The Filipino identity has always been a haunting question for many people of my heritage, mostly because my country went through several episodes of colonial rule that ultimately confused our identity as a people.
However, I’ve noticed that all throughout our complicated history, something about Filipino women helps me pin down constant themes of what it means to be “Pinoy.”
Today, I want to introduce you to a woman from my history books who has helped me untangle this national identity crisis. She demonstrated shared Filipino traits while bravely carving out an identity of her own. Her name is Teresa Magbanua (1868-1947) and long before Darna and Wonder Woman, she was the Filipino superheroine of her time.
Magbanua was a “woman warrior.”
She was a school teacher before becoming the only Filipina veteran of all three resistance movements against Spain, the United States, and Japan. And besides her skills in horseback riding, marksmanship, and battle strategy, historical records have also applauded her charisma; this allowed her to win over bandits and lead an entire army of men. I love this line from the article I linked above–
“Her soldiers affectionately called her Nay Isa and were almost fanatical in following her orders.”
I picture her in my head as this OG, Filipina Mulan–though less Disney and more Mission Impossible. But what I admire most about Magbanua was how she demonstrated not only her feminine, empathetic and (I assume) sultry side, but also her other personas which were not conventionally seen as “feminine” for people in her era.
Much like her country, Magbanua was a mix of characters.
But underneath all of it was her unchanging sense of compassion for her local community that reflected the Filipino spirit of bayanihan (solidarity). That compassion manifested itself through her strength and bravery both in defending her country and in owning the person she believed she could be.
I admire women who defend their principles without letting absurd social constructs get in their way. Like Teresa Magbanua, these women represent a history of compassionate, resilient, creative, and brave individuals who think thrice before surrendering to oppression. The legacy that they built helps me see my heritage as a stable source of strength.
Her life paints an image of a Filipino who allows himself or herself to be many things at once. I’m grateful I get to share in this identity while at the same time have the freedom to carve out my own.
Happy superwomen’s month!
Marythinks.com 