Painting by Botong Francisco

Probably, when looking for images of pre-colonials on the web, this is the first thing that

comes up, and more than likely, my peers will choose this as well because the image is peculiar

and interesting if we dig deeper. I attempted to pick something else, but I kept coming back to

this image. Nevertheless, I'd want to explain why think it's uncommon and discuss my thoughts

on it.

This image is pre-colonial Philippine tradition of female mystical healers whose spiritual

connection was a source of political and social authority is referred to as babaylan. In tribal

communities, Babaylan women act as bridges between the spiritual and material worlds.

Warriors, healers, priestesses, and sages are among their many leadership responsibilities which

is stunning that during this era they see the value of men and women as equal, especially being
warriors and priestesses. In society, women and men were on an equal footing. They could

divorce, own and inherit land, and even lead their own barangays or territory. Women were, for

all intents and purposes, the working heads of the family, wielding the purse strings and having

exclusive authority over the naming of their children. They had complete control over the terms

of their marriage and could even keep their maiden names if they so desired. It appears that

living in this era is pleasant because everything appears to be equal and fair.

As I dug deeper into this image, As a woman, I was proud to have these babaylan in pre-

colonial times because it means that women have always been powerful and see how it shaped

my identity as a Filipino because, first and foremost, we know that Filipinos are very family

oriented, and we all have a special love for our mothers, who carried us 9 months and sacrifices a

lot for the family which is why I see this as our identity being Filipino. I see the Filipina

mother’s power and others' reliance on her, their faith in her, and the selfless love they have for

their children while working around 24/7 just like all the babaylans back then who believed by

many. Indeed, they are superwoman.

Aside from those, Babaylans listen to the community and lead through a deep

understanding of how all life forms are interconnected. Many babaylans are still politically active

in their communities, engaging in advocacy, activism, and campaigning for justice, particularly

in problems of land disputes, displacement, state violence, rising militarization, and land looting.

It was fascinating to discover that pre-Hispanic Philippine civilization had a patriarchy in terms

of communal structure. Yet, there was a 500-year tradition of indigenous feminism in the

Philippines before the Spanish colonized it, predating women's freedom in the West. Moreover,

here’s the reason why it struck me the most.

 Among all the images I've seen during pre-colonial history, this one has had the greatest

impression on me. In my interpretation, I see a powerful woman, a leader, and someone who is

worshiped by the people, particularly men, which is unusual if we look at it today because of

stereotypes that Filipina women believed to be meek, stay at home as wives and take care of the

household, and our country, the Philippines, is displayed as patriarchal which I am delighted to

learn about this fascinating babaylans during pre-colonial because I was taught in elementary

school that women were known to serve males in the past. At the very least, I now have the

opportunity to correct my knowledge on the subject.

Furthermore, knowing this made me want to experience to this wonderful policy since,

up until now, many of us have faced stereotypes and patriarchy, and we are still fighting for

women's ability and rights, despite the fact that many of us have demonstrated that we have

abilities that they believe only men have. For instance, in politics, it has now been proven that

women are capable of leading and running a country. Also in the recent event, the Olympics took

place, and the Philippines won the first Olympic gold medal in the weightlifting category, which

was won by a woman, Hidilyn Diaz, who demonstrated that women can play a significant role in

sports that represents our country and make impact to fellow Filipinos.

We can't deny what women have done in the past and can do in the future. Without

wishing to be biased, I feel that, in addition, women are sensible people who are needed by the

country, which makes them terrific leaders who genuinely care for Filipinos and the country.

They have been involved in the country's social issues and have utilized their voices to empower

one another, and their hearts are for the oppressed, which is something the Philippines need.

According to Filipina Women Network (2016), today's babaylans lead resistance

activities against colonial interests in their resource-rich motherland. The Matigsalom, a Lumad
community in Mindanao, goes to great lengths to find a babaylan who can effectively lead their

people through adversity and catastrophe. People in the community look on the babaylan

leadership to preserve both peace and active resistance during politically tumultuous times. Some

Lumad clans even use female babaylans to demonstrate that they are physically capable of

wielding firearms in the defense of their area.

As I reflected on the past, I realized that while bad events had been highlighted in the

past, there were still good things that happened before colonialism that were still in the run up

until now. Although some parts of the Philippines only practiced this policy, it is still a good

proof that it can be spread to other parts of the Philippines. The reality is that there are hundreds

of real-life examples of strong and smart Filipina women leaders all around us. And now that I've

learned more about babaylans and their constant opposition to colonialism, I'm humbled by the

realization that we, strong, tenacious Filipina women leaders, have always existed.
References:

FilipiKnow. (2018). 10 Reasons Why Life Was Better In Pre-Colonial Philippines. FilipiKnow.

https://filipiknow.net/life-in-pre-colonial-philippines/

“Pre-Colonial Philippines’ Longstanding Tradition of Women Leadership and Mysticism”

(2016). Filipina Women Network. https://filipinawomensnetwork.org/epahayagan/did-

you-know-pre-colonial-philippines-longstanding-tradition-of-women-leadership-and-

mysticism