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The Writers:

Erica Capada

Shaira Jera

Daniella Romero

Edriane Pante

Kim Paolo Pascual

Dianne Pasumbal

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Editor’s Message:

Paraluman is a platform made in the light of the role of women in the perspective of Jose Rizal and the Filipino youth today. It is entitled to be Paraluman aside from it’s literal meaning of muse or goddess but to mainly focus  its old translation - Compass

The writers of this blog aims instill its readers the value of women and how women serves as a guide like a compass in one’s endeavors in life.  May this be an instrument to remind the youth and the future generation how important a woman is in the society. 

~Shaira

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The power of Women in the society: Rizal’s Letter to young women of Malolos

By: Shaira Jera

During Rizal’s time, Patriarchy was one of the values that Spaniards had brought and injected into the country’s culture. It is expected that women should be confined to being a mother and a wife while men are the providers in a household. Women at that time are oppressed from education and are taught to be compliant to their parents and submissive to males (just like how Maria Clara is!). Women are least heard in terms of political undertakings and least prioritized with education because these aspects are under man’s control. This whole patriarchy focuses on how men dominated not only the rights of the women at that time but also their worth beyond gender. 

On December 12, 1888, twenty-young women from Malolos, Bulacan formed a group and started a peaceful movement for educational reforms in the country. They wanted to break the patriarchal norms and behavior of men towards women thus it became a significant event that changed the political and social view of women in the society. The movement made by the women of Malolos is one of the few feminist movements that is remarkable that which up to this day we benefited. The journey of these Malolos women was never easy that’s why Jose Rizal shed a light for these groups of women. He wrote in his letter how he commends the bravery of these women against the abuse of friars and authority set by the church and society. Rizal also emphasized in his letter how women are powerful and how his mother’s love served as his inspiration in his silent movement towards betterment of his countrymen against oppression of the society. 

With these women from Malolos, we’ve seen how powerful women are not only in society but for every individual. The mothers should be honored for not only do they give life but also they imparted in us the values we uphold. The mothers of the past, today and the future have given the children the “hope” that Rizal is pertaining for they have allowed and continue to give us the privilege of education. May we be able to seek wisdom from the Women of Malolos on how brave they are in conquering not only the friars but also the inclusion of women’s importance in the society. 

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An Open Letter to All the Women Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

By: Shaira Jera

This is an open letter to the women in the past. We are the women of today because of you. You all brought life to these influencers and heroes who made our lives easy today. Some of you might even have started doing novel things that turned out to be one of the works we value today, you created our present and our future and we owe it to you. 

This is an open letter to the women today, we are still fighting for our rights, liberty, and freedom against the oppression by what society tells us. We are the women of today and our responsibility is to continue what the past had started. Continue to be brave enough to step up and use our resources that shackles not only the minds of our leaders but also the standards of society. 

To the women of the future, be the catalyst of your own generation. Be able to see and uphold truth, justice and liberty. Do not ever conforme as to what you are expected to be. Use the platform that you have to speak what you believe in. Do not just dream big but also take the risk of being a woman and embrace the uncertainty. Be strong enough to continue what we hold 

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Word Hunt by: Erica Capada

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Crossworld Puzzle by:Erica Capada

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By: Erica Capada

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Love of A Mother

By: Daniella Romero

One of the themes that the novel Noli Me Tangere highlighted is Family and Honor. Aside from the obedience of Maria Clara to her parents, Sisa, who showed unconditional love for her children and family, was also given emphasis. Sisa depicts how Filipino mothers love their children unquestionably to the point that they are willing to sacrifice everything. The tragic events that happened to her symbolize the abuse that the motherland received from colonizers.

The year 2020 was truly a challenging year for the Philippines amid the global pandemic. The global pandemic adversely affected the economic, health, and mental aspects of every Filipino. Just before 2020 ends, a video of a policeman shooting a mother and son was seen all over the internet. The killings have prompted an outcry and renewed calls for police reform.

The shooting took place in the city of Tarlac as Jonel Nuezca, the off-duty police, tried to arrest Frank Gregorio. Prior to the shooting, the story behind the unfortunate incident was Mr. Gregorio setting off an air cannon, made of PVC pipe, which created a loud noise. The noise bothered Mr. Nuezca accompanied by his young daughter. A heated argument then ensued about the cannon and an ongoing land dispute between the two families. Sonya Gregorio, the mother of Frank Gregorio, wrapped her arms around her son to stop him from being arrested. The young daughter of the police then said to Ms. Gregorio to let go of her son and let her police dad take Frank. Ms. Gregorio said “I don’t care eh eh eh” which prompted Mr. Nuezca to shoot her in the head before doing the same to Frank. After shooting two innocent people, Mr. Nuezca took his daughter and walked off as nothing happened.

