development and Progress of the Filipino Woman, published in
1928. This book describes the role and status of women during the Pre-Spanish, the Spanish,
and the American periods. Citing early Spanish accounts, Mendoza-Guazon mentions the
respect accorded to women prior to the coming of the Spaniards. She further adds that the
Filipino women enjoyed an egalitarian status with the Filipino men. But the coming of the
Spaniards forced the Filipino woman “to control her emotions and also to view the world as
populated by devils” (Mendoza-Guazon, 1928). Furthermore, her education involved the
acquisition of skills and knowledge relevant to the world she was said to belong to, i.e., the
church, the kitchen, and children. The book also dwells, lengthily, on the activities of the
Filipino woman during the American period which saw her involvement in civic and
humanitarian endeavors, and which culminated with the right to vote.” (Camagay 1989, 28-29)

A. The Changing Social Role of the Filipina, 29

“This framework, adopted by most contemporary works, identifies the changes in the
social role of the Filipino woman during the three historical periods. The historical perspective
is found in the works of Isabel Aleta and others entitled A Profile of Filipino Women (1977),
and in Gelia Castillo’s Filipino Woman as Manpower (1976).” (Camagay 1989, 29)

“In her book The Filipino Woman: Her Social Economic and Political Status 1565-1933
(1934), Encarnacion Alzona contended that the Filipino woman never led a sheltered life during
the Spanish period as asserted by Mendoza-Guazon. The Filipino woman, according to her,
freely participated in the industrial, political, and religious affairs of the country.” (Camagay
1989, 29)

“Her egalitarian status during the Pre-Spanish period was established by Alzona (1934,
pp. 15-16) by enumerating the rights she enjoyed as follows:
1. She was treated as an equal by her husband.
2. She could retain her maiden name.
3. She could share the honors of the husband.
4. She could dispose freely the property that she had brought into marriage.
5. She was consulted by her husband about his affairs.

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Camagay, Ma. Luisa T. 1989. “Women through Philippine History.” In The Filipino Woman in Focus: A Book of
Readings, ed. Amaryllis T. Torres. Bangkok: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, pp. 28-34.

6. The husband could not enter into contracts or agreements without the wife’s
knowledge or approval.
7. The wife had the right to divorce the husband in case of non-support and
maltreatment.
8. She could assume the headship in the barangay.” (Camagay 1989, 29)

B. The Economic Participation of the Filipino Woman, 29-30

“The Filipino woman was denied political rights and an enlightened education during
the Spanish period. Alzona, however, opined that the Filipina compensated for it by actively
participating in the economic life of the country. She ‘controlled retail business, administered
farms, practiced crafts of commercial value, and engaged in business on a large scale’ (Alzona,
1934, p. 128). Moreover, the economic activities did not require her to leave the house. Shops
were put up in the houses and crafts were done at home. Some of these activities included
weaving, dressmaking, embroidery, hat making, and slipper making. Alzona stated further that
foreign visitors in the 19th century noticed and commented on the entrepreneurial skill of the
Filipino woman.”1 (Camagay 1989, 29-30)

“The chapter on the Revolutionary (Period 1896-1899) is very brief, and mentioned only
a few names of Filipino women - these being confined to women whose participation ranged
from humanitarian activities to foiling the enemy (Alzona, 1934).” (Camagay 1989, 30)

“Based on her premise that the Filipino woman consistently played an active role in the
affairs of the country, Alzona developed the following themes: the acquisition by the Filipino
woman of tertiary education, her assumption of careers other than teaching, her political
enfranchisement, as well as her membership in labor unions.” (Camagay 1989, 30)

C. The Filipino Woman’s Sociopolitical Involvement, 30-31

“The works of Mendoza-Guazon and Alzona, published in the twenties and the thirties,
attempted to document the growing political awareness of women and to justify their demand
for suffrage.” (Camagay 1989, 30)

“Immediately after the war, in the 1950s, members of the Feminist Movement in the
Philippines recalled their campaign for women suffrage. Pura Villanueva-Kalaw related this
historical moment in her two works: How the Filipina Got the Vote (1952) and Filipino Women
- The Challenge They Meet (1951). Tarrosa Subido authored The Feminist Movement in the
Philippines (1955), a book commemorating the golden jubilee of the Feminist Movement in the
Philippines.” (Camagay 1989, 30)

