REFLECTION/INTERPRETATION

Jim Boy Bumalin

Way back year 2013, I represented the District Alfonso Lista in the Division Schools
Tehnolympics held at Lagawe, Ifugao. I ranked 7th among 11 municipalities. Our special guest
and of course the chairman of the board of judges shared his experiences in painting. He shares
Fernando Amorsolo then, his life as a painter. I was motivated with his reflection as a painter
too. He idolized Amorsolo and now he became one of the most famous artists in the whole
province. Then he discussed also his achievements. Since that year I don't have any gadgets to
browse if what's really and makes Amorsolo Famous as said by our guest and then after that
browsed Fernando Amorsolo then I saw his artworks and that time among the paintings of
Fernando Amorsolo the most catchy artwork among them for me is the "Dalagang Bukid" that
was painted in oil in canvass in 1958 that costs more than 3, 800, 000 - 4, 500, 000 million. The
“Dalagang Bukid” or the maiden in the rice field shows a medium brown-skinned woman
portraying the Maria Clara image.
Who knows who is Maria Clara?Well, she symbolizes the purity and innocence of a sheltered
native Filipina woman in the Spanish period and she's beautiful and good hearted.

As we can observed in this portrait it creates a narrative that life in our province is merely
agricultural, that life was good and the ideal Filipino woman must be conservative, beautiful, and
happily serving her family and doing reproductive jobs such as taking care of the house chores
and of upbringing the children given her gentle. I really love this painting because of its
meaningful meaning and If God will give me chance to be a girl in just one day, I will choose to
become Maria Clara or Dalagang Bukid, a women who is innocent, kind and has a good
personality which reflects of what is our situation today. Don't underestimate the life here in the
province, just like Maria Clara she smiles and she portrays that she love her life. I am very proud
to say that my parents sustain as in working in the field and the life here in the province is not
boring yes it is hard living in the province but as Maria Clara Portrays be kind and be humble
and rather be contented of what we have.
Today, this portray tells us specially to all the Filipina that we must be conservative of
what we do, what we wear and let's show good doings to everyone because as I've observed
Filipina now a days are Colloquial or Choosy. People here in province are fun working in the
field. We can't deny the fact that some us who are in the low class stage of life and some prefer
to stay in the house putting their feet above the table refreshing with the cold air from the fan and
doing phone rather than working under the sun.
Let's bring back the Dalagang Bukid attitudes/values. A Filipina who's maintaining social
harmony in the form of shame/embarrassment or "Hindi nahihiya sa among mayroon sila".