Spirit of revolution -- and Christmas
By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Dresses of pineapple and abaca-tree fiber are modeled by, from left, Maria Medua, Katherine Baltazar and Pepe Nieva.
Holiday fest features an exhibit on female revolutionaries
By Burl Burlingame
Star-BulletinIt's probably a bit ironic that "Pasko! A Filipino Christmas," occuring Sunday at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, has exhibits dealing with the centennial observance of the revolution against Spain - which was primarily a revolt against the Spanish Christian priests. Along with traditional crafts and delicacies, "parol" star-shaped lanterns, demonstrations by high school students, Ric Trimillos playing the rondalla and a play called "Sino Ba Kayo (Who Are You?)," students at Chaminade University have created an exhibit called "Women of the Revolution." It shows that Filipino women were intimately involved with bringing their homeland into the modern world.
Audrey Coloma, the 19-year-old president of Chaminade's Filipino Students Association, said that five notable Filipina revolutionaries will be depicted:
Gabriela Silang, a peasant woman who fought alongside her husband.
Marcela Agoncillo, who created the first Filipino flag.
Melchora Aquino, the "mother" of the revolution who worked with the Katipunan, the secret organization of Filipino nationalists.
Leonor Rivera, the sweetheart of Jose Rizal who inspired Rizal's literary heroine "Maria Clara." Traditional dresses of the period, made of pineapple- and abaca-tree fiber, are known today as Maria Claras after the character. These dresses have been recreated for the exhibit.
"We've just become interested in the revolution and wanted to communicate to those who want to learn more about it," said Coloma. "We wanted the people involved in the revolution to be real to people today, which is why we're helping recreate clothing from the period. It's important that people today recognize that it happened."
Jose Rizal was a physician and writer who was educated in Spain and advocated, not independence from Spain, but commonwealth status. His 1888 novel "The Social Cancer," written in Tagalog, attacked the Spanish priests' control of every aspect of Filipino society, and was followed in 1891 by a sequel, "The Reign of Greed." The effects of these books on the social order in the Philippines was like that of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" on the slavery issue, and when Rizal returned to the islands in 1892, he was exiled to Mindanao.
When the Katipunan began skirmishing with Spanish troops in 1896, Rizal - who was not involved - was arrested by the Spanish and executed. Just before he was shot, he wrote "Last Farewell," called a "masterpiece of 19th-century Spanish verse" by the Encyclopedia Britannica. Rizal's martyrdom convinced Filipinos there was no negotiating with the Spanish, and independence was declared in 1898.
The struggle was compromised by Spain's war with America shortly afterward. But that's another story.
"Pasko!" is co-sponsored by the Filipino Association of University Women and the Honolulu Academy of Arts.
Pasko! A Filipino Christmas
Date: 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday
