Lalaine Chu-Benitez gave me the heads up that that Illustrado’s Women of Substance project started 5 years ago to combat negative stereotypes against Filipinas in the region. So far, it has done its share of spreading good news not only about our women, but their community in general.

The call for Filipino women in the UAE to continue driving their positive standing in the community resonated at the 5th Women of Substance.

The annual affair started by Illustrado, a UAE-based Filipino magazine to uplift the image of Filipinas is more than pomp and glamour according to the organizers. They say they are empowering women in all sectors by recognizing the achievements of role models as well as sharing knowledge and friendship

Sometimes, all it takes is an email from a stranger: “Did you know that Rachael Lampa is a Filipina?” No, I certainly didn’t realize that this young woman who continually inspires Christians worldwide with her beautiful voice (and music!) is a Filipina American. I started curating her youtube videos in late 2010 for GMA Pinoy TV as part of its social media community’s focus on “making and building community” with Filipinos worldwide.

Rachael Lampa, some day, we will meet!

According to Wikipedia:

Lampa was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Her father is Filipino and her mother is Hungarian & Irish; she is the second of four children, with an older brother, Ryan, who is her road manager. She has a younger sister, Colleen, and a younger brother, Nate. She has been singing since she was a toddler and learned to sing perfect harmony by the time she was 4.

Lampa has performed on The Jenny Jones Show Young Talent Search at age 12 and finished 2nd place at the World Championship of Entertainment. She has also performed many times at the Colorado Rockies baseball games. In August, 1999, she performed live on EWTN’s “Life on the Rock on the Road” in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Lampa was discovered while attending but not competing in the Music in the Rockies music conference in Colorado at 14 by Word Records producer Brent Bourgeois. She asked to sing at a cafe at the conference when the original performer did not make it. She then began recording soon after talks with the label and visits to Nashville.

A new mini documentary titled “The Filipina on Top: Deconstructing Maria Clara,” revolves around the empowerment of Filipinas to overcome concerns such as sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and unwanted pregnancies. The documentary is quite relevant in the light of the Reproductive Health Bill.

The New documentary puts Filipinas ‘on top’ indeed:

“The Filipina on Top” is a sequel to the mini documentary released last year, “The Empowered Filipina,” which also discusses Filipina sexual empowerment issues. Both films are directed by Kamil Roxas, winner of the Hayah Film Competition at the Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF) in 2008. The film premiered during Illustrado’s annual Women of Substance event held last month at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai.

“The Filipina on Top” touches on sensitive-yet-significant issues concerning Filipinas. It addresses questions such as “Is the modern Filipina well-informed enough not to fall into bad situations? Or are they unknowingly contributing to their own problems?” Furthermore, it hopes to “create awareness on the harsh realities Filipinas face and, at the same time, provide relevant information and worthwhile advice.”

Part 1

Part 2

Filipinas take a stand. A comment in the video says it all . “ONE Filipina woman taking a stand is a good start.. and then ANOTHER Filipina, and then ANOTHER. When all Filipinas use the power of this information & join this said movement, then? there is your guarantee that the society will finally realize that totality of THE Filipina: She is strong & serious when she commands respect..A definite fighter of her rights. This documentary is a tool to awaken all of us. It is every Filipino’s duty to spread the word.”

Julia Cornes is producing this travel documentary series called “It’s A Woman’s World” for The Travel Channel International. FilipinaImages.com got featured in this documentary.

Julia found Dine Racoma and myself through Filipina IMages because they were searching for “Filipina”. It was an informal interview situation than the usual documentary sit down.

They concentrated on me cooking adobo and Dine with the salad while asking questions about The Filipina. It was an action and interview story. Some of the questions asked :

• What is a Filipina
• How would you describe the typical Filipina?
• Why did you start your website/blog?
• Why do you think Filipina’s have the international perception they do, especially online?
• Do you want to change this perception and if so how are you doing this?

It was quite fun and informal. But my gosh, I didn’t realize how difficult it must be to produce a show. We had like three angles for the same set of questions. They will travel to Cebu and Bohol for the Philippines series. The show will be come out on October.

Here is background of the Travel show.

Travel addicted Camilla Andersen invites The Travel Channel audience of over 60 million worldwide viewers to journey with her to four very different exotic countries around the world and investigate the best each country has to offer the female traveller from all out adventure to pampering while introducing you to the beautiful and fascinating ladies of the world. It’s a Woman’s World will introduce and immerse viewers into the lives of interesting and inspiring local women they meet. So many travel experiences these days are mocked up for tourism, It’s a Woman’s World wants to avoid these and get the inside perspective on each culture they are discovering

Thank you Julia and Camilla!

