The other week I wrote about loan-words from Chinese Hokkien (Minnan) and noted that the borrowing continues, even if on a very tiny scale. One word is striking: siobe (younger sister), which seems to be slowly entering Filipino.

My column today will not be about language but about politics, but we will return to siobe shortly. What I wanted to write about was politics and families. I am not referring here to dynasties, but, simply, to the ?significant others? that influence our politicians? views and lifestyles.

Taiwan is still reeling from the scandals around its former president, Chen Shui-bien, who together with his wife were found guilty last week of corruption and money-laundering and sentenced to life imprisonment. There?s still a long appeals process ahead, but just the conviction should get some of our politicians a bit apprehensive.

Matricentric

In the context of the Philippines, I wanted to zero in on the women in our politicians? lives. Let?s face it, although the Philippines is patriarchal, with men as the head of the family, we are also matricentric, meaning women play important roles in our lives, both in the private or domestic sphere, and in public life.

Mothers are often under-rated but they can be quite influential, perhaps universally. Many of you have heard that ?the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world,? a reference to the potential power of mothers. This actually comes from a 19th century poem by an American, William Ross Wallace.

The Filipina nanay is more powerful than her counterparts in many cultures, in part because so many of them have economic power. This isn?t because of the stereotyped view of husbands turning over their salaries to the ?commander?; the fact is that many women, even from the poorest of families, are always finding ways to supplement the household?s budget.

Many Filipino wives complain about the assertive, if not domineering, mother-in-law, and whine about how they ended up with a mama?s boy. It?s one of those paradoxes: the most macho societies in the world (for example Mexico, Italy) also have strong mama?s boy complexes, where the men, for all the displays of masculinity, turn into little Cub Scouts when their mothers glare at them. This, I suspect, applies even to the most macho of our politicians.

But Filipino wives should know that they too can be quite influential. The country has reeled from the conjugal dictatorship under Marcos, but we forget that other more quiet, unassuming first ladies were able to get things done behind the scenes. I?m thinking of Ming Ramos, who did so much of civic work but without seeking publicity. I think too of Michelle Obama, a brilliant lawyer who could stand by her husband and still be her own person, and yet displayed a low-key modesty that brought her husband even more votes than if she had been more aggressive.

In the case of the Liberal Party presidential and vice-presidential candidates, we have an interesting situation where both are still unmarried. In their cases, people are already watching the wives-to-be, and commenting.

?Bunso?

Then we get to the sisters, who tend to be underrated?until Noynoy Aquino came along. Noynoy has four sisters, two of them younger than he is and therefore siobe. The three older sisters have kept a low-profile. Then there is Kris, The Siobe.

In traditional Chinese society, a siobe was at a disadvantage because she was a girl, and a younger sibling. The Philippine context is different, even for ethnic Chinese families. While sons tend to be more privileged than daughters, the girls still get a much better deal than in traditional Chinese society. Not only that, the meaning of siobe has mutated to converge with our ?bunso syndrome.? Being bunso, the youngest, means that you are pampered, if not spoiled. Siobe is therefore a term of endearment in the Philippines, a way of saying, ?This is our little one, and we?re all out to protect her.?

Siodi, little brother, is also indulged but being male, he loses favor as he grows up because he goes off with his barkada, and starts to lead his own life. The siobe, on the other hand, retains close ties with siblings, and actually accumulates power. What siobe wants, siobe gets.

So, what does Kris want? Your guess is as good as mine. For now, we will have to start with her statements that she would like to see, through Noynoy, a continuation of the legacy of her parents.

The day Noynoy announced his candidacy, I was at the University of the Philippines for a symposium on Cory Aquino?s leadership. I was one of the speakers and I focused on women and political power. I did discuss our being a matricentric society and suggested we look at our candidates? wives, mothers and sisters. The next day our newspapers all carried front page reports about Noynoy?s candidacy, together with photographs of Noynoy?and siobe. (The Inquirer had Kris with her son.)

There?s much more to all this than gender. Some of you may have read Frank Sulloway?s ?Born to Rebel,? a massive study proposing that sibling order matters as well, with the eldest child tending to prefer a preservation of the status quo while the younger siblings tend to be more unconventional. Sulloway himself admits that sibling order has complex interactions with other factors, including parents, peer groups, even historical circumstances, but he says family dynamics are primary.

I need to review these studies more thoroughly and will write about some of those findings as the campaigns unfold. Meanwhile, do watch the mothers, wives and sisters. I don?t want to be sexist here and so I will say yes, watch the fathers, husbands and brothers, too. Certainly, we?ve seen how entire families can be involved, for better or for worse, in our politicians? governance.