Denise Katipunera (Denise)

Denise claims that there is nothing original about her, but a quick look at her photos is enough to disprove this statement. This wardrobe blogger has the prettiest ukay dresses around and can get away with wearing layers and scarves in our tropical climate. Aside from her perfectly-composed outfit photos, her sunny personality and positive attitude towards life makes her blog a delight to read.

Fashionista Fortune Cookie (Lloyda)

A girl like Lloyda is difficult to miss. Her outfits are playful yet polished, fashion-forward but not contrived. Every single outfit she wears leaves not only a lasting imprint of her style, but also a refreshing playfulness so rarely found in adults. It’s no wonder that she snagged one of Preview Magazine’s Best Dressed Awards this year, a spot in a style book, and numerous snaps at Style Bible. Her blog is a real inspiration for anyone who’s not quite ready to ditch their quirky duds for more “grown-up” attire.

Chic in the Tropics (Eden)

Black is often the safe, go-to color for those who are afraid to experiment with their wardrobe, but Eden brings back the edge and excitement to black clothing once more. This young disc jockey can be found partying in the streets of Cebu wearing statement pieces, trendy neutrals, and gravity-defying heels. Check out her blog for some real rocker-chick fashion and for ideas on new ways to wear black.

The Capricious Club (Bestie)

“Capricious” – an old-fashioned word for fanciful, whimsy, or erratic – is truly the perfect adjective to describe Bestie’s sense of style. There’s nothing predictable about her; on some days you’ll find her frolicking in a field in a maxidress like the hippies of old, on other days she waxes nostalgia in frilly blouses and bows. Follow her blog for ideas on how to translate vintage-inspired fashion and current trends into real life.

Death by Platforms (Kookie)

Most girls would pair lace and florals with girly accessories, but not Kookie of Death by Platforms – she wears her frilly dresses with layered black necklaces and lots of attitude. And of course, black platform heels! Her sense of style is a unique blend between classic femininity and gothic romanticism. If you’re adventurous enough to make unlikely pairings, check out Kookie’s blog for more photos of her edgy fashion sense.

A Plus B in the Sea (A and B)

We all want to stay abreast of current trends, but what if you’re on a limited student budget? Meet A and B, two spirited girls who can show you how to look good without spending a lot. They’ve got a useful guide on navigating Manila’s thrift stores, not to mention an abundance of dreamy photos that will make you want to frolic in the nearest field in lovely floral dresses.

Drowning Equilibriums (Aisa)

It’s easy to see why Chictopia Style Icon Aisa keeps getting featured on other fashion blogs – she can mix and match items from different eras with such effortlessness and grace. Although her preference for vintage-inspired fashion clearly shows, every new photo she posts is always exciting and inspired. She’s giving away tons of goodies from local online retailers soon, so if there has ever been a good time to follow her, it’s now!

Source: Seven stylish Filipina bloggers

Looking at Rossana now, you would not believe she hails from very simple beginnings. Her own father did not finish formal schooling, making it all the more ironic that she has become one of the country’s top proponents for quality education. However, it is precisely because of her humble beginnings that have made Rossana value education and hard work all the more.

It is a miracle in itself that she was able to obtain a college education form UP Los Banos given her poor background. Her family was so poor, she couldn’t afford to buy her own textbooks, so she spent her time in the library studying.

A product of the public school system in the Laguna area, it was only through the financial aid and the help of an uncle that Rossana was able to get a Degree at UP Los Banos. Early on, she knew that to get ahead, she had to take matters into her own hands. She supplemented her allowance and helped her parents out by selling whatever she could. From mangoes, to polvoron, rubber bands and toys, Rossana did what she could to survive. She scheduled her classes so that it left her ample time to take on odd jobs. On top of her busy school and work schedule, she still had to do her share of household chores such as laundry and cleaning to help her parents. She also remained well rounded by joining several extra curricular activities and even playing for her college soccer team.

After graduation, Rossana worked in different fields, including real estate. In her twenties, she got married and later became a mother. It was a tough balancing act being a working mom, wife and so she decided to start her own business so she could stay at home to raise her two children back then.

In 1995, she started AHEAD with only P5000. She tutored students from her rented living room apartment in Pasig and only had her other friends who were Magna and Summa cum Laude graduates as other tutors. Rossana set her business apart from other review centers by focusing on preparing the students for the UPCAT. She later expanded to focused exam based reviews for the Ateneo Entrance Exam, as well as the De La Salle Entrance Exam.

The high passing and acceptance rate of her review center graduates made her a widely popular choice for senior students seeking the competitive edge. Three years after founding the review center, she put up Ahead Books and Things, with the publication of the industry’s first UPCAT review book. Within five years, AHEAD was established as the country’s premiere tutorial and review center. She also established AHEAD Professional Network.

Only in her early forties, Rossana has already achieved more that most people twice her age. It is a remarkable feat and a testament to this lady’s tenacity that she has overcome the odds to become one of the most successful businesswomen in the country today, all the while raising four children.

Rossana’s achievements have been met with several awards and accolades, including the Gold Quill for Marketing from the International Association of Business Communicators; Agora for Outstanding Achievement in Entrepreneurship from the Philippine Marketing Association; Aurelio Periquet Jr. Leadership Award; Ilaw ng Karunungn award from Philam Life; and the “Outstanding Educational Administrator” by the Consumers Union of the Philippines. She has also been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine and Mom Magazine, and is constantly being invited as a guest speaker to provide inspiration for the next generation.

One of the things that makes Rossana’s success story unique, is that instead of looking outside the country for opportunities for success, she turned inward and sought how she could help her country and herself. Instead of migrating, she found a need in the country, met it and raised the standards of expectation. She revolutionized the way tutorial centers are viewed, by making it a necessary supplemental aspect in a child’s education rather than where only lazy and underachievers go to. She raised the quality and standardized review centers.

This Renaissance woman is a shinning example of how far the competitive human spirit and unwavering focus and determination can take someone from the bottom rungs of socio economic poverty, to the very pinnacle of success. Even at the top, Rossana still wants to do more. She is currently taking up her Masters Degree in Educational Administration in Ateneo. She is also working on establishing a foundation to provide training to school principals. She is constantly thinking of businesses and projects that will benefit the Filipino community.

Without a doubt, success will meet this lady, whatever dreams she sets for herself.

Edna Flores bikes for a cause

Let’s learn a thing or two from this remarkable Filipina woman of substance.

