1. I’m proud to be Filipino because we always rise to the occasion! Hinding hindi ko pagpapalit ang Pilipinas at yung kultura natin. – Sitti Navarro, Singer

2. We are a race of champions. – Dred David, 21, Team Surf Shop & CTC

3. I’m proud to be Filipino because no matter how bad things get we always seem to find something positive or something to smile about to keep themselves going. – Martin Warren, 26, Marketing Maverick

4. Filipinos work hard for their families and value education and success in the profession. – Dr. Marj Evasco, Poet, DLSU Professor and Palanca winner

5. Filipinos are peace loving and talented – Yves, Physician and Graduate Student in Creative Writing

6. Dahil tayong mga Pilipino, pili na, pino pa. The best talaga and you better believe it!” – JM Lim, 20, architecture student

7. I’m proud to be Pinoy because of our partiality towards the extreme, odd and awkward. But all beautiful. – Maite Salazar, 26, writer

8. Filipinos are willing to go the extra mile, even with hardship, to help someone out – Dette Quizon, 27, entrepreneur

9. Because only in Manila can I go through 2-3 extreme emotions within a span of a minute. – Tamtam Lara

10. I love being Filipino because of all the unique cultural diversity you can find in our tiny little archipelago. I think all of our rich backgrounds play a big part in making us Filipino. – Cat Juan, model and writer

1. We are amazingly sympathetic and cariñoso –that’s why Pinoys make such great nurses and caregivers. – Ana Reyes Abano, 28, proud mommy and J&J Brand Manager

2. We pinoys have very diverse ethnic & regional ways. – Manuel Quizon

3. Whenever we have visitors we go an extra mile to make their stay worth it. – D David

4. I work hard, I give my best, I give everybody that I deal with a fair chance, I give a chance to all to have the best in life, I am a PINOY in doing all of these, and I am proud when I see my fellow Pinoys do the same. – Ben Castillo, Father and Business Executive

5. We have have freedom. – Ninong Mani

6. We are intelligent and talented people – the best at what we do. – Gabriel Coronel, First Year HS

7. We are compassionate. – Raphael Coronel, Grade 7

8. How can we not be proud of our pan de sal, kapeng barako, Vigan empanada, and the delicious Visayan and Batangenyo dishes? – Mr. Q

9. Pinoys are Jacks of All Trades. – Eunice

10. I’m proud to be Pinoy because we’re a culture of smiles, corny jokes and fiestas. – Yogi Collado

11. We are the happiest people in Asia — even if times are rough — according to a Time magazine poll. – Ana Via

12. I am proud of our world class service, one that’s evident at our world class hotels, like the Manila Peninsula. – Roger Cua

13. I am proud to be Pinoy because it is the land of my birth. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! – Venus

14. Ibang mag mahal ang Pinoy! – Obet and Bot, Florists

15. Pinoys can sing! – Andrew Duckworth, Australian

16. Matulungin tayo sa pamilya. Pagka meron ang isa, meron ang lahat. – Ms. Dary

17. We value relationships over material things. – Marissa Quinio

18. Where else can you find teenagers and young ones hanging-out with their Lolos and Lolas, not just on weekends but daily? – Noemi Concepcion

19. Our hospitality is second to none! – Marisol Franklin

20. We are patient and forgiving. Because despite the chaos in this world… we still believe in GOD. – Juliet Genio
21. Pinoys have the perfect combination of street smarts, intellect, compassion, and adaptability. – Ditas Lara, Homemaker

22. I am proud to be Pinoy because…we are fashion victims. We eat with our hands. Our hearts are genuine. Don’t we stand out? – Pinky Yang

23. I am proud of my Maranaw heritage, which contributes greatly to the rich, ethnic diversity of the Filipino culture. – Apipa Paras, homemaker and proud mom of 3

24. My strong foundation and appreciation for family (of course that means extended uncles, aunts & cousins), is the only thing that really makes sense.” – Douglas Canlas, 29, MD, from San Jose, CA

25. What makes me proud to be a Filipino? That I know how to value things that need to be valued… being Pinoy enables me to respect people without looking down on their heritage. – Jefferson De Leon, 27, MD (currently based in California)

26. A Filipino will instantly have that sense of camaraderie when they meet on a sidewalk in a foreign land. The subtle pride and patriotic attitude of the Filipino is something to look up to. – Genevieve Collado, MD, 27, QC

27. There is no place like the filipino’s (home) table! Not only the food, but the entertaining chatter! Risee, 19

28. Unique ang Pinoy kasi kahit saan mo tayo dalhin, we will thrive. – Morris Rocha, Team Surf Shop & CTC

29. I’m proud of the food that I myself make for my family, all of which is distinctly Pinoy, like adobo, sinigang, pancit palabok… sure, they can replicate this in the States but saan galing ang original? Dito sa Pilipinas. – Chris Riel, Team Surf Shop & CTC

30. We have the best landscapes in the world. You can watch the best sunrise and sunset atop Tarak Ridge in Bataan. There’s the unique Taal crater and the most gorgeous islands in my home province, Bicol. All are unmatched. – Tope Claveria, Team Surf Shop & CTC
31. I’m proud to be Filipino because I know that each and every Pinoy has potential. We are all born smart. We just have to realize it in our lifetimes. – Daniel, Team Surf Shop & CTC

32. We are a country that always has something new to offer, a new place to discover! I myself have yet to go to Palawan or to see Mayon Volcano. – Joy Punongbayan, Team Surf Shop & CTC

