Maria Clara Infantes

**Article** Gallery

* Noli Me Tangere
* El filibusterismo

**Maria Clara Infantes**, nicknamed **"Klay"**, is the protagonist of the Philippine historical fantasy series *Maria Clara At Ibarra*. She is portrayed by Barbie Forteza. While awaiting graduation as a nursing student at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Klay was chastised by her professor, Jose R. Torres, for neglecting his class. She was then transported to the world of *Noli Me Tangere*, a historical novel written by national hero Jose Rizal during the Spanish rule.

## Personality

Klay is strong-willed and opinionated. She fights against oppression toward women and the underprivileged in the real world as well as in the worlds of *Noli Me Tangere* and *El filibusterismo.* Due to her headstrong attitude, she is seen as stubborn and disgraceful, especially by Tiya Isabel, the elderly, and women of the time. Her unconventional mannerisms are often criticized, but she is not disconcerted by others' condemnation and continues to hold her beliefs.

Klay's hardened personality stemmed from her familial problems with her biological father and stepfather, who both left dents in her views toward men. Following her mother's abuse, Klay becomes defensive of women and continues to be a feminist symbol throughout the series.

As a nursing student, Klay has a tender side for the youth and the deprived, as seen in her relationships with Sisa and her two sons, Crispin and Basilio.

## Biography

### History

Klay was born to Anton Villarama and Narcisa Infantes-Asuncion through an unplanned pregnancy.

## Relationships

### Narcisa Infantes-Asuncion

Narcisa is Klay's mother, who is domestically abused by her second husband, Ronald Asuncion. Her suffering is the reason for Klay's distaste for men and her quarrelsome attitude toward oppression against women. Despite being abused by her stepfather, Klay does not label her mother as weak and instead encourages her to fight for herself in tough times. They hold a loving relationship, one that comforts Klay during her multiverse travel and one that reminds her of the warmth of a happy family.

### Elias Infantes-Asuncion

As his older sister, Klay believes she is responsible for Elias' upbringing and teaches him, a male, to be a gentleman toward others. She sees the *Noli Me Tangere* character Elias in him as his namesake, which pushes her to protect him from her stepfather's harm.

### Fidel de los Reyes

Fidel is Klay's romantic interest, with whom she initially had a rocky start. Upon her arrival in the universe of *Noli Me Tangere*, Klay perceived Fidel as an arrogant man with a lowly outlook on women. As an educated Chinese mestizo (*mestizo de sangley*), Klay deemed him a privileged civilian with hardly any concern for the country and the Spaniards' misdeeds. Although they argue often, Klay still shows concern for Fidel and treats him as an acquaintance through Ibarra. After the ups and downs of his fate, Klay eventually realizes the depth of her feelings for him, who has changed for the better and promised to dedicate his life to fighting for the country.

### Crisostomo Ibarra

Klay is one of Ibarra's close friends. She became the housemaid of the Ibarra homestead in San Diego after she begged him to take her in. Having read the first few chapters of *Noli Me Tangere* prior to her travel, Klay sees Ibarra as an elegant and educated man who is far better than the men she knew in the real world, causing her to develop an unrequited crush on him. Even then, she admires Ibarra for his dedication and courage in fighting for his fellow countrymen and often supports him in his work, particularly in building a school in San Diego.

### Maria Clara

Maria Clara is Klay's namesake, whom her mother named her after at birth. After being taken in by the De los Santos family, Klay and Maria Clara develop a sister-like relationship regardless of their differences. Klay teaches Maria Clara to fight for herself as a woman and against the harassment of the Spanish friars like Padre Salvi, and would stand up for her in times of need. In turn, Maria Clara teaches Klay to conform to the society of her time and would come to her defense against her family's disapproval toward her.

## References

1. ↑ *Maria Clara At Ibarra* TV series: Episode 7 *(in Filipino)*.