From: Edna Flores
Date: Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 11:35 PM
Subject: Red dress
To: Lorna Dietz

Dear Lorna,

Fifty two more days from now, I will be taking off with my fiance Rich and thousands of other friends on a seven day, 575 mile journey towards Los Angeles from San Francisco. We will be using our strength and legpower to get there. Along the way, we will encounter communities who may have minimal services for fighting the AIDS pandemic. We will make lifetime friends with those whom we just met. We will be a community of cyclists making a stand against HIV and AIDS.

Hoping Rich gets to wear the Red Dress

Red Dress Day occurs on Day 5 of AIDS/ LifeCycle. People either wear red as Rich has done in the past or wear a red dress. I think the original intent was Dress in Red Day but it has turned into Red Dress Day. A lot of people go out of their way in finding a sexy or pretty or sometimes frumpy red dress to wear as they pedal their way down California. If one were to take an aerial photograph, it would look like a long AIDS ribbon winding down the state. Usually the straight men would not even think of wearing a red dress their first year of riding. By the second year, they are in on the fun of wearing a red dress. For the past two rides, Rich has been reluctant to wear a red dress but he is willing to do it if I am to make my fundraising goal.

I am a little under $1,000 of making the minimum $3,000 I need to particpate in this ride. Please consider giving whatever amount you can. No donation is too small or too large. Feel free to pass this along to your friends and loved ones as well. I promise to have a photograph of Rich in his red dress (which I already have in my hot little hands) to show for my fundraising efforts.

Thank you so much in helping me support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Your generosity gives critical help to those who need it in preventing the spread of HIV and those who are affected by HIV and AIDS.

All you need to do to help me out is to click on the link below and give what you can.

Again, thank you.
Click here to visit my personal page.

If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://www.tofighthiv.org/site/TR/AIDSLIFECYCLE9/AIDSLifeCycleCenter?px=1168574&pg=personal&fr_id=1210&et=pUXnjR3U11z6kezkqtOs9g..&s_tafId=21160

If you no longer wish to receive email messages sent from your friends on behalf of this organization, please click here or paste this URL into your browser: http://www.tofighthiv.org/site/TellFriendOpt?action=optout&toe=233a77653886a6701bda817bc2a6a89a1ccd4c50a5c00593

Dine Racoma and I believe that her life is worth sharing here at Filipina Images.

Here is a profile of a woman we both admire.

Mrs. Esther Asuncion Vibal is a woman of many talents and accomplishments. It is difficult to describe this multi-awarded lady under one label as she has achieved and contributed so much throughout her life. Success seems to follow her wherever she goes and whatever she applies herself to.

From her humble beginnings in Camiling, Tarlac, Mrs. Vibal has relentlessly pursued her love of writing and learning to become an accomplished writer, publisher, educator, businesswoman, feminist and philanthropist. Born on March 25, 1925, Mrs. Vibal’s life is an example of how hard work, perseverance and a strong faith in God can lead one to tremendous success. She is a Journalism graduate of the University of the Philippines and started with the Manila Times and later ventured into publishing and real estate with her husband.

Mrs. Vibal is a known force in Philippine publishing, having helped establish and run Vibal Publishing House with her husband Hilarion Vibal since 1957. Their publishing house has been influential in Philippine education with the publication of science, social studies, English and mathematics textbooks, magazines and periodicals. Under Mrs. Vibal’s leadership and after more than 60 years in the industry, Vibal Publishing has established itself as multi-million peso corporation that continues to produce textbooks and other instructional materials used by private school in the country. The publishing house now has several offices located all over the country.

Today, Mrs. Vibal continues to achieve excellence in real estate, having established Pacifica Realty Development Corporation. This venture has also produced tremendous financial success for the Vibal family.

Despite her busy professional life, she has managed to carve out time for her husband, whom she married in 1950 and their five children: Stella, Aida, Rosauro, Nila and Gus.

She also devotes much of her time to her socio civic work. In the 1960’s she was one of the founders of Inner Wheel Club of Quezon City, which is composed of wives of Rotary Club members. In 1983, she later became the first Asian president of the International Inner Wheel, after serving as the Philippine representative to the international organization.

Since 1971, her work in behalf of Filipino women has brought her to different parts of the world such as China, London, United States, Canada, Indonesia, Thailand, Kenya, Russia and Japan. Mrs. Vibal has served as an advisor to the UN Commission on the Status of Women and has been a member of the Philippine delegation to several World Conferences on women.

Mrs. Vibal has not only been active in women’s advocacy work internationally, She has also been influential in women’s work in the Philippines. She has been president of the National Council of Women of the Philippines, which is the main organization for all women’s groups in the country such as the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, ZONTA and the Catholic Women’s League. She serves a Board of trustees of the UP Center for Women’s Studies Foundation. She is also a board member of the Philippine National Red Cross- Quezon city council and a life member of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines.

In 2007, Vibal Foundation was established as an advocacy for education, women and community outreach. The foundation has so far produced two Internet based knowledge sharing initiatives. The first is the digital library Filipiniana.net and the second is Philippine’s largest online encyclopedia, wikipilipinas.org.

In 2010, Mrs. Vibal was one of nine women awarded by Go Negosyo “Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship and the Philippines Commission on Women Inspiring Women of the Year”, for her tremendous achievements in business and contribution to Philippine society.

It seems that whatever hat Mrs. Vibal Vibal dons, be it writer, publisher, educator, wife, mother, businesswoman, feminist or philanthropist, this energetic and intelligent Filipina always put in the best of herself in all her pursuits and endeavors. Even in her golden years, she remains active in Philippine education and women’s advocacies.

For the Filipina who wakes up early in the morning to prepare for the food she will sell at a community market in the outskirts of Cagayan de Oro City, or for the Filipina mom blogger who takes the time to write about her passions before she starts her day, and for countless Filipina women who are toiling in farm lands, factories, hospitals, offices, or homes around the world — this is A VERY ORDINARY DAY.

“International Women’s Day” hasn’t really caught up with the sugar-dripping greeting cards for “Mother’s Day” or “Valentine’s Day.” Yet, there are a few companies that are positive about the future of a more commercialized “Women’s Day.”

Celebrating this ordinary day allows us to take our virtual stethoscopes and feel the heartbeats of Filipina women and men who support a political party in the Philippines that is “for women, by women, and of women.”

The Facebook description stated: “If elected, BABAE KA could make a difference by bringing direct services to its constituents at the grassroots level, and mobilizing the women sector in productive and constructive activities that would contribute to nation building and development.”

