Evening journal., 1920-01-05
FILIPINO ON
mission TOU. S.
Nine. Jaime De Veyra De-
clares Her Countrywomen
Are Most Progressive
SAME CHANCE IN LIFE
AS MEN, OR BETTER

economic cOntrOl' may De sea- d.
the American woman II she will heeC
the message Of Nine jamie de Veyra
wife OF one OF the two commissioner:
to the Unit d States from the Philippine
Islands and a missionary from the isl
andsto the women OF this country.
Nine. de Neyra brings counsel from
the progressive sisterhoOd on the other
side Of the world 10 the American gir
uniaught OF certain Of the accomplish.
M nts Of the East.
in dong this she revFrses established
custom, for hitherto America has seni
the missionaries.
Philippine women have ensOved i'm
memOrially many privileges for which
;he WON OF Western civilizations are
still c0ntending, according tC Nine dc
Neyra. The laws under which they are
now guiding the destlnies OF their pe0-
pie combine the best Of Spanish and
American prec dents, and they accom-
plished these laws with FAR less struggle
than The American or Spanish women
she says.
Married women may hold property
They are guardians OF their own chill
dren. OF the property which accru to
a married couple the wlie is half adj
mnlstratrix. Professional opporunl-
lies are as good for the women as for
ine men. Life is a "flfty-ffty" PROPOSE
iion, or better. for women Of the Philip
pines, MINI de Neyra tells.
It Is traditional 10 give over the man
asement Of the Philippine family TO the
woman, our missionary says. for In ear
Ter times the matriarch3l system OBJ
ianed In the islands. Philippine women
iodaX are the own RS and managers "
successful businesses; they are Success
fal as lawyers and physicians; they are
lon0rd members OF the Philippine Bar
Association.
Nine de Veyra delivered her message
81 her hotel. She was dressed in a hand
woven and hand embroidered dress Of
pineapple fiber, a material worn
through generations by the wealthy
women Of the Philippines.
She began her mission:
u find that the people OF the United
States have an entirely wrong idea Of
M Philippine women. They believe
that their position Is much that Of the
other women or the East. Nothing
rould be further from the real facts.
Philippine women have always been
free. Before n Spanish came we had
maifiarchal system. and this has made
he Philippine women a valiant, self
espectins group. In every psrt Of our
stands YOU VIII find women leaders.
and all OF the won n are highly con-
dered
MANY OF the young women OF the
Philippines who marry go into partner.
% J. with their husbands. While the
mNn handle the workers 70 is the women
WHO do the actual paying and ol ersee
uings generally. running the ONCE, so
10 speak. We expect the voting priv
lege 10 be granted us very soon.
THE industrial problem only presses
women in cigar factories and in the en-
broldery business. There are about
I've bic American firms In the Philip
pines, and one OF them employs as
many as 1000 women in Manila in the
latter occupation. In this undergar-
ment business everything is handmade
the embroidery. the hemstitchlng and
evfn the scanning are accomplished by
hand.
Women who have children do home
work. One Philippine woman Of whom
| have heard can sew six chemlses in
a day at 80 cents a chemise. Out Of this
she has saved LOT OF money.
Pin apple cloth. one OF our most
beautiful products, is made by the wo-
men In their own homes. II is manu.
featured on handmade looms Il has
to be ordered specially nowadays. as Il
lakes lot OF time and there are not
many people who WIFI pay the price
On one point Mime. de Veyra Is re-
assuring. she says that President Nc
kinley's agreement 10 take the islands
for development, but yer for exploit
tation," has been carried out TO the let
ter Exploitation by Americans is not
word that can be used" she says,
with dignity.
"The Womans Club OF Manila has
maintained sections TO find employment
for women. In 1915 Manila ioined
hands with the Federation OF Women's
Clubs, u. 5. A.. and then II began Great
Ing and federating clubs througout the
Islands," says Nine. de Veyra.
There IS no spot in the United States
which has anything on the Philippines
in war work. The island women have
gone the whole length Of Red Cross.
Liberty Loan. Food Administration.
thrift and abstinence programs. and hav
worked In public health and social hy-
giene measures with the best OF the
women OF the world. They are even
now trying out a peoples kitchen"
or herself Nine. de Veyra tells:
Il was born in Iloilo on the island
OF Visayas. one Of the three most de-
velOpcd Of the Philippines. / have been
a teacher, and my sister. who studied
at Columbia University, New York city.
Is now head Of the circulation depart
ment OF the Manila Free Public Library.
! have six beautiful children, to whom
am naturally greatly devoted. My
husband, perhaps you are aware. is one
Of The two commissioners to the United
States from the Philippine Islands,"