33. We are a country of drop-dead gorgeous smiles! – Anna Abejuela, Team Surf Shop & CTC

34. I’m proud of the very masipag Batangenyos! – Aileen Aspi, Team Surf Shop & CTC

35. Malapit ang mga Pinoy. – German Montubig, Team Surf Shop & CTC

36. Our hostility. I mean, the Pinoy hospitality! – said a laughing Fong, Team Surf Shop & CTC

37. We Pinoys have an uncanny ability to adapt. We are resilient. – Danella Yujuico, world eye reports, Hong Kong.

38. We Pinoys? We’ll find the most unique way to do anything under the sun. – Marinela de Austria Team Surf Shop & CTC

39. Our women! Nothing like our women. – Brian Raymond

40. Filipinos are a tough breed. We can go through crises that would have Western societies at a standstill and still meet each other for coffee the next day. -Timmy Tuason, 32, QC, Phil
41. Filipinos don’t suffer from “tall poppy syndrome” — they are proud to see others of their own kind succeed. – Wendy Rockett, 26, Australian-Filipina

42. We take care of our own, we don’t leave them in homes for the aged. – Julette Alon, 23 years old, Account Manager

43. The strength of our sense of community (kilala natin mga neighbors natin). – Arnie Delusong, 33, writer

44. Because of our beautiful barong tagalog and saya. – Mayette Guerrero, Executive Creative Director

45. Our positive traits as Pinoys (resilient, optimistic, resourceful) outweigh the stereotypes typifying other countries such as the way the French kiss, dry-humored Brits, sloppy Americans, etc. – Elaine de Padua, COO

46. Because I love passionately, and I think that comes from being Filipino. – Jay Lara, 26, Freelance Photographer

47. Sa atin lang ang may pasahan ng pamasahe sa jeep. O diba?! -Sheryl Lim, 28, Accountant

48. Pinoys are a versatile people. -Edgar, 23

49. I belong to a society where moral foundations are more stable and sound compared to other relativist societies. Arthur, 21

50. Ang ganda ng mga kabataan natin sa Pilipinas. – Jackie Roa, Team Surf Shop & CTC

51. I am proud of this country which has produced literary greats and innovators like J. Neil Garcia, Ronald Baytan, Marjorie Evasco, Carlos Bulosan, Katrina Tuvera, and Paz Marquez Benitez. – Cathy Paras, Writer

52. I’m proud of our multi-culturalism. Not just within our own country, but with other countries mixing with and borrowing from the fruits of our diverse nation. – Edgar J., 22

53. Because we have a sense of civic pride. I like that we still stand to sing the national anthem before movies start. – Raya, 26

54. We’re the friendliest people in the world! – Darla

55. No other nation can boast of being the text capital of the world! Think of the information we can spread! – Denise Raymond, 31, Madrid

56. We have a unique sense of style. Our jewellry making is unmatched, a mix of ethnic influences and Western modernity. – Irene, 24

57. Ang Pinoy ay matalino at malakas ang loob. -Derf, 28

58. Exhibit A of our ingenuity: we come up with different names for soap operas – superserye, teleserye.sineserye,asianovela, koreanovela, telenovela, fantaserye, etc! – anonymous

59. We have a deep respect for our elders by uniquely addressing them with ‘po’ and ‘opo.’ – Suzette Paras, homemaker and mom

60. We are a country of eternal hope. – Rebecca Farinas
61. I’m proud of my natural tan. – Alexi Tiu

62. Filipinos can be proud of our excellent badminton players. – Jasper Florendo

63. I’m proud of our homegrown baller talent. Go PBA! – Raymond Salas, 26, Sales & Marketing

64. Being Filipino gives me the privilege of being known all over the world. – Mike Serrano

65. October pa… pasko na! – Yowgurl

66. I’m proud of the fact that in my veins run the genes of great civilizations past (chinese, european and malay) — Chewy Chua

67. We make the most of a situation. One piece of chicken is accompanied with four cups of rice! – Jordy Lee

68. Filipinos are linguists. We can speak English better than other Asians. – Ted Chua

69. We know how to enjoy life without the aid of material possessions. – Mini Hernandez

70. Filipinos are great lovers…perfect for making lasting partners! – Giancarlo S. Gonzalo

71. I am proud to be associated with Pinoys. Not once have I ever met a Filipino who hasn’t made me feel welcome. Every single one I have ever come in contact with has been friendly from the very start. I think that is something to be proud of. – Eddie Garabedian, 26, partner of Pinay, Andrea Recio-Ang

72. Our cackle – you can always spot a group of filipinos because of the way they are seated in a group and laugh. We always have the ability to have the best time anywhere at anytime! – Andrea Recio-Ang, 27, San Francisco

73. I’m proud to be pinoy because i can point without having to lift a finger (as she points with her chin). – Gina Reyes, 26, San Francisco

74. I am proud of our culinary creations, which has Spanish influences but made into our ‘own’: like Sisig, Tapa and Liempo! – GSG

75. If a country’s wealth is measured by its people’s EQ then I think we’d be one of the richest. – Marj, Punta Fuego Hotels PR

76. Pinoys have an uncanny ability to SHARE our cheerful disposition. – Teena Santiago

77. I’m proud of our rich cultural traditions, like the ‘mano po,’ making of the parol during Christmas and the humble but melodic way in which Pinoys sing ‘Ama Namin’ in church. – Vicki Nilo

78. I’m proud of being Pinoy because of all the races we have mixed into our culture. – Dianne Obviar

79. I am proud to be a Filipino because we’re truly world class exemplary workers. We are talented professionals constantly preferred and sought by international employers. – Girlie

80. The sunset at Manila Bay is unmatched. – Epraim E. Despabiladeras, 59, family planning specialist,
81. The Philippine marine reef has the greatest biodiversity in the world, even more than the Australian Great Barrier reef! – Marian

82. We are abundantly blessed with natural wonders. Claire, Cebu-based events organizer

83. I am proud of GLOBE PHILIPPINES! – unidentified Globe fan

84. We are very careful not to hurt other people’s feelings. This means that we are very good diplomats. – SF

85. I’m proud of our chicken, pork and beef bbq! The best in the world. – Jona

86. We always have this impulse to help out whether solicited or not. We’re compassionate! – Marnelli, Behavioral therapist to special kids

