P: yV ^ ^ ^ Fci 0 UlOfllfO ^i/* role in the progress of their nation UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR MAURICE J. TOBIN, SECRETARY WOMEN'S BUREAU FRIEDA S. MILLER, DIRECTOR . . . obout the author This is a report on Filipino women by a Filipino woman who is, herself, an excellent example of the blend- ing of Philippine and American training. Prepared origi- nally for use with the staff of the Women’s Bureau, it was decided to make this special report more widely available because of its general interest. Miss Felina Reyes, the author, has been a member of the staff of the Philippine Department of Labor since 1946. Her government service, begun in 1939, was inter- rupted by the Japanese occupation. She received her Bachelor of Laws degree in 1948 from the University of Manila, is a member of the Philippine Bar Association and of the Philippine Association of University Women. As a result of a competitive examination given by the Philippine Bureau of Civil Service in 1949, Miss Reyes received a scholarship from the Philippine Govern- ment for 10 months’ specialized study in the United States Department of Labor. She won highest honors in the exam- ination for that year. Under the direction of the International Divi- sion of the Women’s Bureau, U. S. Department of Labor, Miss Reyes carried through an intensive training program in administrative, legislative and educational matters re- lating to employed women. Other bureaus cooperated with her studies of apprenticeship and child labor. Since her return to the Philippines, Miss Reyes has devoted much of her energy to establishing within the Philippine Department of Labor a division primarily responsible for women workers. The author takes full responsibility for the facts and ideas she has presented. All, or any part, of the report may be freely quoted or reproduced. FILIPINO WOMEN THEIR ROLE IN THE PROGRESS OF THEIR NATION Filipinos have always taken pride in the fact that their women hold a position in society higher than that of other Oriental women. The idea of this high position is of no recent vintage; it was brought neither by the war nor by the Americans, although credit is due both for accelerating the progress of women in the Philippines. One has to go deep into the roots of our Malayan ancestry, to discover that dignity, respect, and equality were accorded the female of the species from time immemorial. That equality necessarily had its limitations from the very fact that men’s opportunities were themselves limited in scope; furthermore, in the course of hundreds of years of foreign rule in the Philippines, alien impositions rendered such equality relative rather than absolute, and more a matter of custom than a legal right. Some of the statutes on our books are thus more honored in the breach than in the observance, a situation which Filipino women are trying to correct by remedial legislation to make Filipino custom the basis for our laws. In order that the observer may gain an objective view of the role of Filipino women in the nation's progress, a discussion of her various fields of activity such as education, law, medicine, commerce, social welfare, politics. Journalism and literature will here be presented. EEUCATION Education was the greatest and beet gift of America to Filipino women. Before the coming of the Americans, the highest position a woman could aspire to was maestra superior, the equivalent of a normal school graduate. The professions of medicine, law, arts and sciences were closed to her. The public school system, from the lowest grades to the highest pro- fessions, gave our women educational opportunities not heard of before. Girls began to flock to the schools, at first timidly, and not without some apprehensiveness on the part of their bewildered fathers and mothers. They cajoled their parent^ into allowing them to have a few years of schooling so that they could qualify as teachers. Teaching is a respected profession, even by the older generation. It was a calling that attracted many women even during the days of Spanish conservatism. So educated Filipino women turned to teaching and modestly organized schools before their p2a*ents and brothers knew anything about it. Teaching was followed by pharmacy. Tending a drugstore was like keeping a store, with the added advantages that the pharmacy was a clean and dignified assortment of drugs, perfumes and cosmetics and yielded higher profits. The pharmacist did not even have to leave her house; all she had to do was to open the store downstairs. Then the girls thought of becoming nurses. Nursing, they explained, was essentially a housewife's Job; a woman would be a better wife and - 2 - mother if she knew how to take care of the sick. Besides, midwifery had long teen an honorable calling among Filipino women. Instead of having illiterate and untutored midwives attending to the birth of countless babies, why not have educated ones? They would certainly save plenty of lives. Then, too, nursing education cost the girl's family little or nothing since the government provided stipends to student nurses in train- ing. So nursing became a popular* calling. As the nurse stood by at attendance upon a doctor in spotless white uniform, it occurred to her, 'Vhy can't I be a doctor, too? I can be just as capable; in fact, I probably have HK>re talent." Following this line of