One of the first pieces I’ve started to work on during the lockdown was Jose Rizal’s iconic He for She letter, To the Young Women of Malolos. Despite being completely grounded within the context of the 19th century, what I loved most about this piece was its very contemporary and universal theme: women empowerment and gender equality.
I found this to be one of Rizal’s most revolutionary pieces given the social and cultural climate at the time of its writing. Rizal penned the letter in 1888 when the structures of colonial society in the Philippines were firmly in place to restrict the participation of women in civic and political life.
In fact in those days, it was very uncommon for women to be formally educated since the expectation was for women to keep their mouths shut, and to busy themselves with either housework or trips to the church.
It was no wonder that a public outcry ensued when 20 women from Malolos petitioned Gov.-General Valeriano Weyler to allow them to open a ‘night school’ where they may receive formal education in Spanish.
As expected, much of the opposition came from the clergy and as expected, Gov.-General Weyler initially turned down the women’s petition, only to overturn it when they continued to lobby for its establishment.
When news of the women reached Europe, Marcelo H. del Pilar wrote to Rizal, and asked the latter to pen a letter to laud and encourage the women in their pursuit to become better educated.
Rizal wrote the letter in February 1889 while he was busy annotating Dr. Antonio de Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas at the British Museum Library.
Although a widely- accepted English translation of the work already exists, I felt inspired to work on my own translation, with the aim of breathing new life into this classic piece for today’s readers to love and enjoy.
I decided to translate the piece in a more accessible and contemporary form of English since the original piece was written in Tagalog, which led me to believe that it was written to be widely understood by the average person on the street.
What I came up with is nothing close to a literal translation, but a version I hope is able to convey the same thought and spirit that Rizal originally intended when he wrote this piece to encourage and inspire all young Filipinas everywhere.
A copy of this piece is published in thelitcritter.com. A recorded reading may also be accessed through The Lit Critter channel in YouTube, Spotify, and Anchor FM.
To the Young Women of Malolos
by José Rizal
While writing Noli Me Tangere, I asked myself whether courage was a common trait among women in our community. Of all the women I’ve known since I was young, only very few of them can truly be considered brave.
Indeed, while many women in our society are virtuous, charming, and refined, all these traits lose their lustre, dulled by these women’s submissiveness to the whims of their so-called ‘spiritual fathers’ (as if the soul has another father other than God).
Perhaps they are simply being too kind, too humble, or too ignorant, that they turn out like withered plants grown in the dark, ultimately bearing unscented flowers or shrivelled fruits.
Yet, when the news from Malolos reached me, I realized I was greatly mistaken. Because of this, I am overjoyed. After all, who can blame me? I knew nothing about Malolos or its women, except maybe for a certain Emilia who I knew only by name.
Now that you have responded to our call to uplift our nation, now that you have proven to be a shining example for women to emulate — women who, like you, wish to open their eyes and emerge from their subservience — our hopes are reignited. We are ready to beat the odds. We are confident about victory with you fighting by our side.
Filipinas no longer stand with their heads bowed or knees bent. Rather, she stands proud, her chin up, her eyes fixed at a future that shines bright. No longer will her mother raise an ignorant daughter. No longer will she teach her that it is wiser to obey blindly, or tell her that her only defense against ridicule and insult is to keep her head down, to smile wanly, or to weep in silence.
By now, you are aware that the will of God is not the will of the priest; that holiness has nothing to do with empty rituals. Rather, the will of God is about doing good deeds, having pure intentions, and thinking critically.
I know by now you are also aware that it is foolish to yield to the wills and whims of petty tyrants, and that those who follow them blindly are guilty of encouraging their crooked ways. Neither the captain nor the friar can claim sole responsibility for their twisted ways.
After all, God endowed each person with free will and an independent mind to tell the difference between right and wrong. All of us are born free, and no one has the right to subjugate others or to dictate their thoughts. Why then would you permit others to tell you how to think?
It is faint-hearted and foolish to equate piety with blind obedience, or arrogance with critical thinking. Ignorance is ignorance, regardless of how you look at it. Ignorance will never be the same as kindness or virtue.
God, the source of all wisdom, will never allow man, who is created in His image, to be nothing more than an idiot. He has given us the gift of wisdom. Thus, let us put this gift to good use.
God is a father who handed each of his children a torch to light their path in the dark. He urges his children to keep the fire ablaze, to kindle it, to make sure it does not snuff out, nor to depend on the light of others. Rather, He urges us to share in each other’s light so that we may help each other find the way. Only idiots depend on the light of others, and they have no one to blame other than themselves when they stumble and fall in the dark.
