In High Heels

Kudos to Rivera-Ford and Tiempo! As our instructor said, if not for their stories and the stories of other women writers during those times, there is a huge probability that we Filipinas would still be suffering the same plight.

The stories also remind me of Rizal’s novels. His writings revealed how women were not given the opportunity to vote and be heard, how they were trained to do household chores, how they were measured and regarded by society depending on who their fathers were, how they have limited choices and how they suffered living in a society where there is pressure to tie the knot with somebody of equal social status.

Fast forward to the 40s/50s - Americans giving equal opportunities to education opened doors to the Filipina. High, pointed heels gave her the confidence that she needed to stand up and be of the same height as men.

But still the 1940-50s Filipina suffers the same plight of the women in Rizal’s novels– only this time they were made to believe that they have options to choose from. They may have the right to vote and to education. But one thing remains the same – although they were given opportunities to pursue their careers, they were still expected to drop their jobs the moment they get married and be a fulltime ‘Ina ng Tahanan’. Marriage was not a choice, it was more of standard measurement of becoming a true Filipina woman – to be a mother, to take care of her husband, to raise her children well, to do household chores, to host parties for her husband. To be a spinster means there might be something wrong with you that nobody is willing to take you for a wife!? The tendency of Filipinas back then was to get married primarily out of fear for being discriminated against. Love simply comes in second place.

Tinang of Rivera-Ford’s “Love in the Cornhusks”and Pilar of Tiempo’s “The Corral”, although coming from different social classes, suffers the same dilemma. I believe Tinang got married to assure herself that she was worth something. Amado leaving without explaining why crushed her and it might’ve gotten her thinking that she wasn’t worth pursuing. What guarantee does she have that Amado loves her? Is she not worth marrying? Marrying the Bagobo however guarantees their family’s survival. She is also certain that she will be marrying a man who is really willing to marry her. To assure herself of her worth, she marries the Bagobo.
“The Corral” ended with Pilar thinking to herself that she will end up with Mr. Perfecto. Pilar was a teacher and her family has their own business and household servants. Mr. Perfecto would seem more apt for her as he is educated as well and was the school principal. He seems to have a good relationship with her father – “Often they got coarse in their talk as between two men who understood each other well”. Her options were limited. If Pilar chose to marry the woodcutter Gregorio, how would she and their family survive? If Pilar chose not to marry, she would be labeled an old maid. Choosing Mr. Perfecto was more of a convenience for her – she not need beg for her father’s approval and they belong to the same social class.

I’m relieved that women today are not pressured to be married at a certain age. Nor are they limited with the choices that they can make. Now, not only can Filipinas juggle household chores, they can pursue their careers and be a supportive mother and wife in high heels. Or they can opt to be single, take time, get a master’s degree, or climb up the corporate ladder in pointy Manolo’s. Being a true Filipina in this generation simply means being able to pursue the goals she has set out for herself while not forgetting her heritage and her values.