thinking, Filipino girls became doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers. Journalists, educators, painters, musicians, sclent lets, and agriculturists. Girls who have had the benefit of college education probably number sixty thousand. Their finances and Intellectual capacities are the only limits as far as their education is concerned. Surely and rapidly, Filipino women throughout the four and a half decades of American sovereignty took advantage of educational oppor- tunities and securely entrenched themselves in the Philippine educational world. The outstanding result of this widespread education is the increase in literacy for the female sex from 10.7 percent in I903 to 4^.2 in 1939^ a total Increase of 35*5 percent. The percentage of literacy for men was 29.7 percent in 1903, and that for both sexes, 20.2. Although the increase in literacy is greater for women than for men, the percentage of literacy for men (54.4 percent) is still higher than that for women. At the present rate of Increase, however, it will not take 20 years before the rates for the sexes become equalized. The 1939 Census placed literacy at 48.8 per- cent for both sexes. The literacy estimate for 1949 is 6I.I percent . In the teaching field, figures show the predominance of women in classroom positions and of men in administrative positions. The relatively few women in administrative positions is explained both by the priority of men in the field and the indifference or reluctance of Filipino women to hold positions which entail great responsibility and frequent traveling \^ich, they feel, will conflict with their role as mothers and housewives. While the public schools (including the University of the Philippines) have been slow and conservative in the appointment of women to high adminis- trative positions, the private schools and universities have taken the lead and appointed women to whatever position their merits entitle them. In the private coeducational colleges and universities, like the Far Sastem University, the National University, the Centro Escolar University, Uni- versity of Manila, the National Teacher's College and the Arellano Colleges, women occupy such high positions as registrar, dean, and director. Mrs. Belen Enrlle -Gutierrez, the executive officer of the largest private coeducational university, the Far Eastern University, is also dean of the Institute of Accounts, the largest college of its kind in the country. The colleges of education and normal departments in practically all colleges and universities are headed by women. The University of Santo Tomas, however, by virtue of its religious character, retains friars as deans of - 3 - the colleges of philosophy, education, and commerce and has laymen as deans In Its colleges of medicine, law and architecture. Its College of Educa- tion has a woman. Dr. Ricardo Sian, as assistant dean. Of more than passing Interest Is the fact that the University of Santo Tomas antedates Harvard University in the United States, having been founded In l6ll, exclusively for men. Its College of Pharmacy opened its doors to women in 1925* In succeeding years, other colleges, too, admitted women. At first there was segregation of the sexes hut girls and hoys now freely mingle In the classrooms, although they are supposed to have differ- ent doors for entrance and exit. Before World War II two universities were exclusively for women, the Centro Escolar University (founded as a girls* elementary and secondary school In 1907 and expanded Into a university in 1922) and the Philippine Women's University (founded as a girls' elementary and secondary school in 1918 and expanded into a university In 192^) . After liberation, Centro Escolar University began admitting men to Its colleges of dentistry, liberal arts, education, pharmacy and conmerce, and conservatory of music. In its college of dentistry, the man now outnumber the women, but in its other colleges, women are still in the majority. Although the Centro Escolar University became coeducational, it re- tained its president. Miss Carmen de Luna, who is thus the only woman head of a coeducational university. I The Philippine Women's University is headed by Mrs. Francl»ca Tlrona Benltex. Her sisters, Ramona, Feliciana, and Joaquina, and daughter, Helen, all college graduates, help her run the newly reopened school which suffered ravages during the liberation. The Filipino woman's mental outlook is quite apparent in her choice of professions. Pharmacy, which is a man's profession in some countries, is now practically a woman's monopoly in the Philippines. This is explained by the fact that whatever ambitions a Filipino woman professes, she always has the home in view. She will always try to combine a home and a career. As a matter of fact, she has been combining them quite successfully. This predilection for a career-home combination also explains why the majority of Filipino college girls prefer teaching, home economics, and nursing to other professions. Not content with the education obtained in local universities, Filipino women now flock to the United States for postgraduate work of all kinds. There are probably not less than 200 women in this country who are special- izing along different lines in the ranking universities of America. The only woman member of the Board of Regents, University of the Philippines (state university), is Dr. Maria Paz Mendoza-Guazon, a cultured and well -traveled woman, who has consistently kept a modem view on the affairs of the nation. She was the first president of the Philippine Association of University Women and was very active in her younger days in all movements tending to promote women's interest. - 1 ; - The following figures reveal the actual occupations of Filipino women as of 19^8: Teachers 37; ^01 Trained nurses 3 ; 3^2 Pharmacists and druggists 2,493 Physicians and surgeons 602 Dentists and opticians 590 KiUsicians and music teachers 512 Chemists and analysts 470 Lawyers, Judges and officials 423 Professors and college instructors 399 Lihrarlans 199 Officials and employees, charitable and penal institutions... 