Being Princess: Or Being Prim and Proper with Political Passion and Purpose

Ana Maria Ronquillo Nemenzo or Princess, as we all call her, may not know it (or she probably will not remember), but she was instrumental in my entry and evolution into feminist politics.

Back in the late 80s, I attempted to do an undergraduate thesis on women in politics. That’s how I met most of the KALAYAAN (full name: Katipunan ng Kababaihan Para sa Kalayaan or League of Women for Liberation – now doesn’t that sound, guerilla-ish) women for the first time and got exposed to their awe-inspiring and ahem ‘G&D’ feminist activism. That’s also before I attended and experienced their ‘wild’ parties. I had not considered myself a feminist then, having only an elementary grasp of gender issues. One of the first women I met was Princess, whose refined demeanor seemed unnerving -- initially. By ‘refined’, I mean, boarding school-refined. Yet, she was feisty too – and fierce -- in her feminist articulation and political stance. 

The early KALAYAAN days..

I interviewed Princess for about an hour and tried to milk as much information from her on the state of women in politics, i.e., did having a woman president at that time meant better conditions for women involved in politics and did it translate into concrete political gains for Filipino women? Of course, I had forgotten her specific responses to my thesis-related questions, but I remember asking her towards the end of the interview how one becomes a member of KALAYAAN.  She said, “Just come to our orientation and join our activities”. What?? No screening test? No initiation rites? It’s that ‘easy’ to join this ‘select’ feminist collective? It took me a year later to make that happen. By then, I had also met Irene, who had joined KALAYAAN much earlier and who was, thankfully, the same age as I was. I mean, it’s no joke being a twenty-year old in the midst of fearsome and formidable forty-something feminists (well, there were a few thirty-somethings, too). Our joke then was that if Princess had a daughter at 15 and if her daughter also had one at 15, then that ‘one’ would be me. Though in honesty, I never did feel that 30-year gap between us.

Anti-US Bases Rally, 1991. Photo by Flor Caagusan

I remember those GAs and parties at Princess’s house in UP in the early 90s, the rallies that KALAYAAN joined with her at the frontlines, and the endless meetings, workshops and trainings that I had been lucky to be a part of. In particular, I remember assisting Princess in documenting a Womanhealth project: a series of consultations, which brought me to Zamboanga and Dumaguete. I distinctly recall how once she drove me into a state of stressful panic -- we needed to catch a flight in an hour, but she was still happily engrossed in scrutinizing the local fabric at the flea market.

Twenty-five pounds ago, I was in a lunch meeting in a restaurant called Canopy in West Avenue. It was an obvious rip-off of Trellis, with its open-air interiors, verdant foliage and wide wooden chairs. Princess arrived, sat beside me, said hello, and lowered her gaze on the seat I was occupying. “Oh my god, you’re only occupying one half of the chair!” she remarked with earnest shock that I would never forget till this very day (yes, especially now – at twenty-five pounds later).

Which brings me to my next subject: food. If there is one way to typify or personify the fine art of eating, that would be none other than Princess. Her reverence to food radiates in the dining table. There is no other delight for a food lover and cook like me than to have someone indulge in gustatory pleasure over my ‘creations’. Princess always manages to get totally absorbed in her food. Even in the midst of the madness and noise around her, she will meticulously spoon those tiny morsels of red velvet cupcake into her mouth.

Magkagulo na ang lahat.. Imma have this red velvet cupcake and eat it too.

And I must mention remembering her warnings (or should I say, slight exasperation – complete with head-shaking and tongue-clicking) at one point in my life when I embarked on something that was rather reckless and foolhardy. Okay, let’s stop there. :-) 

In the last few years, I got know Princess, the groupie. Who would have thought I’d end up hanging out with her to watch concerts and musical shows? It’s almost like being taken back to the early years of KALAYAAN, when we worked hard and partied harder. 

If there's one thing that should be celebrated about Princess, it's her dedication and commitment in advancing women's sexual and reproductive health and rights, not just nationally, but globally. Through the years, she has remained present in my life. Even though there were many years when we rarely saw each other, every time we reunited, the warmth was always there, as if we never parted. Princess was and will always be a constant reminder and inspiration to me of how it is to be a feminist activist, through and true.