The Father will ask them: “Why did I bother giving you your own torch?” (Although, He might not say the same if one stumbled because their fire burned low in the first place, or if the path was naturally- rough.)
Those who wish to deceive others say that it is arrogant to rely on one’s judgment. However, I believe that those who close their minds to the opinions of others are the most pretentious of all. Those who claim they can read God’s mind or that they are demigods are fools.
Further, it is pretentious and sacrilegious to say that one’s words and actions are God’s, or that one’s enemies are also the enemies of God.
Of course, we must not solely depend on what we know. Rather, let us ask questions, hear others, and then do what we believe is right.
Donning a priest’s habit does not make a man any wiser. The only thing you get from it is a mountain of fabric. Should you wish to put my theory to the test, try dressing up a water buffalo in a priest’s robes. Consider yourselves lucky if the water buffalo doesn’t become lazier after the experiment.
Moving on, a woman must begin accumulating wealth at an early age so she can prepare for her children’s inheritance. What kind of child will be raised by a woman who does nothing but pray, who knows nothing more but to sing hymns, pray the novena, or believe in fake miracles, whose only pastime consists of playing cards or making confessions? What kind of children will she raise but those who will turn out to be nothing more than acolytes, priest’s lackeys, or cockfighters? These kinds of mothers are to blame for the bondage of our compatriots.
While maturity is shaped by one’s childhood, one’s childhood, likewise, is shaped from the mother’s lap.
A mother who can only teach her child how to kneel or kiss hands cannot expect to raise men and women who will turn out to be anything other than slaves.
A tree that grows in a mire is only good for kindling a fire. A child who grows up with a wicked heart cannot keep his ill intentions hidden for long.
We have been taught first and foremost to revere and love the Lord. But how exactly did they teach us to show reverence to the Lord? By praying and kneeling for long periods of time, by kissing the hand of the priest, by squandering our money on churches, and by believing whatever we are told: to cover our mouths, to graze our knees, and to rub our noses?
When it comes to the gifts we offer to the church, for Christ’s sake, is there anything in the world that is not created or owned by the Lord?
What would you say to a slave who begged to borrow his master’s rags? Who would be arrogant, yet crazy enough to believe that he can offer God spare change, yet think at the same time that these very same coins are enough to clothe the Creator of All Things?
Blessed are those who give to the poor, who help the needy, and who feed the hungry but cursed are those who are deaf to the cries of the poor but who instead waste their money on fancy altar hangings for the Thanksgiving Mass, on serenades, or fireworks.
Their wealth comes from the blood and bones of the poor who they forced to work so they — their greedy masters — may have the money to purchase the chains that keep them shackled, and to hire thugs who carry out their orders to oppress others. Oh, what blindness and idiocy!
Being virtuous means being righteous no matter what. Christ said, “Be doers of the word” for those who keep His commandments are His true children, not those who merely invoke God’s name.
Being virtuous does not mean being gullible, for the followers of Christ are not known to kiss hands. Christ never kissed the pharisees, nor did he offer his hand to be kissed. He neither added to the wealth of the rich, nor massaged the egos of the vain. He spoke of no scapulars, He wore no rosaries, He asked for no tithes, and He demanded no payment for His prayers. St. John did not levy for fees on the River Jordan, nor did Christ teach to make a profit.
How come these friars refuse to even lift a finger unless they are offered money? They aggressively sell scapulars, rosaries, and other useless things that corrupt the soul. These are nothing more but a scam.
Even if you cover the earth with scapulars, or hang rosaries on all the trees of the forest; even if you buckle on leather belts, or have all the priests of the earth bless, pray over, and shower you with buckets of holy water — none of these are enough to purify your soul or absolve you from sin.
In their avarice, these friars make up rules yet, provide exemptions for those who are willing to pay so they may eat meat, marry close relatives, and many others. They turn a blind eye on those who are willing to bribe them.
Why? Can God be bribed? Is He dazzled by the fortunes of these priests?
A thief who obtains a bula de composicion can expect to live in peace, believing that his sins have been forgiven. Yet, do you think it is acceptable for the Lord to feast on stolen food? Has the Lord become too poor that he must stoop to the level of the civil guards or the smugglers? If this is the God of the friars, then I turn my back against this ‘God’.
Let us be sensible, let us open our eyes — especially you women, because you are tasked to shape the way your child will perceive the world.
