“THE MODERN FILIPINA : A SKETCH BY A FILIPINA”

This is my entry to the contest by WikiPilipinas, the Philippine Encyclopedia in partnership with Filipinaimages.com

[This entry can also be found in the WikiPilipinas - Filipina Stories]

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The Iconography of the Modern Filipina

 

Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means “image writing”, or painting, and comes from the Greek εικον (image) and γραφειν (to write). ( Wikipedia)

Taking off from this definition, I must now endeavor to identify, describe and interpret the many images that the Filipina has assumed, voluntarily or involuntarily. My views are entirely mine; and myself being not one to qualify as a social scientist, anthropologist nor as a psychologist, readers must be warned to take them (my views) as just that: mine. (Then while you are at it, do take them with a grain of salt, it becomes more palatable that way

Using iconography is, in itself, insufficient to accurately define the Modern Filipina. I think so because images are just that – reflections of the original or attempts to contain a whole complex set of ideas, beliefs and definitions into something finite. Something that you can put a finger on, and say to yourself, “I think I understand/know/feel what the artist/writer wants to say/portray”. And as reflections go, they can be distorted: by the beholder’s limiting factors (prejudices, subconscious notions, culture, etc.); by the medium used to convey these images; and, I think more importantly in this case, by the persons conveying the images and their motives with which these images are formed and transmitted.

The Modern Filipina has been called many names: Independent Woman, Career Woman, Cosmo Girl, Working Mom, Liberated, Woman of the ‘90s (or the New Millenium), Glamour Girl, Modern Maria Clara, Single Mom, Martyr, Fighter, Advocate and the list goes on. I think Filipinas today are a mix of a few, many or all of those tags (and many more “un-named descriptives”), each one in varying intensities. That being the case, arriving at a “perfectly accurate” iconography of the Modern Filipina would now seem a daunting task indeed, to which I may not be equal, but that would not stop me. (And have I mentioned that Filipinas are a determined lot?). So here goes.

[Aside: After four paragraphs, I am nowhere near to giving my own take on the Iconography of the Modern Filipina. Ascribe that to my being detail-oriented, or long-winded; feel free to take your pick. Henceforth, I will be using the collective word "We" in referring to the Modern Filipina, for I am one, and we are many]

We are modern.

We believe in technology, embrace new ideas, are courageous against challenges, open to change, liberal-minded while being level-headed.. We value our bodies and looks, hence we exert efforts to be at our best. We value education and take advantage of opportunities of bettering ourselves. We are not uptight prudes; we like having fun with friends and see the funny side of things.

We think for ourselves.

We use our intellect and intuition in making decisions. We do the thinking FOR ourselves, but NOT only OF our own self. We are considerate of others, we are mindful of our responsibilities and we treasure our relationships. If it comes to a toss between oneself and her responsibilities, the Filipina would willingly uphold the interest of the latter.

We are loving.

Filipinas, of the past or of this era, are loving. Our relationships define us more accurately than other adjectives could ever do. We are moms, housewives, best friends, girlfriends, sisters, aunts, mentors and many more. We value the family, and we define family not only by blood or consanguinity, but also by friendships and communities we nurture. Our deep-rooted love and belief in God make us able to care deeply and tenaciously for friends and families. We are proponents of work-life balance. For as much as we are aware that only recently have women in our society been given the opportunities to excel in their chosen fields, we can not take for granted our personal lives and the people who inspire us to excel in the first place.

We are advocates.

We will not take insults sitting down. We will listen to reason and varying views, and we expect to be accorded with the same chance to voice ours. We take exception to bigotry, racism and unfounded misconception about the Philippines and Filipinas. We know our weaknesses and accept criticisms and corrections. We are movers and shakers of whatever worthwhile cause we find our selves in, whether social, political or environmental. This is because we are capable of empathy (most Pinays I know of have this virtue in limitless supply) and the will to take action. We find creative ways of making sure our message is heard – loud, clear and strong.

We are achievers.

We are clear about what we want and determined to make ourselves fruitful members of society. We take pains, temporary setbacks and sacrifices as investments toward achieving our goals. We instinctively believe that there are much blessings and success going around that we are able to take pride and celebrate other people’s successes and achievements.

AND, We are not perfect.

For all the virtues and values that I have stated in the previous paragraphs, it is my duty to state the obvious. We’ve never been, we are not and will never be perfect. Aside from perfection being humanly impossible, we can also be guilty of our own excesses. We may become too modern that we lose our morals and principles; spend too much effort thinking about others that we fail to give ourselves our due; too loving that we become breathing doormats and martyrs who stay in abusive relationships; too enmeshed in our principles and advocacies that we neglect our relationships or fail to listen to other people’s ideas and become bigots ourselves; or, too bent on being achievers and driven by ambition that we become ruthless, envious and compromise our own principles in its pursuit.

My attempt to portray the Modern Filipina may not be as accurate as I would have hoped. For how can one classify, categorize and generalize a generation of Filipino women who are as complex as we all are? As I have said in the beginning paragraphs, this iconography is subject to the writer’s limitations, the form and content of this essay or the reader’s expectations. But nonetheless, failing an accurate Iconography, it is my hope that, in reading this piece, the reader nodded her (or his) head and said, “Yes… this Modern Filipina writer, I think I understand what she is trying to say.” By then, I have succeeded in presenting a “sketch” of a Modern Filipina. And that would be just fine.

Postscript:

As an afterthought, the title of this piece is

“THE MODERN FILIPINA : A SKETCH BY A FILIPINA”

Salamat.

Deb

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update 2/29/08

Entries can still be sent until March 16, 2008! more information about this contest here.