Eariel Jorsette Macasaet 12 – Josefa Llanes Escoda

PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD
Philippine is replete with stories of great men who have shown heroism and excelled in various
fields of knowledge. Likewise, the country is also endowed with great women who proved to the
world that they have made a difference. This fact holds true even during precolonial times.

Women enjoyed relative freedom in precolonial society. They had rights, held property, conducted
business, and had a public life. Colonialism stripped Filipino women of their position. They were
expected to remain within the home and only concern themselves with housework and raising
children. The ideal woman was a "Maria Clara" in the mold of Jose Rizal's tragic heroine from
Noli Me Tangere meek and self-effacing. But despite this, many women showed the strong will
and determination that would allow them to go beyond social constraints and move on equal
footing with men.

In rural areas, the Filipino woman belongs in the home. The children approach her for money and
help. She is the family's treasurer. She supports the children’s educational needs. For non-family
members who require support, the wife is the person to be approached. However, the wife is neither
the person who makes the final decision or the person who hands out the money. This is especially
if the housewife, who is often referred to as the Ilaw ng Tahanan (Light of the Home), is convinced
of the benefits that will be gained from a certain practice such as the concept of family planning
in the barrios.

Precolonial women, especially those settled along the shore, did not like to give birth many times;
they perceived it as being like pigs giving birth to huge litters of young. Because of this, they
practiced abortion whenever the couple reached their desired number of children, as there was no
concept of birth control then it should be noted that pre-colonial women in the Philippines enjoyed
equal status with men dubious. Prior to colonization, both men and women could get a divorce for
the following reasons: failure to meet family obligations, childlessness, and infidelity.