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LIST: Groups worldwide decry ‘new weapon’ vs press freedom after cyber libel verdict

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VERDICT. Rappler CEO and executive editor Maria at the Manila Trial Court on June 15, 2020 attends the promulgation of a cyber libel case file against her and former Rappler researcher-writer Reynaldo Santo Jr. by businessman Wilfredo Keng. Photo by Angie de Silva/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – If there's anything the outpouring of support for Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and former Rappler researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr. proves, it's that the world won’t stand idly by as the cybercrime law is put to the test in the Philippines.

Outraged by what many call a “tragedy for Philippine democracy,” groups all over the world slammed the guilty verdict against Ressa and Santos and decried its implications on press freedom for years to come. (READ: Why democracies should push back vs Maria Ressa verdict)

The cyber libel case stemmed from Santos’ May 2012 article on the late former chief justice Renato Corona’s links to businessmen, notably Wilfredo Keng. Keng disputed parts of the article that quoted an intelligence report linking him to drugs and human trafficking.

While the article was published in May 2012, it was only 5 years later, in October 2017, that Keng filed a complaint. It was already beyond the one-year prescription period for libel under the Revised Penal Code. It was also published 4 months before the cybercrime law was enacted.

However, the court justified that Rappler’s correction of a typographical error in February 2014 was a “republication of the article” and was thus included in the coverage of the cybercrime law. (READ: Judge Montesa 'failed to understand how journalism works)

Denouncements of the verdict quickly poured in from human rights groups, progressive groups, youth groups, campus publications, media groups, and personalities all over the world. 

Human rights groups pointed out how the guilty verdict was yet another example of the weaponization of the law, and carried a dangerous message to the public that “anyone and everyone can be criminalized for their views and opinions.” 

Journalists and media groups backed Ressa and Santos, and likewise reiterated the implications of the verdict. The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines pointed out how cyber libel can now be a “new weapon in the growing legal arsenal against constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties in the Asian outpost of democracy.”

International personalities including former US secretaries of state Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright also expressed their solidarity.

Even Twitter itself has made a stand for Ressa.

From business groups, lawmakers, international groups and unions to progressive groups, campus publications, and schools, here are some of the over 100 statements that poured in to call for press freedom and decry the guilty verdict:


International media, press freedom groups 

International communities, groups

International personalities 

Local media groups 

Schools

Campus publications

Business community 

Human rights groups

Youth groups

Human rights groups

Communities

Personalities

– Rappler.com


‘Protection, not restriction’: Groups asks gov’t for clear guidelines for senior citizens

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RAIN. Senior citizens despite the rain wait for their turn in Plaza Sugbo to claim their P3,000 cash assistance from Cebu City Government on June 10, 2020. Photo by Juan Carlo de Vela

MANILA, Philippines – Seniors sa Panahon ng COVID (SPC) urged the government to revisit its guidelines for senior citizens under quarantine, saying the current policy is “open to misinterpretation and confusion.”

The policy on senior citizens’ mobility in quarantine areas in the Philippines states that people who are 60 years old and above “shall be required to remain in their residences at all times, except when indispensable under the circumstances for obtaining essential goods and services or for work in permitted industries and offices.”

In a Change.org petition, the SPC expressed their concern over how local government units and enforcers on the ground are often aware of the restriction but not the exemption. (READ: [OPINION] The coronavirus pandemic bares older Filipinos' vulnerability)

In their petition, they suggested a new clause in the policy to allow senior citizens to go outside, provided that they strictly comply with all public health practices prescribed by the Department of Health, their places of work, or the establishment they’re heading to. (READ: A doctor's advice for older persons in the time of coronavirus)

These safety measures include wearing face masks, protective equipment, or a combination of both to prevent transmission of COVID-19.

However, SPC said that senior citizens with immunodeficiency, comorbidities, or other health risks should remain in their residences unless allowed by their physicians. Meanwhile, those who live alone can get assistance from the barangay and purok officials or personnel of the Social Welfare and Development Office.

SPC also suggested the use of a senior citizen’s ID to serve as quarantine pass, and asked the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to include them as stakeholders for elderly welfare and rights.

