FILIPINO: sample writing 01

 (isinulat at ipinasa bilang isang tugon sa mga kahilingan ng kursong FEAWRIT o Feature Writing)


IWITNESS ANALYSIS
Ambulansyang de Paa

            Napakahusay ng naging pagkukwento ni Bb. Kara David sa episodyong Ambulansya de Paa ng IWitness. Napili ko ang episodyong ito dahil nakuha nito ang atensyon ko habang naghahanap ako ng mga maaaring suriing dokumentaryo sa Internet. Lalo pa itong naging mas interesante nang makita ko na nakatanggap ito ng parangal mula sa Peabody Awards sa New York noong 2010. Ang episodyo ay tungkol sa problema ng kawalan ng sapat at accessible na medikal na pasilidad sa dalawang lugar sa Mindoro Oriental. Mula sa napiling paksa, paraan ng paghayag ng mga mahahalagang detalye ng host, hanggang sa audio-visual na nilalaman nito, bukod-tangi ang dokumentaryong ito kaya hindi na rin nakakapagtaka kung bakit ito pinarangalan.

            Nagawang baguhin ni Kara ang imahe ng problema ng kakulangan ng medikal na pasilidad sa Mindoro Oriental; mula sa tila pagiging black and white, nagkaroon ng kulay at nakapukaw ng maraming atensyon ang problemang ito ng Pilipinas. Sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng epektibong lengguwahe ng host, naging mabisa rin ang pagpapahayag niya ng mensahe tungo sa mga manonood nito. Gumamit si Kara ng pagtutugma o rhyming sa maraming bahagi ng dokumentaryo tulad na lamang ng mga linyang 'tatlong dekada na silang humihingi ng ilaw at kalsada pero tila mailap talaga ang pag-asa' nang ilarawan niya ang kondisyon ng barangay Bansud sa Mindoro Oriental. Tugmaan din ang ginamit niya nang banggitin niya na 'sampung ilog pa raw ang tatawirin namin. Mahigit tatlong oras pa ang kanilang papasanin, at gagawin nila ito nang libre, kadugo man nila o hindi ang pasyente.' Napakalakas ng linyang ito nang tukuyin niya ang pagkakaroon ng mabuting kalooban ng mga residente ng barangay Bansud na handang magsilbing ambulansya at maglakad ng kilo-kilometrong layo para lamang mabuhat ang may sakit tungo sa pagamutan. Sa pagtatapos naman ng pagtampok sa unang bahagi o unang pasyente sa episodyo, gumamit na naman ang host ng pagtutugma sa linyang 'salamat sa mga ambulansyang de paa, nanumbalik kay Lowell ang pag-asa, pero marami pa sa mga taga-Bansud ang nagdurusa.' Dagdag pa rito, napakayaman ng naging deskripsyon ng host para ilarawan ang mga sitwasyon sa dokumentaryo. Hindi niya direktang sinabi sa mga manonood ang mga bagay-bagay; sa halip, idinaan niya ito sa makukulay na mga pang-uri at iba pang mga salita na makakatulong sa paglalarawan sa mga ito. Ilan sa mga halimbawa ng mga linya sa episodyo ay ang 'ang matagtag na dump truck, ang malalaking bato, ang mga kalsadang pangkalabaw pa rin' at ang linyang 'halos sampung taon nang nakakulong sa kanyang maliit na kubol si Lowell, animo'y presong sinintensyahan ng kamatayan. Sa totoo lamang, madali nang gamutin ang TB ngayon. Sa ibang bansa, matagal na itong nasugpo dahil sa libreng gamot na ibinibigay ng gobyerno. Pero sa layo ng mga taga rito sa siyudad, akala nila, isa pa rin tong sumpa.' May mga bahagi rin sa dokumentaryo na inilarawan ng host upang makapukaw ng damdamin katulad na lamang ng sabihin niyang 'nang umandar ang trak, pinalibutan nila si Lowell para salagin ang tagtag ng sasakyan. Hindi man nila kaano-ano ang binata, niyakap at inakay siya na parang anak ng komunidad.' At huli, epektibo rin ang paggamit ni Kara ng metapora sa pamamagitan ng paghahalintulad sa paa bilang isang ambulansya.

