Have you heard of The Women of Malolos? Sending an inquiry to the internet brings up more than 200 references, including articles written about them in major journals and newspapers. Towards the end of the nineteenth century the Spanish clergy were still dominating Filipino life, particularly forbidding the learning of the Spanish language. However, young Filipinos, educated in Europe, were starting to challenge the authority of the friars. In 1888, 21 young women in Malolos, Bulacan, sought permission from the Spanish friar to open a night school in the wealthy Pariancillo district. Their petition was denied so they took it directly to the Governor General, who granted their request. Their bravery in confronting the authority of the friars, repudiating mindless obedience, loveless marriages, and lack of education, spread beyond Malolos and they came to symbolize the search for freedom throughout the country, publicized by Marcelo del Pilar and prompting a famous letter sent to them by José Rizal. In February, 1889, Rizal wrote a letter to them, entitled

Today they are remembered throughout the Philippines and by The Women of Malolos Foundation which promotes education for women and the preservation of historic buildings in Malolos.

In January MVP members went to Malolos and spent a delightful day there, hosted by The Women of Malolos led by Mercia Aquino, who is not only secretary of the Women of Malolos Foundation but also an MVP member! Malolos is an important site in the history of the Philippines, filled with ancestral houses and memorials to heroes of the Philippine revolutionary wars, and yet it does not even rate a passing mention in many tourist guidebooks. In 2001 it was named a Heritage town by the National Historical Institute and its most important buildings are protected as Heritage sites that must be preserved. After a ninety-minute bus ride from Makati we reached Malolos and began our Kalayaan Tour—a tour of the heritage sites of Malolos patterned after the path taken by General Emilio Aguinaldo when he led a procession of dignitaries, congressmen and provincial representatives on January 23, 1899, from the Malolos Cathedral to the Barasoain Church on the occasion of his inauguration as President of the first Philippine Republic.

Our first stop was at Barasoain Church, the seat of the Revolutionary Congress which drafted the first Philippine Constitution in 1899. The adjacent Ecclesiastical Museum contains religious artifacts of Bulucan and the Historical Landmarks History Museum focuses on preserving the history of the Philippine Revolution. We saw a short light and sound presentation on the history of the founding of the Republic. Unfortunately the presentation was in Tagalog, so much of the detail escaped us, but the meaning was clear and the photographs were interesting. From the church it was a short walk to the oldest structure in Malolos, the Casa Real Shrine. This building contains an exhibit of antique furniture, the printing press of the Malolos Republic, and an exhibit of the 21 Women of Malolos memorabilia. In addition, a photo exhibit portrayed 100

Filipina women, each one being the first Filipina to hold a distinguished position in her field, be it politics, arts, sciences, medicine, etc. Malolos has a large number of ancestral houses, many still occupied. We walked through the streets, admiring the old houses, and were able to visit the homes of Don Antonio Bautista, the aide-de-camp of General Emilio Aguinaldo, and Dr. Jaime Tiongson (which is for sale), descendant of one of the Women of Malolos. Each house was built in the traditional style, with the living quarters on the second floor. Many of the houses are featured in books about the Philippines and in Philippine Style by Fernando Zialcita et al.

At the huge Malolos Cathedral: Basilica Minore (top right photo), one of the priests told us about the history of the church and the town as he conducted us through the lovely buildings. The first convent and church were finished in 1591, and were subsequently enlarged, reconstructed, rebuilt, and frequently restored. From September 10, 1898, until March 29, 1899, the convent was used as the presidential palace of the First Philippine Republic. On March 31, 1899, while General Aguinaldo and his men were fleeing from the Americans, Aguinaldo ordered it burned to the ground as part of his scorched earth policy. The church was rebuilt during the American occupation and again underwent almost continuous renovation until the present. One landmark remains from the revolution: a huge century-old tree in the shade of which Aguinaldo is said to have conducted many political discussions.

A delicious lunch awaited us at the Pariancillo Grille, a restaurant that is set outdoors in the garden of the ruins of an ancestral stone house. While we were eating, VSE Production, with some of the sons and daughters of The Women of Malolos Foundation members, presented a short program of song, dance, and a recitation depicting the words of Jose Rizal’s letter to the women of Malolos, and their subsequent actions to fulfill them.