“We are with you in this fight against COVID-19. Consult us. Have us involved in the formulation of policies affecting our sector and its implementation,” SPC said in their petition.

Having gathered more than 5,800 signatures, the SPC submitted their petition in a letter dated June 5 to the Office of the President. 

The group is still waiting for a response regarding their appeal. – Rappler.com

[OPINION | Artwork] No age limit for acceptance

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MANILA, Philippines – June is Pride Month, and in honor of the country's LGBTQ+ community, Rappler called for artworks that answer the question, "How would you capture Pride in a drawing?"

Our top pick is this illustration entitled "No age limit for acceptance" by Aaliyah Y.

"I did this piece because a lot of my fellow LGBTQ+ have been struggling to come out, because they're scared that their parents might not be supportive of them. This drawing is my dream for the future generation, where everyone is given support and love regardless of who they could be," Aaliyah shares. 

You can catch Aaliyah on Twitter here– Rappler.com 

[OPINION] Activism as a call from Christianity

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The underlining thesis statement of Christianity is love. The worn-out rhetoric of religion has cemented its place across cultures as a call to love, a call to forgive, and a call to respect. In the Philippines, Catholicism envelopes our society, blanketing our politics and everyday life with the constant ringing of God. We cannot move without His followers hovering over our shoulders, providing moral codes and belief systems to which we can attune ourselves. However, a consequence of religion is the man-made machinery through which we are silenced. (READ: [OPINION] Should Christians protest?)

Stitched in the very fabric of Christianity is passivity. We mistake our silence for peace and activism as disruption. The version of love that we have weathered is one that sets our radicalism into stasis. We overrule progress to preserve tradition and in doing so, have isolated entire populations from understanding God, and Jesus who was an activist Himself. 

More religious people than I would call this year a reckoning. A plague of Biblical scale, as if we are all new Moseses awaiting our Exodus. The natural progression of current events, from social movements across the United States to our own political instability, makes one almost feel helpless. In the Philippines, the unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic has further harmed our most vulnerable sectors and heightened the need for proper social and economic safeguards.

Groups from the private sector have been moved into action through donation drives and initiatives. The secular term for this is civic engagement. In Christianity, we may liken this to charity or helping one’s neighbor. But is charity enough?

Calling your aid “charity” posits a hierarchy between you and the ones you choose to help. Charity positions the organizers at a place of superiority, despite how pure one’s intentions are. Catholicism calls this mission as every good Catholic’s duty. We must feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, visit the sick – the list goes on. But is it not the most Christian thing to advocate for a love so radical, it dismantles broken systems that situate the vulnerable at a level of poverty beyond redemption? Is it not the most Christian thing to heed to Jesus’ call of activism and nurture our rage with a love that emboldens us to hold abuse to account? (READ: [OPINION] Christians can do more than protest)

In the endless retellings of Jesus’ story as a figure who is both completely human and completely God –it is not difficult to imagine how He would respond to our social unrest. He would not even stop at calling it social unrest, He would be marching at every protest and every rally. He would hold placards up, fearless, advocating for the minorities being attacked. This is love too. 

God knew that in order to understand the entirety of human experience, His son would have to completely live the experience of the poor, the oppressed, and the vulnerable. It would have made more sense, narratively speaking, that God’s son would have been born a prince, adorned with earthly riches, or play the role as one of the Three Kings rather than the baby in the manger. But of course, God knows all. 

Christianity, as an agent of conservatism, has propagated the belief that silence in the name of diplomacy is the more attractive, more palatable version of peace. We are lulled into a comfortable stagnation through this process. Our culture has fostered this passivity, valuing an appeased community over the loud, unattractive demand for change. Activism here is seen as an ugly, violent thing. It disturbs the peace, but does not disturb our collective psyche enough to lead to a concrete revamping of our systems. 