            Mabisa ang pagkakapili ng dokumentaryo ng paksang itatampok. Ang problemang kakulangan sa accessible na pagamutan sa mga liblib na lugar at probinsya sa Pilipinas ay hindi na bago sa pandinig ng maraming Pilipino. Kabi-kabila ang mga balita kaugnay ng problemang ito ngunit sa kabila ng katagalan ng problemang ito ay hindi pa rin ito nabibigyan ng solusyon at hindi pa nareresolbahan nang buong-buo. Karapat-dapat lamang na itampok ang ganitong uri ng paksa at ipaliwanag ito nang mabuti sa maraming Pilipino sa pamamagitan ng isang dokumentaryo upang mas mamulat pa at mas ipaglaban ang pagsugpo sa ganitong uri ng suliranin sa bansa. Sa palagay ko ay nagsisilbing paalala ang Ambulansya de Paa na hindi pa rin patuloy na natatapos ang matagal nang problemang ito at marami pa ring kalusugan ang nagdurusa dahil dito.

          Mahusay din ang naging pakikipag-ugnayan ni Kara David sa mga taong sangkot sa episodyong ito ng IWitness. Unang-una, nakapanayam niya ang mga key person o mga taong dapat kausapin upang makakuha ng sapat na kaalaman tungkol sa problemang itinatampok. Nakapanayam niya ang mga kamag-anak ng may sakit at tinanong kaugnay ng kalagayan nito. Nakausap din niya ang mga residente ng barangay Bansud na nagsisilbing duyan o ambulansya de paa. Nakapanayam din ni Kara ang alkalde ng lungsod na may sakop sa Sitio Dyandang at naitanong ang mahahalagang tanong tungkol sa mga plano nitong pangmedikal at pagsasaayos ng mga daanan upang maging mas accessible na ang mga pagamutan. Nakausap din niya ang mga doktor sa dalawang pagamutan na napuntahan niya kaugnay ng kalagayan ng kalusugan ng mga pasyente. Ikalawa, sa mismong lugar siya nagpalipas ng araw at natulog upang makipamuhay sa mga residente ng Barangay Bansud at Sitio Dyandang. Dagdag pa rito, naglakad din si Kara mula sa mga lugar na ito tungo sa pagamutan. Oras din ang binilang upang marating nila ang mga ito. Kinailangan niyang umakyat sa mga matataas na tipak ng bato, maglakad sa lubak na mga daanan, at lumusong sa putikan na lumala pa matapos bumuhos ang malakas na ulan. Nasira pa nga ang sapatos niya at natumba siya dahil sa makakapal na putik. Ikatlo, hindi nailang si Kara David sa mga taong may sakit na itinampok sa dokumentaryo. Nakihalubilo, nakipag-usap, at hinawakan ni Kara ang mga taong ito sa kabila ng pagkakaroon ng sakit, kabilang na ang lalaking may tuberculosis, ang batang nabuhusan ng kumukulong tubig na nasunog ang balat, at ang batang lumitaw ang bahagi ng pusod dahil sa nasirang bituka nito.

            Bukod sa mga aspektong nasa itaas, mahusay din na idineliver ni Kara ang mga spiels niya. Walang eksena sa dokumentaryo na ipinakitang nasa loob siya ng isang studio; lahat ng mga eksena ay kinunan sa mismong lugar o probinsiya ng Mindoro Oriental. May mga bahaging iniulat niya habang umaaksyon o in-action at habang nakikihalubilo mismo sa mga tao sa lugar. Gumamit din ang dokumentaryo ng mga datos at statistics upang mas mapalalim pa ang pagpapaliwanag sa paksa. Ang mga ginamitan nito ng statistics ay ang populasyon ng bayan ng Bansud na aniya ay nasa 30, 000, datos ng DOH kaugnay ng 100 bayang wala niisa man lamang doktor, at ang mahigit apat na milyong bata sa Pilipinas na malnourished.

