-it is an expository type of essay which uses the device of character portrayal to develop its main ideas on motherhood.
This essay was written by Dr. Pilar Hidalgo-Lim who was one of the founders of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines. She was also married to World War II hero, Brigadier General Vicente Lim.
Dr. Lim emphasizes that the mother is recognized as the shaper of man’s destiny. Napoleon Bonaparte said, “The future destiny of the child is always the works of the mother….Let France have good mothers, and she will have good sons.”
Significant contributions Filipino women have done
1. Princess Urduja-Philippine folk heroine
2. Gabriela Silang-Filipina revolutionary leader
3. Melchora Aquino-Mother of the Philippine Revolution
Role of the Filipino mother -builder of the family
Principal function of the mother -moulder of the character and personality of the young to the end that they grow up useful and upright citizens of the country.
Varied functions of the mother in a Filipino home
1. Keeper of the purse
2. Housekeeper of the house
3. Hostess during social gatherings in the family
4. Accountant of all financial expenditures
5. Career woman who also keeps abreast of the progress of her profession by extensive reading and by pursuing formal studies
Dr. Lim emphasizes her portrayal of the Filipino mother by going in a diverse discussion of the mothers challenges, her influencing factor in the shaping of the destiny of her children and her husband and her symbolic representation of LOVE in the highest degree of sacrifices.
Read the poem “A Mother is LOVE”