We have swallowed the realities of our impoverished country as normal, almost inevitable. Even in the pursuit of a “new normal,” we have only widened the gaps between our sectors, systematically barring the poor from amassing the economic, social, and cultural capital necessary to mobilize through society. Perhaps as a Christian, the evolution of a new normal also poses a challenge for us to take our works of mercy further and reorient them as work towards holistic social development. And maybe this can begin with simply taking a different stand, despite an upbringing that teaches you otherwise. Engaging in these difficult conversations with our family, friends, and especially our enemies. Utilizing one’s resources to organize and regroup within our local communities. Amplifying the stories of the sectors we seek to help, understanding them as people and not simply as statistics. Just as Jesus would. 

If our shared histories have taught us anything, it is that paralyzing fear only fosters faith. Courage, hope, and love are overlooked as clichés to cling onto. But as the world has taught us before and God continues to remind us, even faith as small as a mustard seed moves mountains. Imagine the world we could reinvent together. – Rappler.com

Sofia Guanzon is an aspiring writer (among other things), but for now, she's a student preoccupied with learning how to put her idealism to practice. 

Group slams gov't official for 'hysterical red-tagging' of activist nun

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IN SOLIDARITY. St. Scholastica College's Vice President of External Affairs and Director of the Institute of Women's Studies Sister Mary John Mananzan delivers the opening remarks at the 13th Hildegarde Awards in St. Scholastica's College on April 24, 2019.

MANILA, Philippines – A progressive coalition has demanded a public apology from Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy for vilifying activist nun Sister Mary John Mananzan as an alleged supporter of a "communist terrorist organization."

"Mananzan is only the latest in a long list of activists and Duterte critics red-tagged by Badoy and the agencies she works with. We demand a public apology from Badoy retracting and correcting her condemnable Facebook post," the Movement Against Tyranny (MAT) said in a statement on Friday, June 19.

MAT was referring to Badoy's Facebook post where she accused Mananzan of putting forth the ideology of “communism,” and alleged that a “Catholic nun is given a place of honor in a communist terrorist organization.”

MAT said that Badoy, who is also spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), "has gone way too far in her red-baiting and vilification activities by accusing one of the living pillars of Philippine activism, Sr Mary John Mananzan, of aiding and abetting rape, pillage, mass murders, and other horrific crimes."

“Such wild and baseless accusations coming from an undersecretary and official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) not only defames Sr. Mary John’s person and reputation but puts her life and liberty in peril,” the group said.

“We demand that the PCOO, NTF-ELCAC, AFP, and PNP stop their vicious, malicious and dangerous red-tagging activities. There will be consequences should Badoy and her ilk persist in their unconscionable conduct,” the group added.

Badoy's post was in response to Mananzan’s earlier post calling out Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa for handing down a guilty verdict against Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa and former researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr over a cyber libel case.

On the same day that Badoy made the accusations against Mananzan, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año told participants of an online forum on the anti-terrorism bill that “it has never been a government position” to red-tag and vilify organizations and individuals. 

'Shameless peddlers of untruth'

Human rights group Karapatan, for its part, stressed that contrary to Badoy’s accusations, Mananzan is a consistent, steadfast, and feisty human rights advocate. 

“Those in power who throw shade on her sincerity and long service to the Filipino people ought to reexamine their conscience and themselves. These shameless peddlers of untruths will be made accountable,” Karapatan added. 

Aside from being a PCOO undersecretary, Badoy is also the spokesperson of the NTF-ELCAC, a government-funded institution whose officials had been criticized for making “slanderous" statements against several individuals, progressive groups, and institutions.

MAT said the government may even use Badoy's allegations against Mananzan to deem her as a "terrorist" once President Rodrigo Duterte signs the anti-terror bill into law.

"Under the new anti-terrorism act awaiting Presdent Duterte’s signature, such accusations can result in Mananzan’s designation as a suspected 'terrorist' subject to 24-hour surveillance, warrantless arrest and detention without charges of up to 24 days, and a host of other violations of her rights and liberties," the group said.

