The Cigarreras of Manila

For Montano who visited the Philippines in 1879, it was a sight of behold cigarreras spilling out into the
different suburbs of Manila as they required to their homes at the end of the day. He noticed how these
cigarreras loved to linger in front of the Chinese boutiques and the jewelry shops of the Europeans. The
cigarrera typified the working Filipina of the 19th century.
The establishment of tobacco monopoly in the Philippines on 1782 made the government the biggest
employer of female worker. Tobacco was only colonial crop which underwent processing as the tobacco
leaves were transformed into cigars and cigarettes
Women within these classes also had roles to play to maintain their status, especially for the wealthy
and educated classes. The rise of idealized version of the Filipino woman, as depicted by Jose Rizal’s
mestiza or mixed-race Maria Clara, epitomizes an almost-universal view of how Filipino women continue
to be seen by many, as someone who is shy, timid, and unquestioning.
Majority of the working women of Old Manila were employed by the tobacco factories as cigarreras, the
ones who deftly rolled cured tobacco leaves into cigars. In 1816, cigarreras staged a walkout after having
had enough of the terrible working conditions.
Many workers were interested to get employed in the tobacco factory. Letters of application for
celadoras are found in the bundles of Tobacco, Manila. A retiring cigarrera requests that her daughter
replaces her in the factory. Whenever, vacancies occurred three names were submitted to the inspector
de Fabrica to choose from.

Such was the life of the cigarrera in the 19th century. She had by this time to contend with regular
working hours, be subject to supervision and disciplinary measures and accorded the privilege of sick
and maternity leaves. The systematic employment of the women in the government owned cigar
factories marked the entry of the Filipina in the world of work