“A dearth of historical studies of women persisted in the 1960s. The few works of this
period demonstrated the Filipino woman’s involvement in national development. Of the
recorded events, the achievements of the Feminist Movement in the Philippines was reviewed
by Paz Policarpio-Mendez in an article entitled ‘The Progress of the Filipino Woman During the
Last Sixty Years.’ Valentina Isidro’s ‘The Changing Attitudes of the Filipina’ (1969) in Katas
1
This same observation was echoed by Maria Paz-Guazon: ‘whenever a family rises from the lower ranks of society
to a position of comparative affluence and social importance, it is usually found to be due to tact, energy, and close
attention of the female member of the matrimonial partnership’ (Mendoza-Guazon, 1928, p. 33)

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Camagay, Ma. Luisa T. 1989. “Women through Philippine History.” In The Filipino Woman in Focus: A Book of
Readings, ed. Amaryllis T. Torres. Bangkok: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, pp. 28-34.

touched on the ‘development in the status of Filipino women from their confinement tot the
home to their active involvement in the social development of the country’. Another article
worth mentioning is that of Ninotchka Rosca-Pena’s ‘Woman’s Changing Role in a Changing
Society’ (1968) which depicted the women’s involvement in the national struggle. The decade
of the sixties also saw the printing of The Women in Early Philippines and Among the Cultural
Minorities by Teresita Infante. This book is a pioneering work on women of the different ethnic
groups.” (Camagay 1989, 30-31)

Women’s Participation in the Liberation Struggle: An Historical Gap, 31

“The brief review of historical studies on women reflects the absence of works
documenting the participation of women in the liberation movement of the country. As
mentioned earlier, Alzona described in a few pages the participation of women in the Philippine
Revolution. The Filipino women’s involvement either during the Philippine Revolution or the
Japanese Occupation has been reduced to biographical sketches of women personalities. This
trend is evident in the compilation of biographical essays of outstanding Filipino women in
Women of Distinction (1967) by Varias de Guzman et al. and in Heroic Virgins and Women
Patriots: Female Patriotism During the Japanese Occupation (1977) edited by Alfonso Santos.
No work has yet been documented on the role of Filipino woman in the liberation movement of
the country. The feminist movement in the Philippines, on the other hand, abounds in literature
written by members of the movement.” (Camagay 1989, 31)

A Suggested Framework for Historical Studies on the Filipina, 31-34

“A better understanding of the development of the Filipino woman from historical

The following events are considered the turning points in the history of the Filipino
woman:
1. Her entry to the world of work as she got employed in government-owned
tobacco factories. (1781)
2. Her clamor for a more enlightened education (1898)
3. Her admission to the teaching career. (1894)
4. Her involvement in the liberation of the country (1896)
5. Her admission to the University of the Philippines (1908)
6. Her interest in pursuing careers apart from teaching (1908)
7. Her being sent abroad as a Pensionada (1903)
8. Her involvement in the Feminist Movement (1906)
9. Her campaign for women suffrage (1912-1933)
10. Her admission to labor unions (1932)
11. Her politicalization in the 1970s
12. Her feminist crusade in the 1980s

“The entry of woman into the world of work in the 19th century marked the systematic
employment of women in the factory system. The Filipino, woman, for the first time, was

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Camagay, Ma. Luisa T. 1989. “Women through Philippine History.” In The Filipino Woman in Focus: A Book of
Readings, ed. Amaryllis T. Torres. Bangkok: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, pp. 28-34.

engaged in an activity no longer an extension of her household chores. Thus, it required her to
go to a definite place of work with definite working hours, be subjected to supervision, and be
paid a regular wage.” (Camagay 1989, 32)

