The Modern Filipina Archetypes and Ambiguities in the Wildflower Teleserye vis-a-vis Filipinos’ Sensibilities The Modern Filipina Archetypes and Ambiguities in the Wildflower Teleserye vis-a-vis Filipinos’ Sensibilities INTRODUCTION As the momentum of pendulum heightens its motion, people also learned to sway in the ripples of fast-changing state of its surrounding. Everything is in constant change as what the line of a classic song says. Part and parcel of these changes cause a relay of reaction to society, culture and its people. In the realm of gender equality, women continue their stride to verge beyond the niche of machismo; thereby, establish themselves as humans who breathe in a world of the same atmosphere (Ochong, 2007). Women’s role gains its metamorphic phase as the “modern women” realize their worth, equal place, and the same rights in the sphere of the social, economic, and political arena. They learned to emancipate themselves from the shadows of men and established their own identities. For instance, in the field of politics, Senator Meriam Defensor Santiago, to name one, epitomizes a modern woman whose definition is vindicated not by culture or other people, but only by her actions. She is said to be a woman who lives through her own principles. This thing testifies what Helene Cixous said that woman should break the snare of silence and liberate her soul out from its own shell (Mendoza, 2012). It is also evident that contemporary or even modern writers, regardless of gender, would always have anthologies of works whose subjects are women. Moreover, in the medium where the audience occupies the biggest share, like movies and television programs, different portrayals among women are highly celebrated (Yoa, 2009). Though there are still some teleseryes wherein women debonair play a typical “Maria Clara” role who typifies the idea of what a Filipina should be like (someone who conformed to the dictum of the society) and a “Mary-like” woman whose role is of a mother and a wife, most of the top rating teleseryes nowadays deviate from the mainstreaming and stereotyping of woman character. Nowadays, both women protagonist and antagonist show their strength and power that breaks the common idea of what women should be like; portrayals whose roles transcend beyond the orthodox and the typical idea of a Filipina. A deviant characterization that gives voice and power to women characters: something that is both empowering and liberating. Nonetheless, the point of discussion of the author will lie in the details that upon the attempt of the telersye to flaunt the modern archetypes of a Filipina, strong and empowered woman who liberates under the yoke of patriarchal hegemony, the actions and ways of the woman character seems to be crucial for it calls to be subjected to great scrutiny (especially if standards, like morality to name one, will be considered). Moreover, the researcher would like to know if how these portrayals affect and reflect the Filipinos’ way of thinking and sense of morality. These intricate portrayals of the woman character will serve as the point of reference of the researcher to discuss his views. As the researcher ventures in his discussion, two major literary theories are of equal importance in delineating his points. These are 1. Feminism (Helene Cixous), to show how the woman portrayals in teleserye try to subvert the idea and configuration of patriarchy, and 2. Deconstructionism (Jacques Derrida), to show that in the attempt of the teleserye to empower the woman lead character, remove her from her marginalized and stereotypical views, and to liberate her from the yoke of patriarchal hegemony, the result was otherwise. Based on these analyses, a synthesis about Filipinos’ sensibilities (on how it affects and reflects their ways of thinking) will be crafted.