            Sa kabuuan, napakahusay ng naging paglalahad ng impormasyon at pagkukwento ng episodyo na ito ng IWitness. Nagsilbi itong bagong lente upang makita ang katotohanan sa likod ng mga malalaking isyu na kinakaharap ng bansa at naging mikropono ito ng mga Pilipinong hindi nadidinig ang boses na patuloy pa ring nagdurusa.  

FILIPINO: sample writing 02 (news)

Ang Mabuting Balita ayon kay San Juan

ni Charisse Uy

(balitang isinulat at ipinasa para sa Alinaya, ang pahayagan ng Departamento ng Filipino ng DLSU at bilang isang tugon sa mga kahilingan ng kursong FILJORN o Pamamahayagan sa Pilipinas)

Kabilang si David Michael San Juan, PhD, sa listahan ng mga nominado sa pagiging kinatawan ng Alliance of Concerned Teachers Party-list para sa Pambansa at Lokal na Eleksyon sa darating na Mayo 2016.

Sa kanyang Facebook post nito lamang Setyembre 13, 2015, sinabi ni Dr. San Juan na buong-puso siyang nagpapasalamat sa pagkakabilang niya sa listahan ng mga nominado. “Wholehearted thanks to the General Assembly/National Convention of ACT Teachers Partylist for including me in its list of nominees for the 2016 elections… Now, I vigorously accept this honor and responsibility as a vote of confidence and further inspiration for Tanggol Wika, Suspend K to 12 Alliance and ACT Private Schools,” ayon kay San Juan. Siya ay miyembro ng ACT Teachers Party-list simula pa noong 2008. Nagtapos siya ng kolehiyo sa Bulacan State University, kumuha ng master’s degree sa Pamantasang De La Salle (DLSU) at doctorate naman sa Centro Escolar University. Sa kasalukuyan ay nagtuturo siya sa DLSU sa ilalim ng Departamento ng Filipino. Ang iba pang mga nominado sa pagiging representative ng ACT Teachers Party-list ay sina Congressman Antonio Tinio (1^st nominee), France Castro (2^nd nominee), Raymond Basilio (3^rd nominee), at Atty. Gregorio Fabros (5^th nominee).

Ang ACT Teachers Party-list ay isang sektoral na partido na binubuo ng mga guro at iba pang kawani ng edukasyon. Ilan sa mga pangunahing ipinaglalaban nito ay ang karapatang pang-ekonomiko, kapakanan ng mga guro at iba pang kawani ng edukasyon, at ang maayos na pagpapatakbo ng gobyerno. 

ENGLISH: sample writing 01 (news)

The Libraries Releases New Self-Checkout Machine  

By: Charisse Antonette Uy

09:28 PM  October 6th, 2015

(written and submitted to Archers Network, the official TV Network of DLSU)

Last October 1, 2015, De La Salle University’s The Libraries announced that students, professors, and other library patrons can already make use of the new self-checkout machine during regular services hours at the Filipiniana, 12^th floor, of Henry Sy, Sr. Hall.

 The new self-checkout machine allows library patrons to have a more convenient access to the library materials that they intend to borrow. Some simple steps in using the machine include the scanning of the DLSU ID, entering the ID number, MyLibrary account PIN and password, and scanning the barcode of the material. However, similar to the over-the-counter service, books and other library materials which are labelled “room use only”, “lib use only”, and “on hold” still cannot be checked out.

Inquiries and other concerns can be addressed by sending an e-mail to library@dlsu.edu.ph, or contacting Ms. Elizabeth Padilla, Readers’ Services Coordinator, at local 622.​ 

ENGLISH: sample writing 02 (news)

DLSU OSD Sports Recruitment Week

By: Charisse Antonette Uy

06:17 PM  October 9th, 2015

(written and submitted to Archers Network, the official TV Network of DLSU)

The De La Salle University held its Sports Recruitment Week last October 5, 6, and 7 at the Corazon Aquino Democratic Space (CADS), Henry Sy, Sr. Hall.

