The Filipino Women of the Pre-Colonial Period vs.

the Filipino Women of the Post-Colonial Period

Submitted to:
Mr. Jose Tagal Jr.

Submitted by:
Ramos, Joana Marie S.
Villanueva, Joyce Erika C.
Ong, Angela Marie I.
Gamboa, Alejia Faith C.
 The Philippines before the colonization period was not a whole entity; a single/ united country
before the colonization of Spain. It was made-up of separated political entities, therefore there is no
“Philippines” back then. During the pre-Hispanic period the “Philippines” had a simple-type of living
concerned with agriculture. The women are given rightful importance equally to men. They could even be
warriors and e the heir of the Datu. According to Titgemeyer (1998) When a male perform religious rituals,
he was dressed like a woman. According to Saldua the splendid years of women were demolished when
the Spanish colonization took place, the situation changed a lot with the arrival of the Spanish colonizers
who took away the freedom of the Filipino women. With their arrival they greatly switch the concept of how
they treat and view the women of the Philippines. During those times, a religious authority which is believed
to be someone who is doing healing rituals is named or is called “babaylan” in which the tagalog translation
would be “only women”. Before the year 1521, there are evidences that women could divorce their husband
and after that they could even manage the money, properties and any other economic-related stuffs, and if
it is an option the women could remarry. (Perez, 2013).

According to Titgemeyer long before the colonization Filipina wife is treated more like a companion
not a slave. As early as this time, they already have a concept of “abortion “,due to the reason that our
Filipina ancestors do not desire having many child for they compare it as being or living like a pig. Talking
about naming the offspring, the wife is privileged to have the authority to decide for the name, that’s the
lifestyle that a pre-Hispanic Filipina has. As well as they have the control to the tasks of exchanges in light
of the fact that their spouses were not allowed to trade unless if their wives approved.

Evaluating the Philippine system in terms of education after the Spaniards, to comprehend the
educational revolution of the Philippines the historical improvement that formed the revolution are delineate.
The Philippines faced a significant lot of foreign dominance. According to Philippine educational system
(2016) All Southeast Asia colonial the children are engaged to school not for material advantage but they
send their children to school to help the progress of each child for the development of maturity and
adulthood.
In the post-colonial period, the Spaniards had occupied the large quantity of lands; in Pre-Colonial period
having a power to their own society was never an issue to them, until it led to the spread of Catholicism
ideology. During this period having an education and opportunity to go to a prestigious school was for men
only, some women attend some of vocabularies schools but most were not given an opportunity to an
education and power to their own tribe.

Since then, gender roles are prevalent in the Philippines,the Filipino women are undeniably viewed
as the inferior. They are expected to stay at home in which they take after their mother and probably
their mother take after their mothers as well, it has been a cycle. Even in marriage they are expected to be
the one taking care of the whole family, doing all the responsibilities at home. Filipinas have been trained
to somehow be a chaperon to the males or simply to their husbands However, in the modern times, there
have been changes with the constitutions that give rights to the Filipino women of today. (Nodalo, 2015)
Amidst these, legally, women and men are equal but not in an absolute state in terms of education, politics
etc. (Perez, 2013) In a popular connotation, Filipinas are most commonly distinguished as "Maria Clara"
who is the character of Jose Rizal's book against the Spanish rule entitled "Noli Me Tangere" in which
symbolizes the unhappy state of the country during their colonization. Afterwards implying the Catholicism
ideology to the archipelago that the Spaniards colonized the function of school was to teach their pupils as
member of Christian society and not to help them improve themselves in material world ( Sprang, 2016 )
Before the group of island has the different parts working together as an institution into the Spanish empire
following the conquest but the late King Phillip II of spain was the one who enforced laws against Spanish
slavery in the Philippines. They trade slaves began in the 15th century to 16th century.

Merging the post and pre-Spanish era has a big impact into how the roles of a Filipino women
today, such as a woman is not enough to rule a country, if a woman has been elected to a high position the
people has a tendency to critic her that she is not fit to the specific position.
A lot of criticisms are still being faced like in the work place in school and even inside the family. Women
are often told what to do, or what they shouldn't do. The most common issue of today is how women dress,
that when a certain situation like catcalling the society technically points the fault unto the victim, the
woman. However, we don't need to continue looking back on what the Spanish ruler had input unto us
Filipinos especially Filipinas; a long term concept instilled in our minds. We can say that freedom that have
been taken away are now being revived. Women of today are empowered, the people and the government
of the Philippines does not limit the opportunities in both sexes in terms of of education, political aspects
also in religion. Both genders have equal rights in terms of law, employments and the like. Though can we
say that equality is absolute because culturally and historically speaking, can it be? again we're greatly
influenced by the Spanish colonization. Does superiority and inferioty among the sexes will still be an issue
if were not colonized in the first place?
References:
Nodalo, M (2015). Gender Roles in the Philippines.Retrieved
from http://cgacadthephilippines.weebly.com/blog/gender-roles-in-the-philippines

Perez, E (2013). Philippines Women's Role and Gender Equality. Retrieved

from http://theologasia.ph/philippine-womens-role-and-gender-equality/
Titgemeyer, L (1998) A description of Filipino Women during Pre-Spanish Time
Retrieved from https://www.univie.ac.at/ksa/apsis/aufi/wstat/mujer.htm
Baldemor Jr., Alfredo V. (n.d.) The Filipino Woman In Pre-Hispanic Times. Retrieved
from https://baldemor.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/prehispanicfilipina/
Sprang, Werner Van (2016). Evaluating the Philippine Educational System. Retrieved
from http://edepot.wur.nl/380232