A Letter to the Women of Malolos

Rizal’s Letter to the Young Women of Malolos

 “To the Young Women Women of Malolos” was a letter written by Dr. Dr. Jose Rizal on the 17th ay of !ebruary of the year 1""# while he was still staying in $uro%e. &e wrote the letter in 'om%lian'e to Mar'elo &. Del (ilar)s re*uest while he was busy annotating “+u'esos e las ,slas !ili%inas” authore by -ntonio Morga. The letter was aresse to the twenty 'ourageous young women of Malolos for their %erseeran'e to %ursue the establishment of a night s'hool where they 'an stuy +%anish. /ase /ase  on a''o a''oun unts ts00 the the youn young g wome women n from from Malo Malolo los0 s0 le le by Do Doa -lberta +antos23itang'oy0 gae a %etition to 4oernor24eneral Weyler for the establishment of a night s'hool to stuy the +%anish language uner Teooro +ani5o0 who was a %rofessor of 6atin. &oweer0 !r. !eli%e 4ar'ia i not li5e the %etition so he %rom%te the goernor2general to ismiss the %etition. Des%ite the ismissal of their %etition0 they 'ontinue with their 'lamor an eentually re'eie %ermission to o%en their s'hool with 'ertain 'onitions to be followe. !irst0 they shoul fun the s'hool by themseles. +e'o +e'on n00 4ua 4uaal alu% u%e e Reye Reyes s woul woul  be the the one one tea' tea'hi hing ng them them inst instea ea  of  Teooro +ani5o0 who was not in goo terms with the friars in Malolos. Thir0 the 'lasses will ta5e %la'e uring the ay0 %robably be'ause of the asso'i asso'iati ation on that that gathe gatherin rings gs with with sube subersi rsie e meeti meeting ngs s ha%%en ha%%en uring uring the night. The s'hool was o%en for three months0 but it was 'lose own on May 10 1""#. The letter starte with sharing his thoughts about the women in the (hili%%ines. &e state that he only 5new few women of our 'ountry who stans for the 'ountry but when he hear that women in Malolos mae an attem%t to 'ounter the stanars set by the goernment he was elighte

that his ieals of a young woman were met by them. &e also ha a notion that the 'ountry 'an still be restore for the benefit of all %eo%le0 in'luing the goernment rule by +%aniars. &e also %ointe out in the letter that %eo%le were gien free will so that they may be able to istinguish what is rightful an reasonable to o rather than following all the orers of the friars0 who they 'all themseles as is'i%les of the 6or. &e gae s%e'ial mention to women an mothers be'ause he beliee that they are the ones who first nurtures the min of their 'hil. &e also tol that the women in -sia are ignorant an o%%resse while those who are in $uro%e an -meri'a are *uite %owerful be'ause they are eu'ate that ma5es them free an %ossess a strong 'hara'ter. Women must 'hoose wisely who they 'hoose to be with sin'e they shoul not only be esire an a%%re'iate by the beauty they %ossess but with their 'hara'ter also. ,t was ini'ate in the letter that !ili%ino women shoul imitate what the women on +%arta where they hae the ieology that men who are going to war are not born for themseles but for their 'ountry. &en'e0 they shoul %roie right guian'e to their 'hilren by being an e8am%le to them that is rightful to fight for the betterment of  the 'ountry rather than sul5 an follow someone)s orers.