Written by Ria M.
Artwork by Vic A. and Mira L.
Disclaimer: In no way does this intend to catechize or invalidate the Christian Holy Bible. It instead seeks to elaborate on what shaped the mindset of Filipino natives, as well as what in history brought about the gender ideals currently upheld in modern society. Furthermore, in no way is it claiming that pre-colonial Philippines was without flaw.
Fathers are looked up to as the breadwinners and heads of the household; mothers “belong in the kitchen”. Men are “stronger” and occupy most high-ranking jobs in the corporate world; women are “less capable” and less likely to get hired. Boys are the “protectors”, while girls are the weak “damsels in distress”. If you have noticed any of these playing out in society, then you have witnessed gender norms geared towards toxic male superiority. These are simply a few examples of such. Despite the attempts to eradicate aforementioned norms and how our country has progressed past them to a certain degree, it is undeniable that gender norms—if not their footprints—are still prevalent in today’s society. They have indeed been internalized by most Filipinos, but how exactly did this ideology initially emerge in the country?
A possible origin of both gender roles or norms and discrimination against women may be traced to back when the Philippines was colonized by the Spaniards, who imposed Christianity, which in turn paved the path for the spread of these gender norms. Christianity has long been controversially said to be suggestive of patriarchal and misogynistic ideals.
For one, the chronology of the Creation itself seems to be evocative of patriarchy, with Eve only being created with the sole purpose of serving as a companion to the lonely Adam. Furthermore, God created Eve by taking one of Adam’s ribs and forming her from there, suggesting that woman is somehow merely an “extension” of man. Some also claim to have observed misogynistic ideology in Eve’s temptation at the Garden of Eden. Her succumbing to temptation led to the downfall of the human race, for which she was “punished” by the Creator with the pain of childbirth (Genesis 3:16) and because of which women are now looked down upon as easily corrupted beings. Furthermore, the word “feminine” itself comes from the Latin word, femina, which means “less in faith”, hence emphasizing the domination of men in the Christian society.
The Philippine version of the account of the Creation Story, however, portrays the creation of man and woman rather differently. In the legend, both man (Malakas) and woman (Maganda) were created at the same time, emerging from bamboo that split in two side by side, implying equality among men and women. This could be a root explanation as to why pre-colonial Philippines adhered to minimal, if not zero, gender biases. Despite men taking command over certain positions in society, there were enough societal roles in which women were seen to be in power. Hence, it wasn’t rare to see indigenous Filipinas in positions of authority, taking on roles as chiefs of barangays or becoming babaylans (priestesses). In marriages, although men were the technical owners of the house or of property, women were called the maybahays, literally meaning the “owner of the house”. In addition, women shared equal rights as men to obtain divorce and to get their fair share of conjugal earnings and custody over their children.
Due to this vast difference in gender ideologies between pre-colonial Filipinos and the Spanish, the colonizers were stunned by how much freedom Filipino women had upon their arrival to the Philippines. Prior to the Spanish colonization, women were seen in positions of power, sometimes even over men. However, with the establishment of Christianity in the country came the propagation of misogynistic and patriarchal ideologies, as enabled by the selective cherry-picking of those who interpreted the Scriptures and introduced it as such. In effect, from there on sprung the expectation for men to be the breadwinners and for women to be the housekeepers along with other imposed gender norms, Hispanicizing the indigenous culture.
A colonial Filipina’s role became defined by Christianity, expecting her to be a humble daughter to her father, a faithful subject to her husband, and an obedient servant to the Church. Although a Filipino family was egalitarian, patriarchy was evident in how men were expected to be the one in authority, making wives and children dependent on fathers and leaving the wife to manage domestic affairs and raise children. Moreover, this would be the start of the social construct of virginity. Due to chastity being given high premium in Christian teachings, colonial Filipinas were consequently heavily expected to reach marriage in a virginal state.
As manifested, colonialism heavily influenced the gender roles upheld in today’s society. Our pre-colonial roots is historical evidence that women are just as able to be beneficial contributors to society just as men are. Colonial Philippines pictured not only the malleability of women, but also their persistence. Whatever the future holds for the situation of stereotyped and imposed gender roles or norms, may it always put the preceding culture into consideration and progress for the better of the society and in favour of both men and women alike.
Sources:
Aguja, Hilton J. “THE FILIPINO WOMAN: A Gendered History.” The Mindanao Forum, Philippine E-Journals, 1 Jan. 1970, ejournals.ph/article.php?id=7122.
Graw, Heidi. Femina..., 2005, alt.feminism.narkive.com/fwKmjIar/femina.
Lucy. “Traditional Gender Roles and Stereotypes: How They Can Affect Children and Young People.” The Children's Society, 17 May 2020, www.childrenssociety.org.uk/news-and-blogs/our-blog/traditional-gender-roles-and-stereotypes-how-it-can-affect-children.
Hays, Jeffrey. “WOMEN IN THE PHILIPPINES: STATUS, STEREOTYPES, MARIA CLARA AND ABUSE.” Facts and Details, 2008, factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6c/entry-3876.html.
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