“The clamor of the Filipino woman for a more enlightened education was dramatized
when, in 1888, the women of Malolos petitioned Governor-General Weyler to allow the
opening of an Academy to enable them to learn Spanish. This move elicited praise from Jose
Rizal, in his letter to them, for their laudable project. The letter encouraged them to cultivate
their minds and be inspiring wives and mothers. Marcelo H. del Pilar was more broad-minded
when he urged the Filipino to develop the woman’s mind so that she could impart her
knowledge to her fellowmen. In other words, Marcelo H. del Pilar viewed the Filipino woman,
above all, as citizen more than as a wife and mother.” (Camagay 1989, 32)

“Towards the latter part of the 19th century the Filipino woman, capitalizing on her
natural and instinctive role as a teacher, was allowed to pursue a career in teaching. Thus in
1894, 16 women graduated as maestras superiores from the Assumption Convent.” (Camagay
1989, 32-33)

“The coming of the Americans ushered in an era of a university education to the Filipino
woman. The University of the Philippines admitted women to courses like medicine, law,
liberal arts, nursing, pharmacy, and dentistry. Teaching was no longer her typecase profession.
Eventually, the increasing number of women students in the University called for the
establishment of the Office of Dean of Women in 1916. Moreover, when the American
government instituted the pensionada2 system in 1903, she was given the same opportunity to
prove her worth. The first batch of women selected as pensionadas were Honoria Acosta,
Elizabeth Florendo, Eleonor de Leon, Genoveva Llamas, and Luisa Sison.” (Camagay 1989, 33)

“The Filipino woman’s education and her career made her socially and politically aware.
She became receptive to the feminist movement introduced by those from the United States. At
the onset, her involvement in the social life of the country took the form of humanitarian and
civic activities. When Pura Villanueva-Kalaw founded the Association Feminista Ilonga in
1906, she included woman suffrage as part of its objectives. Between 1912 and 1933 various
legislative measures were introduced to extend suffrage to women. The issue ignited a lively
debate between the Filipino males and the members of the Feminist Movement of the
Philippines. Unfortunately, there were also some women who fought the idea. But it was
gratifying to know that some Filipino males were very supportive of this campaign, and one of
them was Rafael Palma.” (Camagay 1989, 33)

“Arguments against woman suffrage ranged from fear that it would pose a menace to the
family and society, and that it was said to be incompatible with the ‘natural modestry and
reserve of women.’ Politicians also admitted that extension of such right to women would
greatly enlarge the electorate; hence, it would make the election campaign long and expensive.
Fortunately, the political equality sought by women was finally passed into law in 1937.”
(Camagay 1989, 33)

“The Feminist Movement in the Philippines had not only won suffrage for the Filipino
2
The system of pensionado-ship was instituted by the American government in 1903 in order to prepare the most
promising youth for public and private service.

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Camagay, Ma. Luisa T. 1989. “Women through Philippine History.” In The Filipino Woman in Focus: A Book of
Readings, ed. Amaryllis T. Torres. Bangkok: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, pp. 28-34.

woman; it also accomplished for women the right to occupy political positions, as well as
demand amelioration of her working conditions. It was in this context that the Filipino woman
joined labor unions. Her disadvantaged position before the law was initially corrected with the
passage of Act 3922 known as the Paraphernal Property Law in 1932. This law empowered the
wife to alienate, encumber or mortgage her paraphernal property without her husband’s consent.
It was a first major triumph for the feminists, the credit of which belonged to Claro M. Recto
who sponsored the bill.” (Camagay 1989, 34)

“The politicalization of women was clearly evident in the 1970s. They joined in the
protest movements against imperialist control of the Philippine economy and neocolonial
politics. At this point, the women’s political struggle was not yet feminists, but national in
scope. As women got more involved in national struggle in the 1980s, they realized that unless
they confront issues directly affecting them as women ‘their full and equal participation in the
movement for democracy and economic emancipation will not be possible nor their liberation as
women be ensured’ (An ‘Overview of the Militant Filipino Women’s Movement During the
Decade for Women’ by Fe B. Mangahas). What is evident in this development is that the
nationalist movement for the Filipino woman has also become a liberation movement.”
(Camagay 1989, 34)

“The question posed now is: ‘Whereto from here?’” (Camagay 1989, 34)

- End -

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