SUPERWOMAN Imelda Marcos, matriarch of the Romualdez family, turns 94 on July 2, 2023

Here’s to strong women connected to the divine, who help guide us as women equal to men on this earth.

In my lifetime, I have been fortunate enough to meet a handful of women who have greatly impacted my life and the lives of those within their community. A few stand out right away. Given the space allotted for my article, I will only be able to talk about two: Manobo Tribe Supreme Bae (female chieftain) Divina Padecio, whose entire tribe depended on her ability to protect their food security, and Imelda Romualdez Marcos, the former first lady who will be celebrating her 94th birthday on Sunday, July 2.

I met Chieftain Divina on a mountain a few kilometers out of Tacloban in Leyte province. Traditionally, the title of chieftain is given to the eldest son of the ruling datu. It can, however, be conferred on a woman, if she were found by the council of tribal elders to possess the traits of a good leader. The Supreme Bae is also imbued with extrasensory abilities.

POWER COUPLE Manobo Supreme Bae Divina with her husband Datu Rico

Days before Yolanda struck, the Supreme Bae said the animals and insects in the jungle were agitated, making such disconcerting noise. “We knew some calamity was going to come,” she says, recalling that she ordered the tribe of around 72 men, women, and children to start preparing for it. They began to store food crops and built a “bomb shelter” of sorts, where the entire tribe took shelter as soon as the winds started to pick up. The tribe packed the children’s clothing and other essentials in plastic bags and hung them in the rafters. Then a day before the storm struck, there was just silence.

On the day super typhoon Yolanda hit Tacloban, Leyte in November 2013, Supreme Bae Divina said it grew so dark you could not even see the face of the person next to you. The wind had picked up and carried black sand swept up from the island’s beaches.

The Supreme Bae and her husband Datu Rica are convinced the tribe survived the storm and the aftermath by having a deep understanding of the forest system. They lost all of their crops, only able to rebuild by collecting seeds from old and discarded burlap sacks.

After Yolanda, all survivors were given the opportunity to claim aid from the government to help rebuild their lives. True to her strong will and determination, Bae Divina filed a claim for her “earthworms.” According to her, the worms are fed all sorts of grass and their “poo” is used to fertilize their crops. When the Supreme Bae sensed that “something” was going to happen by reading the signs in nature, the community gathered all the worms, storing them in jars. These earthworms survived the wrath of Yolanda too.

The Supreme Bae insisted that worms are Yolanda survivors and their continued presence in the tribe and in people’s lives is an integral part of the community’s survival. So, Bae Divina wrote a letter requesting for a grass shredder for her earthworns so they may be able to digest their food faster and produce more fertilizer, which will then be used by the tribe in their efforts to propagate their crops, ensuring quick recovery and self-sufficiency.

PREPARING FOR THE WORST Days before Typhoon Yolanda hit, Bae Divina ordered the tribe to build a 'bomb shelter' where tribe members can take shelter during the storm

Years after Yolanda, Supreme Bae Divina says, the mountains and lowlands of Leyte have become very fertile. She claims this is the result of the volcanic material found in the sand that was carried by the storm winds across the island. Vegetables that never could grow in the uplands flourish and others that take almost a month to harvest now only take as little as one week and a half. According to Bae Divina, not only do they see a thriving environment of flora, but they have been noticing more and more animals not commonly seen in the past, like small “kangaroos” and the return of eels in the rivers.

During our visit, the Supreme Bae proudly showed us the fruits of her labor on the hillside of Barangay Abucay. She was so proud of her accomplishment to provide for the tribal members again. She talked of expanding the variety of vegetables and plants. Supreme Bae Divina believes the tribe was spared because they were able to read the signs, which is only possible if one has a deep connection with nature.

IN HER YOUTH At birth, Imelda Marcos was declared to be 'someone special, blessed with a secret destiny'

The former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, our family matriarch, has steered the Romualdez family since the death of my grandfather Vicente Orestes Lopez Romualdez on Sept. 30, 1955. Upon her birth she was declared by all as “someone special” and one who had been “blessed with a secret destiny.” I have not been shy about my admiration for my Auntie Meldy. She celebrates her 94th birthday with all the wisdom and understanding from almost 100 years on this earth. I’m sure she’d be the first to say she is proud of having lived as long as that. She is the strongest and wisest woman I know, who has taught me so much. It seems the two words in “Thank You” are inadequate to convey how grateful I am to have her in my life. She has chosen to take the road less traveled and I was reminded of this a number of times and as an avid K-drama viewer, I couldn’t help having the following words seared in my memory from My Country: The New Age (S1 E1, 1:04): “What is only land becomes a path if you walk on it. Pave the way.”

Certainly, Auntie Meldy paved the way! It has never been an easy journey for her because as she has taught me, “A road is not just where we walk, but also where we move forward. A road where we cannot move forward is not a real road. And although the road is open to everyone, not everyone can take that road” (Misaeng, S1 E1, 48:55). So that road Auntie Meldy paved for us is certainly not for the faint-hearted but my aunt Imelda followed through on that by showing us how to persevere, never to give up, and to pick ourselves up when we fall, only to rise again, to keep on walking, and to keep on living with dignity always.

SELFIE WITH AUNTIE The author with her aunt, Imelda Marcos, whom she considers as one of the women that have greatly impacted her life

I have often been asked to describe our family matriarch Imelda. Words like indomitable, strong, feminine, funny, charming, beautiful, kind but not a pushover, and intelligent come to mind, but to be able to articulate a description is impossible. Imelda is more than the sum of all of her parts and there will never be just one word to describe her. She is after all my rock, my anchor, my dragon slayer. A few hours with her and my world is right again. So, to this wonderful lady full of grace, style, dignity, and wisdom, happy 94th birthday, Auntie Meldy!