Part 1 of 3
What makes a Filipina? -Breaking out of the entrenched stereotype

Over the years, Filipinas working overseas have been greatly stereotyped and put in a negative light. This documentary follows a collective group of global Filipinas who have been deeply affected by these issues and how they chose to respond by sharing the positivity, and the advocacy of a common mission — uplifting the morale of Filipinas everywhere.

Part 2 of 3
Family and the Filipina beauty

Over the years, Filipinas working overseas have been greatly stereotyped and put in a negative light. This documentary follows a collective group of global Filipinas who have been deeply affected by these issues and how they chose to respond by sharing the positivity, and the advocacy of a common mission — uplifting the morale of Filipinas everywhere.

Part 3 of 3
Beyond awareness – Filipino women empowerment

Over the years, Filipinas working overseas have been greatly stereotyped and put in a negative light. This documentary follows a collective group of global Filipinas who have been deeply affected by these issues and how they chose to respond by sharing the positivity, and the advocacy of a common mission — uplifting the morale of Filipinas everywhere.

During the Spanish Colonial Era, settlers from the peninsula were mixed with the indigenous inhabitants of the Philippine Islands, giving a mixture between Spanish, Malay and Chinese people. From that union it came up beautiful women who were recognized throughout the Asian continent by their clothing and Western customs. They were called The Spanish Ladies-Señoritas.

My Facebook and e-mail to my media colleagues and listservs had the same message:

SUBJECT – For Happy International Women’s Day: My feature is about Manang Rozita, Rozita Lee, Commissioner at the White House Initiative on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders

If you’re an Asian American or Pacific Islander in the US, remember that we have a voice in The White House. Remember Rozita Lee, our fellow kababayan! Manang Rozita rocks! I’ve included videos! http://bit.ly/eb1lsc

A very Happy International Women’s Day to everyone!

A Filipina Woman in an Act of Courage

The Book Cover of Dancing Lessons by Cheryl Burke

From Philipine Star

Looks are good but we need cash.

This seems to be true for a majority of Filipino women who prefer to marry for money rather than looks, according to a survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) released yesterday.

The pre-Valentine survey showed 51 percent of Filipino women wouldn’t mind marrying a rich but ugly man.

This means the remaining 46 percent would rather marry a good-looking guy even if he were poor.

The women answered the question, “If you were to choose one of the following two persons to be your lifetime partner, who would you pick: A person who is rich but ugly, or A person who is good-looking but poor.”

Only two percent of the women respondents did not answer the question.

For Filipino men, looks proved to be the more important factor. The same survey revealed 52 percent of Filipino men are more likely to choose a good-looking partner even if she is poor.

For Filipino women, financial stability was a more important consideration, with 57 percent saying they would pick a rich but ugly partner, as against the remaining 41 percent inclined to marry a poor but good-looking guy.

Reactions from Twitter ranged from “sad” to “who did they survey?” Times must indeed be hard for women to choose money over looks.

“I had the had the pleasure of getting to know Mae Flores, an up & coming Filipino actress. Her natural beauty and talent came through in her big screen debut.”

I found this quote in one of the reviews at the Washington Post for the sci-fi (or syfy) movie, “Atlantis Down.” Congratulations, Mae!

The Los Angeles Premiere of “Atlantis Down” will be shown during the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival on February 20th, 2010 at Mann’s Chinese Theatre.

When I took this photo, Mae Flores was running a fever just before the Opening Plenary Session of the E-2010. Mae was our YP (young Pinoy, young Pinay, young Professional) Opening Plenary Speaker. During those few minutes before the conference started, we had some quiet time, getting to know each other. What a refreshing breath of fresh air this Filipina performing artist brought to the conference! I’m not saying anything more because I would prefer that you get to know Mae Flores. She’s in Los Angeles, California, a Filipina born in Quezon City, raised in Chicago, adopted by Hampton Roads, and ended up at our NaFFAA Empowerment Conference whose theme of “Building the next generation of Community Advocates in an Intergenerational Environment” evoked a kaleidoscope of insights from this elegant young woman.

For the Red Carpet Premiere of “Atlantis Down,’ the movie, I decided to find whatever news was out there about Mae Flores and the movie. Here is my collection. Enjoy it, Mae!

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