The incident shows how Ms. Gregorio was willing to do anything just to protect her son. This is because Mr. Nuezca, although was off duty that time, was carrying a gun. Ms. Gregorio believes that her son is innocent and should not be arrested, this is evident as she wrapped her arms around Frank. In connection to the novel, Ms. Gregorio’s unconditional love for his son is the same as how Sisa suffered from the loss of her children. Abuse of authority from colonizers was also seen in the novel and just like how Mr. Nuezca acted, a tragic event happened. Days after the incident, Mr. Nuezca turned himself in after he was accused of shooting both of his neighbors, Sonya and Frank Gregorio.

This representation is still happening in today’s time because for as long as unjust practices are still prevalent, innocent people are always at risk of being killed and justice is still yet to be achieved. For a mother, losing a child is like losing one’s purpose in life. Just like how Sisa grew lunatic as she continues to find her children and how Sonya protected her son from being hurt. A mother’s love will indeed protect you from anything, even if it will be at the expense of their life.

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Women of Beauty and Faith

By: Daniella Romero

In the novel Noli Me Tangere, Dr. Jose Rizal highlighted three women depicting different symbolisms. One of which is Maria Clara who is the embodiment of the Philippines. This is evident as the Philippine people, in general, are typically passive and reluctant to rebel against the norms. She is also the representation of love, beauty, and faith. 

 The Philippines is widely considered a beauty pageant powerhouse as it has won in all four pageants with a total of ninety-four placements and fifteen victories. In totality, the country has four Miss Universe crowns, one Miss World crown, six Miss International crowns and four Miss Earth crowns through the years. 

Gloria Diaz (1969)

The recent triumph in the Miss Universe was Catriona Gray, the Filipino-Australian beauty as she was crowned the Miss Universe 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. She is considered the fourth Filipina titleholder, following iconic beauty queens Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran-Floirendo (1973), and Pia Wurtzbach (2015). To further show how they embodied beauty and grace, let us look back at their winning moments in pageant history.

The first Filipina to win Miss Universe 1969 was Gloria Diaz in Miami Beach, Florida. She joined the pageant when she was 18 years old. It cannot be denied that she outperformed other candidates as she was the crowd favorite and placed in the Top 10 of Best in Swimsuit. Currently, she has been a major figure in the entertainment industry, having a fruitful career as an award-winning actress and television host. The Philippines, as the beauty pageant powerhouse, was followed by another winner in 1973.

Margie Moran-Floirendo (1973)

At only 19 years old, Margie Moran-Floirendo took home the crown just four years after Gloria Diaz. Although she never dabbled in politics, she is known to be the granddaughter of former president Manuel Roxas. Aside from taking home the crown, she was also awarded Miss Photogenic during the pageant. Her past careers were successful as she runs a few private companies, hosted a television series, and produced movies. She manifested her love for arts as she became the President of Ballet Philippines. Moreover, she is also known for her philanthropic work with Habitat for Humanity Philippines and the Mindanao Commission on Women Organization.

Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (2015)

Just 42 years after the second Miss Universe title, the Filipino-German Pia Wurtzbach again took home the title as she was crowned as the Miss Universe 2015 in Las Vegas. Apart from the past pageants, her winning moment quickly became sensational in social media as the host, Steve Harvey, accidentally announced Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as the winner. Pia Wurtzbach continues to work with the Miss Universe organization, spreading awareness on HIV and AIDS, the topic she highlighted in her answer. Her answer in the Question & Answer portion also made her the social media darling as she ends it with the phrase “confidently beautiful with a heart”.

Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray (2018)

The fourth and the unforgettable Miss Universe Philippines is Catriona Gray as she was crowned the Miss Universe 2018 in Thailand. Elegance, creativity, and grace were seen in her performance on stage along with her meaningful dress, also known as the Mayon gown. Her winning answer also became an internet sensation as she answered the most important lesson she learned in her life, stating “I worked a lot in the slums of Tondo, Manila, and the life there is very, it’s poor and it’s very sad. And I’ve always taught myself to look for the beauty in it, to look in the beauty in the faces of the children, and to be grateful. And I would bring this aspect as the Miss Universe to see situations with the silver lining, and to assess where I could give something, where I could provide something, as a spokesperson. And this I think, we fight, [for] teach also people to be grateful, we could have an amazing world where negativity could not grow and foster, and children would have a smile on their faces.”

These women proved that being a woman is not only about having beauty. Rather, it is about having faith in yourself, the people around you, and most importantly, having faith in your country. The beauty queens proudly represented the Philippines with full confidence and full of willingness to address timely and relevant issues in the country. Nevertheless, it is indeed true that women are the epitome of beauty and faith as they bring hope in every possible way they can.

