Filipino women are stereotyped to be simple, obedient, caring, and God-fearing. That’s why it’s no big surprise when the keyword “Filipina” yields a bunch of dating websites catering specifically to men in search of Filipinas for love, friendship, and marriage. One could argue that there’s nothing wrong with using dating websites to find life partners with the qualities mentioned above. Most dating websites are legal, legitimate, and the participating Filipinas join the dating pool out of their own free will. That doesn’t discount the fact that these dating websites capitilize on the exoticized Filipina. Dating websites don’t spring out of the woodwork and match people around the world out of the goodness of their hearts. They’re a business selling products, and their products happen to be the Filipina. This essay shows how this system works by examining a dating website called Filipina Hearts.

Continue reading the entry on How Dating Websites Commodify the Filipina: A Pseudo-Case Study

Awarding of the Winners of the WikiPilipinas Filipina Stories

Date: Saturday, March 29, 2008
Time: 5:00- 6:00 PM
Venue: “Women Can’t Wait”, SMX Convention Hall # 3, SMX Convention Center, beside SM Mall of Asia, Bay Blvd., Bay City, Pasay City
Map to SMX Convention Center: Click on thumbnail

This is our tentative program for the March 28 event, 11-12nn

1. Opening Remarks
2. About Vibal Foundation
3. Empowering Women Through Internet
4. Walkthroughs: Filipiniana.net and Wikipilipinas.org and Filipinaimages.com
5. Raffle iPod Nano to contestants
6. Announcement of Winners
7. Closing

Wikipilipinas will host lunch for the contestants in a restaurant in Mall of Asia after the program.

Gabriela joined the Youth Led Communal Action for Truth, Justice and Change at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila yesterday. Their movement deals distinctly with the problems of women as women, working to free women from all forms of economic and political oppression and discrimination, sexual violence and abuse, neglect and denial of their health and reproductive rights. The movement is integral to the national liberation struggle for sovereignty, a democratic and representative government and equality between women and men in all aspects of life. Lastly, it is vital movement that harness the power of half of the country’s population towards liberation.

Gabriela calls out to all Filipina mothers ….

Women Unite. Fight for your Children’s Future

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Dine and I just went live at 8:00 AM on She-ka, a TV magazine aired over National Broadcasting Network (NBN). Isa Litton, the host asked how the Filipina campaign started.

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The following is a speech I delivered today (written by co-founder Lorna Dietz) at the Helena Benitez Global Forum on Women, Power and Sustainable Development at the Manila Hotel. Together with co-founder Dine Racoma, we talked about the Filipina Images advocacy to local women leaders from different local government units nationwide such as mayors, vice-mayors, vice-governors, Board members etc. The occasion was the 1st International Seminar and Partnership Consultation on Gender Justice and Sustainable Development in celebration of International Women’s Month Celebration.

Good morning to everyone here today who are taking time out from their busy schedules to celebrate this launching of cyberspace tools for success — for Filipinos, about Filipinos, and by Filipinos — wherever they are in the world.

This is what I would like to do today for our topic, “Using Technology in Uplifting the Image of the Filipina.”

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Lorna Dietz, co-founder of Filipina Images released the following press release for media outlets outside the Philippines.

Gus Vibal of Vibal Publishing House, a respected name in the Philippines’ educational book business industry, is tenacious and unstoppable in his efforts to get the word out about “the joys of the wiki” for Filipinos and about Filipinos. Vibal’s substantial investment in wikiPilipinas.org, the hip ‘n free Philippine Encyclopedia, is accomplishing major milestones by attracting partnering organizations to collaborate with writing projects. Wiki writers can now take advantage of the opportunities to promote literacy and history in the following languages: English, Filipino, Cebuano, Waray, Ilokano, Bicol, and Kapampangan. Those who are familiar with Wikipedia’s platform will find wikiPilipinas’s format familiar territory.

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Background : This entry contains a blog repost and links from Filipina Images readers who voluntarily wrote a feedback on the Conned by a Filipina entry. I had since closed the comments section of that entry. Tim Cumper (sometimes known as Timothy Ellis Cumper, Ellumbra), the alleged scam victim had the audacity to accuse Francis Jalbuena, the alleged scam artist as hiding behind my name. (He’s also blogged about it here, here and here) There are many alleged Scam artists involved aside from Francis Jalbuena. There is Paranaque Medical Center, Tierra Maria Estates, Chin chin Guitierrez…but I will talk about myself.

Let me make it clear:

1. I, Noemi Lardizabal-Dado will not allow people to comment using my name in my own blog. I have control over readers commenting in my blog. It is IMPOSSIBLE that Francis Jalbuena (one of the alleged scam artist) used my name in the comment section. I wrote those comments.

2. I have never met Francis Jalbuena or knew him at the time the blog entry was written by tim aka Ellumbra. Of course , now I know him because I’ve read Tim’s story.

3. Tim does not understand the nature of Philippine’ ISP and IP numbers. I came across a blogger with an exact IP address as mine in one of the comments. IP number is NOT proof enough that Francis Jalbuena used my name. Besides you all know I have FOUR Internet Service Providers. Perhaps, it is coincidence that Francis has the same IP number as mine.

If Tim wants to examine our IP numbers in our computers, he will have to file a case here in the Philippines and ask for a court order to acquire our IP numbers.

4. I am showing the countless posts and links scattered around the internet surrounding the Tierra Maria Estates Scam and Philippine Hospital Scam..

5. I never enjoined Filipina Images Reader to write about this alleged scam but they did, out of their desire to vindicate the Filipina in question, spread the truth and justice of the innocent victims of the alleged scam victims or to take the side of Tim.

6. Judge the links contained in this entry. Read Tim’s story. You decide.

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To all Filipinos Everywhere:
by Bernadette Torres bjaytorres@yahoo. com

I used to think that corruption and criminality in the Philippines were caused by poverty. But recent events tell me this isn’t true. It is one thing to see people turn into drug addicts, prostitutes, thieves and murderers because of hunger and poverty, but what excuse do these rich, educated people have that could possibly explain their bizarre behavior? And to think I was always so relieved when petty snatchers got caught and locked away in jail because I never fully realized that the big time thieves were out there, making the laws and running our country. Can it get any worse than this?

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