87. I’m proud of our Pinoy bands, like Bamboo and Hale. – A True Rocker, 22, Pasig City

88. I’m proud of our STRONG MOTHERS, some of whom are working abroad just to feed their kids back home. – Lala Santos

89. Pinays have gorgeous manes. I know I do. – Raquel Angeles, 22

90. Pinoys know how to party. We also know how to dance. At any hot spot in L.A., you’ll always find a Pinoy/Pinay on the dance floor. – Jean Marie Katigbak, 25, Media Planner, Los Angeles, CA

91. We are evolving as a nation of tolerance. We have more and more yoga schools opening up! Like Bikram Yoga Manila. – Yogini

92. Pinoys love the camera! Whether it be photographers or hams that love to pose in front of it. – Ian Ong, Visual Artist

93. I don’t want to be out in the battlefield without a Filipino by my side. – Ron Witkowski, 29, New York City bartender

94. I am proud of the fact that we don’t forget our roots, even if we’ve made it big, like APL in the Black Eyed Peas. – Jong Marasigan

95. The scent of sampaguita makes my day. – Lani, 25

96. Wherever I go in the world, men come up to me and say, “You’re gorgeous, lady. You’ve gotta be a Filipina.” There’s a reason for that, ahem. – Jaya, 21, aspiring model

97. We have the most gorgeous flag. Red, white, blue, and yellow. Magnificent. – Nieto Panginiban, 33

98. Filipinos take life in slow-motion, which means we notice all the different colors and shades and textures of this complex and beautiful world. – Ines, 19, artist

I can feel so much for the Filipina mom and her daughter as the latter’s ex-boyfriend tried to extort money so the video uploaded in youtube would be removed. She is lucky because police operatives located the ex-boyfriend. The sad thing here is the video already spread through the internet. She is forever shamed.

Lately, two filipinas became victims of an unauthorized video being spread across the internet. One of the victims is Katrina Halili, the ex-lover of Haydn Kho. Katrina Halili filed a complaint against Kho at the headquarters of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), accusing Kho of filming his sexual encounter without her consent. She is “willing to face all this embarrassment so that other people may learn. I want to fight back because I don’t want this to happen to me again or to other women,” she said. (Source: Inquirer.net)

“Women should be careful whom to trust. And I want those people responsible for circulating the videos to be punished. I’ll face all of them. Napakawalanghiya nila (They’re shameless).”

Katrina Halili is not the only Filipina victim. Three of the videos are now hot items in cyberspace and are being passed from one e-mail account to another. Copies are purportedly being sold to video pirates.

Suspending the license of Kho does not solve the real problem of sex scandal videos. There need to be a long term solution to discourage the proliferation of these videos in cyberspace.

Based on this shameful sex scandal, lessons can be learned. Bills should be expedited.

1. Sen. Pia Cayetano filed Senate Bill 3267, an anti-voyeurism bill that would prevent a person from videotaping another person, and distributing such a video, without the other’s consent.

Under the bill, it will be unlawful for any person to record or attempt to record any private acts, including but not limited to sexual acts, without the consent of all the concerned parties.

It will also be unlawful for any person to “knowingly possess’’ any video tape, disc or any such record or their copies, “with the intent to share, relay or exhibit the contents.’’

The bill also bars a person from sharing or exhibiting these records.

2. According to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Haydn Kho may be charged under Republic Act No. 9262 (or the Anti-Violence against Women and Children Act of 2004).

He said Section 3 of the law banned treating women and children as sex objects, forcing them to commit indecent acts, and making films of them.

3. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita also advised the public to be careful in the company of people who might take videos of them and later subject them to “anything that is offensive and embarrassing to your person.”

4. Maybe it is time to revive Senate Bill No. 2464, the Proposed Anti-obscenity and Pornography Act of 1008 filed by Senate President Manuel Villar, Jr.

5. Secretary Gonzalez said the persons behind the production and proliferation of the sex videos could be held liable either as accessories or accomplices in the commission of the crime.

Lastly and more importantly,

6. Bloggers should be responsible enough not to post photos, links, videos of this latest sex video scandal. I feel those who post these may just be as guilty of violating the law. The proliferation through blog posts can be seen as accessories in this commission of the crime. That’s just my opinion

Update May 21- Alec Baldwin Apologizes

Alec Baldwin’s joke about getting a Filipino mail-order bride provoked a sharp response in the Philippines, with one senator saying Monday that the “30 Rock” star faces violence if he ever visits.

Baldwin, 51, who is divorced with a teenage daughter, said in a May 12 interview on “The Late Show” with David Letterman that he would love to have more children.

The Emmy-winning actor quipped that he was “thinking about getting a Filipino mail-order bride at this point … or a Russian one.”

source

Okay, Alec Baldwin is probably not aware that we have a law banning Mail Order Marriages that facilitating or arranging a marriage between a Filipina and a foreigner has been prohibited under Republic Act 6955 or the Anti-Mail-Order Bride Law of 1990. The law “declare(s) as unlawful the practice of matching Filipino women for marriage to foreign nationals on a mail order basis and other similar practices, including the advertisement, publication, printing or distribution of brochures, fliers, and other propaganda materials in furtherance thereof and providing penalty therefore.”

Jean Enriquez, executive director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific, says that “…Joking about mail-order brides... is trivializing human smuggling.”

He obviously said it in jest. Yes, not a nice joke. Senator Ramon Revilla said that Baldwin’s comment was “insensitive and uncalled for” and an insult to millions of Filipinos. “Let him try to come here in the Philippines and he’ll see mayhem,” Revilla said, using a local idiom that implies the speaker will personally administer a beating.

