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Character

Character: Maia, the Keeper

Capable of: keeping fears enclosed in a jar, for peace

 Exposition

A descendant of Pandora, Maia belongs to a line of “Keepers”: those who have helped maintain peace and order in the world by collecting fears in jars and hiding them in isolated places (which are frequently visited, for clarification). These line of descendants particularly aim to undo the chaos caused by Pandora when she released evil in the world. Being a 10-year-old, Maia was already trained for her future- continuing what her parents and grandparents have done. Sadly, the child has a flaw- she may have inherited Pandora’s stubborness and curiosity.

 Rising Action

As part of her final training before she turns 13 and receive her first jar, she was entrusted with one (already filled to the brim) for a whole week. This jar is one of the most dangerous ones: it carries the seven deadly sins (pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth). The elders warn her- the jar becomes more fragile when it holds a deadly sin- and the bored-and-annoyed-who-just-wanted-them-to-finish-talking kid nods, pretty confident that she would be able to handle the task smoothly. Unfortunately, in one careless move during a boring week, she opens the jar out of curiosity. The sky immediately darkens as the seven deadly sins laugh and leave the place.

 Climax

A scared Maia travels far, looking for the sins. Feeling hopeless, she blamed herself as she saw people fighting and hurting each other. After futile attempts of capturing the sins, she remembers what her elders told her before:

“One could never cleanse a sinful heart and soul without one’s clear purpose; one must have hope.”

She opens the jar that she was supposed to receive on her 13th as a gift, and she smiles as she saw the bright light (called hope) inside. Maia breaks the jar, releasing hope and forcing the deadly sins back inside a jar.

 Falling Action

Although they may be a teensy-bit annoyed at her for causing a riot, the elders tell her that they are proud of her. Her parents, however, had another thing to say- that it was all part of the test: they knew that Maia would, one way or another, break the jar, and they wanted to see how she would handle it. Surprisingly, Maia was not mad-- instead, she promises that she would listen more and work harder to become a better Keeper.

 Dénouement

Years later, Maia grew up as a great Keeper and is looked upon by her trainees. She’s helped in keeping the world peaceful for many years now, but for her, the job is starting to get dull. It’s almost time for her trainees’ final test, anyway. She will retire and become an elder soon….

She smiles at her trainees as she gives each one of them a jar of the seven deadly sins.

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Petition

What is child marriage?

UNICEF defined child marriage as a marriage of a girl or boy before the age of 18, which are either formal and informal unions (UNICEF, 2017).

It is considered a global problem that cuts across countries, cultures, religions, and ethnicities. Each year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18. It was estimated that over 650 million women alive today were married as children.

Child brides can be found in every region in the world, from the Middle East to Latin America and Europe. Child marriage affects girls and boys, but it affects girls disproportionately, especially in South Asia with the highest rates of child marriage in the world and in Southeast Asian countries like Philippines.

After the Philippines' ratification in 1990, child marriage is considered a violation of the UN convention of the rights of a child. Even with the country's family code, nearly 1 out of 7 or 15% of Filipino women aged 20-24 were wed before the age of 18. According to a report made by UNFPA Asia-Pacific Regional Office, the Philippines revealed very little change when it came to this matter since countries like Korea, Indonesia, and India have reduced that percentage to less than half during the last fifty years. In the Philippines, child marriage is especially prevalent in the Bangsamoro region where it is seen as a coping mechanism for economic instability brought by protracted displacement.

 CAUSES

Drivers of child marriage differ from community to community.

1. Gender Inequality

According to girlsnotbrides.org, the root of child marriage is deeply rooted in gender inequality and the belief that girls and women are somehow inferior to boys and men. In several communities where child marriage is practices, girls are typically seen as a burden and married off to ease economic hardship by transferring this "burden" to her husband's family.

Patriarchal values and the desire to control female sexuality (how a girl should behave, dress, marry, etc) also drives marriage. Families closely guard their daughter’s virginity and sexuality so that they could protect the family honor. Girls who have engage in relationships or become pregnant outside of marriage are thought to bring dishonor to the family.

2. Tradition

Child marriage is a tradition is numerous places and occur simply because previous generations have done it. In many communities, once girls begin to menstruate, they are already seen as women and therefore, fit for marriage. Traditions often go unquestioned due to the fact that they have been part of a community’s life and identity for a long time.

A harmful tradition being practiced today is female mutilation. Considered a rite of passage to womanhood, more than 200 million girls alive today have undergone female mutilation, concentrating in Africa, Middle East, and Asia (WHO, 2018). Child marriage usually proceeds female mutilation.

3. Poverty

Over half of the girls from the poorest families in developing countries engage in child marriage. In places of severe poverty, families and sometimes the girls themselves believe that marriage is a solution to a better future.

