In his letter to the young women of Malolos written in 1889, Jose Rizal pays homage to the courageous women

of the town for their desire to educate themselves, truly, a liberating action at that time. Rizal sees in these women a ray of hope in restoring the Filipino woman's dignity and worth, which are being denigrated at that time. He emphasizes the importance of the Filipino mothers, as it is in their nurturing hands where the children's future lieswhether they would be free or enslaved. In this respect, Rizal compares the Filipino woman face to face with the European women and using the Spartan women as model, he cites examples of the way the Spartan women see themselves. Rizal advices the Filipino women to use reason, to know what a good mother is, and how to become one. Rizal reiterates that a good mother teaches honor, honesty, love of fellowmen, and respect for God. He urges them to ponder on his words and use reason to determine what is just from unjust. The young women of Malolos courageously refused to surrender to friar power and were successful in their combat for their just demand to education and their battle to stop Filipino slavery to the friars. In this letter, Dr. Rizal prescribed his standards of his perfect Filipina. She must have good conduct, clean conscience, upright thinking and knowledge of what is right and what is wrong. As a wife, the Filipina must assist her husband in every obstacle, inspire him with courage, take a part with him all dangers, to comport him in times of grief, and guide him to conquer his weaknesses and try to obtain high goals in life. In the position of a mother, she must instruct her offspring love of honor, love of fellowmen, love of country and love of God. Rizal ends his letter exhorting the women to "open your children's eyes so they may jealously guard their honor, love their fellowmen and their native land and do their duty.