Now , beating is too much. What an immature way to resolve this issue? Senator Revilla should just inform Alec Baldwin that we have laws banning mail order marriages. The thing is, Alec Baldwin is not alone in stereotyping Filipinas . The Filipina has been stereotyped as “mail order brides” for so long . An information campaign should consistently be disseminated. The government must implement the law prohibiting the violation of Filipino women, and should look after distressed Filipinas who have suffered abuses in the hands of foreign spouses.

Let’s continue to support Filipina Images and sustain the Filipina Image Online Campaign.

What an awesome, beautiful voice from a small big singer with a very big heart and big dreams. When she sings this song, I feel every word of her message. Her appearance on Oprah may vault her career and her new single to a new level. Note To God was written by bestselling songwriter Diane Warren and produced by David Foster. The song was originally recorded by pop singer JoJo in 2006.

Charice Pempengco now goes by one name Charice in her career in Hollywood, like Jojo and Beyonce.

Here are the lyrics

If I wrote a note to God
I would speak whats in my soul
I’d ask for all the hate to be swept away,
For love to overflow
If I wrote a note to God
I’d pour my heart out on each page
I’d ask for war to end
For peace to mend this world
I’d say, I’d say, I’d say

Give us the strength to make it through
Help us find love cause love is over due
And it looks like we haven’t got a clue
Need some help from you
Grant us the faith to carry on
Give us hope when it seems all hope is gone
Cause it seems like so much is goin wrong
On this road we’re on

If I wrote a note to God
I would say what on my mind
I’d ask for wisdom to let compassion rule this world
Until these times
If I wrote a note to God
I’d say please help us find our way
End all the bitterness, put some tenderness in our hearts
And I’d say, I’d say, I’d say

Give us the strength to make it through
Help us find love cause love is over due
And it looks like we haven’t got a clue
Need some help from you
Grant us the faith to carry on
Give us hope when it seems all hope is gone
Cause it seems like so much is goin wrong
On this road we’re on

No, no no no
We can’t do this on our own
So

Give us the strength to make it through
Help us find love cause love is over due
And it looks like we haven’t got a clue
Need some help from you
Grant us the faith to carry on
Give us hope when it seems all hope is gone
Cause it seems like so much is goin wrong
On this road we’re on

If I wrote a note to God

You can download the song at itunes

Note To God is now #1 in Amazon MP3 downloads all in one day. That is some kind of a record I think. Song also #5 in iTunes

My sister, Myrna de Vera, sent an announcement in Facebook that she had won the “Mother of the Year” Award. Curious, I clicked on the link — and was totally enthralled by the present being given to mothers worldwide.

See for yourself how Filipina moms were honored. Click here — and enjoy the positive power of media:

My own Facebook greeting was also tongue-in-cheek:

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers with biological children, adopted children, and would-have-had-children-but-made-the-worlds-children-their-children! Including the men who are “Mr. Mom!” Gotta be inclusive in my greeting!

I also received an email from the organizers of THE MOTHER OF THE YEAR AWARD.

From: Joan Blades, MomsRising for CNNBC
Date: Sat, May 9, 2009 at 9:53 AM
Subject: Making the day of millions of moms
To: Lorna Dietz

Thanks for sending the “Mother of the Year” video to some of your favorite moms. You’ve really been part of something big: already the the award video has been sent to more than 4,500,000 moms! And we still have today and tomorrow to get this video to millions more.

We’re setting a goal of sending this well-deserved award to an incredible ten million moms.

I’ll bet you know more moms who’d love to see themselves in this video. Or more friends who’d like to send it to moms they know. Can you send it on again? Just send on this email or go to:

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com

We’ve been flooded with notes about how much people love getting the award video. A mom wrote us to say, “I don’t know what was funnier, the newscast or my son repeatedly asking, ‘Is that real? Is it real?’ while I’m wiping tears from the corners of my eyes.” Another wrote, “I sent to my best friend. She’d had a breakdown on an L.A. highway and she said it made her horrible day GREAT.” One prominent blogger wrote, “Honestly, this video is beyond a home run. It is the first thing in a long time I’ve wanted to send to each and every person I know!”

And if you’ve run out of great moms to send this award video to, send this link along to friends who might not have heard about this yet, so they can make sure their moms and moms they know are honored on Mother’s Day.

It a win/win—make your friends and family laugh and blush while you help us grow this movement for moms and families.

Thanks so much,

–Joan, Kristin, Mary and the whole MomsRising team

Like what we’re doing? Your donations make the work of MomsRising.org possible—and we deeply appreciate your support. Every little bit counts. Donate today on our secure website:

http://www.momsrising.org/contribute/

Every now and then I will post emails from FilipinaImages.com. This one is from Lan Tait, an American and married to a Filipina. He has had an amazing life on the cutting edge of computers and the Internet for more than 3 and a half decades

Here is Lan’s story:

To me, when I think of being a Filipina, I think of my deceased wife, Bhabes Gelito Tait.

http://bhabes.t8s.org/

Bhabes was 27 when she married me. The first kiss she ever received from a man was right after the minister said, “You may kiss your bride.” When we dated, we sometimes went as far as to hold hands! (Gosh!) In the presence of her parents, I was allowed to give her a quick hug when I arrived and another when I departed. The reason was that she was saving herself for her “God’s Best” husband! Let’s see, that was me!

Eight years later when Bhabes died in a car crash, she finished the course of her life having only kissed one man… Again, that would be me!

That’s The Filipina!

Bhabes was a real lover, a lover of God, a lover of Country, a lover of People and of course, a lover of me!