Karapatan said "the state policy of political repression targeting critics and political dissenters exists...is bound to worsen with the enactment of the terror law." (READ: [ANALYSIS] The Anti-Terror Act is worse than Martial Law– Rappler.com

[OPINION] An anthropologist on rethinking history to inspire the future

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While growing up in Tinambac, Camarines Sur, I would hear elders connect “primitiveness” and lack of social progress with the Agta group who visits our town to sell mountain products. This view is racist at its core and does not have a space in our contemporary society. However, this perspective continues to be part of our experiences, as almost all of us who were educated in the Philippine history curriculum learn about the waves of peoples arriving in the islands.

While it is archaeologically supported that the Agta (or Aeta) are one of the very first groups that populated the Philippines, our basic education history textbooks' narrative about them is denigrating. The deep history of the Philippines is more complex than what the Waves of Migration Theory (WMT) suggests; that there were “waves” of different groups of people with varying degrees of skin tones and social and technological sophistication. Unfortunately, this model was still covered in two textbooks as recently as 2010 (Kapaligirang Pilipino, Anda 2010; Pilipinas: Isang Sulyap at Pagyakap, Rama et al. 2006). An Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies) teacher that I spoke to also confirmed that WMT was part of the Grade 4 curriculum a few years ago but that current textbooks do not include this anymore. However, they add that they are not yet equipped to provide an appropriate narrative. (READ: [OPINION] I'm already a minority. Do I need to learn more about racism?)

The popular narrative of Philippine population origins speculates that the first group to inhabit the islands was the dark-skinned pygmies classified as the Negritos. They currently inhabit interior mountain ranges across the Philippine archipelago because, as postulated by the model, of their “inferior culture.” They were pushed to the mountains when a second group arrived, identified as the Indonesian A and B. The last group, the Malays, arrived in 3 succeeding waves, the last group appearing just before contact with Europeans. The last wave was eventually Islamized and Christianized. They settled in the lowlands, thereby pushing the Indonesians and the first two waves of Malays to the mountains. The first two waves of Malays were not converted to either Islam or Christianity. Inherent in this model is the progression of appearance of different groups of peoples, with each succeeding wave having lighter and lighter skin tones as the level of culture got “higher and higher.”

Alas, this perspective even broke into oral history. A Bicol story that I remember reading in a school lesson talks about a creator over-cooking or under-cooking humans, referring to dark- and fair-skinned populations. While this story props brown skin as the “perfect” recipe, it is certainly racially prejudiced. 

THE AGTA. Annie Estioko-Griffin and Bion Griffin with the Nanadukan, Cagayan Agta.
Annie and Bion's decades of work with the Agta provide us with an awareness of their
complex culture, breaking our notions of Agta passiveness. For example, Annie Griffin
documented women hunters among the Agta. Photo by Bion Griffin

Anthropologists have argued for a long time that race is a social construct. It is not a biological reality. There are no human races; there is only one human race. The concept of race reinforces the colonial structures that favors Eurocentric views. For example, it justified conquest and colonialism through the view that non-Western peoples need to be civilized, articulated by the “White Man’s Burden” perception. In the Philippines this proceeded through the Benevolent Assimilation policy of the American colonial government. (READ: [OPINION] Dear white people in the Philippines)

Indeed, Philippine history is replete with these narratives; that there was a need to civilize and Christianize the “isolated” Philippine ethnolinguistic groups. Some scholars rationalize these narratives as a product of an era. Models, such as the Waves of Migration Theory and the Three Age System, developed by otherwise well-meaning people, were unwittingly racist and Eurocentric. This, however, does not excuse the models from its denigrating foundation. Franz Boas, considered as the Father of American Anthropology, crusaded against these types of model as early as the late 19th century until his death in 1942. 

In the Philippines, senior Filipino anthropologists appropriately responded to these models by highlighting the deterministic and diffusionist nature of the abovementioned paradigms. F. Landa Jocano, Ponciano Bennagen, Zeus Salazar, Prospero Covar, and E. Arsenio Manuel, to name a few, have all underscored the need to define history in our own terms. The diffusionist models that they are responding to imply that nothing new was ever developed or innovated in the Philippines. The models also propagate the idea that Filipinos peacefully move out of the way of newcomers. As such, Filipinos are described as just passive observers, waiting for someone from the outside to bring in new material and cultural innovations. Some historians even interpret these models as colonial strategies to indoctrinate Filipinos as peace-loving people who would avoid confrontation when a new group arrives.

