EDITORIAL - A statue for Queen Juana, why not?

To complement the monument of Rajah Humabon, the ruler at the time of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s arrival here in 1521, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines wants the Cebu City government to put up a monument of the rajah's wife, Queen Juana, also in Plaza Hamabar.

Such a monument would be appropriate. It’s about time she was recognized.

It may not be well known to many, but women had as much rights and influence as men in pre-colonial Cebu society. They were also able to own property on their own without a male partner; they were appointed to roles of importance in the different tribes.

It’s not farfetched to think Queen Juana had no small part in convincing Rajah Humabon to convert to Christianity, making him the first local chieftain to do so.

Magellan expedition chronicler Antonio Pigafetta goes as far to report that Queen Juana, who took that name after her baptism, recognized the presence of God in the image of the Sto. Niño that had been given to her.

Sadly the role of women as influencers was somewhat diminished if not swept under the rug when the Spanish took full control over our islands. In their bid to remake us in their own societal image, our “mother country” was more interested in establishing and enforcing the patriarchal pecking order rather than acknowledging the role of women.

Even as the Philippines of today is seen as one of the countries where women have more rights, privileges, and freedoms than others, there still pervades among certain people those attitudes that women should be limited when it comes to their role in society and nation building.

While the establishment of a monument to Queen Juana may not immediately remedy this attitude, it can serve as a reminder that women were and are still an indispensable and important part of our society.