 Various sports clubs were present in the activity organized by the university’s Office of Sports Development (OSD). There were booths where the students signed-up for membership like Archery, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Dragon Boat, Flag Football, Floorball, Futsal, Judo, Karate, Muaythai, Synchronized Swimming, Triathlon, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, Wushu, and Iron Works. The said booths were also open for demonstration of their sports.

In line with the UAAP 78, the members of these sports clubs in DLSU are still in preparation for the upcoming collegiate sport competitions. This year’s UAAP was formally opened last September 5, 2015 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

ENGLISH: sample writing 03 (news)

New Traffic Re-routing Scheme affecting DLSU vicinity

By: Charisse Antonette Uy

11:06 PM  October 6th, 2015

(written and submitted to Archers Network, the official TV Network of DLSU)

Starting October 12, 2015, a new traffic re-routing scheme will be implemented by Barangay 709. Three different streets near De La Salle University will be involved in the said action.

The Castro Street which is perpendicular to Taft Avenue and near One Archer’s Place Condominium will be one way towards Taft Avenue- No right turn from Taft Avenue (south bound) and no left turn from Taft Avenue (north bound). Fidel Reyes Street which is near Enrique Razon building and is parallel to Taft Avenue will also be affected as this will only be one way towards Castro Street from Quirino Avenue. Access to DLSU parking buildings will only be through Quirino Avenue. The vehicles that will pass through Calle Agno which is parallel to Taft Avenue and near the back entrance of Gokongwei building will only be allowed to turn right at Castro Street. The traffic scheme will be effective from Monday to Thursday, 6:00 am to 10:00 am and 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. 

ENGLISH: sample writing 04

CULTURE

(Written and submitted as a final requirement in Anthropology course/subject)

If you ask 20 anthropologists about the definition of culture, you will get 20 different definitions. Nevertheless, these definitions would just highlight more or less the same thing. Culture, although defined broadly most of the time, has main characteristics. These characteristics are related to the article of Rosaldo, Idology, Place, and People without Culture, specifically in analyzing the three cultural stages. Also, the definition of culture mentioned in the said article makes it difficult to assume that there are “Zones of Cultural Invisibility” in the context of migration.   

            Culture has several important characteristics. First, it is learned. Culture is not inherent to our human biology as human beings (Ott and Mack 2009, p. 125). The nature of a human is acquired or learned through social interaction. One basic example is the type of food that people consume and the way they eat it. The second characteristic of culture is cumulative. According to O’neil (2012), each human generation has capability to discover things and make better technologies.  These new information are added to the ones discovered in previous generation. The tools that are in trend before like the tape recorder, camera, and telephone can now be found in the mobile phone. The third characteristic of culture is adaptive. Societies are able to adapt but selective on what to adapt. Culture is adaptive to context like environment and political economy. One example is the Ampalaya and Kangkong. These vegetables do not exist in cold places. For political economy, one example is the position and responsibility in the household; the father is responsible in giving money to the mother. Another characteristic of culture is shared. Culture is practiced by particular communities or groups. In Philippines, cultures differ according to region. Cebuanos practice culture different from the Kapampangans. Culture gives identity and a basis for comparison. The cultures of Catholics and Muslims give them identity and their own culture becomes the point of reference for comparing themselves to one another. The sixth characteristic of culture is transmitted. This is concerned with the cultural or biological transmission or continuity from generation to generation. Example is the custom of most Chinese in marriage. Although some are not following this anymore, most traditional Chinese parents still prefer their children to get married only to another Chinese. They strictly implement this rule especially when their ancestors firmly followed it. The last characteristic of culture is symbolic. It is a result of shared symbol systems that allow people to communicate meaning to one another. For instance, in Philippines, when one sees a jeepney, it automatically suggests that it is a symbol of transportation. 