In a separate essay, I advocated for a change in the Philippine history curriculum, one that highlights our indigenous history. It is one of the ways that we can move beyond the colonial mindset. We have to unlearn flawed dominant historical narratives. Doing so will also empower our past and inspire our future. – Rappler.com

Stephen Acabado is associate professor of anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a Bicolano from Tinambac, Camarines Sur. His archaeological work revolves around indigenous responses to colonialism. He is a strong advocate of an engaged anthropology.

An extra push: Help pours in for man who bikes more than 12 km for wife’s treatment

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NEW E-BIKE. Manolito Palacio gets a new e-bike on June 16 thanks to donations from netizens. Sourced photo

MANILA, Philippines – Upon the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in Caloocan City, 48-year-old Manolito Palacio wondered how he could bring his sick wife to the hospital for her much-needed treatment.

Manolito Palacio’s wife Marilou has stage 5 chronic kidney disease. Residing in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City, she needs to attend her regular dialysis appointment thrice a week in a hospital in Fairview, Quezon City. 

Since it was the only dialysis center closest to them, Manolito and Marilou said they had no choice but to travel long distances.

Due to quarantine guidelines, public transportation has become limited, making it difficult for patients without private vehicles to go to hospitals. (READ: Cancer patients struggle with getting treatment during pandemic)

Unqualified to be treated as an emergency, Manolito’s wife could not be given transportation assistance from the barangay.

The challenging situation forced Manolito to be creative. (READ: 'Walang choice': Man with leukemia walks to get chemo meds amid Luzon lockdown)

To help bring his wife to the hospital, Manolito borrowed a bike from his uncle, which he used to attach to his wife’s wheelchair.

Nakahiram ako ng bike sa uncle ko at kinabit sa wheelchair. ‘Yun na yung gamit namin papunta sa dialysis (I was able to borrow a bike from my uncle and attached it to the wheelchair. That’s what we used in going the dialysis),” he explained.

With limited public transportation, Manolito has to make a twelve-kilometer trip pushing his wife’s wheelchair just to make it to the hospital, and another twelve kilometers to return home. He's been doing this throughout the entire duration of the lockdown in Metro Manila.

Despite the challenge posed by this, Manolito shared how he didn’t hesitate to do this for his family.

Una sa lahat, ginagawa ko ‘to para sa mga anak namin. Pangalawa, kailangan ipakita ko sa sa asawa ko na hindi ako susuko hangga’t kaya, para manatili at mas tumagal pa ang kanyang buhay (Firstly, I’m doing this for our children. Second, I need to show my wife that I won’t give up so that she could live longer), Manolito said.

Extra push

It was in June when Manolito’s unyielding efforts touched the hearts of netizens after photos of his long trip pushing his wife’s wheelchair while on his bike went viral on social media.

Moved by his story, a concerned netizen, who asked to remain anonymous, looked for a way to reach out to Manolito and his family.

“My heart broke when I saw the photo of Mr. Lito and I knew that I had to do something on my own,” she said.

On June 13, the netizen was able to find the couple’s Facebook accounts and ask for the family’s needs.

Having transportation as their top priority, the family asked for an electric bike.

For them to know which e-bike is appropriate for their situation, Manolito looked for nearby shops and canvassed prices of models that had a sunroof and were good for long trips. Manolito was able to find one that was worth P57,000.

To gather enough money, a fundraiser was initiated by the netizen on the same day. After 4 hours, the fundraiser already gathered more than enough money to buy the brand new e-bike for the family.

HELP. A netizen sets up a fundraiser on social media to help Manolito Palacio and his wife.

Despite already having more than enough, donations kept on coming in on June 14.

After some effort in searching for the right e-bike, they were able to purchase it on June 16.

The remaining money from the fundraiser will be used for Marilou’s medication and dialysis treatment. At least P10,000 of the gathered funds were used to buy groceries and medicines as well.

