By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo

 

ON a warm, busy morning after assisting the hired workers to clean in the garden of my sister Emma and the adjacent lot which we adopted to clean, green and beautify at Filinvest, I received a video of a uniquely-conceived campaign material incorporating Urduja, Pangasinan’s maiden warrior leader whose narrative, despite assertions contesting her existence, persists to occupy the consciousness of the province, and women leaders who have drawn inspiration from her throughout their illustrious careers. The initiative was introduced in the campaign program for Leni Robredo, a presidential candidate for the 2022 May elections by Farah Decano, a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Visitor Leadership Program –Philippines (IVLP-PH), who was very ecstatic of the turnout of participants, from an initial expectation of 15,000 ballooning to a final estimate of 72,000 pink-clad supporters, and most importantly, in the culturally-laden presentation of the event featuring Urduja:

Farah: “I co-chaired the Pangasinan Rally. I am so happy with this number. Pinaglaban ko si Urduja. Kami ng creative director.”

G: “So happy you did. Watched the 4-hour rally until the end when River Maya took the stage. Like you, I saw myself, every Pangasinan woman who stood up under the most difficult of circumstances. She has come of age. Truly one of us, Urduja to the core.”

Farah: “Some members of the organizing team them did not like Urduja…kesyo di raw kilala …di raw totoo. Kako she is part of our Pangasinan Consciousness. I like Constance Visperas standing up for Urduja concept too. Tapos ang ganda ng last. Symbolical offer of sword of Urduja to Leni. It means Pangasinan entrusts to her the leadership in the Philippines.”

G: “Yes, I saw that. It was brilliant. The imagery captivates. Our mythologies guide our consciousness, real or not. If a concept animates the consciousness, it is more real than anything palpable.”

Elzy: “Congratz Farah! Excellently organized! It’s realy a jaw-dropping WOW! Thanks for sharing the video. Sana lahat ng rally katulad nyan, brings back our cultural heritage.”

 In 1988, the Women in Development (WID) Foundation had chosen Urduja as a symbol of women empowerment “under its various programs for ecology, economic enterprise, politics and culture with a special focus on women overseas workers and rural entrepreneurs.” The flagship project of the WID Foundation then was the Micro-Enterprise Development Program for Women in the Rural Sector (MICROS) funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), aimed to develop paradigms for economic empowerment of women and design prototype economic organizations drawn from their history and culture.

While then and now, some quarters deny her existence, her presence is deeply-seated in Pangasinan consciousness. Urduja is the acknowledged inspiration of women leaders, not only in Pangasinan but women who have achieved exemplary levels of accomplishment recognized by their communities, in the Philippines and abroad, as evidenced by the acceptance speeches delivered by some women who have received recognition and awards. These women, also called “Urdujas”, include the late Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani, Mary John Mananzan, Marietta Primicias Goco, Mary Jane Ortega, Fe Mangahas, and so many others.

Still, the most important goal remains, as stated under the MICROS Program, for Urduja as an evolving creation of women in their particular situations and their particular times, continually evolving as women also evolve in society, making Urduja the collective articulation of their present realities and aspirations, a recognition of the “Urduja” in every woman.

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