Maguindanao Pearls: Reflective Essay

 The story Maguindanao Pearls tells us about a beautiful woman who was wrongly accused of stealing. She was put into trial and died by the hands of her very own father. In result, Lakambini, who was the real perpetrator regretted her actions.

Maguindanao Pearls showed us how cruel a person can be because of jealousy and Lakambini who was the victim of jealousy, ended up regretting her acts. Aside from showing us how dangerous jealousy is, it also mentions of several events that are related to history. The story mentioned of pearl necklaces which was believed to make a woman beautiful. In the old age, some tribes believe that pearls come from the fallen tears of the gods and goddesses that made its way to oysters. Some believe that pearls embodies elegance and distinction. That's why some Filipina women in the past wear pearl accessories because it had been a tradition or passed down for generations. Talking about traditions, basket weaving is also a tradition in most countries since it is a useful skill that was used even in the old ages. It has been widely used around the world since it has many uses before machines. Baskets were primarily used for storing and can be used for anything that's why it was a necessity back in the days. There were other historical events mentioned in the story like the boiling water trial. It was used in the medieval times where a suspect dips their hand to retrieve the stone in a boiling water and believed that God will make a miracle by leaving an unscathed hand if the suspect was innocent. It was soon forbidden by the priests but is used for witch hunting. 

Overall, the story teaches readers to think before acting and not be consumed by your emotions so that you won't regret your decisions. It also showed us how past Filipinos live and what they experience everyday because of their ranks in society.