With their new electric bike in tow, Manolito and his wife can now go to the hospital for Marilou’s dialysis treatment with fewer troubles.

Overwhelmed by the support coming from the netizens, Manolito was more than thankful for the help.

Sa mga taong tumulong sa’min, hindi ko man kayo kilala at hindi ko man kayo mapasalamatan sa personal nang isa-isa, napakalaking pasasalamat naming mag-asawa sa inyo (To all those who helped us, even if I may not know you and I may not be able to thank you personally one by one, my wife and I are very thankful),” he said.

After successfully helping the Palacio family, the concerned netizen encourages everyone to support initiatives for a good cause.

“Helping can be in different ways. Never think that your voice is too small and that you can’t help in your own way. You can use the power of social media to good use,” the online supporter said. – Rappler.com

Bayanihan Musikahan shifts gears to give livelihood to urban poor communities

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REPURPOSED. Urban poor communities affiliated with the Mask4AllPH project create face masks using donated fabric waste. Photo courtesy of PINASAMA Sewers Group from Commonwealth, QC

MANILA, Philippines – After more than two months of nightly online concerts which raised over P131 million in donations, and providing food packs to more than 100,000 urban poor families, the Bayanihan Musikahan (BM) Coalition is now embarking on a new livelihood initiative for the poor. 

The project, dubbed as Mask4AllPH, will set up face mask production hubs in urban poor communities, using donated fabric waste as raw material.

“The Department of Health considers wearing of face masks as the 'new normal.' This will dramatically increase the demand for face masks and will become an added expense to the poor who are already reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. At the same time, this situation creates an opportunity to create livelihood for the poor and revitalize the community economy,” said BM convenor Danilo Songco.

Mask4AllPH aims to provide free masks to urban poor families. The project will help communities establish and manage their own production hubs to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for their community members. 

SEWER. A sewer from a partner urban poor community of Mask4AllPH gets income from each face mask they make for the project. Photo courtesy of PINASAMA Sewers Group from Commonwealth, QC

“We are now working with 5 communities in Payatas, Commonwealth, Montalban, Taytay, and Cavite, and we have so far produced 1,000 face masks. Sewers are paid per piece for each good quality washable mask they produce,” Songco said.  

The project aims to produce over 10,000 masks in the next two weeks. These will be distributed for free to urban poor families in Metro Manila with a family of 5 receiving 10 masks each.

Stage 2 of the project will introduce a “buy 1, give 1 scheme” which will give the public access to the masks and an opportunity to donate another from among the identified beneficiaries.  

Aside from Mask4AllPH, Bayanihan Musikahan is also leveling up community eateries to produce hygienic and nutritious food in poor communities. (READ: Group champions inclusive food supply chain during lockdown)

“We are subsidising the funding for carinderias at the moment but the idea is for them to survive even if we pull out. We want it to develop into a commercial model so that the carinderias can eventually be a cooked food supplier to offices and other commercial establishments, thereby generating more jobs in the community,” Songco shared. – Rappler.com


[OPINION] Anti-black attitudes among Filipinos, in the context of the U.S. Empire

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In the era of #BlackLivesMatter, Filipinos must reflect on the anti-black attitudes that circulate in their everyday life. In the Philippines today, public figures with dark skin are commonly ridiculed. Blackface is normalized in Philippine festivals such as the ati-atihan– a “tradition” that supposedly honors indigenous Aetas (this issue is itself complex and will need another essay). Dark-skinned actors often play comedic roles. African Americans with Filipino heritage are caricatured in teleseryes.

Filipinos carry with them these attitudes in the diaspora, often perceiving black people as dangerous, backward, and undesirable – echoing racialized hegemonic consciousness that favors fairness and whiteness. How come Filipino postcolonial sensitivities side with the white colonizers rather than with the formerly colonized (such as ourselves) and enslaved peoples? (READ: [OPINION] Black lives should matter to us too)

To answer the question above, I draw from my research among Filipino Americans in the US Navy, and discuss how the US military superstructure may have contributed to the formation of anti-black consciousness in the Philippines. Black and Filipino people crafted paths within the limited choices that were available to the historically enslaved and newly colonized. US imperial exploitation of the Philippines included labor resource extraction.