The phrase “Babae Ka!” a.k.a. “You are Woman!” or “You are a Filipina Woman!” sounds like a “Stand up and be counted!” battle cry. Perhaps it is. Reminiscent of Helen Reddy’s warrior song, “I am Woman!” — the call for Filipina women everywhere to celebrate their dignity, their pride, and their leadership is truly compelling.

Benjamin Pimentel, a Filipino American journalist from the San Francisco Bay Area, serendipitously posted a Youtube video today of the late Susan Fernandez Magno, a Filipina singer-songwriter, activist and academic who was “top-of-mind” for her protest music. The song had a folksy beat and bittersweet, poignant lyrics. The song’s title: “Babae Ka.”

Yesterday, over the phone, when I listened to a dear friend’s experiences as a volunteer in this for-real grassroots campaign among the Filipina street vendors, homemakers, students, and community organizers for “Babae Ka,” a women’s political party in the Philippines that is participating in the party-list election system, I was in awe of her bravery and courage. My friend confirmed that people in the cash-strapped barangays (villages) in the Northern Luzon region of the Philippines were savvy about asking for money to ensure their loyalty and their votes. However, their group’s valiant stand against vote-buying won the hearts of very ordinary people, very ordinary voters. I was touched by the email she sent me so I could, in turn, email my friends. My friend emphasized, “Contact us through Facebook at BABAE KA.”

I continued to read what they had to say in their Facebook group page.

“Babae para sa Kaunlaran or BABAE KA has evolved from being a cause-oriented civil society organization at the time it was organized in early 2005 to a comprehensive women’s political party.

Initially named as Kababaihan para sa Inang Bayan or Kababayan, the organization first focused its efforts in the delivery of basic services to poor and needy communities thru medical and dental missions, livelihood projects, skills trainings, counseling, social and political awareness discussions and similar socially relevant programs.

The decision to convert the organization into a women’s political party and participate in the party-list election system stemmed from the realization that the sector needs genuine representation in the House of Representatives with the foremost aim of helping stir the country towards attainable progress and development.”

Taking a cue from the flier about the Babae Ka platform that I received via email, their “pet bill” on Equal Employment Opportunity was something I had been waiting for.

Equal Employment Opportunity, BABAE KA’s pet bill
By BABAE KA Partylist (from Mielin Medalla)

If you are a woman or a man and looking for a job, you will always see in the advertisements, “female, 20 to 35 years old” or “male, 25 to 40 years old” as one of the qualifications. Not anymore, that is if the proposal of women’s party-list Babae para sa Kaunlaran (Babae Ka) will be enacted by the 14th Congress of the Philippines.

This proposed law will make it unlawful for any employer to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s age, gender and religion.

To be patterned after the Age Discrimination in Employment of 1967 that was enacted by the United States Congress, even the printing of any employment advertisement that will tend to be discriminatory to age, sex and religion shall be unlawful in this proposal.

I understand that there are many party lists that are jockeying for more funding, more supporters, and more visibility. If you’re a group like Babae Ka who is doing its best to be involved with issues, not personalities, then you have my attention.

Mabuhay, Babae Ka!

References:

I decided to share what Babae Ka’s grassroots campaign is all about.

Official Website: http://babaekapartylist.tripod.com/

Update as of May 5, 2010:

I asked one of the members of Babae Ka, via Facebook email, what some of Babae Ka’s achievements are.

Here is the reply:

1. We’ve already facilitated free cataract operations with more than 100 beneficiaries;
2. Facilitated medical-dental missions with more than 10,000 beneficiaries;
3. Assisted numerous women cooperatives in getting soft loans;
4. College scholarship for 50 deserving students

I recalled my sister who experienced the same harassment twenty years ago when she visited my father in Manila Garden. At that time, we were still building a house in Manila since our main home was Cebu. Before she could enter the elevator, she was stopped. In the same manner as Cleo, she spoke in English (being a Cebuano) because she was not fluent in Tagalog. My sister was very humiliated and insulted while my father raised hell with the hotel staff.

So it is probably the protocol of hotel security to check on visitors but is there a more polite way of determining intentions of pretty visitors?

1. Can’t they first call the hotel guest to verify their visitor?
2. Can’t they ask for the Identification Card of the visitor?

And where is discernment? Even if Cleo or my sister were “prostitutes” or “guest relations officer”, they still deserve to be treated with respect. Magna Carta of Filipina Women or RA 9710 recognizes and protects women’s rights at home, at work and in all spheres of society toward developing all aspects of their well-being.

All hotel security officers should realize that the new law’s most “empowering provision” is its recognition that “women’s rights are human rights”.

So change your protocol when dealing with women whom you think are “questionable” or else face the consequence of the law.

Here is the complete entry of the harassment of a Filipina at EDSA Shangrila.
(the purpose of this post is not to destroy the reputation of the hotel but to let them change their protocol when dealing with the basic human rights of women)

.:EDSA Shangri-la Security Personnel Harrass And Publicly Humiliate Ms. Cleo Caliente: A Breach Of Protocol, And Then Some:.

Before anything else, happy birthday, dear Cleo!

Ladies and gentlemen, today is the birthday of a good friend of mine, one of the hosts of the radio show I usually guest on, the Disenchanted Kingdom on 99.5 RT. Her name is Cleo Caliente.

Normally, birthdays are supposed to be really happy days, but the fine folks over at EDSA Shangri-la in Mandaluyong clearly had different ideas.

Around the stroke of midnight, Ms. Caliente was on her way to the hotel room of her friends who flew in all the way from the United States. She was going to celebrate her birthday with them, as is customary. What is not customary, though, was the manner she was treated by the hotel’s floor security, from the moment she stepped into the vicinity of EDSA Shangri-la.

Upon approaching the door, instead of being subjected to the standard check of bags by security, she was immediately asked a question by the man at the door, pretty much asking her what room she was supposed to go to. She promptly answered which room. While this might still be construed as routine, what followed certainly wasn’t.

After stalling for a while, she was escorted by several security personnel not to the reception area which is standard operation procedure for any clarifications regarding rooms and the like, but to the phones hidden away in the corner of the first floor of the hotel. It was as if they didn’t want people to see her, which was bizarre, to say the least. Instead of calling her friends at the reception area, she was calling from the phone booths. Does this count as protocol?

As you might’ve seen in the picture above, Ms. Caliente is quite a looker, and she was, as is customary with Chinese women, wearing a red dress on her birthday, as well as some jewellery. She was dressed to impress that midnight, and wanted nothing more than to just hang out with her friends and chill out with them, especially since it was her idea to make them move from Makati Shang-rila to EDSA Shang-rila because she lives closer to the place.

