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.
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