Lola, the True Martriarch Retold by Elena C. Cutiongco
AsAlex Tizon and his brother Arthur grew into their teens, they started to realize the abnormality of Lola’s situation. This became a bone of contention between the siblings and their mother who became jealous of their closeness to Lola. Tizon, himself, left his family home at age 23 due to conflicts with his mother. When Lola turned 75,Tizon “inherited” her from his mother. He and his wife, Melissa, tried to make up for his family’s abuse. He gave her $200 weekly salary and the assurance that she was totally free to do as she pleased. However, Lola proved unable to break her habit of servitude. Tizon also sponsored a trip home for Lola on her 83rd birthday to visit her family in the Philippines. Lola went back to his family after the trip. Her family was Alex and his siblings, his mother, his wife and his children. Hence, while indeed there was exploitation, Lola herself might not have regarded it as such. Lola passed away at the age of 86, and Tizon accompanied her ashes back to her hometown in Tarlac. By this time, only Lola’s 98-year-old sister Gregoria, her niece, Ebia and their extended family were there.Tizon’s story shocked many Filipinos. Many felt she was terribly abused because modern-day families do not believe that they “own” their katulong or kasambahay as the original Tizon family did.Three writers published their reactions on Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI). According to Pinoy Kasi columnist Michael Tan ( PDI, May 24, 2017), “Our present system of domestic helpers is governed by a law prescribing minimum wage, SSS, Pag-ibig and Philhealth coverage. But in practice, it still carries the vestiges of precolonial alipin and Spanish colonial hacienda serf or tenant system. In exchange for food, shelter, a minimal salary and benefits, some employers have a strong sense of entitlement. Helpers are expected to be at their beck and call 24/7!” He concludes his article with this appeal: “Beyond the minimum wage and food and shelter, we owe our helpers a way out and I think it is worth looking into how we might help them find options, a way out of poverty. One obvious place to start would be with their education or their children’s education, giving better fighting chance for social mobility!” In contrast to the above perspective, Roots and Wings columnist Ms. Cathy Babao (PDI, May 212, 2017) takes a more personal view. She writes, “Through Alex’s epic, he liberates his family from the bondage of their family secret-he shows what courage looks like-that it’s never too late. It takes just one truth- teller, with an extraordinary gift of words to break the shackles and set other family members free. Eric Caruncho, PDI feature writer, interviewed Alex Tizon’s widow by email and he reproduces Melissa’s concluding statement in his article (PDI, May 28, 2017): “Alex’s family never used “slave” to describe Lola. It wasn’t until Alex started writing his drafts for the Atlantic that the word came up as a description of her role… “Also, when she finally moved in with Alex and me 12 years ago, she was already in her 70s. We didn’t want her to work. We wanted her to relax, rest and retire. Our kids loved her and so did all of Alex’s nieces and nephews, who also lived in our neighborhood. Everyone in our family came over to see her regularly. She was the true matriarch of the Tizon family!.
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Answer:
Thank you for providing context. It seems that you are referring to a passage from a book called “Lola, the True Matriarch Retold” by Elena C. Cutiongco. The passage describes the relationship between Alex Tizon, his brother Arthur, their mother, and their family’s maid, Lola.
As the brothers grew older, they began to realize that Lola’s situation was not normal, and this caused conflicts with their mother who became jealous of their closeness to Lola. Eventually, Tizon left his family home due to these conflicts. When Lola turned 75, Tizon “inherited” her from his mother and he and his wife tried to make up for the abuse that Lola had endured in their family’s household.
Explanation:
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