Instead, she found herself surrounded by seven security personnel, repeatedly asking her questions in the vernacular while she was answering the questions in flawless English. That they were disregarding her mode of expression with the way they were speaking to her was unmistakeable, and at the same time, immensely disrespectful. Cleo comes from Cebu, and Tagalog is not her native language, although she can speak and understand it.

Then, at some point, they asked her a question that just completely went beyond the acceptable boundaries of protocol. They asked her: are you here to see a foreigner guest, or a Filipino?

Let me ask this of you, dear security personnel of EDSA Shangri-la: exactly what the blazes are you implying in asking her that question? Are you implying that you are assuming that the person who brought you business by having her friends check into your establishment, a person who has repeatedly gone to your establishment in recent days to see said friends, just so happens to be a prostitute? Really?

The line of questioning was foul and out of line. There is a protocol by which security personnel must conduct themselves, and while I am not 100% familiar with it, I don’t think asking a visitor if she’s there “to see a foreigner or a Filipino” constitutes protocol. This was downright insulting, demeaning, and given how this scene lasted for over ten minutes, this was practically criminal.

To make matters worse, given how Ms. Caliente was dressed, the security personnel who circled her and were accosting her were eyeing her in a very uncomfortable manner. In her words, she said that she felt like “they were stripping her naked in their minds,” with the way they ogled her. This was harassment, and they were attempting to bully someone whom they assumed was merely a “poor, helpless little girl” who also happens to be a hooker.

They couldn’t have been more mistaken.

After over ten minutes of being questioned relentlessly and treated like a common criminal, Cleo’s friend finally came down to pick her up and at this point, Ms. Caliente filed a complaint after she recollected herself in the hotel room. This was a travesty and a gross act of disservice to her, and they just had to do it on her birthday.

This morning, on 99.5 RT, King DJ Logan, the host of Disenchanted Kingdom, decided to call EDSA Shangri-la to perhaps get the establishment to issue a decent apology for the mistreatment Ms. Caliente has received at the hands of the security personnel. The first time he called, the person who received the call immediately put the phone down on him upon hearing the words “This is King DJ Logan of 99.5 RT.” It boggles the mind why she would do something like that, but they called the hotel again, this time with Cleo making the call.

Soon enough, they were transferred to a guy named Kevin, and he offered to clarify the matter when Cleo asked whom she could speak to for her to register her grievance. What followed has got to be one of the worst examples of customer service I have ever witnessed, as he fumbled his way through, put Cleo on hold multiple times, trying to come up with answers for her questions. It got to a point where Logan had to take over, and cow Kevin into admitting that in reality, he was not in a position to address the issue himself.

Now, take note that this was the second time the complaint was filed, and clearly, there was no log of the first complaint, as Kevin had no idea about what was going on at all despite putting Cleo on hold multiple times. He had to realize he was actually on the air before he realized that he couldn’t just sweep this complaint under the rug.

To make matters worse, after this call, the hotel attempted to bribe Cleo’s friends by offering them freebies on the hotel’s tab. Now, if I recall correctly, it was Cleo who got harassed by these security personnel, and not her friends. So why are they being bribed, when all the were asking for was accountability and a written apology for her ordeal?

Real classy, EDSA Shangri-la. Way to address the situation. Wasn’t it bad enough that you thought Ms. Caliente was a prostitute? Now, you have to try and pay her off (Actually, pay her friends off, even!) as if she really were one? Customer service at its finest! Well played, EDSA Shangri-la! Bravo!

A simple, straightforward apology and accountability for the security personnel who accosted Cleo would’ve been more than welcome, dear EDSA Shangri-la. In case you haven’t realized, at no point did she even flaunt her status as a radio broadcaster throughout her ordeal. Apparently, her desire to not act like she was entitled to any special treatment was taken as a sign by your goons, I mean security, to instead harass her as they please.

Seven guys to deal with one person, ladies and gentlemen. Does this not scream “excessive” and “abusive” to you?

Seriously, EDSA Shangri-la. Do you actually need to step on powerful people’s toes before you realize that you’re mistreating people? Has it gotten to this point already? Can you not simply do the right thing and apologize for treating people the wrong way without having to look at their status in society or in the media industry? And do you think that bribing them with gifts will just make them look the other way? You think you can buy off principles?

Well, at this point, the answer to that is moot, and let this post stand as a warning: unless EDSA Shangri-la decides to do the right thing and issue a public apology in writing to Ms. Cleo Caliente, then we are left with no recourse but to let this post stand as a testament to the discrimination and inhospitable treatment the employees of EDSA Shangri-la clearly are capable of.

I will categorically say that I have no desire to patronize such an establishment, and I certainly hope those who see this will know better than to as well.

Not cool, EDSA Shangri-la. Not cool at all.

Steve Schertzer, esl_steve@excite.com
October 15, 2009

Disclaimer: The following is an opinion piece based on fact.

— “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing; to know in their hearts and see the evils going on around them, but to sit back and let it unfold whether out of fear, apathy or both.”

—Edmund Burke, Irish Political Philosopher. (1730-1797.)

I so want to be wrong about this. I want to be wrong because I feel vindicated and it doesn’t feel good. It’s not because of the Filipino mothers or the foreign fathers. It’s because of the children. I feel vindicated because of the children. In a response to a letter I wrote for www.filipinaimages.com on March 27th, 2009, titled “The Image of the Modern Filipina”, I said this:

“If the Philippines keeps on importing less than stellar foreign men to marry their women, in 10 years this once beautiful country will have tens of thousands of half-breeds running around looking for their foreign fathers, who will have awoken one morning to realize that marrying an uneducated, dirt-poor Filipina was not to their liking after all.”

Yes I did say that, but I was wrong. It’s not “tens of thousands” of children looking for their non-Filipino fathers. It’s hundreds of thousands. And it’s not “in 10 years.” It’s now. And, (if I may correct myself again), it’s not as if these non-Filipinos are marrying any of these “uneducated, dirt-poor Filipinas.” Most are not. So I apologize for my errors. You see, this problem of abandoned half-Filipino half-whatever children is far worse than I originally thought.

Here are three questions that I would like answered by Filipinos, men and women, after you have read and contemplated this well enough to respond intellectually and wisely.

1) Is there a “sperm war” involving foreign men in the Philippines?
2) Is this who Filipinas truly are?
3) Where is the outrage?

