DON ALEJANDRO ROCES SR.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL

Roces Avenue, Baranggay Obrero, Quezon City

PHILIPPINE M YTHICAL
&

L EGENDARY HEROES

Submitted by: Submitted to:

RYEN KAHLEN NUESTRO Ma’am Maricel De Los Reyes

JIANA ANTONIA N. OŇATE Subject Teacher
ALLYNA DENISE ALBERT M. LOMBOY
ALEZSANDRA ZOE MORALES
ELISON B. GARCIA
DIVINA JOY MENDOZA
CHADRICK GABE MENDOZA
JAN MARLO LUGTO

GRADE 7 – BIAK NA BATO

 Urduja
The Fighting Princess

According to the chronicles of Ibn Baṭūṭah, a renowned Muslim traveller, there are royal blooded
woman from the Kingdom of Tawilisi (which is believed to be located in Pangasinan). During the pre-colonial
age of the Philippines, they were highly adept in sword fighting and horse back riding. Due to a series of
wars in the area, the male population had been depleted. Urduja took it upon herself to lead a group of all
female warriors, known as the Kinalakian (similar to the Amazons of Greek Mythology). Princess Urduja was
certainly not a ‘damsel in distress’.
Though gifted with beauty that made her admired by men, Urduja swore that she will never marry
unless he could beat her in a fist fight. I found this part of Urduja tale similar to the Chinese fable about a
woman named Yim Ming Chun. She also refused to be married and resorted to fighting the suitors instead.
The tale was connected to the origin of the martial art called Wing Chun which was created by a Chinese
Abbess, Ng Mui. As a result, I thought to myself, “Perhaps Urduja is the first to introduce the art of fist fighting
in Philippines.” It doesn’t matter if Urduja actually existed or not, for her tales defy the stereotyping of women
in society and are worthy of admiration – especially in a time where gender inequality and biases are still
prevalent in our country.