I have read two blogs that seem to misinterpret the goals of FilipinaImages.com.

Let me make it clear. FilipinaImages.com is a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) project to create a balance of the “Filipina” keyword in search engine results’ pages. That’s why our tagline is called Reshaping the Filipina Image Online.

We are not out to improve or change the perception of the Filipina Image.

We believe….that

The Filipina of the Future deserves a more empowered, diverse image online.
Multiple, complex, and whole.

We don’t seek perfection. We repeat: We seek balance in the Filipina images that are available online. We share our reflections about what the Filipina of the Future could be like, too. Dignity is every person’s human right. Whether the Filipina is a mother, a nanny, a decision maker in the corporate arena, a domestic service professional (formerly known as “domestic worker”), or a mail order bride, they have the right to empower themselves — through education, through equal rights in the household and the workplace, through connecting with people who want the same — and more.

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Meet Ma. Ana Samson Betita also known as Mayen, the Filipina girlfriend that Timothy Ellis Cumper mentioned in this entry. Tim alleges that Mayen orchestrated an attempted money scam amounting to almost Php 92,213.39 thousand pesos ($2,000.00 plus) through an alleged fake ectopic pregnancy with a group of her Filipino friends from Tierra Maria Estates, Medical Center Parañaque, doctors and a lawyer of the latter, Chin Chin Gutierrez and many others including bloggers. (read the list of alleged scam artists). Tim Cumper never sent the money requested to pay for the hospital bills.

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by Marikenya

The introduction of gender laws in the Philippines has showed substantial progress in terms of protecting women and children from abuses. In other countries in Asia and in some parts of our country however, gender discrimination remains pervasive.

Although the efforts of the government and NGOs and other concerned groups are laudable in promoting gender equality, it seemed off-track or probably lacking attention on particular segment of “women” like youth and the elderly.

While there are a lot of activities and programs on addressing gender parity, most of these efforts are directed towards the very young (children) and adults (those in their mid-20s to middle-age). Although there are, it seemed that promotions of gender empowerment targeted for the youth sector of our communities are insufficient. Take for example the increase of porn websites featuring young Pinays, not to mention those who provide live show for foreigners in their very own home in exchange of dollars. Many teen Filipinas also fall for the empty promises of online dating sites as well as mail-to-order bride programs in the hope of finding rich foreign husbands or lovers.

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An American questions “How does commercialization of Filipinas promote a healthy image of Filipinas?” Read Don’s entry on this topic.

My friends over in Filipina Images have been working hard for the past year to raise the image of Filipinas. By challenging the stereotypes and peeling them away one layer at a time. I applaud Filipina Images for what they are doing and I have a hunch this campaign will be successful.

It will not happen overnight but it will happen. A socially conscious blog such as Filipina Images will certainly draw it’s fair share attacks from people who wish to keep things status quo. And recently…

continue reading Filipina Dating Sites - Do They Create a Healthy Filipina Image?

I always see her standing in the middle of her garden with a long broomstick clasped in her feeble and bony hands, sometimes alone, most of the times gleefully surrounded by her apos. She was always clad with an ankle length skirt and a blouse that is less elaborate than the traditional baro. Her hair was pulled tightly in a bun and her face was wrinkled with the years that passed her by. In spite of her old age, her back was as straight as a board and her mere glance could silence the rowdy teenagers that pass by. Although, the one thing that really struck me about her was her warm and gentle smile and her presence that commands nothing less than respect and reverence. I knew her as Manang, the old lady who lives in front of my parents’ house.

Continue reading Filipina: A Woman of Character

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

The problem is worse, and we need our voices, as well as our dignities, lift to be heard.

If part of your daily routine is to navigate through search engines for your school work or just your way of spending leisure time; then Filipina dating sites is not new to you.

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Sometimes it is the field between the two roads where the richest soil is toiled.

Where do Filipinas fit in the United States? Where do I want to fit in the United States? Growing up Filipina, bi-cultured, and questioning my identity was an unanswered and fathomless feat. It was not until my mid-twenties when I began to sharpen an under-utilized tool: my voice. Independence, significant relationships, and deepening my career brought a carriage of hard-edged stones as I contemplated heavy issues, such as belonging, ethnicity, sexuality, race, and gender.

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