NEWSFLASH

Manila, Aug. 4, 2000 - By Dr. Estefania Aldaba-Lim - When I was a little girl in grade school in Malolos, I used to walk from our house to the house of Dr. Luis U. Santos in Pariancillo, where wealthy Chinese mestizos lived like the Tantocos, Reyeses, Tiongcos, Crisostomos, Uitangcoys and Tanchancos.

It was also the home where I first began my piano lessons under Maestrang Epang, younger sister of Dr. Luis Santos.

I vividly recall entering a porch where numerous patients, and some foreigners, were waiting to be treated by Dr. Luis, who in those days, was already a famed eye specialist. I would walk beyond the clinic into their sala where I would wait for my piano teacher to come down from upstairs.

Quite often, I was greeted by an elderly lady in her 60’s. She was fair and had a beautiful high nose with gray hair. They called her “Impong (grandmother) Eding.” She was the owner of the house and mother to eight Santos children. I was actually talking to an icon the leader of the 21 Women of Malolos! But I was only ten years old and didn’t know any better.

Alberta Uitangcoy was only 20 when she organized the 21 Women, many of them her cousins. They wrote a letter to the cura paroco, Fray Filipe Garcia, asking permission to set up a night school at their own expense to learn Spanish, the language of the illustrado. The friars were especially upset because they were aware that the language would open up the world of progressive ideas to the indios.

In a sense this move was part of a growing movement among the elite of Malolos to express and protest the abuse of the friars. Father Garcia refused their request. Despite the initial setback, they took the opportunity to present their petition offered by Gov. Gen. Valeriano Weyler when he visited Malolos.

Among the Filipino and Spanish liberals, the letter was received with joy and admiration.

In the February 1889 issue of La Solidaridad, Graciano Lopez Jaena described the letter as a blow against those who would keep the conscience of women enslaved to the friars ideas.

In February 1889, upon the urging of his friend Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Rizal wrote a letter to the women, congratulating them, and inspired by their example, describe the role women should play in the struggle for reform.

My historian kababayan, Dr. Nic Tiongson, summarizes the essence of the letter.

As a maiden, says Rizal, the woman should be valued by a young man not for her looks or sweet disposition but for the strength of her character and sense of humor.

As a wife, the woman should not be a slave to her husband but rather a partner, shouldering half his travails, consoling and encouraging him. As a mother, she should raise her children to love their fellow humans and their country and to value honor above all, including death.

As a human being, she should develop her mind, learn to love herself and make decisions on her own. As a Christian (not necessarily a Catholic), the woman should equate holiness not with external ritual like murmuring prayers and wearing scapulars but with following one’s conscience no matter what.

As a citizen, the woman should understand that she is equal to all humans, assume her social responsibility and unite with all who fight for their rights.

Amid the friars constant harassment, the women did not seem to lose hope, as exemplified by Nia Tiongson and her sisters, Dr. Nic Tiongson’s grandparents who, in April 1889, debated with the friar curate, Agustin Fernandez.

Among others, they told the friar to his face that they purposely did not go to Mass everyday because they and their friends thought it better to pray and do good works on their own.

Further, they never visited the friar in the convent because in their town the people believed that any woman who frequents the “convento” whether maiden, married or widowed is out to lose her honor, if she has not already lost it.

The 21 Women contributed a lot during the Mololos Revolution. They served as couriers for important and secret documents, nursed the wounded Katipuneros, provided food and shelter, etc.

To memorialize and perpetuate the spirit of these 21 Women, the Women of Malolos Foundation was launched last Dec. 1999.

Prominent scions of Malolos were present, among them were Oscar Reyes of Shell Phil., Bienvenido Tantoco of Rustan, Atty. L. Siguion Reyna, Jess Tanchangco, Jose Tengco, among others.

The mission/visions of this foundation are: publication of a book on the lives of the 21 Women; put up a monument for these 21 women of Malolos; convert Malolos into a Museum Town & tourist destination; hold literary contest, grant scholarships & awards to deserving citizens exemplifying the virtues of the 21 Women of Malolos.

The foundation is enlisting the descendants direct or indirect of the young ladies. Stories, memories, bits of information are welcome, written if possible & may be sent by fax or e-mail to: Seny Reyes, Telfax: 671-5807, e-mail: senyr@hotmail.com; Dr. EALim, 8107325, fax: 8105530; Mercia C. Aquino 8247737, email: mernie@ edsamail.com.ph.

(Editor’s note: This article was published by the Manila Bulletin in its Aug. 4, 2000 issue.)