But one thing she hated was the Filipina image. I remember once walking from the US Embassy where we had been helping her parents, and passing the National Library where workers on scaffolds yelled down to her in Tagalog! She was upset. She said they asked about “ugh-ugh” – I knew what she meant. When she was with me and strangers, they would often think she was a prostitute of some weird kind that wore modest clothing! Mind you we are church going people that avoid bars and discos.

That’s The Filipina!

Recently I told an old high school friend (we were talking about if I would be going to our 40th reunion) that I am married to a Filipina. Later my wife reacted with, “I wish that sounded better!” I pressed her for what she meant and she said she was proud to be a Filipino – but ashamed about what the Internet made Filipinas into.

Now mind you, I was 6′4″ – US Army Trained in many kinds of combat! I have had an amazing life on the cutting edge of computers and the Internet for more than 3 and a half decades! But there are some things that I am sensitive about. For example, I will not allow anyone to offend or put down my wife in front of me – not even in a joke. Being one of the architects of the Internet – I am a little sensitive about what people say about it also (my two great loves, the third being Snoopy – but that is a different story!)

To explain her feelings, she had me Google “Filipina” – you already know what I found.

For our business, we do websites. I make databases, Percy does some CMS webdesign. Percy (my wife of five years) asked me what I can do to change that google page so that a Filipina can be proud to be a Filipina! (The real kind that you and I know about!)

That is my story, but I am willing to help her / and anyone…

(Photo Courtesy of Philstar)

I am very impressed with Timor’s First Lady & Professor Jacqueline Aquino Siapno-De Araojo. Like a typical balikbayan, she together with 5-year-old son Hadomi in tow, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport more than a week or so ago and was met by her mother. After exchanging greetings, they took a cab and headed to a bus terminal in Pasay City where they boarded a bus bound for her native Dagupan.

Now that is very humbling. No airs! No pretensions or feelings of entitlement! I am absolutely charmed by her humility. I would rather focus on her as a person.

More than being a first lady, Jacqueline Aquino Siapno-De Araojo would like to be known here as a successful professor.

“People here are so messed up, in a way,” she observed. “In other countries, they would value a professor more because you search for truth, you share knowledge, you produce new scholars.”

But here, she said, “nobody asked [me] about [my academic life]. They are only interested in me being the interim first lady. It’s ridiculous. I don’t understand this kind of culture.”

According to Siapno’s curriculum vitae posted in the University of Melbourne website, she has held professorial positions in universities in London, Australia, East Timor, Indonesia and California.

Starting August, she will teach at the Seoul National University in South Korea.

Siapno has worked in East Timor as a consultant to international organizations, as a political advisor, and as a workshop facilitator on gender and development in government departments and rural women’s groups.

She is likewise a published author.

‘In 2002, she published her book “Gender, Islam, Nationalism and the State in Aceh: The Paradox of Power, Co-optation and Resistance,” a revised version of her dissertation at the University of California in Berkeley.

She is also the associate editor of the Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures and co-editor of “Between Knowledge and Commitment: Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Peace-building in Regional Contexts.”

“That part of my life is so much more fascinating and challenging,” Siapno said.

Jacqueline is not actually the official First Lady, the title should be attached to her because the incumbent president , Jose Ramos-Horta is single. Since Dr. Fernando La Sama de Araojo, Jacqueline’s husband is the second top man, she is the First Lady.

Michael Tan in his column, A Pinay In Timor Leste further adds:

Siapno grew up in the Philippines but did part of her high school in the United States, moving on to Wellesley for her undergraduate work. She earned her master’s from the School of Oriental and Asian Studies at the University of London and her Ph.D. from the University of California in Berkeley. If we want to pursue this Filipino fixation with titles, she’s a Doctor First Lady.

I think newspapers should be talking more about her work. She has been a consultant with the United Nations Development Programme, Oxfam and other development agencies. The Inquirer did report that she was working with Amnesty International, an organization working for the release of political prisoners. Fernando Lasama was one of those political prisoners and Siapno, who was doing research in Indonesia, visited him in Jakarta, where he was serving a nine-year sentence for subversion.

Love blossomed and they kept in touch by correspondence. International pressure and Amnesty International do get results. Lasama was released in 1998 before finishing his sentence, and married Siapno in his home village in Timor Leste in 2001.

Beyond the First Lady title then, Siapno’s is quite accomplished. Her doctoral research in Indonesia produced a book, “Gender, Islam, Nationalism and the State in Aceh.” She was also associate editor of the Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures. She teaches at the Universidade da Paz in Dili.

She tells her students that with all the Filipina nannies raising children of the world, we’re quietly “colonizing” the world. It won’t be a surprise if a few years from now, leaders of countries talk about their Filipina yaya.

I read it a few days ago in the Inquirer. It’s a good thing Carlo Ople, a friend reminded me of Our women, their slaves by Susan Ople. The problem here is that women who seek employment outside the country keep on getting victimized by illegal recruiters. They end up working in a distant land, cut off from their family, and what’s worse is they get physically abused – sometimes molested… and they don’t even get paid. It’s literally modern day slavery. Here are two case studies of Filipinas caught in the web of modern day slavery.

This is the story of Alice

Alice enjoyed a comfortable living in Hong Kong. True, she was a domestic helper but her employers were kind and she was earning P40,000 a month. When her contract ended, she decided to come home for a brief vacation with her family in Pampanga. She was offered a job by an illegal recruiter who promised her a good employer, a higher salary, and quick deployment to Dubai, a place that she had heard good things about.

She arrived in Dubai sometime in February 2006. Her first employer tried to sexually molest her. She complained to her agency, which transferred her to a different household. Her new employers included an indecent grandfather who kept trying to open her door at 2 o’clock in the morning. Alice learned to sleep with a knife under her pillow and her bed against the door. Fearful for her life and honor, she called the Philippine embassy to seek help but before it could send someone to rescue her, she was asked to pack and leave.