At the turn of the 20th century, the first Filipinos were recruited to join the US Navy as stewards – the racialized lowest rank, into which no white Americans were recruited. In 1970, American journalist Timothy Ingram called US naval ships “floating plantations” in reference to the historical organization around slave labor of agricultural production in the American South. However, such appropriation of the discourse of enslavement to refer to the experience of Filipinos on the US ships needs to be critically assessed to consider how the US imperial advance in the Pacific not only produced new oppressions, but also stirred anti-black sentiments among the newly colonized peoples, such as Filipinos.

Below, I raise 3 points related to Filipino participation in the US Navy that could be used to reflect on anti-black discourse. Black lives should matter to Filipinos. We need to confront our willful ignorance in perpetuating anti-blackness that denies humanity to fellow people of color. (READ: [OPINION] Witnessing #JunkTerrorBill alongside #BlackLivesMatter)

Rethinking solidarities with black people 

First, it is critical to point out that the segregated steward rank in the US Navy initially recruited predominantly black people. Historian John Darrell Sherwood writes that post-emancipation, steward rank wages were so low that they could attract only black people who were purposely left with very few viable occupation choices. In 1896, two years before US naval ships arrived in the Philippines, ships were officially made segregated (read more here). This shows us how empires have historically capitalized on racialized labor. Frantz Fanon reminds us, “It is the racist who creates his inferior.” 

Second, there is a need to reassess the projects for “self-improvement” that were crafted within the civilizing discourse of the American colonial period in the Philippines, and that influenced Filipino desires for success that fit within the needs of the US. Filipinos eventually carried these desires in the diaspora; in the US, these conveniently fit into the “model minority myth” that divides Asians and blacks in the US.

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines FC Fisher said in 1927: “At the end of the 19th century, the Filipinos, as a whole, were woefully ignorant.... This, however, was due only to lack of opportunity.” Speaking nearly 3 decades after American arrival in the Philippines, Fisher evaluated the degree to which Filipinos benefited from the American policy of “benevolent assimilation.” According to Fisher, “The Filipinos have been quick to profit by the facilities for education made available to them under the new order.” The creation of these “opportunities for self-development” needs to be understood to consider the recruitment of colonized peoples as disciplined participants in a racialized order. On the ships, Filipinos worked alongside blacks who held comparable desires for uplifting themselves within the limitations framed by “the so-called dependency complex of colonized peoples,” which Frantz Fanon argues, “proceeds from the arrival of white colonizers.” 

Third, examining the relationships between different groups of people of color in the context of empire exposes the historical production of ambiguous attitudes of oppressed populations towards each other. Filipinos and black people in the Navy were pitted against each other in a system that was racist to both groups in the first place.

My interviews with Filipino-American US Navy retirees are telling of the ambiguous racial climate affecting those working together in the racialized steward rank. A Filipino-American retiree who served in the Navy after WWII told me, “When the Filipinos were colonized by the Americans, the Filipinos replaced the blacks.” Another retiree said that Filipinos took on the role of “jokers” who could navigate between blackness and whiteness. An informant talked about his confusion of figuring out if he should sit in the “whites only” or “colored” section of the bus. Their testimonies reveal the ambiguity of racism in the US as it applied to Filipinos, who felt a sense of proximity to whiteness cultivated in a colonial environment that was labeled benevolent to the US’ “little brown brothers.” (READ: Basagan ng Trip with Leloy Claudio: The relevance of #BlackLivesMatter to Filipinos)

As Fanon says in Black Skin, White Masks, colonized peoples become whiter as they renounce their blackness and “jungle status.” While Filipinos could occasionally deploy their proximity to whiteness, an informant testified that “The blacks were just discriminated outright.” This “outright discrimination” ties in with the US imperial project that created new forms of exclusion for black people. From 1919 to 1932, the enlistment of African Americans in the US Navy was halted as the recruitment of Filipinos intensified. Robert Emmett, head of enlisted training division, said in 1932 that Filipinos “are cleaner, more efficient, and eat much less” than the black crew.