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I am a Woman

By: Edriane Pante

Strength does not come from physical capacity only. Most importantly, strength does not only show through men. Women are an epitome of strength too. Even if they could not show it physically, there is a saying that the mind is stronger than the body. Our body only reacts to what our mind says. If our mind says that we should be strong, the body would then be influenced. Women could also show strength through various ways. Determination is the key to fully show one’s strength. Women are full of determination. They can do anything they want when they put their minds to it. They would not stop until they got their goal or they would rest until they are near to achieve it. As time goes by women have grown to be more powerful. Women become powerful when they use their determination as a tool to overcome hardships in life. Women are more than doing the household chores. We now live in a world where we are past that time that women are just for the household chores. Women could do what men do. They’ve taken the roles that were considered or labeled for man only before. Women are capable of doing the tasks and jobs that require both mental and physical strength. It is an admirable trait of a woman since it is not easy to balance everything but women can do so. Women have come a long way. In the past, women have faced a lot of discrimination about their gender, their role in the society and the inequality of men and women in general. Because of these discriminations, women have faced many challenges that hinders them in showing their true power. Women in the past have missed a lot of opportunities to harness their skills and show their potential as many factors are stopping them. Until today, there are still women who are experiencing discrimination. It is good to see that many women were fighting off for their fellow women when experiencing this kind of situation. Women have also started to take a step forward. They do not let other people label them. They do not let society dictate what role they should play. Women have realized now that it is time to break the stigma about women. They are starting to show what women could do with determination. They are now empowering other women so that no one would be left behind. There is still a long road to go but women’s strong determination has kept them to continue until such time that all women could exhibit their strength to the world.

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Women: Then and Now

By: Edriane Pante

Women have come a long way. Even in the past, women have already experienced a lot. How do we perceive women? How does society perceive women? And how do men perceive women? We all see women in different light. If you will ask a person that has lived in the 19th century or earlier vs a person who has lived in the 20th century until now, you could expect different answers. But the most interesting about it is the gravity of the difference on their answers. Do women really come a long way? Is there really a difference? As time passes by, we have noticed how women have changed in terms of social, political or life in general. Women are portrayed differently depending on the era and thinking of a person. Looking at the women characters in Rizal’s novel entitled ‘Noli Me Tangere’, we could already have a glimpse on how women have lived in the past. We have read from the book or learned from the class how women have suffered throughout the history. But we will also see how women’s situations have changed in today’s culture. In Noli Me Tangere, Marica Clara was described as an obedient child, a faithful woman, with purity and innocence embedded in her. This just states that back in the days, there were women who didn't let anyone dictate who they wanted to be. Maria Clara lived as a typical Filipina in the past that sets her traits in place. Knowing Maria Clara from a point of view of today, some would say that she is too perfect for this generation, others would say there is no such girl who could have all her good characteristics. I would say that being a ‘Maria Clara’ in this generation is easy if we would live following what is right. Everyone should be obedient to their parents, it is just morally right to be faithful, purity and innocence can be shown through different action but nonetheless everyone could be as pure and innocent as they can be. Another woman introduced in the novel Noli Me Tangere is Donya Victorina. Based on her actions in the said novel, she was described as an ambitious Filipina. She is a socialite who adapts the latest trends to be a part of the high society members. In reality, Rizal wrote his novels based on what he sees around him so it is possible that there are existing Donya Victorina in his time. But comparing Donya Victorina’s characteristics to the women now, I could say that there are many women now that are ambitious but in a positive way. Women of today dreams to be successful someday so that they could be one of the high society members. But compared to Donya Victorina, women now doesn’t need to be a social climber just to get successful. They work on their own way to achieve their dreams. Donya Concolacion is a type of woman that believes she is much more worthy of respect than she actually is. I’d say that Donya Concolacion has an inferiority complex since she thinks highly of herself than others. She even pretends to not remember Tagalog as her native language and instead she embraces the Spanish language even if she is bad at speaking it. In today’s time, there are still some that are like Donya Concolacion but most of the time women are more educated and believe that respect begets respect. Sisa played the role of a mother in Noli Me Tangere. Her story in the novel is pitiful since she ended up crazy looking for his son and she faced death in the end. Rizal portrayed a mother with unconditional love for her children in the novel. I could see that the traits of Sisa can still be seen in the women of today most especially to the mothers. The love of a mother to her children did not change from then till now. Even though there are differences among women then and now, what’s important is what women have gone through in their journey towards change.