            The characteristics of culture mentioned have relation to Rosaldo’s article, specifically to the three cultural stages. For the first characteristic, culture is learned; the four groups- Negritos, Hunter-horticulturalist, Wet and Dry Rice Cultivators, and the Lowlanders learned their own culture through socialization with the members of their particular groups. This characteristic of culture is very visible in the case of the Filipino lowlanders where they learned culture from the colonizers, particularly the Spaniards and the Americans. The next characteristics are cumulative and adaptive, and these are related to the social revolution. The technology of the groups in pseudo-evolutionary ladder transforms and develops. The mobile Negrito hunter-gatherers used tools like stones for their survival. The horticulturalists learned to be sedentary and used hand tools for the cultivation of their crops, and the lowlanders belonged in the post-industrial phase (Boundless N.D, par. 1-4).  Another characteristic of culture is shared. The four groups in the pseudo-evolutionary ladder practice certain culture with the people similar to them. The Negritos have their culture which is not shared or practiced by the Lowlanders nor the Ifugaos or Ilongots. Culture gives identity. The Negritos and the Lowlanders have the identity of being “people without culture.” This label becomes the basis for comparison between the “people with culture” and “people without culture.” However, they still have their own separate identity as Negritos and as Lowlanders (i.e Negritos are precultural while the Lowlanders are postcultural), and the same applies to the Wet and Dry Rice Cultivators and the Hunter-horticulturalists as “people with culture.” Another characteristic is transmitted. The culture of each group is transmitted from generation to generation. The last characteristic is symbolic. Language is one of the symbols that represent each group in the pseudo-evolutionary ladder and each of them has their own language. The most spoken language is the language of the Lowlanders since they occupy the greatest part of the scale.             

Culture, according to Rosaldo (1988), is defined by difference. The differences help in making one culture noticeable to others. This brief definition of culture makes it difficult to assume that there are “zones of cultural invisibility” in the context of migration since there will always be a disparity among people. The degree or the amount by which a person differ may vary from small to big, but nobody is similar to another person in all aspects. Thus, culture visibility is formed. This can be proved through the article of Anika Liversage, Gender, Conflict, and Subordination within the Household: Turkish Migrant Marriage and Divorce in Denmark and the article of Josefina Tondo, Popular Religiosity and the Transnational Journey: Inscribing Filipino Identity in the Sto. Niño Fiesta in New Zealand.

Liversage’s article supports the notion that there are no “zones of cultural invisibility” in migration. In terms of the constitution of the household, according to the narrative of Halil, the male migrant-spouse, he came to an extended household, particularly a matrilocal one. This type of household is uncommon in Turkey. Aykan and Wold (2002) mention that 95% of the people who are living in an extended family in Turkey are patrilocal. The access to public space also serves as an example. In Turkey, men usually spend quality time far from the household, usually with other men without worrying about their wives. However, in Denmark, the access to public space is affected by the wife, specifically in the case of Halil. His wife controls his mobility by commanding him to go back home (Liversage 2012, p.1129). Moreover, Halil expected his wife to accomplish every domestic task because this is what is usually done in Turkey. However, since both of them are working, his wife also expected some sharing of chores. This can be considered as a collision between Turkey and Denmark gendered norms in the household. Halil, as a man, demands his right to be served by the woman at home. In the situations mentioned, it is apparent that despite having the same nationality, the difference in the culture of two Turkish is still visible in both of their eyes, especially in Halil’s.

            The next article also supports the same idea. Tondo (2010) states that diaspora is often heterogeneous. The Filipino diaspora’s social and cultural variety makes it difficult for the migrants to unite (Werbner 2004, p. 547).  However, religion takes part in uniting Filipino migrants through a mutual or shared faith experience, and devotional prayers. Here, the “visibility” of culture is apparent in terms of religion. Since culture is defined by difference, the difference between the non-Filipino Catholics and the Filipino Catholics gives the latter a sense of self-identity (as Filipinos, which the migrants only realize when they migrate) as it highlights the distinction between their own culture and the culture of the non-Filipinos. Some basic examples mentioned in the article are the religious icons and the Sinulog. According to Tondo (2010), there is a presence of religious icons or relics in a Filipino Catholic home which one cannot find in the home of Anglo-European New Zealander Catholics. Moreover, popular religious traditions which are celebrated by the Filipino Catholics like the Sinulog, make way for the declaration of a shared religious tradition and social identity. In celebrating fiestas like the Sinulog, homeland and diaspora are symbolically tied, creating a new space and a new identity as Filipino Catholic devotees in a foreign land. Hence, in the perspective of a Filipino migrant, he can clearly see the difference between his own culture and the culture of non-Filipinos. Like what was mentioned previously, culture gives identity and a point of reference for comparison in terms of similarity, or, in this case, difference, validating that there is a “zone of cultural visibility.” 