131 Social workers 92 Other professions 69 Accountants and auditors 83 Writers, editors and reporters 69 Architects and artiste 43 Brokers 32 Designers and draftsmen l6 Radio announcers and officials 12 V eterinaLrians 11 Engineers 6 Bankers 4 TOTAL 47,344 The most important educational phenomenon in the postwar Philippines, however, is the tremendous increase in the number of students enrolled in both public and private schools. About 950; 000 new pupils enrolled in 1949 and 500,000 more in 1950. The unprecedented rise is due to the fact that most children stayed away from schools during the occupation. In 1940, a year before the war, there were 1,994,445 children in the public schools. In the elementary grades alone, there were in March 1943, 2;699;728 pupils, less than half of whom were girls. In the first grade alone were 1,199,566 pupils. In the Philippines there are more children enrolled in public than private schools in the elementary grades, due largely to the free ele- mentary instruction guaranteed in the Constitution. At the secondary school level, however, there are about 30,000 more students in the private than in the public schools. The unusually large number of students in the private universities is partly due to the fact that since the destruction of its buildings, the state university has had to reduce its enrollment by more than half of its prewar enrollment of 9,000. COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY During the Spanish rule in the country, woman's capability, which could not find expression in the few and limited educational opportunities. . ’-I''.- . ... 6 ^ V 'n«i| Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 ■ r p- https://archive.org/details/filipinowomentheOOreye r - 5 - was early diverted towards trade and corumerce. Naturally keen and intelli gent, Filipino women, even the illiterate ones, did all- their mathematical con5>utations in their heads. The woman "belonging to the poor classes worked in the coconut and rice fields, planting, husking, winnowing and harvesting. In the modem factories, they work as cigar and cigarette makers, "button makers, and emhroiderers. The Filipino woman's skill in handicraft "being well-known, it is not surprising to find her adept at weaving cloth and at making shoes, slippers, hate, and "bags. Although women dominate the lower and middle levels in Phlllippine trade, they are seldom to "be found as executives in "big "business firms. Nota"ble among the few women executives are Mrs. Pura "Vlllanueva-KaLlaw, who has made a fortune out of reed estate; Mrs. Narclsa de Leon, who is a magnate in the mot ion -picture industry; and the Cojuanco sisters, who are advisers in the vast Cojuanco business interest. The Laperal sisters were well-known in the Jewelry business before the war. It is not easy to explain why Filipino women do not engage in bigger business enterprises. It may be due to lack of capital or fear of risk. And again, it may be due to legal limitations prohibiting women from engaging in commerce without the express or Implied consent of their husbands. It is interesting to note in this connection that Filipinos still practice the old Malayan traditions of making the wife the treasurer of the family. The Filipino husband invariably turns over his earnings or pay envelope to his wife and suffers no humiliation in asking for his dally expenses. Women are members of labor organizations Just like men. Like men, they also go on strike and Join labor demonstrations, but they do not take leading roles in either. SOCIAL WELFABE The Filipino woman engages in some trade or profession to earn a living, but invariably pursues social work as a hobby. There is an impos- ing list of government and private agencies whose activities converge on what may be termed public welfare. Foremost among these agencies is the Bureau of Public Welfare which has a staff of well -trained social workers. At its head is Mrs. Asuncion A. Perez, who is the only woman member of the Cabinet. Since liberation, this Bureau has been giving aid to the widows and orphans of war veterans "Vocational training is given to its dependents to help them become self- supporting. The biggest national women's organization is the National Federation of Women's Clubs which, before the war, had clubs in practically every inuniGipality of the Philippines. The manifold program of the Federation 1 I - 6 - includes play schools for preschool children, adult education, diet kitchens, puericulture centers, home 'beautification, food production, and the teaching of handicraft. During the occupation, it gave aid to the war prisoners in Capas