There is a seismic shift in Filipino society. It’s been happening for a long time. It’s not an earthquake, although it may feel like one. It’s not a series of typhoons, although millions of lives are being ruined by it. This seismic shift is not geological. Neither is it a product of mother nature’s wrath. This seismic shift in Filipino society is value based. It is a huge shift in personal morality and social ethics. It is a fall from grace. A huge fall from what once was to what is now.

The quotes I use from articles, newspaper columns, and websites will enlighten and inform, but I doubt if it will shock. That’s the real tragedy. Here is the full article from the October 5, 2009 edition of the Korea Times under the headline “Kopinos Search for Korean Dads.”

——————————————————————————————

By Jonathan M. Hicap
Korea Times Correspondent

MANILA ? In an apartment in a poor community in Culiat, Quezon City, north of Manila, the endless laughter of 11 children fills the driveway. But beyond their loud chatter and playful stance, these kids are struggling to find their true identity and future in a country mired in poverty.

The two rooms in the apartment’s Unit 6 provide shelter to these deprived Filipino children?unrelated by blood but bound by a painful and haunting past: they were abandoned by their Korean fathers.

They are called Kopinos, a term that refers to children born to Korean fathers and Filipino mothers. Their number in the Philippines has increased as the number of Korean tourists visiting the Southeast Asian country has grown in the last two decades.

One of the 11 children is 15-year-old Dawn Dela Dia, who never met her father and was abandoned by him even before she was born.

Since 2007, Dawn has been living at the shelter run by the Kopino Children Association (KCA), a recognized non-government organization established in 2006 by spouses Son Bum-sik, a Korean, and Normi Son, a Filipino.

Dawn said her only memory of her dad was his picture, which was kept secretly by her mom.

The issue of Kopinos has become a social problem in the Philippines and viewed as a disgrace in South Korea. According to Son, there are more than 10,000 Kopinos in the Philippines, although there is no official data on their exact number.

Kopinos are the product of the multibillion tourism industry in the Philippines. Foreign visitors prop up the Philippine economy through the spending much-needed dollars.

However, tourism gave birth to the sex tourism industry in the Philippines, where thousands of Filipino women work as guest relations officers, bar girls and prostitutes despite the fact prostitution is illegal in the predominantly Christian country.

This has taken its toll on the welfare of Filipino women, and resulted in an increase in the number of illegitimate Filipino children born to foreigners.

For decades, the presence of U.S. military bases in Zambales and Pampanga provinces in the northern Philippines fueled red-light districts in Angeles City, Olongapo and nearby areas.

When the U.S. bases moved out in 1992, more than 50,000 `Amerasian’ children?those born to American fathers and Filipino mothers?were left behind.

In addition, there is also a group of children called Japinos, who were born to Filipino and Japanese parents.

The rise in the number of Kopinos is attributed to the upsurge in the number of Koreans visiting the Philippines. Koreans are now the No. 1 tourist group in the country. In 2008, more than 611,000 Koreans visited the country. In addition, there are 115,400 Koreans who are currently living in the Philippines.

This phenomenon is attributed to South Korea’s rise as a developed nation. Koreans can now afford to travel and even study in different countries. The Philippines is a favorite destination because of the low cost of living, tropical weather and schools offering English education to Koreans.

The present migration of Koreans to the Philippines is being driven by Korea’s increasing prosperity, wrote Virginia Miralao in a study exploring transnational communities in the Philippines, which dealt in part with the Korean diaspora in the country.

Son said the rise in the number of fatherless Kopinos was a product of the mindset of Koreans who were visiting the Philippines to enjoy life but not to get married to Filipino women. Enjoying life, of course, means hitting strip bars, paying for sex and getting temporary Filipina girlfriends.

They never think of marrying Filipino women and just enjoy their lives here, she said.

But, for some Filipino women, they consider relationships with foreigners as their ticket out of poverty. Unfortunately, this often turns out to be wishful thinking as Korean men quickly abandon the women after a night of sex or when they learn they are pregnant.

Son explained that the Korean cultural history of disapproving of mixed marriages has been a factor in the abandoning of Filipino children.

“In the past, mixed marriage was prohibited. That’s why I understand the behavior of the Korean men,” he said.

Most fathers of Kopinos are tourists, students and businessmen who visited the Philippines for a short time and then went back to their home country.

About 85 to 90 percent of the mothers of Kopino children work as bar girls or in brothels frequented by foreigners.

Son said he and his wife established the KCA to improve the lives of Kopino children.

They want to give them the opportunity to study, he said.

Son first visited the Philippines in 1992 for a vacation. He was a member of Stump Mission, a missionary group in the Philippines.

He met his wife, Normi, through the mission center. His wife is the founder of the Montessori Teacher Preparation (MTP) program in the Philippines.

Son said he felt the need to help Kopino children since their child is also half-Korean, half-Filipino and he wanted to erase discrimination against these children.

“It is my responsibility to my wife and my child. I want to give the Kopinos the opportunity,” he said.

Most Kopino children come from poor families that can’t afford to send them to school.

The KCA was established in Quezon City in 2006. Across from the shelter is the Seedschild School, which was also established by the Sons, where the Kopino children involved with the association study.

The school offers preschool and elementary education to Kopino children, alongside other children in the community as well.

According to Ella Medado, a teacher there, the school now has 24 elementary students, including 10 Kopinos, and 35 preschool students.

Jason Sarcon, a 16-year-old Kopino, is a Grade 6 student at the school. He said that at an early age, he stopped going to school because of poverty. He arrived at the shelter in May this year.

He said he met his Korean father when he was four years old and recalled that he was in the garments business. He said his mother no longer wants him but still hopes to receive money for child support.

Son said they took it upon themselves to take care of the children rather than give money to their mothers, to ensure that the kids get a proper education.

“If we give them money directly, they will use it in different ways. Probably, they will not use the money for the education of the children,” he said.

The 11 youngsters live at the shelter while their mothers live at home. Every Saturday, the mothers visit the shelter.

The children not only receive a basic education but learn all about Korea as well.

“We have a Saturday school where we teach them the Korean language and culture,” Son said. “The mothers are also taught how to write in Hangeul.”

The Sons take care of the children’s expenses with the help of donors and their Korean friends, without assistance from the Philippine and Korean governments.

While they want to take in more Kopino children, Son says the facilities are not large enough to accommodate them.

“We need a bigger space, more volunteers and more workers. The facility should be big enough.”

To help the mothers of the Kopino children, Son said they are planning to start a livelihood project.

“We want to teach them (the mothers) how to catch fish to teach the mothers how to have their own source of income.”

