(A couple of weeks ago, while uploading my post for Filipina Images dot com, an empowering Filipina website, I stumbled upon the post of Ms. Leah Cantos, another proud Pinay, on her Contest for Filipinas with blogs. It was open to all Filipina bloggers residing in the Philippines. Here’s was my entry for that contest and with God’s grace, I won that contest too with this piece.Thanks Leah. )

by Marikenya

It’s a well known fact that the Filipinas of today are far different from the traditional Filipinas in the earlier period. Being a pinay myself, I am thankful for all those fearless Filipinas in our history who valiantly fought against the society’s narrow concept on women particularly on the issues of our rights, responsibilities and capacities.

Today, to my delight, our country is already inundated with empowered Filipinas. We are now free to obtain an education, plan and have our own career and fight for ideals and principles that we believe in. Although there still exist tapered dogma on our gender from the conservative and conformist sector of our society, everyday, more women are enlightened and refuting abuses and violence against them.

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 by Marikenya

Follow-up article on the post Pinay Scandal… In the Mind of Pinays. If you know Filipinas who are worth appreciating and featuring in this website, please email it to marikenya@yahoo.com. Please include photos with your article. Together, we can show the world that Pinays should not be associated with Scandals.

Everyday, I see greatness of Filipino people (no matter what they say that our nation and society is bombarded with negativities). Specifically, I admire and love Filipina women (not only because I am one) for having values that every Filipino, men and women alike, should be proud of.

My Pinay heroine for today is Julie M. Borje (without any salutation of Ms. or Dir. in her name because she is so modest she just wanted everyone to address her as such). Her name is becoming popular these days because she was appointed as chairman of the Board of Jurors and Selection/Screening Committee for the Metro Manila Film Festival for 2007. If you google her name in the internet, you will find in the search results, aside from the MMFF, links on the various projects and programs she was involved with locally and internationally.

Julie Borje is currently the director of the Marikina Center for Excellence. She is my mentor and who I consider my kernel of power in the institution where we belong. She once told me during a time that I was terribly upset with some people in the organization: “Your inspiration should come from within you, not from others so you won’t get lost and frustrated when your models do something bad.”

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