LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL (GEC 109/EDUC 8 T,Th 3:00PM-4:30PM)

LETTER TO THE
YOUNG WOMEN OF
MALOLOS

BY DR. JOSE RIZAL

SUBMITTED TO: MA’AM ANALEE VEQUIZO

SUBMITTED BY: METHU SHIELA SIDLACAN

December 13, 2019

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LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL (GEC 109/EDUC 8 T,Th 3:00PM-4:30PM)

SUMMARY

To the Young Women of Malolos

by José Rizal

Jose Rizal’s legacy to Filipino women is embodied in his famous essay entitled, “To the
Young Women of Malolos,” where he addresses all kinds of women – mothers, wives, the
unmarried, etc. and expresses everything that he wishes them to keep in mind.

“To the Women of Malolos” was originally written in Tagalog. Rizal penned this writing
when he was in London, in response to the request of Marcelo H. del Pilar. The salient
points contained in this letter are as follows:

1. The rejection of the spiritual authority of the friars – not all of the priests in the country
that time embodied the true spirit of Christ and His Church. Most of them were
corrupted by worldly desires and used worldly methods to effect change and force
discipline among the people.

2. The defense of private judgment

3. Qualities Filipino mothers need to possess – as evidenced by this portion of his letter,
Rizal is greatly concerned of the welfare of the Filipino children and the homes they
grow up in.

4. Duties and responsibilities of Filipino mothers to their children

5. Duties and responsibilities of a wife to her husband – Filipino women are known to be
submissive, tender, and loving. Rizal states in this portion of his letter how Filipino
women ought to be as wives, in order to preserve the identity of the race.

6. Counsel to young women on their choice of a lifetime partner

RIZAL’S MESSAGE TO FILIPINO WOMEN

Jose Rizal was greatly impressed by the fighting spirit that the young women of Malolos
had shown. In his letter, he expresses great joy and satisfaction over the battle they had
fought. In this portion of Rizal’s letter, it is obvious that his ultimate desire was for women to
be offered the same opportunities as those received by men in terms of education. During

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those days young girls were not sent to school because of the universal notion that they
would soon only be taken as wives and stay at home with the children. Rizal, however,
emphasizes on freedom of thought and the right to education, which must be granted to both
boys and girls alike.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF FILIPINO MOTHERS TO THEIR CHILDREN

Rizal stipulates a number of important points in this portion of his letter to the young
women of Malolos. The central idea here, however, is that whatever a mother shows to her
children is what the children will become also. If the mother is always kissing the hand of the
friars in submission, then her children will grow up to be sycophants and mindless fools who
do nothing but do as they are told, even if the very nature of the task would violate their
rights as individuals.

QUALITIES MOTHERS HAVE TO POSSESS

Rizal enumerates the qualities Filipino mothers have to possess:

1. Be a noble wife.

2. Rear her children in the service of the state – here Rizal gives reference to the
women of Sparta who embody this quality

3. Set standards of behavior for men around her.

RIZAL’S ADVICE TO UNMARRIED MEN AND WOMEN

Jose Rizal points out to unmarried women that they should not be easily taken by
appearances and looks, because these can be very deceiving. Instead, they should take
heed of men’s firmness of character and lofty ideas. Rizal further adds that there are three
things that a young woman must look for a man she intends to be her husband:

1. A noble and honored name

2. A manly heart

3. A high spirit incapable of being satisfied with engendering slaves.

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ANALYSIS

“To the Women of Malolos” centers around five salient points (Zaide &Zaide, 1999):

1. Filipino mothers should teach their children love of God, country and fellowmen.

2. Filipino mothers should be glad and honored, like Spartan mothers, to offer their sons
in defense of their country.

3. Filipino women should know how to protect their dignity and honor.

4. Filipino women should educate themselves aside from retaining their good racial
values.

5. Faith is not merely reciting prayers and wearing religious pictures. It is living the real
Christian way with good morals and manners.

