ScSc14n – Philippine Indigenous Communities
Instructor Alaina Larrazabal
TF, 13:00 – 14:30
Offering Number: M052
Benson Clark Dagalea
22-1-00202
\
“Let her be the first woman to complain, to denounce the unwritten rule that a man may take
another woman.”
Yet, as her man dances with another woman, she didn’t do it.
The short story written by Amador Daguio entitled: “Wedding Dance” tells a bittersweet story
between a couple who are forced to separate for the reason that they can’t bear a child. I pity
Awiyao and Lumnay as their love is sacrificed over a customary tradition. The line above just
screams desperation and sadness from the perspective of the woman, Lumnay, who is greatly
pained about her relationship with the person she thought she would spend the rest of her life
with. The man, Awiyao, is compelled to redeem himself by remarrying another woman to have
a child, as he can’t have it with Lumnay. I just relate to the line above as sometimes, I thought
of trying to break free from a particular social norm and just be the pioneer of it however, I
can’t do it because of the fear of being unaccepted, ridiculed and laughed at. The short story
was beautifully and creatively written as it vividly described the feelings of Awiyao and
Lumnay. In addition, it captures the raw emotions of the couple and it purely entails their grief
and agony of the situation they are forced into. I appreciate how Awiyao is comforting, and
patient with Lumnay. Despite having a child with another woman, he still cares and worries
for his wife. The situation that they are in is a social construct that defines the status of a
relationship of a couple. Moreover, the cultural norm in the story dictate that men are expected
to have children, and if their wives cannot bear them, they are justified in seeking another
partner. This is evident when Awiyao is torn between his love for Lumnay and the pressure
that he is under in, which is to have children. This ‘unwritten law’ in the story is shallow and
pointless as I personally believe that a man do not a child to prove that he is a man nor a couple
don’t need one for them to be ‘complete’ and accepted.