In addition, he said they will start a canteen where they will sell Korean food at a lower price compared to restaurants.

For the Kopino children, the possibility of acquiring Korean citizenship cannot happen unless their parents get married, according to Korean law.

“If the parents are not legally married, it is not possible for them to become Korean citizens. The parents must be legally married,” Son said.

But Son hopes the problems of a low birthrate and an aging population in South Korea may become an opportunity for the children.

“I hope they can get Korean citizenship. In Korea, the population is now declining. Few people are giving birth while the aging population is growing. They need a labor force. They need our Kopino children,” Son said.

However, the Korean government has been silent on the issue.

Dawn and Jason said one of their dreams is to be able to go to Korea, though not necessarily to meet their fathers.

When asked about his dad, Jason says he misses him and that he is not angry despite the fact he was abandoned.

“I am not mad at him because I don’t know the real reason why he and my mom parted ways,” he said.

For his part, Son said he doesn’t want to judge his countrymen.

“We don’t want to judge them morally. We must understand them. Actually, it is not only the father’s mistake but also the mother’s,” he said, adding that some of the fathers do not know that they have a child in the Philippines.

Medado said some Filipino women may have the idea that foreigners can help change the course of their lives, a perception that has become a vicious cycle that must be stopped.

She said Filipino women should be educated to prevent the cycle from happening again.

For the KCA and the Sons, their mission will continue as long as there are Kopino children and their mothers in need of help.

They will continue to help the children secure a better future and, in the process, help them find their true identity.

To donate to the Kopino Children Association, go to www.kopino.co.kr.
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Interesting, huh? Let there be no doubt as to where I place the lion’s share of the blame for this tragedy. Squarely on the shoulders of the Filipinas. Sex-tourism aside, Filipinas know exactly what they are doing. I am not excusing the men. They know what they’re doing too, but many have no idea what the Filipina game is. I say game, but what I should say is war. In the game of love, people have their hearts broken. In a war, people have their bones broken. Or lose their lives. Whether the men are Korean, Chinese, Japanese, American, Australian, German, French, British, or Canadian, many have no idea that they are involved in this war; a sperm war that will pit them (and their sperm) against other men in a race so that Filipinas can get pregnant. Many of these men have no idea that once they take a loose Filipina to a hotel room for a week or two, she will inevitably receive numerous text messages on her cell phone from friends asking, “Are you pregnant yet?” It doesn’t matter who she’s with. Pregnancy remains the ultimate goal because in the mind of these Filipinas, pregnancy is a means to an end. The end being money. The end being a green card. The end being a fiancee visa. The end being what they think is a better life in someone else’s country.

From www.wordiq.com/definition/Sperm_competition
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Sperm competition is “competition between sperm of two or more males for the fertilisation of an ova.” (Parker 1970). Sperm competition is often compared to having tickets in a raffle; if a female mates multiple times, the more sperm a particular male inseminates her with, the more chance he has of winning.

(Parker, G.A. 1970. “Sperm competition and its evolutionary consequences in the insects”, Biological Reviews 45: 525-567.)
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From an article titled “Sperm Competition and the Kamikase Sperm Hypothosis” posted on www.seductionlabs.org/2007/05.
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Baker and Bellis go on to claim that women can (unconsciously) control the outcome of a sperm competition, and we accept that since women evaluate men by many criteria (emotional, intellectual, physical, financial etc.) while searching for the appropriate qualities in a parent, colleague, friend, lover, protector etc. that there is no reason why a woman should not find herself socially paired with one man, but disposed to have extra-pair sex with another man.
Women are quite likely to be concerned about the overall quality of the male who fertilizes her eggs; and the internal reproductive tract3 of a women produces many barriers, including anti-sperm antibodies that can interfere with fertilization by immobilizing, or even destroying sperm and by impairing their ability to penetrate the egg, while other antibodies act against the egg’s membrane to prevent early egg cleavage and development. The key point here is that these antibodies do not necessarily reduce fertility; instead they diminish the fertility of certain male-female pairings. Therefore, a woman may enhance her reproductive success by seeking a different sexual partner, while retaining her social marital partner (all quite possibly unconsciously).

(Baker, R. R., and M. A. Bellis, Human Sperm competition London: Chapman & Hall, 1995)
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Personally I couldn’t care less about the men who are taken for a financial ride by money-hungry Filipinas. And I care even less for the Filipinas who perform sexual acts in this sperm war that would make even the most veteran of porno actress blush. A pox on both their houses. My plastic heart beats on. But my real heart breaks for the children of such sick unions. They did not ask to be born. These children did not ask their horny non-Filipino father and their greedy money-hungry Filipina mother to give them life so that the vicious cycle of poverty and child abandonment can live on generation after generation. What stupidity. What selfishness.

Let me be very clear. Telling the men to “keep it in your pants” is one thing. It may be a good idea, but the Philippines is not their country. What do they care? They come to the Philippines to “take it out of their pants.” Filipinas know this. (And, quite frankly, so does the Department of Tourism.”) Most of the men who visit the Philippines have no vested interest in the future prosperity of the Filipino nation. In fact, keeping the Philippines poor is what these sex-tourists seek since desperate, immoral, and financially poor Filipinas will keep flocking to them. Telling Filipinas to “keep your legs closed” may sound like a quaint and old-fashioned notion, but it is absolutely essential if the vicious cycle of poverty and child abandonment is to be reduced. This problem is squarely in the hands of Filipinos, not foreigners. Filipinos know that. Now they must accept the responsibility to rebuild their nation based on family values, personal morality, and social ethics.

If you, the Filipino people, believe that your country is great but the hundreds of thousands of pimps, thugs, prostitutes, bar-girls, webcam girls, Internet cyber-brides, and yes, the sex-tourists are ruining the Philippines, then STAND UP, RAISE YOUR VOICE, and TAKE YOUR COUNTRY BACK. Take it back. It’s yours. But, you, the Filipino people, will have to do the heavy lifting.

It may be fashionable to view prostitution and sex-tourism as a supply and demand phenomenon with the majority of the blame going to those who demand it. But the truth is, those Filipinas who supply it, are in a superior position. To use a sports analogy, they have the home field advantage. Like in any war, they are waiting to ambush the enemy. In this case, the enemy is any foreigner they think has money and good genes. Since these Filipinas missed the proverbial boat with their own men, (Filipino men with an ounce of self-respect wouldn’t be caught dead with a Filipina who chases foreigners; after all, they are not the kind of girls you take home to mother), many Filipinas have now taken their war to the foreign masses. These Filipinas know exactly what they’re doing and, for that reason, it is they who must be held accountable for the current situation of fatherless children.