REACTION/REFLECTION

This letter written by Dr. Jose Rizal is an essay of hope in restoring the dignity and
worth of all Filipino's specially women-mothers, wives, unmarried etc. and wrote
everything he wishes for them. Dr. Jose Rizal pointed out, the unholiness of the friars,
the ignorance of the Filipino, qualities of Filipino mothers counsel the young women to
choice the right man for them. He praised and honored these brave Filipinas for they
emerge victorious in their demand for education and for they are no longer blinded by the
fraud religious beliefs brought by the friars. The critical issues tackled in the letter are
inequality between Filipino men and women, slavery done by the Spaniards because of
ignorance, fraud religious beliefs brought by the friars, the roles and obligations of
mothers in the family, and the abuse of the Spaniards because of the blind hospitality of
the Filipinos. The part that struck me most is that “ God, the primal source of all wisdom,
does not demand that man, created in his image and likeness, allow himself to be
deceived and hoodwinked, but wants us to use and let shine the light of reason with
which He has so mercifully endowed us ” . God gave us free agency and the wisdom to
pursue our task to seek the truth, to speak the truth, and to act and live it in our daily
lives. Let us not allow ourselves to be trapped by the darkness of deceitfulness nor
wickedness. Though how tougher and difficult the path in our times may seem, we can
still attain the fullness of our life when we act out of love. It is our strength. We have to be
brave, be prepared and pray all the time to overcome the deceiving power, worry and
fear that clothed us. Take courage and be the change in the community we live in.

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Whatever the circumstances may bring, we know that we are on the path of
righteousness. As a woman, it’s fascinating to note that at that time, Rizal had already
placed great value and high respect for women in our country especially on their vital
roles as mothers and wives. As a wife, she must support her husband in every endeavor
and problem he may be facing, inspire him, encourage him, love him and be always with
him through his ups and downs. He also believes that women should have equal rights
with men. He clearly believes that 'race' or even 'gender' is not a limitation for every
individual to prosper less. He also mentioned in the letter that mothers should set as
good role models to their children. Unfortunately, many mothers today aren’t act ing as
mothers in a way they should be or ought to do. They failed to be good examples to their
children. In our country, the current crises pushed the mothers to also earn a living to
supplement their husbands’ income . There is nothing wrong in working hard for the
family’s welfare but she should not be engrossed enough with her work that her role as a
mother is prejudiced. For those who belong to a poor family, many forced their children
to work or wander on the streets to ask for alms. How uncompassionate and unloving
these kinds of mothers are! Being the foundation of principles and values in ensuring the
progress of the nation, a mother should nourish her children with proper values, desired
knowledge and shape them to become good, that is; “maka -tao, maka-bayan, maka-
kalikasan, at maka- Diyos”. The indomitable role of the mother cannot be over-
emphasized as it is being characterized by the saying that “the hand the hol ds the
cradle, rocks the world”. Mothers should take hold that cradle. Don’t entrust it to others.
Failure in the family cannot be compensated by any wealth and fame. Strengthen the
family as it is the basic unit of our society and the strength of our nation depends on it.

As what I've read, Rizal tells how man and women are unequal before. Man who can
take education and women that should be in the house and take care for the family only.
Man and women should have equal rights because we are all human needs freedom to
do everything they want, specially the women because they had a right and they can do
on whatever man can do. They have a right to be schooled for their future. Women
specially a wives, they have a right to worked to sustain the needs of their family but also
the wives can do. Not all the time that the wives will always be a housewife but they can
do whatever it takes for the sake of their family.

In the Young women, they should choose a man with the beautiful not with the
beautiful faces/outlooks. Choose the man who can love and take care of you for the rest
of your life, man who can protect you from danger, always there in times of your
happiness or/and loneliness, never give up whatever challenges or consequence, and

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accept you for who and what you are. Do not choose a man have only a beautiful faces
but don't have a beautiful heart because "Paano yang pagiging gwapo Kung isa naman
syang babaero".

Another thing Dr. Rizal point out is to women that they should not be easily taken by
man physical looks instead they should know the man attitudes or characters-a noble
and real man. In this recent times it seems that these qualities are gradually lost in the
way Filipino conduct themselves. There are mothers who forget their role because of
work and young women, whom didn't mind the qualities of their man. But the good thing
is Filipino’s now know how to stand and live on their own.

There are oftentimes moments where mother's forget their roles in rearing their
children because of the overriding idea of having to earn for the family to supplement
their husbands income. Although there is nothing negative about working hard for the
welfare of the family, there must always be balance in the way people go through life.
Failure in the home cannot be compensated for by any amount of wealth or fame.

REFERRENCE

http://thelifeandworksofrizal.blogspot.com/2011/08/to-young-women-of-malolos-
summary-and.html

December 13, 2019

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