Her agency had sold her contract and passport to another agency in Oman. As she was unwilling to go into prostitution and now having found the strength to assert her rights, her foreign agent in Oman decided to sell Alice to another agent, this time in Damascus, Syria.

From Damascus to hell

Upon her arrival at the airport, immigration agents threw her in a detention cell for entering Syria without a visa. What she saw during her one-night stay in the immigration cell would stay with her for the rest of her life. On dingy walls, she said, were SOS messages crudely written by desperate Filipinos. She also saw a disheveled Filipino woman, with signs of mental illness, being mocked and played with by the guards.

The next day, Alice was released upon the intercession of a foreign broker who then sold her to a Sri Lankan. The Sri Lankan sold her to another agent, a man named Al Khatar. Al Khatar dispatched her to work as a domestic helper for a couple with six children. She was fed mostly kubos, waferlike bread that is staple fare in many Syrian households.

She worked from dawn to dawn, doing everything from cutting tree branches to cleaning the entire house and feeding the children. Alice was hungry all the time, and would often buy a piece of bread when instructed to go to the market. After sealing the piece of bread in a plastic bag, she would hide it in the garden. When her employers went to sleep at night, she would sneak out of the kitchen door to get the bread hidden behind the bushes and eat it behind the locked door of the bathroom.

Despite her hands bleeding from cutting tree branches and doing housework, every time Alice tried to collect on her salary, her employers would reply that they already paid $3,000 to her agent just to have her.

Acting on information provided by TV journalist Dindo Amparo of ABS-CBN’s Middle East bureau and the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, the Philippine embassy in Lebanon sent a team that negotiated for the repatriation of Alice and 16 more Filipino women working under oppressive conditions in Syria. The Department of Foreign Affairs had to pay penalties to the immigration office before the women could be given exit clearances.

Last year, the Philippines opened an embassy in Damascus, Syria. To its surprise, the Department of Foreign Affairs discovered that its original estimate of 6,000 undocumented Filipinos living in Syria was grossly understated. When the embassy opened its doors, its halfway center was immediately filled, and estimates of the number of Filipinos, mostly women workers, was at a more realistic 12,000.

The story of Sandy

Less than five feet tall but with a big personality, Sandy knows how to cut hair and make people look beautiful, having worked in a beauty parlor in Batangas City. Her husband’s meager earnings as a tricycle driver and her desire for a better life for her children, prompted her to accept a job as a domestic helper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her agent promised quick deployment under a fly-now, pay-later scheme.

In May 2008, upon their arrival in Malaysia, the women were made to ride in different vehicles. Sandy rode in a vehicle that took her directly to the boss of their local recruiter, a Singaporean who lived in a three-story townhouse. She stayed in that townhouse for two weeks until the agent was able to secure an employer.

She worked as domestic helper for a couple that owned three houses and had four children, with another baby due anytime soon. She worked from 5:30 in the morning to 1 a.m. the following day. Her breakfast at 6 a.m. consisted of a single piece of bread and a cup of coffee. Her next meal would be at 3 p.m., comprising of a bowl of gruel. Unable to cope with the demands of her work, she asked to be returned to her agent. She was not paid a single cent for her labor.

Slapped around

After a week, the girlfriend of her agent said that Sandy would be working for a spa. Sandy said she would happy in her new job. Unfortunately, her employer decided to terminate her contract for fear of being caught violating immigration laws. Sandy was granted a visa to work in Malaysia as a domestic helper, not as a massage therapist. Despite services rendered, the petite Filipina was denied her monthly pay. Sandy was told she would not be earning money because she still had an outstanding debt to her Singaporean boss.

Upon her return to the townhouse, her foreign agent asked her to go up to the third floor. There, she was slapped 20 times by her agent. Sandy’s return meant a loss of income as her second employer was asking for a refund. The Singaporean big boss demanded that Sandy admit to stealing money, including customers’ tips that she supposedly should have turned over to the agent. Repeatedly, Sandy denied the allegation, and for every denial, came a slap across the cheek from her enraged six-foot tall boss.

A lopsided law

The next day, the other Filipino women in the townhouse told Sandy they overheard the agent saying he would assign Sandy to work in one of the nightclubs. That night, a sympathetic housekeeper, also a Filipina, left the house keys on purpose, atop a table where Sandy could see it. When the agent and his girlfriend went to bed, Sandy and another companion used the keys to get out of the house and to the nearest highway where they were able to hail a cab that took them to the Philippine embassy.

In both cases narrated above, the victims cooperated with the Department of Justice, Department of Foreign Affairs, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, all of which have their own antitrafficking units.

Sandy and her companion filed a case against the Singaporean trafficker in Malaysia and in the Philippines. Yet up to this very day, almost one year later, a conviction has yet to be obtained. Since the Anti-Trafficking Act was passed in 2003, only 12 convictions have been handed down.

While it is true that Filipino women are not the only ones being victimized by traffickers and slave traders, it cannot be denied that we have become a major source country of modern-day slaves.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Lao-tzu

I first met Joy Rojas in early 2006 when she interviewed me and two of my friends for The Compassionate Friends. Her article came out in the Sunday Inquirer which paved the way for the awareness of my support group. The success of the article comforted so many bereaved parents and eventually inspired me to be a blogger so I could spread the awareness further.

Now I want to give back, and help Joy achieve her dream.

On her 44th birthday, May 11, 2009, Joy Rojas will begin a journey like no other. Championing the belief that there’s “no limit to the Filipino spirit,” the ultramarathoner will embark on a cross-country run through the United States of America, making her way from California to New York entirely on foot.

Rojas’ ultramarathon will begin in Eagle Rock, California and continue through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey towards New York City, where Filipinos will welcome her and accompany her to her finish line on Fifth Avenue. No other person from the Philippines has run this course; when Cesar Guarin became the first Filipino to run across America in 1987, he traversed the country from east to west. Quite literally, Rojas will be blazing trails.