Remember question number one: Is there a “sperm war” involving foreign men in the Philippines? I ask this for two important reasons: (1) The evidence contained in the newspaper articles about so many Filipinas getting pregnant by foreign men, and (2), the hypothosis about sperm competition put forth by scientists and evolutionary biologists (Parker, Baker, and Bellis), and the seeming connection between them.

Those who believe or claim that Filipinas are the victims here, shame on you. Shame on you! You should know better. These Filipinas are not only destroying the social fabric of their own country, they are also contributing to the destruction of families in other societies. They are not victims. How dare anybody claim that the Filipinas who engage in this kind of behavior are victims. They are not useless. They are not worthless. With their selfish and lascivious behavior, these Filipinas are adding to the horrendous situation which sees over one million street children in the Philippines today. They are the perpetrators of this war; a war they can end at any time. They won’t because they are winning.

For those loose Filipinas who are ignorant enough to think that it’s only Korean men who abandon their mixed-race children, read on. The story from the Korea Times is just one article on this issue which deals specifically with Korean tourists. Here are some quotes from others. This from the Philippine Inquirer:
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Japanese-Filipino children long for fathers.
By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net First Posted 15:01:00 09/10/2009

“The ongoing migration of Filipina entertainers or ‘overseas performing artists’ to Japan since the late 1970s has produced an estimated 200,000 Japanese-Filipino children (JFCs), many of whom were abandoned and much more get no support from their Japanese fathers.”
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Or this from the Associated Press on March 28, 2008.
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“An estimated 50,000 Japanese-Filipino children — known as ‘Japinos’ — live here, often abandoned or orphaned by their fathers after liaisons with Filipino women, who in most cases worked as entertainers in Japan, said Akira Oka, head of the Shin-Nikkeijin Network or SNN. Some groups put the number as high as 100,000.”
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And this from the Korea Times article “Kopinos Search for Korean Dads” (October 5, 2009.)
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“When the U.S. bases moved out in 1992, more than 50,000 `Amerasian’ children?those born to American fathers and Filipino mothers?were left behind.”
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Kopinos? Japinos? Ameripinos? What in the world is going on here?

Remember question number two: Is this who Filipinas truly are? Is it? It can’t be. Societies have been know to collapse from within when social values disintegrate to this extent. Filipinas! You are not like this! Are you? I’ve met so many wonderful and hard-working Filipinas over the years. I’ve dated them. I’ve had Filipina girlfriends the 1990’s in my home country of Canada. Is this what you have become? Someone please enlighten me because I don’t know.

You want to know what I did to research this opinion piece? I used google. I googled this: “abandoned filipino/??? children.” The three question marks? Fill in the blank. It’s up to you. Abandoned filipino/korea children. Abandoned filipino/japanese children. Abandoned filipino/american children. It all comes up. I can keep going, you know. Abandoned filipino/australian children. Abandoned filipino/european children. It’s all there. Article after article. Page after page. Support group after support group. This stinks! There is nothing here of which to be proud. Are these children thanking their mothers for a life of poverty, discrimination, and parental abandonment? Apparently, none of these mothers have learned anything from history.

In his book “Over the Edge of the World”, Laurence Bergreen recounts the story of Ferdinand Magellan’s 16th century voyage to the Philippines. Filipinos know the story well. Magellan arrived in April of 1521 with about 150 sailors. He traded gold, spices, and other goods. He was taken to Cebu. He and his sailors began to spread Christianity. But the good will from the natives didn’t last long. He was killed in the Battle of Mactan by an army led by Lapu-Lapu. Christianity wasn’t the only thing Magellan and his cohorts attempted to spread.

This from an article on CNN.com
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The man who almost sailed the world
Author offers new chronicle of Magellan’s voyage
By Adam Dunn
Special to CNN
Thursday, October 16, 2003 Posted: 11:32 AM EDT (1532 GMT)

“Bergreen also chronicles some of the less savory — but all-too-common — behavior of the voyagers, much of which has become better known in recent years.
“We hear a great deal more about how the sailors lived, the orgies with [native] women,” the author said of what his new research had turned up. “We got a full account, X-rated, about Magellan’s voyage … orgies on beaches, sailors fathering children by local women.”
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Orgies on the beach! Sailors fathering children by local women then taking off in their boats! My, how times have changed. It’s nice to see that almost 500 years later, many Filipinas have now gotten all that whoring and debauchery out of their system.

And it’s not that many Filipinos mind. Apparently, they don’t. I don’t see or hear the outrage involving sex-tourism, either in the Philippines or elsewhere.

This from Manila Times columnist Tim Tayag on April 6, 2009. He writes about how the Philippines can increase tourism.
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SKEPTIC TANK
By Tim Tayag
Pimping up tourism

“Let’s highlight our strengths and make our weeknesses sound like strengths. Come visit the Philippines, we’re cheap, we can speak English, and we don’t mind if you marry our women, just don’t beat them up. It’s truthful and it doesn’t pass judgement. So what if it will attract a lot of old balding German men with Asian fetishes, as long as they give our poor women a better life, I’m all for it. If we can just set our hypocrisy aside and be more practical, I think our country can be a great tourist nation again.”
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WHAT?!? This may have been written tongue-in-cheek, but come on. After all of the disgusting and criminal behavior of Filipina bar-girls, Internet cyber-brides and their Johns, you would think that some people in the Philippine media would know better. There was, however, a disclaimer from the editors of the Manila Times following Tayag’s column.
——————————————————————————————-

(”Kidding aside, The Manila Times is vehemently against post-colonial exploitation such as marriages based solely on monetary gain and personal convenience—Ed”).
——————————————————————————————-

“… we don’t mind if you marry our women…”

Why not? Most other Asian societies do. Middle-eastern countries do. And for good reason. These countries have already looked at the Philippines and Thailand and have concluded that the last thing they need coming to their shores are sex-tourists and pedophiles. They don’t need foreign men from all over the world impregnating their women, then leaving on a jet plane.

“So what if it [tourism] will attract a lot of old balding German men with Asian fetishes, as long as they give our poor women a better life, I’m all for it.”

WHAT?!? I would love to see an old balding foreign man try to grab a woman’s ass in Saudi Arabia and see what happens. He will end up spending his remaining days on earth searching the desert for his testicles. That’s if he’s lucky. More than likely he will be beaten to a pulp. Sexually propositioning a woman in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Indonesia, or a hundred other countries? Fat chance! Any foreign man who tries that will have his head used as a bowling ball.