 Culture, more than the usual plain explanation associated with it, has several characteristics that should be considered. These characteristics play important role in analyzing the precultural, cultural, and postcultural stages in Philippine culture. Also, it is hard to presuppose that there are “zones of cultural invisibility” in the context of migration. The events mentioned above prove that the difference among people will always be evident, may it be in terms of the way of upbringing, environment, or religion. Thus, culture, which is defined by difference, will always be visible in the context of migration making it difficult to assume that there are “zones of cultural invisibility.”                  

REFERENCE LIST

Aykan, H. and Wolf, D.A. (2002). Traditionality, Modernity, and Household Composition: Parent-child Coresidence in Contemporary Turkey. Research on Aging, 22(4), 395-421. Retrieved July 5, 2015

Boundless (N.D). The Four Social Revolutions. Retrieved July 5, 2015 from   https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/social-change-21/sources-of-social-change-139/the-four-social-revolutions-761-3396/

Liversage, A. (2012). Gender, Conflict, and Subordination within the Household: Turkish  Migrant Marriage and Divorce in Denmark. Routledge. Retrieved July 6, 2015 from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2012.681455

Ott, B. and Mack, R. (2009). Critical Media Studies: an Introduction. Wiley. Retrieved July 7,  2015 from http://as.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-140516185X.html

O’neil, D. (2012). Characteristics of Culture. Anthro Palomar. Retrieved July 7, 2015 from  http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/culture_2.htm

Rosaldo, R. (1988). Ideology, Place, and People without Culture. Wiley, 3(1), 77-87. Retrieved  July 5, 2015 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/656310

Tondo, J. (2010). Popular Religiosity and the Transnational Journey: Inscribing Filipino Identity  in the Sto. Nino Fiesta in New Zealand. Routledge. Retrieved July 6, 2015 from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14442213.2010.513401

Werbner, P. (2004). Chaotic Diasporas. Encyclopedia of Diasporas, eds M. Ember, C.R. Ember,  & I. Skoggard, Springer, 545-552. Retrieved July 5, 2015

ENGLISH: sample writing 05

BUDDHISM 

(Written and submitted as a final requirement in History of Civilizations course/subject)

       As a millennial, there are times when I forget and neglect the important principles and lessons instilled in me as I was growing up. Sometimes, selfishness does not seem new and that it is already 'normal' for people to think of their own convenience and act like an insensitive blind so they won't see the other people who are afflicted. I believe that one's own principle and mantra in life contribute very much to his decisions and actions in life, and this is where I realized that Buddhism, for me, has its edge compared to other religion and/or civilization. 

       From the history of the struggle of Siddhartha up to the core teachings, Buddhism never fails to captivate me. Although Buddhists value highly such virtues as loving kindness, humanity, patience and giving, perhaps they value wisdom and compassion most of all. The idea of ahimsa or harmlessness is very closely connected with compassion. The compassionate desire to cause no harm to all beings including animals, plants, and the world in general. The final goal of all Buddhist practice is to bring about that same awakening that the Buddha himself achieved through an active transformation of the heart.

      I personally believe that out of all the virtues of Buddhism, compassion and humanity are the ones which are very timely today where many people from around the world seem so lost and destructed by their own selves and religion. Many states are continuously bombarded and a lot of innocent lives suffer. It looks like people give no concern to others and that what only matter are themselves. Like what other people say, there are a lot of humans but there is no humanity.