A family reduces its expenses by having one less person to feed, educate, and clothe. Families see their son’s education as a more worthwhile investment. Child marriage could also be a method to pay off debts, manage disputes, or settle social, economic and political alliances.

In communities where a dowry is given to a bride’s family, it is considered income for poor families. The groom’s family usually have to pay less money if the bride is young and uneducated.

4. Insecurities

Numerous parents marry their daughters off so young because they feel it is in her best interest, often to ensure her safety in areas where girls are at high risk of harassment and physical or sexual assault.

 SOLUTIONS

1. Financial Aids -   Because most  marriages are done as a solution to financial issues, economic support through livelihood opportunities and incentives should be provided to      girls and their families. This will also help girls to have access to a high-quality education.   -  After being married at a very early age, child brides are not yet ready to support their own family. Providing livelihood opportunities and life skills could help them, especially if they already have children of their own.

2. Medical Insurances - Child brides are exposed to early and frequently repeated pregnancies before they become physically mature and psychologically ready for responsible motherhood. After childbirth, many of them have lower weight and stunting. To counter this, medical insurances should be provided to these girls to keep their health in check and cure complications from pregnancy and childbirth if they have experienced any.

3. Supporting Laws and Policies - As the supreme power in a state, the government's involvement will be important in ending child marriage. Supportive laws and policies should be encouraged. - At present, the Code of Muslim Personal Laws sets the age of legal consent to marriage as 15 years old for males and 12 years old for females. Policies in increasing this age should be pushed through. - Another supportive policy is House Bill No. 8440 or ‘Criminalize Child Marriage in the Philippines’, which if enacted into law, will penalize solemnizing officers and parents who arranged and consented to child marriage.   

4. Women Empowerment - Young girls should be empowered with information, skills, and psychological support to let them know that they have a choice. They should know that they are not burdens to their families who are supposed to be sent off and married. This can be done through seminars and support groups.

5. Awareness - Aside from young girls, parents and community members should be educated about the issue. Seminars, forums, and social media can be avenues for spreading information so people will learn about child marriage, its prevalence, and how they can help end it.

#Women'sRightsAreHumanRights #UCSPpetition

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An Interview About Martial Law

PART I: PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name: Julio T. Maximo

Age: 78 years old

Birthday: April 14, 1941

Address: Pagbilao, Quezon

PART II: REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

1.      What do you remember about Marcos?

During his term, the economy was good. Employment was high and so as the value of Philippine peso. Poverty was not pronounced during his time as far as the Philippine economy was concerned. Living, I would say, was affordable.

2.      What do you remember about martial law?

Nothing, as an ordinary citizen, it had no effect on me despite news of atrocities committed during martial law. Life went on on a daily basis.

3.      Do you think that martial law was a good or bad time?

It depends on the implementer. It could be good or bad. Crime rates are low in martial law so peace prevails, corruption is nil.

4.      Why should we study this period in history?

For the atrocities committed and abuse of power by the Marcoses.

5.      What is the most memorable experience you had during martial law?

For me nothing as I was an ordinary citizen.

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Enlightenment

Do you want to travel around the world? Do you want to uncover the unknown?

If yes, allow me to give you this scholastic tour.

Here’s the catch, this experience is not just a travel, it’s more like an expedition and exploration because we will traverse back from the beginning.

***

It was the time when there was no electricity that could light up their homes after dark. Back then, they used candles. Little did we know that these melting candles played a huge role. It was the blazing fire of the candle that sparked up change.

Literature served as an enlightenment.

Back then, there were several societal injustices, political turmoil, and genocidal conquest that our ancestors faced on. It was literature that was used as an instrument of revolution. Literature is so powerful that a writer can be a soldier with his words as his weapon. It was a revolutionary battle, a silent one, that paved the way for freedom of everyone.

In America, Harriet-Beecher Stowe’s novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the memoir, 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, which are about the cruelties and the hardships of the Negro slaves in the southern states. These books gained attention and eventually ignited the Civil War that resulted to the freedom of the African-American people.

In Europe, Martin Luther, the German monk that paved the way to the reformation of the Christian church during the Renaissance Era, wrote the “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,” also known as “The 95 Theses”. He nailed a copy of his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle church exposing the corrupt practice of selling of indulgences.

In the Philippines, Jose Rizal, a revolutionist and a writer. His works, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo were two of the many revolutionary tools that changed the course of the Philippine history. His novels that aimed to threaten the Spanish Empire during the colonization of the Philippines by Spain eventually contributed to the country’s independence from Spain.

Truly, literature bridged the gap between the past and the present.

Today, as centuries, decades, and years passed, literature continues to bloom. It remains as an art, a form expression, and a source of knowledge.

Life of everyone is bottled up in literature. Beyond the words on every page, are the underlying stories, events, feelings, and tragedies. Long before humans began to know how to read and write, literature already existed. It continues to live throughout the history up until now. As long as our world breathes, literature thrives.