Migrant Muslim Women’s Resiliency In Coping With Traditional Family Practices

Migrant Muslim Women’s Resiliency

In Coping With Traditional Family Practices

 

Presented By:

Carlos, Abigeil F.

 

Cuadra, Jovy F.

 

May 2014

 

Lyceum of the Philippines University

College of Arts and Sciences

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

Migration is a movement of people from one place to another for different reasons. They go from one country to another or from one place to another within a country because of poverty, violence, economic opportunity, better living conditions or for greater security. This phenomenon is identified as push – pull factors of migration (Tandug, 2011).

Muslim migration started from 1571 to 1898, Muslim migrants in Manila are mainly foreigners like the Turks, Arab, Persians, Indians and Indonesians. These foreign Muslims are retail traders, wholesalers, night watch and peddlers. According to Census of the Philippine Island as cited by Watanabe (2007) in 1903 domestic Muslim migration started and there are 95 local Muslim migrants in Manila.

In 1910 during the American occupation the Pensionado system was imposed towards Muslims and other indigenous people. They encourage the children of the Muslim wealthy family to study in Manila or in Washington under the Pensionado system.According to Census of the Philippine Island (1920-21), as cited by Watanabe (2007), out of 285,306 population of Manila, there are 14,215 Muslims (12,981 males and 1,234 females). Most of these Muslim migrants are males who left their family in the province or arrived single in Manila.

Muslim migration concurrently increases and this was evidently observed when the government resumed the Colonization movement (started in 1920) in Mindanao. The increase of Christians in Mindanao bring in conflict and tension which resulted to “land grabbing” by the new settlers and local Muslim strongmen according to CheMan(1990) as cited by Watanabe (2007). The tension in Mindanao encouraged Muslim to migrate in Manila since they observed that situation in Mindanao with its deteriorating peace and order will bring a little opportunity for business and economic growth.In 1950, there are 40 Maranaos and Tausugs in CortaVitarte in Malate according to Miyamoto (1994) as cited by Watanabe (2007). Other Muslim migrants settled in Zaragoza Street (pier-side) in Tondo, Divisoria, San Andres and Sampaloc (Matuan, 1993). Most of these Muslims were engaged in trade and dealers of antique, pearls, jewelleries and fabrics. Muslim merchants went to Manila seasonally or for short periods of time to work as migrant workers and left their families at home. Only when their work environment improved or their business had become successful were they able to call their families and relatives to Manila (Watanabe,2008)

According to Helen Kadil (1986) as cited by Watanabe (2007) there are two major reasons for Muslim migration: first is for better economic opportunities and second is the problematic peace and order in war affected areas in Mindanao.

Migration in Manila became a phenomenon from 1903 up to the present. Most of these Muslim migrants settled in Manila due to its economic advancement, better living, better job opportunities and easy access to different government agencies. The word Manila came from a white flowered mangrove plant called Nilad which is abundant in the area. Maynilad – “where the nilad grows” is a wealthy Muslim community which is ruled by Rajah Sulayman. Before the coming of the Spaniards, it is already the center of trade which made it a prosperous community. As of August 1, 2007 the population of Manila is 1, 660,717 it has 14 municipalities and 6 congressional districts. And one of the municipalities of Manila is the Intramuros where some migrant Muslim women live with their family. The word Intramuros means inside the walls. On June 24, 1571 Miguel Lopez de Legaspi captured the area from Rajah Sulayman. The 64 hectares area became the headquarter of the Spanish colonial government.

Intramuros has five barangays: brgy.654, brgy 655, brgy. 656, brgy 657 and brgy. 658. Barangay 655 has a total land area of 2000 square meters and is composed of two compounds: Plastican and Maisan. In November of 2010 to February of 2011, Community Service and Learning Center (COSeL) of Lyceum of the Philippines University – Manila, conducted a survey on the population of barangay 655. From the survey, Plastican has 70 households and 280 residents while Maisan has 205 household and 824 residents for a total of 275 households and 1,104 residents. From the 505 residents who are interviewed by COSel, 227 or 45% come from the Visayas and almost equally with 216 or 42.77% residents come from the Luzon group while Mindanao had a 62 or 12.27%.

 

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