Why I Refuse to Put Women in Maria Clara’s Shoes

For as long as I can remember, the name Maria Clara has been held up as the gold standard of Filipina femininity. The ideal woman — graceful, demure, soft-spoken, and obedient. She exists in textbooks, in history lessons, in the unspoken expectations passed down from one generation to the next.

But as I look around at the women of today — the ones leading boardrooms, running businesses, breaking stereotypes — I can’t help but wonder: Why do we still insist on fitting them into the same old shoes?

The Shoes Society Hands Women

Women are often told who they should be before they even get the chance to decide for themselves.

They are expected to be educated, but not too ambitious.
They are encouraged to be strong, but never intimidating.
They are praised for their independence, yet subtly reminded that their ultimate purpose is to be a good wife and mother.

And if they don’t follow the script? Society frowns.

It hands them a pair of bakya — those rigid wooden clogs that, though once a cultural staple, have long been out of step with modern life.

Walking in Bakya

If you’ve ever seen a woman wear bakya, you’d notice something.

They’re beautiful at first glance — intricately carved, a piece of heritage. But they’re stiff, heavy, and loud. Every step is cautious, calculated. The wearer has to tread lightly, careful not to be too much, too fast, too disruptive.

For centuries, this is how women have been made to walk. A constant balancing act between being admired and being controlled. Between being respected and being confined.

A New Era of Filipina Women

But times have changed.

Today’s women aren’t just the silent figures standing behind great men. They are the great women shaping their own stories.

They are running businesses, leading movements, and defining success on their own terms. They are no longer just the muses — they are the masterminds, the visionaries, the builders of tomorrow.

They have gone from being the mahinhin (modest) Filipina to the masigasig (relentless) Filipina.

They are no longer just “trophy wives” but partners — progressive, powerful, and equal.

They run households like CEOs, raise children who question norms, and step into spaces once reserved for men — not to take over, but to take their rightful place.

Beyond Maria Clara

This is not about erasing Maria Clara’s legacy. She remains an important figure — a woman of virtue and conviction.

But the Filipina of today should not be limited to one mold.

Women are not made to fit into a single pair of shoes.

They are meant to walk in whatever shoes they choose — whether it’s heels, sneakers, boots, or no shoes at all. Because their worth has never been in how they look, how softly they speak, or how well they conform.

It’s in the fire they carry. The battles they fight. The dreams they refuse to give up on.

So no, I won’t put women in Maria Clara’s shoes.

They deserve better.

They deserve their own path.