She will be rewriting history too. Once Rojas reaches the finish line at the Philippine Consulate in Manhattan on September 8, she will go down in record as the only Southeast Asian woman to have accomplished such a deed. All in all, approximately 182 men and 11 women have run across the world’s fourth largest nation, notes philstar.com.

Her endeavor, ambitious and promising as it is, is named Takbong Pangarap. Literally translating into “Dream Run,” the trans-America sprint is not something Rojas will be doing only for herself. A tuberculosis survivor, Rojas will ensure that her run will benefit the Anti-Tuberculosis Program of the Inner Wheel Club of Quezon City District 378 and the Social Services Division of the Philippine Heart Center.

As she makes her way through America, Rojas will be touching base with Filipino-American communities along the road. In her interactions, she will share how it is possible to achieve seemingly impossible dreams if one simply works on it—as she has, and as she will.

Just because some 200 people have already overcome the ever-changing American terrain on foot does not mean that the nation’s deserts and prairies are up for easy conquest. But the unique challenge—and the strength of character that can be proven through it—is exactly what Rojas is chasing.

A magazine editor and freelance journalist as well as an accomplished runner, Rojas regularly finished high in the rankings of races such as the PAL, Milo and Pasig River Heritage marathons from 1995 to 2002, recounts inquirer.net. She eventually exchanged the experience of competitive racing for the sheer pleasure of running long distances. Rojas also participated in the 40-day, 1,196 km Visayan leg of Fr. Robert Reyes’ trans-Philippine run, ran the 100 km challenge from Luneta to Nasugbu, Batangas in 16 hours, and made it from Baguio to Banawe in three days.

To date, her most lauded feat is having run from one end of the Philippine archipelago to the other in 2005. Sleeping in public school classrooms and giving inspirational speeches to students along the way, Rojas covered the 2,000 km distance from Davao City to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte in 46 days.
Given that, how daunting could running across North America be?

“When it was done, I thought, ‘That’s it?’” Rojas says of Hakbang Pangarap, her trans-Philippine run, quoted by mb.com.ph. “Then I realized that maybe running across the Philippines didn’t have to mean the end of a dream, but the start of many others.”

Her next dream will entail running an average of 50 to 60 km daily for a maximum of nine hours at a time, relates inquirer.net. However, just because she will be working up a sweat through cities filled with cheering compatriots and desolate stretches of back roads and highways doesn’t mean she won’t be enjoying the trip.

“I’m open to seeing what’s out there in the 12 states that we’re going to cover,” Rojas is further quoted as saying by mb.com.ph. “I’ve never been to the US so this is a big adventure for me in so many ways.”

“This will be a completely new experience for me not only because I’ve never been to the US, but also because I will be covering miles and miles of nothingness,” she adds. “In the Philippines, you never feel alone for long because somewhere along the road you’ll find a house blasting karaoke music at seven in the morning.”

But Rojas won’t be alone on her Dream Run. She will be accompanied by noted runner Mat Macabe, her running partner and trainer, as well as Chuck Crisanto, the project coordinator of Takbong Pangarap. To date, their team has secured sponsorships from Adidas, Smart Communications, Asiana Airlines, HSBC, Rustan’s/Shopwise, Sony Ericsson Philippines, the Manila Peninsula and Senator Pia Cayetano, according to manilastandardtoday.com.

It is also Crisanto who sums up why the Philippines should take a good look at the extraordinary runner who has blazed extraordinary paths before and is about to chart an even bigger one now.
“Manny Pacquiao is a one in a 90 million athlete,” Crisanto says, quoted by philstar.com. “So is Joy.”

What joy it is to reach one’s dream! Let’s support Joy Rojas achieve her “Takbong Pangarap”.

“Takbong Pangarap” is sponsored by Adidas, Smart Communications, HSBC, Rustan’s/Shopwise, Sen. Pia Cayetano, Sony Ericsson Phils. and the Manila Peninsula. Beneficiaries are the Social Services Division of the Philippine Heart Center and the Anti-TB Program of the Inner Wheel Club of Quezon City, District 378.

How to help Joy Rojas

1. Sponsor or pledge. Call Buensalido & Associates at +632- 817-4471 or Chuck Crisanto at +63917-898-3621

2. For Pinoys in the US, run a few kilometers with Joy for moral support. According to Chuck, they are hoping that Pinoy runners in New York (calling Mike Mesina and Jud) can accompany Joy in the last 20km of her run. This will be on Sept. 8, around 1 p.m., starting at the foot of George Washington bridge until Joy crosses the finish line at the Philippine Consulate around 3 p.m. For inquiries, email takbongpangarap@yahoo.com

3. Buy these patriotic Coach shirts. A portion of the proceeds goes to Takbong Pangarap. For more info, call Chuck Crisanto at +63917-898-3621 or email him at: chuckcrisanto@yahoo.com

Click here on more information on How to Help Joy Rojas

Every now and then, we receive positive or negative emails from our readers from all over the world but it is not often that a Western man sends us his thoughts about the Filipina. Let me introduce you to Steve Schertzer who provides insights on the image of the modern Filipina.

Part 1

What a privilege and honor it was for me to come across both of your websites, www.filipinaimages.com and www.laurganism.com. What has been upsetting me lately is the very thing that has made you angry in recent years: The image and perception of the contemporary Filipina. Like you said, just google the word “Filipina” and what appears on every computer screen is mail order bride services masquerating as dating or key-pal websites, and more pornographic pictures of Filipinas than anyone can count.

In fact, these websites seem to be leading the charge in promoting today’s Filipina as little more than desperate gold-diggers who would do anything to meet a foreign man more than twice their age. They are often described as “sex kittens” and “coy” or “submissive” who would make good wives for older, Western men. This is insulting to both Filipinas and to myself as a Western man.