       In general, Buddhism's teachings fascinate me as a millennial. Today, the world needs a Siddhartha who, despite his majesty as a prince, still managed to lay his eyes on the reality and chose an action for the ease of the majority.

ENGLISH: sample writing 06

 MARIA CLARA AND DONYA CONSOLACION’S RELEVANCE/NON-RELEVANCE TO CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE SOCIETY

Analysis on the two characters in Dr. Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere

DONYA CONSOLACION (RELEVANCE)

Doña Consolacion’s character is seen to be one of the most unpleasant characters created by Jose Rizal in Noli Me Tangere.  According to the book, she is the wife of the alferez of San Diego. She was described as having prominent veins in her forehead, her cigar held in place by her purple lips to cover her loose, jagged teeth; horribly dressed and ugly as she was compared to a mankukulam.  Despite this, she compared her beauty to Maria Clara’s. She was a woman who wore too much makeup and had thin thighs that would tremble uncontrollably under her layered skirt. She would often look out the window and criticize and insult other women, as she finds pleasure in this. This shows that her character thinks highly of herself.

On the other hand, the alferez is a drunkard and not happy with his marriage with Doña Consolacion, which is why she is always maltreated by him not only verbally but also physically. Although it is not said directly in the book, this may have had a psychological effect on her which as a result, she enjoys having the people around her miserable, just like in the cases of Sisa, Padre Salvi, and Tarsilo.  

Her character is somehow similar to Doña Victorina in a sense where both of these characters way of thinking were greatly influenced by the Spaniards. These characters are more similar than they are different. Unlike Doña Victorina who came from a well-off family, Doña Consolacion was uneducated— before marrying the alferez, she was once the laundrywoman of the civil guards. She pretends that she does not know how to speak in Tagalog, but then she tries too hard to speak Spanish. And so, she uses signs in order to communicate with others.  

Doña Consolacion is a character where she willingly forgets her real national identity and tries to replace it with a foreign identity. In this case, she wanted to be like a Spaniard, and so she married one, tried to speak and act like one, and dressed like one. This is so relevant today as many Filipinos nowadays prefer to speak in English as their first language, and act like they do not know or would not rather speak Filipino because it would not get you anywhere.

As harsh this may sound, this may be becoming the reality of the Philippines. There are a lot of instances to prove this. One example would be the removing of Filipino in colleges by the year 2018. Biado (2014) reports that the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) says that Filipino subjects in college are redundant because the same subjects will be covered in Grades 11 and 12 under the new K-12 curriculum; However, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino chairperson Virgilio Almario argues that this is “a violation of the essence of the Constitution [which mandates] that we should not just declare Filipino as the national language, we should also ensure that we should spread its use.”  He claims that there should be an “intellectualization of the [Filipino] language,” instead of removing it on the college curriculum. Second, jobs in the Philippines would actually favour the person if he is fluent in English, and it is also where high-paying jobs can be seen.  Third, there are more and more cases where parents would teach their children to speak English and hate the Filipino language. They would also like it better if their children choose to marry a foreigner. The Filipinos value the English language mainly because it is the universal language and it can get them to various places around the world. It is also a status symbol for them—if you can speak English, then you must be rich, intelligent or both.

In connection to that, people who think highly of themselves because they feel superior than the others can be seen in the characters of some Filipinos today.  There is a great division between the rich and the poor here in the Philippines. The rich becomes richer, the poor becomes poorer. The rich does not want anything to do with the poor, and the poor think that most of the rich are selfish and corrupt, as it can be seen by how the mass perceive the government. While the government may be really corrupt to some extent, not everyone who is rich in the Philippines got their money from corruption, but they got it from their hard work.

Doña Consolacion’s character teaches the readers to reflect on their own national identity—to accept who they really are and love who they are and their own, like the Filipino language. She is an example of how a person can get conditioned to because of her status, in which she thinks that this makes her more of an important person when in fact, she just becomes one of the most hated characters.  Overall, Rizal was able to make a character that was relatable and was able to teach very meaningful lessons that can help a Filipino value his identity more and show what a good character should be by writing the exact opposite of what he should be.

