In his essay, Dr.

Jose Rizal clearly addressed the 20 women of Malolos who fought

bravely for their right to education. He pointed out how impressed he was that they were able to
use their voice and stand up for what they believe in. The courage they had in order to get what
they really deserve despite being continuously rejected and deprived of opportunities which men
are freely given. This is just one of the many inequalities that women had suffered from in a
patriarchal society they belong in. Rizal pointed out how women are deserving of the same
opportunities men are given so that they will also be able to be successful in the fields they will
be choosing from. Women just like men have the rights to access education and that they
should not have a planned life wherein it is already expected from them to be someone’s wife
when the time is right. Women are pertained to just be home makers and never the ones to
provide for the family, even if they are just as capable as men especially if given the chance to
develop needed skills. Aside from the 20 women of Malolos, he also mentioned the different
women in the society and they fall into four categories; the unmarried women, wives, daughters
and mothers. He advised the unmarried not to settle with someone who only has the looks but
has a noble and honored name. Looks can only go so far but the characteristics that make up
for the man that he should be is a more important factor to consider when looking for a partner
to settle down with. While for the wives, he told them to fulfill their duty as a partner as it was
their vow to one another while accepting each other in their lives. It was to be with their partner,
share their highs and lows just as it is in the movies that are mostly portrayed, women are there
as the support system of the men that chose them to spend their whole life with. And to the
daughters who are supposed to learn what has happened and do everything in their power to
not repeat the same mistakes if ever there was. Finally, his message to a mother whom he
believes will be the one responsible for her children’s outcome in the future. Her character and
ways will reveal how her child will turn out to be, someone who has power over things or
someone will just become a pushover and submissive to other people. If a mother is not
responsible enough to raise the child in an environment that has an open mind and awareness
of the current situation then she is considered to have a child who will just become a mindless
follower of those who can easily manipulate them. He also took time and spewed some harsh
truths about religion, the Christian way that the friars tried to instill to the Filipinos. He pointed
out several manners such as reciting prayers, splurging money for the church for the purpose of
eradicating their sins, the hypocrisy that is overcoming the church. He unfiltered told people that
doing these things does not make them a saint and those who do not are sinners. It is not about
these practices that makes one closer to heaven and God, but being able to live through these
beliefs whole-heartedly and not just because they are aiming for salvation.
 For all we know, Rizal just wanted to acknowledge efforts and spill some hard truths that
most people would take as an attack at the same time. The context of his message was to
remind women of who they are, who they deserve to be and who they will be when not given
limitations and provided opportunities. And the hypocrisy of the church, he knows when and
when not to call them out for instilling practices which are not really important and ends up
taking advantage of their lack of knowledge of the religion.

Rizal wrote this essay not based on presumptions and merely just his opinions but on
the basis of what he had observed during the Spanish occupation in our country. He pointed out
things that may have caused this indolence shown by our own countrymen. We used to have
good economic activities with different countries especially those neighboring countries wherein
we exchange goods with them, with the trade introduced to us by the Spaniards, it led us to
stopping these kinds of activities with them and together with the business it was involved with.
Aside from that, we cannot deny the fact that under the Spanish rule, forced labor was enforced
so we can definitely understand why our own countrymen ended up being idle. No one would be
working hard especially if they are being forced to do so and not because they want what they
are doing. And they were not earning the way they deserve as their works and hardship under
the Spaniards should be compensated well. Their labor was being exploited by these
opportunists, and even the tax they are paying is high which only meant the thing they are
working hard for only gets in the Spanish people again. Spain was not also good in providing
assistance and protection against other invaders, they did not care for the Filipinos but only to
rule over them, so it just continued showing Filipinos the point of not caring anymore for their
own good. Spaniards are not good models to look up to and our countrymen witness how lazy
they were even with their duties and responsibilities; they had their own vices which did not
really do our country any good. We would believe that if Filipinos are educated then this would
not have been a problem but then everything that is being taught in the schools are only about
religion which certainly is not helpful if we are practically speaking. And another, religion itself is
not as reliable as people think it would be. Since Filipinos especially those with low quality of
living are gullible, they were made to believe that it is easier to enter heaven if you are poor so
did not push themselves to work instead remained what they are believing that it would give
them a free pass to heaven.
The Filipinos could have prevented this from happening only if they did not become victims of
the Spanish colonization. They were not given opportunities that could have made them grow
into successful people because the Spaniards wanted all the power to belong to them. And to
even add insult to the injury, they were led to believe ridiculous things that could also have been
prevented if they were given real education and not just falsified and make-believe information.
Rizal was not criticizing his own people but the people who made them that way. He was calling
them out for what they have caused to the Filipinos who were once industrious and
hardworking. But then we should also ponder on this essay because sometimes, we can
change from what we have become but only by accepting it first and then we can look for ways
on how we can improve our situation.