and, to the American internees in the University of Santo Tomas, and helped war widows and orphans. The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) serves women of all classes, provides a dormitory for students and 'business girls, gives lectures on varied topics, from "charm" to the women of other countries of the world, and trains leaders for the communities. Together with the Young Men's Christian Association, it sponsors a yearly conference of student leaders from educational institutions of the country. Its former Executive Secretary, Mrs. Josefa Jara -Mart Inez, is one of the country's outstanding social workers. The Catholic Women's League undertakes charitable as well as religious activities. A modest, publicity shy lady. Miss Manuela Gay, has been the president of this league for many years. Other organizations doing social welfare work are the Anti -Tubercu- losis Society, the White Cross, Asoclaclon de Damas Filipinas, Gota de Leche, Abiertas House of Friendship and others. The rise in Juvenile delinquency since liberation is alarming many people in the city. A coordinating coimcll has been created to look after the young offenders. The moving spirit of the council is a young social worker, Mrs. Olimpia Ubaldo -Lozano. The Judge who presides in the sala of Juvenile court is Mrs. Natlvidad Almeda-Lopez, first woman Judge in the country. The Women Lawyers ’ League recently opened a Free Legal Aid Clinic to help indigent women. Women lawyers offer their services free in helping a poor woman collect her deceased husband's back pay, in recovering damages, and in securing support from deserting husbands. The president of the Women Lawyers' League is a top-notch lawyer, Mrs. Cecilia Munoz - Palma. Not exactly a welfare organization is the League of Women "Voters with Mrs, Fernanda S. Balboa as president. Nonpolitical in nature, it alms to educate the women in the proper use of the vote by presenting issues and candidates of the day. It also works for the appointment of capable women in high positions In the government . POLITICS Even before Filipino women obtained suffrage, they were a power to reckon with in local politics. Candidates and other pollt leans invariably visited women leaders whose "yes "or "no" swayed quite a following. It is of more than passing Interest to record how the women of the Philippines obtained the vote. -"'T-'jl - 7 - Suffrage came to Filipino women after more than 25 years of patient and intermittent labor by suffragists and their male sympathizers. In 1933 "the Philippine Legislature passed a suffrage bill, but before women could use the ballot, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention which framed the Constitution of the Commonwealth included a provision calling for a plebiscite to determine whether Filipino women really desired the vote and setting a quota of yes votes. The National Council of Women, composed of representatives from the various women's organizations, was created to arouse the women's latent interest so that the required number of "yes" votes could be mustered. Mrs. Pilar H. Lim was elected president. Women speakers stumped the country in presuffrage rallies. Writers used their pens for the campaign; editors and feature writers were contacted to rally behind the suffrage cause. Posters were used. Realizing that the women were really out to secure the vote. President Quezon delivered a radio message giving all support to woman's suffrage. In the plebiscite of 1937^ ^^7/725 women voted "yes" and ^^,307 voted "no." This was almost 150,000 votes in excess of the required number of affirmative answers. On December l4, 1931 , the first elections under the new government took place. On that same day, Filipino women for the first time went to the polls to cast their votes, and what is more, a number of them were elected, thus adding a new interest in local politics. Their behavior upset all the glooiiQr predictions of the pessimists, who had contended that with women votiug, elections would be more disorderly, that women candi- dates would be the object of humiliating attacks, that women would rather stay home than go to the polls, and, finally, that women would choose their candidates more for their looks than for their merits. The voting on that December l4th proved to be not only generally clean but orderly, more orderly in fact than others in the past. The anticipated humiliations of women candidates and leaders never materialized, and the hope that the women would stay at home on election day was not fulfilled. Practically all the q.ualified women voters of the country turned out to vote. One of the most interesting sights during the election days was that of elderly women dressed in the native balintawak and young women in business clothes, marching on the roads to precincts, protected by their umbrellas. No complaints came from those who had to stand for hours, nor from those who had to elbow their way through the thick crowds of men. Women accustomed to gallantry from men, found t.he romantic virtue conspicuous by its absence; yet they did not complain. Voting was done as a duty mingled with a feeling of adventure and the general remaBk* was, "So this is suffrage.'" The official list of women elected during that election is as follows : 306 councllwomen in k2 out 6f W- provinces in the Philippines. 