Keep in mind that a good mother is nothing like the kind of mother the friar has in mind. Raise your children to grow up in the image of the true God: a God who does not bribe or blackmail others, a God who is just and who is a Father to all, a God who does not suck on the blood of the poor like a vampire, or who rejoices in the suffering of others, a God who does not deceive others.
Get on your feet, and raise your children to be good and just; to value virtue; to have pure and genuine intentions, a critical mind, good manners; to be noble in their ways; to love others to revere the Lord. Teach these to your children.
Because life is rife with pain and difficulties, teach them to be resilient amidst life’s storms. Teach them to be brave. Our nation cannot expect peace and prosperity if our children are raised by women who are ignorant and dumb. Clean water does not emerge from a turbid spring. Sweet fruits are not borne from an acrid seed.
Thus, a woman plays an important role in building our nation; and I am sure this challenge is no match for the strength and courage of the Filipina.
The strength and excellence of women in the Philippines are known far and wide. This is exactly why they blinded her, shackled her, and kept her in the dark. They believe that by enslaving her, they will make slaves of her children as well.
This is the root cause of Asia’s downfall: the women of Asia have been turned into idiots and slaves. Europe and America are powerful because their women are free, educated, wise, and brave.
We know that you do not have enough books for your studies, and that your minds are fed with nothing except junk that is meant to dim its natural brilliance. We know of all these, and that is exactly why we strive to make sure that the Enlightenment that shines bright on the women of Europe will shine on you as well.
If this does not make you angry or bitter, then the fog of ignorance covering our nation must indeed be thick and impenetrable. Nonetheless, we will strive to pierce these clouds with the bright rays of enlightenment.
Our spirits will be lifted if you join us in our cause. The Lord will drive away the clouds for He is the God of Truth. He will restore the former glory of the Filipina who lacks in nothing except a free mind, for He has already blessed her abundantly with many good traits.
This is our fervent wish, our desire: the restoration of the honor of the woman who is our soul mate and our companion in life’s trials and travails.
A young man must not pursue a maiden only for her beauty or manners but he must also be drawn to her courage, conviction, and cause.
How wonderful it is to think of a maiden who commands the pride and respect of her country. It is common for the Spaniards and friars from the Philippines to say that our women are all stupid and ignorant, as if the faults of some women are the shortcomings of all. It is as if none of their women are stupid or ignorant. Let me tell you that when it comes to being virtuous, no one else comes close to the women of our nation.
Nevertheless, these Spaniards and friars who are visiting Spain from the Philippines are eager to gossip, ridicule, and make fun of this woman or that, saying that she acted this way at the convent or that way when she hosted him as her guest, and other things that will make your blood boil.
Whenever I think about it, I know that these mistakes are simply the consequences of innocence, being too kind or meek, or simply the tall tale of the rumor monger himself.
I know of a high-ranking Spaniard who was treated like a guest during his travels to the Philippines. Yet, the moment he set foot in Spain, he was quick to spread malicious lies about a noble woman from Pampanga who provided him food and shelter during this travels. This is how he decided to repay the kind lady’s hospitality!
We hear of similar lies that friars eagerly tell their visitors from Spain. They make these insinuations about their obedient parishioners, accompanying their stories with a knowing wink or a malicious grin.
In fact, a book published by Don Sinibaldo de Mas includes a detailed account of the confessions women have shared in confidence with their friars. Sometimes, these friars even exaggerate their stories. I cannot share the scandalous things a friar shared to Mass, it was so outrageous, the latter even refused to believe it.
Whenever we hear or read of these lurid tales, we cannot help but ask if all Spanish women are indeed as virtuous as the Virgin Mary, or if all Filipino women are sinful.
Alas, the matter on virtue is a delicate one, and it may be best for now to depart from this subject; after all, I am neither a friar nor a wandering Spaniard who revels in destroying the reputation of others.
Allow me to lay this matter on the table, and focus instead on the duties of a woman.
Nations that respect women such as the Philippines, must be made aware of what is truly happening so they will know exactly how to address the situation.
Traditionally, when a young man falls in love, people think he is throwing everything he has — knowledge, virtue, wealth. They make it seem as if a woman is nothing more but a harbinger of misfortune. Marriage turns the brave into cowards, while those who are cowards, to begin with, are reduced into shameless fools who hide their cowardice behind the veil of marriage.
Those who have nothing by which to conceal their weaknesses, save for the reminders of their mothers, swallow their anger, take the hit, obey blindly, and encourage the treachery of others.
