Honoring the strength of a woman left twice by men

Fashion designer, lifestyle journalist, children’s book author, culinary instructor — Vicky Veloso Barrera wouldn’t be able to become all these and more if not for the love, strength and sacrifices of a great woman — her great-grandmother Marina Antonio.

“If you’d read the book, you’ll find out that she had a difficult life. Their family was abandoned by the father when they were very young. Her first husband abandoned her because he thought he couldn’t have children,” Barrera told DAILY TRIBUNE in an exclusive interview why she decided to write a book, Love, Marina, about her great grand lola (grandmother).

According to Vicky, her Lola Marina’s mom taught her lola how to sew and cook as survival skills. “She said, ‘If you know all those skills, you can survive anywhere’,” Barrera recalled.

When her first husband abandoned her, Marina used her circumstance as motivation to not only focus on her craft, but to even thrive in it.

“Imagine, this was the 1930s, okay? If you were left by your husband, what are your chances of making it? You’ll almost feel like an outcast if you’re left by your husband in the 1930s,” Vicky pointed out.

“She focused on her sewing. She made a name for herself there. So much so that her clients match-made her to my lolo,” Vicky shared how her Lola Marina’s resilience and hard work later paid off as Marina would later on meet the love of her life, the now National Artist for Architecture Pablo Antonio. Together, Marina and Pablo inspired three generations of architects, fashion designers and landscape and visual artists to follow in their footsteps.

“So, by choosing to be a woman that’s not dependent on a parent, not dependent on a husband, she learned how to survive on her own,” Vicky shared a key message from Love, Marina, published by Vicky and Far Eastern University.

Apart from being an inspiring read, Love, Marina is a visually-rich compendium of Marina’s lasting legacy and designs, which are still very relevant and wearable — almost 100 years since they were made!

Edited by Thelma S. San Juan and with art direction by Geolette Esguerra, Love, Marina is a glorious encyclopedia of how a Filipina transformed her passions into a timeless art — fashion, flowers, food and even raising a family.

“She really shows that women, we have the power to shape our lives,” Vicky said of what women can learn from her Lola Marina. “We don’t have to be defeated by problems. We can stand in our own two feet… Of course, we love the men in our lives, but if they abandon or hurt you, you can still stand. You can make use of your abilities and talents to carve yourself a happy life.”

Vicky, who married in her late 30s, told single ladies: “All the times I wasn’t married, I didn’t feel like I needed a husband to feel a sense of home.”

“I said, if I didn’t meet a husband, I’m just happy being like this, rather than you marry someone you’re not happy with. It just so happened that my husband, who grew up abroad, moved back and we met,” she shared.

“So, you don’t need men to feel whole as a person. So you carve your own career and make use of all your talents that make you feel whole as a person. And then, when love comes, and that’s great and that’s good. But definitely, women, we can stand on our own. They might say that you’re weaker when you’re not married — but no, no, no!”