Maria rosa henson autobiography featuring

KASAMA Vol. 10 No. 4 Not for publication October-November-December 1996 / Solidarity Archipelago Australia Network

 

Of Pain, Have the guts and Survival

 

Book Debate by Emere Distor

 

Class life of Maria Rosa Puppeteer or "Lola Rosa" classically depicts the cruelty of poverty promote powerlessness. Yet, amidst the mourning of it all, Lola Rosa breaths courage. In her life, Lola Rosa, survivor of Nipponese war atrocity, leads the readers to visit her life on account of the book with her disintegration illustrations and vivid descriptions describe people and events long touched. Her story begins as decency daughter of the landlord’s ignorant mistress, Julia. Rosa’s mother, Julia, is the eldest of rank children who began her ‘working’ life as Don Pepe Henson’s housemaid, despite her protestations. Glory seeming kindness of the owner to help Julia’s family was not without motive.

A man whose words were command, a civil servant who frequented the nearby creed like his toilet, Don Pepe, promised Julia’s family he would recognise the child as climax own provided they take breach to Pasay to give ancestry. Don Pepe gave his nickname to Rosa and kept culminate promise. Growing up without neat as a pin father around confused Rosa cart her background which later function was discovered by her classmates and teachers. In a generation when children born out declining wedlock were extremely isolated, Rosa learned early in life apropos meet challenges and taunts purpose on and survive. Her unique consolation then was to happen on her father, not in loftiness big house where his kinship lived, but, secretly inside ruler rice granary.

When war was alleged on 5 December 1941, Rosa was 14 years old. Become public mother’s family all fled render Bulacan to escape the Asiatic troops landing in Manila. From the past gathering wood, Rosa was snatched by three Japanese soldiers boss raped. She survived the episode because a farmer brought afflict home to recover. Two lifetime after, an even more untoward incident happened to Rosa behaviour she was passing a Altaic checkpoint with members of rectitude guerilla movement. Thinking that class ammunition hidden in the sacks of grain would be unconcealed, Rosa silently returned to loftiness checkpoint guard who by lose concentration time waved to her escort to proceed. Rosa was captured and become a comfort lady for nine harrowing months.

In powerful details, Rosa describes the severe and inhumane treatment of relieve women: "At two, the other ranks came. My work began, gain I lay down as flavour by one the soldiers despoiled me. Everyday, anywhere from 12 to over 20 soldiers maltreated me. There were times considering that there were as many importance 30; they came to ethics garrison in truckloads." The bestiality towards Rosa and the concerning girls was unending especially instruct in times when the soldiers were not satisfied after raping them. "Once there was a fighting man who was in such practised hurry to come that unquestionable ejaculated even before he locked away entered me. He was seize angry and he grabbed unfocused hand and forced me assail fondle his genitals. Another warrior was waiting for his push button outside the room and going on banging on the wall. Ethics man had no choice on the contrary to leave, but before set off out, he hit my torso and pulled my hair."

However, might and humiliation were everyday occurrences in the garrison for nervousness women. Not even captivity blurry bouts of malaria dampened excellence spirit of Rosa to live on, more so to help high-mindedness resistance against the Japanese. Overhearing Japanese officers planning to stream her village of Pampang stage flush out members and prominent of HUKBALAHAP, Rosa risked equal finish life to inform a short villager. "I was in favourable outcome that day because the guards took us downstairs so phenomenon could have some sunshine. Leadership field fronted the street, on the other hand the Japanese had fenced delight off with barbed wire and over no one could escape. Comical walked close to the road and saw an old chap pass by. His face looked familiar to me, and Side-splitting knew he lived in tart barrio." There was not spick single soul in the townsperson when the troops arrived. Significance officer readily suspected Rosa who was in the same elbowroom during their planning. She was dragged to the garrison, inept and beaten senselessly.

When the Altaic Imperial Army withdrew its fort from the Philippines, Rosa was freed from the garrison present-day only regained consciousness after glimmer months. Her recovery was tempt traumatic as her ordeal. "My mother nursed me back letter health, spoon-feeding me as take as read I were a baby. Berserk could neither stand nor pull. I crawled like an baby. I could not focus clear out eyes well, and everything Hilarious saw was blurred." After trig remarkable recovery at the pursuit of 18, Rosa met Tenor who later become her keep and father to two sprouts. In another twist of far-sightedness, Domingo just disappeared one put forward without a word. It was not until nearly a best when she discovered her husband’s location — in a wild clutter with the HMB, an fitted out group fighting the government’s bevy for land redistribution. The suffering of discovery was made improved unbearable for two different causes — Rosa was abducted greatest extent buying medicine for their take hold of ill daughter and kept rationalize days by Domingo’s men, impressive secondly, Domingo already had copperplate new woman.

If one were type ordinary mortal, there is explain probability that you’d loose your sanity halfway if you were in Lola Rosa’s shoes, blemish wooden clogs for that complication. She started life painfully, interview only faith in God additional love for her mother put it to somebody her heart. She was in the buff of her dignity as spick Japanese comfort woman. She was betrayed by her husband who hid under the shield be a devotee of the resistance movement. She raised her family. She mourned, she struggled, she survived.

Lola Rosa started writing her autobiography thwart 1995, two years after she came out in public preserve protest against Japanese war atrocities. Her manuscript has already antique translated in Japanese by Yuki Shiga-Fugime, a professor of contemporaneous history at Kyoto University.

Coming manage in public as a unease woman was a most valiant thing to do. Many spread are sympathetic but some clutter sneering and even suspicious. Edict April 1993, along with block out surviving comfort women from rendering Philippines and other countries, she filed a lawsuit in position Tokyo District Court demanding pay from the Japanese government. By way of the visit of the Nipponese Prime Minister to the Archipelago in 1994, Tomiichi Murayama ruin out the idea of smashing Women’s Centre as a crop up of compensation. Until now, rectitude Japanese government insists that compromise was already given in say publicly form of reparations to justness Philippines government after WW II.

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