But as we are all too aware, many Filipinas today— in fact, too many of them— often portray themselves that way to get a foreign man to support both her and her family. Philippine society is not doing itself any favors by keeping its collective head in the sand by ignoring this issue. With hundreds of thousands of Filipina prostitutes plying their trade in places like Manila and Angeles City, (not to mention in countries like Japan and South Korea on “Entertainment” visas), the modern day Filipina is also a major contributor to the image of the Philippines as an international clearing house for prostitution.

It also doesn’t help that many politicians in your country deny that there is a prostitution problem. Corruption and taking kickbacks from bar mama sans help to perpetuate this problem. Even the Mayor of Angeles City, Francis “Blueboy” Nepomceno was recently quoted in a newspaper saying that there were “no lewd acts” in the Angeles City bars. Oh really? I’ve seen some of them.

But blaming politicians is not the answer. And neither is blaming foreign men, although the three million foreign tourists who visit the Philippines each year are not in your beautiful country to see the Chocolate Hills. In fact, the only chocolate hills that many of these unsavoury foreign men see are on the hookers in Angeles City and Makati.

In my opinion, it would be unwise to view the current economic crisis as an excuse for Filipinos to pimp their wives, sisters, and daughters to these foreigners of low quality. Filipinas who choose prostitution as a trade, whether in the bars or online in chat rooms, do so not because they lack money. Filipinas who sell themselves to foreigners do so because they have no morals, no self-respect, and no dignity. These women lack a true work ethic and have not been raised properly.

In light of these sad facts, I urge Filipinos to unite and take back the image of the Filipina that was once the heart and soul of your great nation. My advice to the Filipino people and the solution to this problem rings as true today as it did centuries ago. Take pride in being Filipino, develop a work ethic, speak out when you see an injustice, sit up straight, pull your pants up, apply yourself. Remember to always shine the spotlight on these websites that degrade the Filipina. Sunlight is always the best disinfectant. And above all, never, never pimp your sisters and daughters to foreigners for the sake of the Almighty peso. Your Filipina daughters are worth more than all the money in the world. Remember that.

Part 2

I would now like to elaborate and clarify certain points from my previous letter on the image of the modern Filipina. We can all agree that there is a problem with how Filipinas are viewed and perceived on the internet and in the media. This problem is, however, a product of their own making. We can certainly debate that.

We know that there are countless numbers of foreign men— from Asia, Europe, Austrailia, and North America— who visit the Philippines, some several times a year, for quick, cheap, and easy sex with Filipinas. Many of these girls are met in bars while others are met online. We also know that there are countless numbers of Filipinas— many in their teens— who sell themselves, (or shall I say, rent themselves), to foreigners for money. According to government statistics and certain NGO’s who work with some of these Filipinas, the numbers of Filipinas who sell themselves to foreigners continues to increase every year.

Like I said, a lack of money is not the problem. A lack of morality and self-respect is. These temporary unions by unsavoury foreign men and gold digging Filipinas are based upon a pathology whereby each party exploits the other for sex and money. We must acknowledge this and attempt to put an end to it once and for all. People are being hurt and sometimes killed. Filipinas are being beaten and the men’s children from any previous marriage are being robbed of their rightly inheritance to their father’s money.

Now here’s more disgusting news: Many of these so-called “Mail Order Bride” websites that masquerade as dating sites are innocuous and harmless compared to the others that proudly display pictures of naked Filipinas. Many of them also include sexually explicit videos made by the foreign men and the Filipinas themselves. Like I said, Filipinas have contributed to this problem and it shows no sign of abating.

I should also mention that this ‘Mail Order Bride” phenomenon is illegal in the Philippines and have been so since 1990. There was also an amendment to this law in 2003 by the Philippine government to include websites on the Internet. I’m sure that you already know this, Noemi and Lauren, since your websites also mention this.

Let me say that I am not opposed to international marriages, although it has already been proven that most of then don’t work. Since most marriages between foreign men and Filipinas are primarily based on sex for money, it was never meant to work.

Now here’s the solution: (I do have one.) We need a completely different paradigm of thought. A radical shift in thinking about international marriages. A Western man from the middle class should not be allowed to marry a dirt-poor Filipina. IF FILIPINOS CARED ONE IOTA ABOUT THEIR FILIPINA SISTERS AND DAUGHTERS, THEN PHILIPPINE SOCIETY WOULD NEVER ALLOW UNIONS OF THIS KIND. Why? Because Filipinas will then become sex slaves; totally dependent of the foreign man for just about everything.

The solution, (and I do have one), is this: Every Filipina who wants to marry a foreigner should have these:

*** A university degree
*** A steady and regular job that pays well. (No bargirl or prostitution background.)
*** A work ethic
*** Parents who are in a stable marriage.
*** No criminal background
*** Morality, dignity, and self-respect.
*** Money in the bank
*** A proven track record that she can indeed save money and support her family.

Of course, the foreign man should have these same attributes and characteristics. Remember, we want positive unions between Filipinas and foreigners, not sick ones. This is one way to acheive that.

There is still so much more to say on this matter. I am also angry at all this. We need to petition your government to amend the laws so that marriages between Filipinas and foreign men are based on love and mutual respect, not cheap sex and money. I’m sure everyone can agree that any marriage between a Filipina and a foreign man must be based on equality and be advantageous to both people, their families, and their societies.

Until then, the modern Filipina, her family, and her society have a long way to go before the once proud and beautiful country of the Philippines can claim to be compassionate and civilized.

Keep up the good work, Noemi and Lauren. And remember, the only thing needed for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. I am greatful that good people like you are trying to do something about how the modern day Filipina is perceived. Now convince the modern Filipina to do the same. We must continue to speak out.

Sincerely,

Steve Schertzer