Article

Letter of the Women of Malolos

Essay

BACKGROUNDWOMEN OF MALOLOS

Background:

THE WOMEN OF MALOLOS Elisea T. Reyes (1873-1969)

Juana T. Reyes (1874-1900)

Leoncia S. Reyes (1864-1948)

Olympia S.A. Reyes (1876-1910)

Rufina T. Reyes (1869-1909)

Eugenia M. Tanchangco (1871-1969)

Aurea M. Tanchangco (1872-1958)

Basilia V. Tantoco (1865-1925)

Teresa T. Tantoco (1867-1942)

Maria T. Tantoco (1869-1912)

Anastacia M. Tiongson (1874-1940)

Basilia R. Tiongson (ca. 1860-ca. 1900)

Paz R. Tiongson (ca. 1862-1889)

Aleja R. Tiongson (ca.1865-ca.1900)

Mercedes R. Tiongson (1869-1928)

Agapita R. Tiongson (1870-1937)

Filomena O. Tiongson (ca. 1865-1930)

Cecilia O. Tiongson (ca. 1867-1934)

Feliciana O. Tiongson (1869-1938)

Alberta S. Uitangcoy (1865-1953)

Rizal wrote the letter in London He was only 28yrs. When he wrote it. This famous letter was written by Jose Rizal in Tagalog, while he was

residing in London, upon the request of M. H. del Pilar. The story behind this letter is that on December 12, 1888, a group of twenty young women of Malolos petitioned governor-general Weyler for permission to open a “night school” so that they might study Spanish under Teodoro Sandiko. The Spanish parish priest, Fr. Felipe Garcia, objected so that the governor-general turned down the petition. However, the young women, in defiance of the friar’s wrath, bravely continued their agitation of the school, a thing unheard of in the Philippines in those times. They finally succeeded in obtaining government approval to their project on condition that Señorita Guadalupe Reyes should be their teacher. The incident caused a great stir in the Philippines and in far-away Spain. Del Pilar, writing in Barcelona on February 17, 1889, requested Rizal to send a letter in Tagalog to the brave women of Malolos. Accordingly, Rizal, although busy in London annotating Morgan’s book, penned this famous letter and sent it to Del Pilar on February 22, 1889 for transmittal to Malolos.

During the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, education was for the most part in a deplorable state, especially for women. The friars, who exerted power over both Filipinos and the Spanish government in the Philippines, considered the education of the natives a threat to the Church, as scientific knowledge and thinking could cause them to abandon the blind faith and obedience that the Church preached. Schools for girls particularly focused on turning out graduates who were pious, chaste, modest, and industrious. The principal aim of these schools was to form their students into meek wives and mothers.

The teaching of the Spanish language was especially lacking, not just for women but Filipinos in general. Friars feared that proficiency in the Spanish language would give the natives the ability to communicate directly with Spanish government officials and would expose them to liberal and progressive ideas then emerging in Europe. As the friar curates spent many years with the natives, they were able to learn their language while government officials were assigned to the Philippines for a mere 4 years and did not have enough time to learn the language. The friars then served as the bridge between the natives and the Spanish officials, and were thus able to exert a strong influence on both. The friars contended that teaching the Filipinos Spanish would encourage subversion among them, as it would enable them to understand political matters. The friars were accorded the responsibility to supervise education in the Philippines by an 1863 decree which ironically also ordered that the Spanish language be taught in the islands. Thus education was never properly administered. Often the recommended number of schools was not built.

This was the case in the prosperous town of Malolos, Bulacan. Thus a number of the foremost residents of the town took their own initiative to build private schools. In 1886, Teodoro Sandico, a graduate of the University of Sto. Tomas, opened a private school in Malolos with the help of members of the town’s prominent clans, such as Rufina Tanjosoy-Santos. Consisting of primary and secondary levels, the school took after theAteneo Municipal de Manila in their curriculum.

FOCUS The Women of Malolos were 20 women from prominent Chinese-

Filipino families in Malolos Bulacan whosigned and presented a letter to Governor-General Valeriano Weyler on December 12, 1888 requesting permission to open a night school where they could be taught Spanish. The women’s daring action, which defied the authority of the town’s Augustinian friar curate, was lauded by reformists such as Jose Rizal, Garciano Lopez, and Marcelo H. Delpilar. Sandico and the Women of Malolos decided to appeal to him when he visited Malolos on December 12, 1888. On February 20, 1889, the women finally received permission to open their school on certain conditions. First, the women were required to fund the school themselves since the government refused to. Second, their teacher would be Guadalupe Reyes  rather than Sandico, who had been blacklisted by the friar-curate of Malolos. Third, the classes would have to be held in the day and not at night, probably due to the association of nighttime gatherings with subversive meetings.

SYMBOL: The yellow roses symbolist a Love,

Purity, and Peace to the Women of

Malolos . They also show that education is important to each

person .. and all Filipinos have

a hidden talent and ability

to raise the living.

ANOTHER SYMBOL

This symbol define how the education is important to us..and education is they key to progress in life and key to achieving our dreams..in education

no basis for the gender and marital of the

person.,as long us we packing w/ effort we

achieved our goals and dreams in life..as did

the Women of Malolos did.,they fight their

right and did not give-up until they achieved

their desire dreams..and they

believed each one of us have a talent and intellect to achieved

our dreams.

REFLECTION Our parents always say to us that no matter what happen we should finish our study. Because this is the only

Gift and treasure that they give us that no body

can take from us.

And they also say That,

This is the key for us success And to fulfil our dreams. What they say is true.

They saying this not for them But for our goodness.

We may not see the fruit of Our labour for now,

But for sure if we finish our study

We will thanks our parents For what they say.

We should not take all that For granted.

We should do our best to make them proud.

So study hard and do our best.

Leader : Patawaran, Evelyn C.Members:

Arcega, AnabelleCamba, DianeLuna, JammieMasada, Edna

Suacillo, Aileen