Remember this: there are no predators where there are no preys; no big fish where there are no little ones. Why shouldn’t a maiden ask her suitor for a good and noble reputation, a heart strong and large enough to make up for her weaknesses, a firm resolve to never raise children who will only become slaves?
Unleash from within you your enthusiasm, strength, and noble ways. Do not relinquish yourselves to someone weak and faint of heart.
When you become a wife, you must share in your husband’s suffering, encourage him, stand by him, and comfort him in his grief. Remember always that a heart full of courage can bear all things, and that the worst thing you can pass down to your children is the legacy of oppression and slavery.
Teach your children to guard and value their honour, to love their compatriots, and to hold fast to their duties and responsibilities. Teach them that it is better to die with dignity than to live dishonourably.
Let the women of Sparta serve to inspire you with their noble acts:
One day, a mother handed her son his shield, and bade him: “Return with it or on it.” Which meant to say, return victorious or die, since it was customary for those who were defeated to throw away their shields, while the dead were carried home lying on their shields.
A mother found out that her son had died in battle, and that they had lost. She said nothing except to whisper a word of thanks that her son had been saved from dishonour.
Yet, a mother mourned after seeing her son had returned alive.
Another soldier told a woman that her three sons had died in battle. “That is not what I wanted to know,” said the mother. “What I want to know is whether we won or lost the battle.” “We won,” answered the hero. “In that case, let us thank the gods!,” she exclaimed and rushed to the temple.
One day, their king, whose army was defeated in battle, hid in the temple, fearful of his people’s wrath. His people decided to lock him up, and starve him to death. The king’s mother was the first one to gather and bring stones for sealing the temple door.
These ways are common among the women of Sparta, which is why they command the respect of all Greece. Among all women — someone said in jest — only you, Spartan women, have power over men.
“Indeed,” the Spartan women answered, “and it is only we who are able to give birth to those who can truly be called men.”
The Spartans believe that all human beings are not born to serve themselves but are born to serve their nation. For as long as this mindset prevailed, and for as long as these kinds of women lived, no enemy ever set foot on Sparta, and no Spartan women ever came close enough to a foe.
I do not expect you to believe me simply because these words come from myself. I know there are many out there who easily believe old, toothless men in habits rather than to pause and listen to the voice reason.
While we are expected to respect the old because they have lived long enough to experience many things in life, everything I have experienced more than makes up for what I lack in years. I know I am far from being a saint or idol yet, I ask you to reflect and think carefully about what I am about to share with you:
First: Tyranny thrives when others are silent or refuse to do something.
Second: One’s oppression comes from one’s lack of self-respect yet one’s excessive reverence for the oppressor.
Third: Ignorance is slavery, for a man is who he believes himself to be. A man who cannot think for himself lacks character. A man who lets others think for him is like a beast led by the leash.
Fourth: Anyone who wishes to protect himself must also protect others. We are only as safe as our neighbours are safe. Individual sticks are easy to break but when bundled together, they are unbreakable.
Fifth. If the Filipina refuses to change her ways, she should forget about raising children. She must be stripped of all authority in the household otherwise, she will only cause the downfall of her husband, her children, her country, and others.
Sixth: All men are born equal, naked, and without bonds. God did not create man in order to become a slave. He did not bestow intelligence only for him to become a fool. He did not give him reason only to be deceived by others. Refusing to worship other men, thinking critically, and choosing to do what is right should not be misconstrued as arrogance. On the contrary, arrogance is worshipping other men, blinding others from the truth, and being a slave to one’s urges.
Seventh: Carefully examine the kind of religion others teach you. Stop and think to consider whether the things you are taught are in accordance to the will of God, or the teachings of Christ in helping the poor and providing comfort to those who are suffering. Examine closely the sermons they are preaching you, the significance of masses, novenas, rosaries, scapulars, images, miracles, candles, belts, and other things they have ordered you to keep in mind at all times. Think, question, challenge, and compare what they have taught you with what is written in the scriptures. Be wary that they are not treating you like a pig to be sold in the market or to be fattened for the slaughter.
Let us reflect on our circumstances, and let us think. May these musings help advance your cause and help you finish what you have started.
“May you reap more than you have sown.” Whatever happens, I am more than happy to accept the consequences for shedding light on the truth. May you succeed in your desire to become educated, and may you reap the good fruits from the garden, and never the rotten ones. Choose carefully, think first, inspect closely before taking a bite for in this world, all things coexist, and nothing is what it appears to be. Know that it is not uncommon for the enemy to plant weeds in the middle of your garden plot.
This is the desire of your compatriot.
JOSí‰ RIZAL
Europe, 1889