Remember question number three: Where is the outrage? From the Filipino media. From the Filipino Government. From Filipino politicians. From the Filipino business community. From Filipino teachers. From Filipino parents. From Filipino grandparents. From every sector of Filipino society. Where in the world is the outrage?

Why is it just fine and dandy for fat balding foreign men to come to the Philippines to live out their sick sexual fantasies with Filipinas less than half their age? How many more “Kopinos” “Japinos” “Ameripinos” or any other kind of “pinos” must be born and abandoned before the Philippines gets the message that well— maybe it’s not such a good idea to pimp your sisters and daughters to foreign men? When is it time to start protecting your sisters and daughters? I believe these questions deserve honest and thoughtful answers.

“… as long as they [foreign men] give our poor women a better life…”

Hey, how much is your sister worth? How about your daughter? What do you think she’s worth? In pesos, dollars, yen, won, euros, pounds? It doesn’t matter. Put a price tag on the Filipina body. Because that’s what you’re doing when Filipinos say things like “as long as they [foreign men] give our poor women a better life.” How about giving your own women a better life? How about Filipino mothers and fathers making sure that their children go to college so that they [the children] wouldn’t have to sell their bodies to foreigners? All of these stories and articles about abandoned and fatherless children doesn’t sound like a better life to me. Maybe to you, I don’t know. But not to me.

I’m going to end with a quote from a young Filipina. If you won’t listen to me then maybe you’ll listen to her. I hope you do. Her name is Denise and she commented on my lettters I wrote to www.filipinaimages on March 27, 2009 titled “The Image of the Modern Filipina.”
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“It’s not just prostitution we’re dealing with, it’s the idea of a young girl looking for someone who’s old, rich and decrepit (matandang mayamang madaling mamatay). It’s a concept that’s unfortunately passed down from parents to daughters in the Philippines, especially in poorer families. I personally have been advised by relatives to find a Caucasian to marry who can give me a better life. Indeed, I’ve had screaming matches with them because I flatly refused to marry for money or skin colour or citizenship (I didn’t care how much trouble I got in for answering back at certain grandparents). These women who marry foreigners will mostly ask for citizenship (of themselves and/or their parents/siblings) and/or money to be sent regularly back home (”to help”). They will “love” you if you pay for their needs and their families needs.

Each time I think of how degrading it was to have to explain that I wasn’t “that kind of Filipina”, I quake with anger. I’ve been getting approached by men old enough to be my dad since I was twelve. There’s no excuse for ignorance. I’ve never advertised myself as a mail-order bride or as even someone specifically looking for a foreigner, but because I’m a Filipina, these men seem to think I’m a mail-order bride. And I’ve been approached by men from several countries in different continents, so please don’t tell me these concerns are unfounded. It’s a verbal slap in the face to be told that I’m supposed to accept all that degradation and humiliation because I’m a Filipina.”
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Let’s read two quotes from Denise once again:
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“I personally have been advised by relatives to find a Caucasian to marry who can give me a better life.”

“I’ve been getting approached by men old enough to be my dad since I was twelve.”
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Wow. I find that breathtaking. And tragic. What can you say about people who do this to girls like Denise? What can anyone say about a society that allows this to happen to its daughters and sisters? Thank you, Denise. Now where are all the other Filipinas like Denise? Those with the courage to speak out against their immoral and unethical sisters who, by their very actions and behavior, are making all Filipinas look like prostitutes and golddiggers. Where are they? I know they’re out there. Is it not time to speak up? Is it not time to fight back?

If you, the Filipino people, believe that your country is great but the hundreds of thousands of pimps, thugs, prostitutes, bar-girls, webcam girls, Internet cyber-brides, and yes the sex-tourists are turning the Philippines into one of the world’s biggest sexual playgrounds, then RISE UP, SHOUT AT THE TOP OF YOUR VOICE, and TAKE YOUR COUNTRY BACK. Take it back. It’s yours. But you, the Filipino people, will have to do the heavy lifting.

Because if you don’t, if you don’t shout at the top of your lungs; if you don’t rise up; if you don’t fight back; if you don’t take your country back, then you are a part of the problem. I began this opinion piece with the famous quote by Edmund Burke.

“The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing; to know in their hearts and see the evils going on around them, but to sit back and let it unfold whether out of fear, apathy or both.”

It is now time to cease your fear. It is now time to become less apathetic. It is now time to do something. For the sake of all of the abandoned children, it is now time to do good.

Experiences make you realize. Believing makes you value. Marikenya

My family, my friends, and I, are still in awe and in great trauma from what we experienced from Ondoy and his wrath. There are so many stories, mostly, unpleasant ones. But now that all my family and friends are safe from the flood, I wanted to focus on the lessons I learned from the calamity that stunned the whole Metro Manila.

Realizations from the Water:

Even in the midst of calamity, there are still people who took and still taking advantage of others. This is in reference to small-time burglars who stole properties of people, even those who opened their doors to save them from the flood, and those big-time government officials in the guise of delivering public service but in truth, benefiting so much from the donations and grants provided by kind souls meant for the victims of Ondoy. May god all bless your souls.

…
The depth of the pains and trauma we victims of Ondoy in Marikina may never be measured. It is only when you wake up horror-stricken and panicky in the middle of the night at the drops of rain over your roof that you’ll realize, the fear thrives within you. I should know. This is what’s happening to me and to all other I know who experienced the tragedy.

Let us continue to pray… That none of those happens again in Marikina and in other parts of the country. That God will help everyone cope and bring their life to normalcy again. That people will see the importance of “the message” of God through Ondoy. That the pains will heal and the memories will blur so that we can all smile again genuinely and hope will shine in our hearts. Oh God, this, we pray…

Read More Interesting Articles from Marikenya

]]> http://filipinaimages.com/realizations-from-the-water-a-pinays-chronicle-on-typhoon-ondoy/feed/ 0 http://filipinaimages.com/tourism-secretary-ace-durano-greets-filipina-images-readers/ http://filipinaimages.com/tourism-secretary-ace-durano-greets-filipina-images-readers/#comments Sun, 27 Sep 2009 07:17:57 +0000 noemi http://filipinaimages.com/?p=603

I had the opportunity to interview Secretary Ace Durano during the “Take me to the Philippines Campaign” in Singapore. In the video below, he greets everyone and also visitors to the Philippines. The campaign focuses not only on the young MTV generation, but also on the global traveler and culture connoisseur.

Listen to his video

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