Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-08-12
PHILIPPINE WOMEN.
WHAT OUR DuSKY SISTERS NTHF
ORIENT ARE LIKE.

How They Dress and Live and
Some of their Physical and
Mental characteristics - They
arc Expert Nccdlewomcn and
Skillful Workers i'm Silk.
While the distinctions separating
the various social grades of native wo-
men in the Philippine islands are less
marked than i'll more civilized coun-
tries, there are racial characteristics
which ditlerentiate them more strong
ly than could be possible among
more homogeneous people, Those of
Malay origin, the vast majority in the
islands, however they may differ rs to
wealth and intelligence, converge to
general type even in their dress, but
the Negritos. supposed to be the
aborigines OF the islands, are essential.
ly different in appearance, language,
manners and dress from the others.
The Negrito women belong to a
vanishing race, which is doomed to
rapid extinction. The native women
OF Malay origin are much more inter
esting. They possess many character
istics in common with their sisters in
more civilized countries.
I'm Manila MI othar ,,k;o, H.
tive women are often rich, we'll edu-
Gated and of marked beauty. Even in
other sections where females do not
possess equal advantages beauty is not
so rare among them as to be a subject
OF comment. Compared with the men,
the superiority of the women of the
Philippine islands is noteworthy
They slow it in their faces and man
ners, and the difference is still more
marked in their speech. They are as
rule modest, industrious, eager to
acquire knowledge and make excel
lent wives and house servants. They
are almost invariably expert with the
needle, display fine artistic taste and
learn music with remarkable facility.
Some years ago sewing machines
were introduced into the islands, and
in short time the native women
learned to run them as we'll as their
W In Isfo
can be secured for 20 cents day, and
nearly every European family has one.
They live in their own homes-little
nipa huts, with two or three rooms
and work from s A. NJ. to about 6 p. NJ.
Large numbers of the native women
work also in the tobacco factories and
other manufacturing establishments,
while many occupy themselves at
home by making toys, fancy articles
and embroidery for the shops.
Some of those articles give evidence
of wonderful delicacy of touch, as also
of artistic taste, which places them on
par with the best of the kind pro-
duced by the Chinese or Japanese.
Even the best educated and wealth.
lest of the native women pay little
regard to European fashions in dress.
They prefer the simplicity of their
own costumes, which are not only
more suitable for the climate, but are
really more artistic. The dress of the
mestizos, the offspring of white fathers
and native women, consists of long
skirt Of heavy silk and waist and
neckerchief made of the fibers of the
pineapple plant and embroidered with
white silk, linen or cotton. This
costume is calculated to enhance the
attractiveness of the face and neck,
and the reputation for beauty which
the mestizo women have is perhaps
owing to the manner in which they
are drapped.
As in all counties there are OF course
marked Emergencies from the highest
type in the Philippine islands. Many
of the women, especially in the lower
ranks of life, are very unattractive.
They have high cheek bones, ugly
brown faces, badly developed figures
and full, thick lips. The only re-
deeming feature about these is there
eyes, which are almost invariably cx-
pressive and often beautiful. But
even among the uneducated and I'M
dertribes, numbers of the young men
and women are strikingly handsome.
Among the inferior grades of society,
and not rarely even among the superior,
large families are quite common.
There are often as many as 20 chill
dren in household, and an average
family contains about Ii boys and
girls. Every family has its own house,
but it costs little, and for S. newly
married couple can provide them
selves with large and superior bam-
boo hut, which is ample for all their
requirements and fer their prospective
numerous progeny. Clothing costs
but little, and little of it is required,
while the tropical luxuriousness and
productiveness of the islands supply
food with the minimum of labor.
The people of the Philippine islands
are undoubtedly capable of attaining
a high degree of civilization. They
are imaginative and prone to super
stition, but have intellectual capacity,
artistic proclivities and an eager desire
for knowledge. Nothing Spanish is
popular - neither its rule, language