13 vice -mayors k town mayors 3 members of provincial boards. 1 councilwoman for the City of Manila who obtained second place among the 10 elected coimcilors. r i ' \ f - 8 - In at least three provinces women were responsible to a grent extent in changing the tide of election returns. The governor of a province near Manila, who had sat continuously in office for 27 years, was voted out of office by the women. The record of women in public office shows that public welfare, especially health, education, and morals have been their primary concerns since they took office. Among the important accomplishments are the establishment of more puericulture centers, waterworks systems, school - houses, extension classes, the training of Illiterates; the prohibition of gambling; the asphalting of streets; and the employment of more street cleaners . In the 19^6 elections, one woman was elected a Representative and one a Senator to serve in Congress. JOURNALISM AND LITERATURE Ten years ago, a newspaperwoman was a rarity in the country. She was usually the society editor. Nowadays, women still edit society news but have expanded their activities into such fields as feature writing, adver- tising, and reporting. Women writers have banded themselves into the Association of Women Writers. Its president is Mrs. Maria Kalaw Katigbak, who has consistently helped women writers secure desirable positions. One project of thetrs is the publication of a yearbook of Filipino women writers. They also have sent a echolar* to the United States. Higher education gave impetus to native genius and today's crop finds a consider- able number of women poets, short -story writers, essayists and textbook writers. Filipino women authors are most at home in the short story. Their works can stand comparison with the best short stories published else- where. One of the earliest short -story writers was lirs. Paz Marquez Benitez, at present professor of English in the state university. After her came Paz Latorena, Loreta Paras -Sulit, Lydia Arguilla, Estrella Alfon- Rivera, Sofia Bona de Santos, Pacita Pestano -Jacinto, Enriqueta David -Peiez, Lina Flor and Ligaya Vlctoria-Reyes. Modem weekly magazines seldom come out without a story by one of these writers. The field for women in journalism and literature looks veiy promising. It is to be hoped that at some time in the future, people with literary abilities may be able to live entirely on the products of their pens, instead of having to carry on some other work for their dally bread. LAW Although the Filipino woman has achieved educational and political equality with men, in the eyes of the law, she is often classified in the same category with minors and deaf-mutes. The Civil and Commercial Codes, which were introduced by the Spaniards, totally disregarded the Malayan customs and imposed their continentaL laws. - 9 - Under the present Civil Law, the legal personality of a married woman is suspended during the life-time of her husband. A husband's consent for instance, is necessary before a woman can publish an article or write a book, accept an agency, accept or repudiate an inheritance or ask for the partition of property. She cannot enter any contract or engage in commerce, or acquire property without her husband's Intervention except when the action is between her and her husband or when she is living apart from him. Even more prejudicial is the law which allows the husband to dispose of the conjugal property without his wife's consent. In cases of malad- ministration, she cannot ask to be appointed administratrix, for that power cannot be transferred to her ixnless her husband is an incompetent, a deaf -mute, an absentee, a fugitive, or absolutely Incapacitated to administer the property. Our Civil Code, however, has been amended (1950) anl it gives Filipino women certain rights which were denied in the old code. The husband cannot now sell anything from the conjugal partnership without the consent of the wife. The wife has as much right as the husband. The divorce law is strict with women, who can be divorced after a crime of adultery is established, whereas a man cannot be sued except on the ground of concubinage, which is not easy to prove under Philippine law. This provision of our law has been amended and divorce was entirely stricken out from the law. In lieu of divorce is the legal separation between the spouses, but they cannot remarry. A word with regard to the character of the Filipino woman; It is not in her nature to be recalcitrant, virulent, or over -aggressive. She has a big capacity for suffering, patience, and self-effacement, sufficiently demonstrated in critical periods of our history. But she is achieving her goal quietly, almost unobtrusively, and who knov;-s but that the next decade may hold in store for her equality in civil rights. ********-)H(^ NOTES ON THE PHILIPPINES Area - Slightly smaller than the combined area of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia; over 7^000 islands. Population - Slightly larger than the combined population of Pennsyl- vania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia. Became an independent Hepublic, July 4, 19^6. Official capital since July 17 , 19 ^ 4 - 8 , Quezon City, a suburb, of Manila. Under United States Jurisdiction from I 898 to 19^6; occupied by Japan during World War II. A Spanish colony from I 585 "bo I 898 . Labor - D. C. (WB 51-323)