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To the woman, she wants to become and the woman, she had become

By: Dianne Pasumbal

A woman has goals and ambitions in life, and some even associate themselves with different bold personalities in order to achieve the personality that they thought they need in order to grow and be noticed. However, not everything comes and happens according to plan. Trials, consequences, decisions, and sacrifices are also prerequisite to become the person she is today and that’s normal, for that reason that a woman is like a rose full of thorns, she is beautiful, but she would never be the woman she is without the thorns attached to her. A woman might have said the phrase “I want to be …”, the said phrase connotes numerous ideas, but one of which would impose judgment, especially when the woman’s dream is not considered fit by the status quo. However, for a woman that went through all those judgments can give a life learning experience and that is to believe in oneself, no matter what it takes and no matter how difficult it is. And to the woman that became successful despite all those circumstances, “continue and move farther”. What the woman wanted is for her to be spoiled with glamour and ease, however, the woman she is today is filled with trials and tribulations in life. In times like these she can just give up, but with the dream that she wants to pursue… she continued fighting. This is an indication of “bravery”, as she is not letting any hindrances stop her will to live her utmost life. The woman she wanted is slowly blossoming into the eyes of the people who believe in her. As she reached for success, she never went using her power towards other people, because she knew the feeling of being used and manipulated. She learned to be strong and courageous. She learned how to be respected. She learned how to be recognized; and she realized that she was just once a child playing and dreaming her life, and now that she reached success, she carried all the learnings with her to share and inspire other people to not stop until they reach their peak. Cheers to the woman she wants to be, she will have ups and downs, twists and turns, and successes and failures in life. But don’t stop the journey in proving yourself to the world just because of a simple failure, as failure is part of life and life is greater than it looks. A woman who sees benefit in all situations has higher chances of rerouting one’s decision, since she is also exposed to a variety of individuals in and out the nation. This might and would greatly influence her perception and even beliefs in life for tables to turn as she reaches her morning light. 

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How Do You Define A Woman?

by: Kim Paolo Pascual

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Woman: Flower of the Society and an Epitome of New Beginnings

By: Kim Paolo Pascual

If we are going to retrace our steps in the past, it was indeed evident that the society stands in awe of the patriarchal ideology. That men played dominant roles or positions in the society anchored on the social formation and women were just competing as subordinates. There was no presence of advancement for them and even their self-development. The society dictates that men should be the frontliners and should be in control.

As time passes by, the importance of women starts to flourish. Comparing it to the withered  flower who was once longed for care by its owner. But, this flower who was placed in isolation and deprived from everything, started to grow and became visible to the eyes of the beholders. And that is how women become the flower of the society and epitome of new beginnings. They continue to bloom in a society filled with thorns.

Living in the 21st century, different notable women were recognized for their field of expertise and their contribution in society. These women have become the pillar of the society and inspiration for others.

These are just four prominent women in this time and age. They have proved that equating themselves as “women” can be advantageous in their expertise. They started new beginnings that are beyond comparison. These women, who were once deprived of attention and trust by their society, continue to persevere and bloom on their own to showcase that being a woman- is indeed a treasure that no one can take away from them. Ms. Soho, President Aquino Ms. Salonga and Whang-Od, prove that they are once withered flowers in a field of thorns but they continue to bloom themselves and make everyone turn their heads and clap their hands on them. And that is the essence of women being the flower of the society and epitome of new beginnings.

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Farewell, My Child 

By: Dianne Pasumbal

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Roses and Responsibility

By: Dianne Pasumbal

As a child sees the joy of life, She is mostly unaware with the challenges that would take flight, She sways and as her hair flows with the air, She suddenly trips and cries for care. “Mom! Mom! I need you mom” is what she said, Her mom rushed into her and carried to the shed, “What happened, my child?” is what she uttered, But her child just cried on how much she suffered. Woman by nature is known to be careful, She silences herself as she think it is more mindful, Because for a mother to see her child hurt is more than dreadful, “My dear child, please promise me next time that you will be careful.” As a child grows up she discovers new things, And learns greater upbringings, “My child! My child!” was shouted by her mother, “I’m not a child anymore!” she strongly uttered. Teenagers are being filled with influences, That also triggers wrong biases, The communication of both is being challenged, As both of them forgets to openly acknowledge. Cruelty in this world maybe forever, But a mother’s love is much more greater, Stand your ground as she let you see, The shouts of the people screening for nationality. She protected you all these years, As she is afraid to see your fears, She painted the skies from gray to blue, Just to show you the things you probably didn’t knew. “It’s time to open your wings, as I rest mine, Do whatever you can to make you shine, Your talents and skills be used for the better, As you are my treasure that i will keep forever. “Farewell me child…”

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By: Dianne Pasumbal