MARIA CLARA (NON-RELEVANCE)

No other character in Philippine literature has had a more persistent influence on the thought-life of the Filipino people than this famous heroine of Rizal who is Maria Clara.  Maria Clara also was the forerunner in fiction of that woman who, in 1896, betrayed the secret of the Katipunan to the priest of Tondo. She has the same weakness, the same vulnerability, the same fear – none of the qualities that were possessed by Tandang Sora of the Revolution or by Teodora Alonzo, Rizal’s own brave and valiant mother. Chapter 23 of  Noli Me Tangere might redeem the image of Maria Clara and strengthen opinion on her being a archetype of patriotism. However, she doesn’t seem so patriotic like her fiancé, Crisostomo Ibarra (who always talk about his dreams for his motherland), but deep inside her, a strong love for her motherland prospers. She just can’t find the right words to say it, so she just have to say I love my country in a song.  Asked by her friends and their mothers to sing, this woman immediately gave in, singing her love for the Philippines: “Sweet are the hours in one’s own country. Where all is friendly underneath the sun. Sweet are the breezes from native rice fields. Death less bitter and love more sweetly won! It is sweet there for the babe to waken. In his mother’s bosom; without guile. To seek her kisses and embrace her while their eyes meet in a smile. Sweet is death for one’s own country where all is dear ‘neath the sun above. Bitter the wind for those who have not. Country, Mother and one true Love!”

Rizal’s choice of Maria Clara to deliver his melodic song for his motherland – sweeter and more melodious than any of Ibarra’s extravagant statements – can’t be a mere accident. Through Maria Clara’s song, Rizal is able to strike a blow at the patriarchal set-up in Spanish colonies where women are always confined in kitchens and bedrooms, and hindered from participating in political activities such as nationalist advocacies. By choosing Maria Clara as the vocalist of his song for his greatest love, Rizal emphasized the pro-active and potent role of women in any self-respecting society: the propagator of patriotism and other great loves in the hearts and minds of children who will later become leaders of their countries. This feminist perspective of Rizal is apparent as well in his letter To the Young Women of Malolos.

In contemporary society, the virtue of having a strong love for motherland which Maria Clara possessed is continuously disappearing. Women nowadays, unlike Maria Clara, are apparently possessing Dona Victorina’s colonial mentality. They are supporting and uplifting the foreign countries instead of their own country. The care and affection of Filipina for Philippines are already lost and it seems like it would be impossible for them to re-attain the love for their motherland, especially today where globalization is radically changing everybody in every aspect of life.

Maria Clara represented everything a Filipina should be: modest and chaste. For others she was the epitome of a dying tradition, symbolic of the chains of Spanish catholic rule, now broken by women’s access to education and the rising numbers of Filipina in the workforce, in the arts and sciences, and in academia.

The modesty and chastity, particularly of Filipino women today are being less valued compared before. During the time of Maria Clara, the virginity of a woman is one of the most important things they need to value. They were taught to give importance and save it before marriage for dignity. Also, women before are conservative with regard to their appearance. However, this value of Filipina was completely altered by the idea of being liberated. This is apparent in the increasing number of men’s magazine circulating in the country, in the change of women’s image in social media, and in the change of trend with regard to women’s outfits which were mostly influenced by the West.

Furthermore, Filipino women’s access to education and workforce was changed in the present society. Women before are confined in doing domestic jobs and hindered in any political involvement. Today, everybody has the admittance to join any national activities and to participate in the workforce. Filipina women today are mostly no longer underestimated as they already have the capability to be heard, their opinions are already considered, and they can already voice out their concerns in contemporary society.

In general, the primary characteristics of Maria Clara in Noli Me Tangere are no longer relevant today. The globalization and modernization brought a drastic change in Filipino women’s values and capabilities in the present society.  

CURATED NEWS (Inquirer.net practicum)

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PHOTOS BY CHA