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I remember when I was still single, elders would tell me not to wear pearls because I won’t be able to get married if I do. Because of that, I avoided wearing freshwater pearls simply because of that saying.

When I finally found the “guy” for me, the wedding was set some months after. My mother-in-law made me my wedding gown. We decided I should fit it prior the wedding so I wouldn’t be walking in the aisle in a pajama if it’s small for me and as we feared, it was indeed small. My Mommy Emy made the necessary adjustments to the gown prior the wedding which actually happened and was a success, despite the beliefs that fitting gowns may cause wedding postponement.

There are a lot of Filipino folklores and beliefs that my family adhered to and still uphold to this day. Some, I gladly follow because there’s not much to lose. In a way, believing and rebelling from these beliefs defined me as a person. At times, we have to go with the flow and do as people do. We live in a community of people which going against all the time would not work in promoting harmony. At times, we have to stand up and fight for what we believe in so changes, desired changes, would happen. I believe, these are the very characters that defines a woman, a Filipina of values.