It needs to be pointed out that the sentiments of black people towards Filipinos during the US colonial period were divided, as argued by Ingrid Dineen-Wimberly. For some blacks, US expansion in the Philippines opened a gateway for “upward mobility while they subverted domestic racism.” T. Thomas Fortune, a mixed-race and black-identified newspaper editor and prominent leader in the Afro-American business community who served as Special Agent to the Philippines from 1902 to 1903, saw potential for African Americans in the context of the US occupation. Fortune advocated for black emigration in the Philippines, arguing that African Americans would be able to supply the labor that was needed in the Philippines while pursuing liberty and happiness in the rich and fertile islands.

Meanwhile, Scot Ngozi-Brown argues that blacks found themselves conflicted about the “imported Jim Crowism” in the Philippines. There was also the case of David Fagen who defected and joined the early Filipino rebellion against the US. These examples of varied black sentiments expose the divide-and-conquer strategy of the colonizers – both at home in the US and in the overseas territories. On this, I recall philosopher WEB Du Bois’ remark about colonial expansion that divides “the darker world” for the benefit of empire. 

Anti-blackness and colonial baggage

Thus, Filipinos absorbed the discourses about the universal “savagery” of the colonized Other. Those discourses were used to describe us, and also shaped our perceptions about our own brownness/darkness, and thereon also instilled stereotypes about black people as another breed of “savages.” Filipinos soon started identifying more closely with white Americans even if, according to Ngozi-Brown, both Filipino and black crew members were called the N-word during the early years of American occupation of the Philippines. Filipino-American US Naval retirees recalled that their relations with white officers were often friendly. Conversely, a Navy retiree referred to black shipmates as “troublemakers” who would often use “discrimination as an excuse.”

However, African American navyman William Norman expressed concerns in 1970 about white officers’ adoration of Filipino stewards. That Filipinos were the favored “sacred cows” in the Navy, according to Williams, hampered real institutional reform towards racial equality. Given the context above, I leave readers with the question: what knowledge and tools do we deploy today in reshaping attitudes and building solidarities in the context of very heavy colonial baggage? – Rappler.com

Dada Docot is an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology at Purdue University. She is an anthropologist of her hometown in Bicol, and of the Filipino diaspora. 

This essay is an extended version of the contributor’s presentation made on June 13, 2020 at the Filipinx for Black Lives Panel organized by FilAm Arts. 

Netizens slam Cebu governor for shaming critics of steam inhalation

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MANILA, Philippines – Netizens slammed Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for shaming doctors who criticized her advocacy to promote steam inhalation to ward off the coronavirus disease.

During a virtual news briefing on Tuesday night, June 23, Garcia flashed photos of the doctors' – as well as netizens' – profiles and posts as she launched a long tirade against them for criticizing the provincial government's memorandum urging its employees to practice "tuob" or steam inhalation in their workstations as part of Cebu's fight against COVID-19.

Garcia cited Dr Dale Pasco who is reportedly pioneering a study on the effectiveness of steam inhalation in easing COVID-19 symptoms, and berated doctors who criticized the memo, including a general practitioner who said in a now-deleted Facebook post that further infection may arise because of the aerosol from the steam.

This riled Garcia who pointed out that the doctor was merely a student of Dr Pasco, who had been practicing medicine for 30years while the doctor who wrote the post had only two years of experience.

Garcia also questioned the doctor’s business in meddling with administrative matters.

Ngano man diay? Magbuot ka og unsay among policies dinhi sa Capitolyo? Akong nahibaw-an doctor ka, ngano mag apil-apil man ka diri sa administration namo dinhi?” said Garcia. “Kay ikaw, general practitioner raman diay ka...Among nakita two years experience. Two years experience unya kusog kaayo ka mangasaba. Kusog na kaayo ka manglait sa mga mang-tuob.

(So what? You’ll decide what our policies are here in the Capitol? From what I know you’re a doctor, so why are you meddling with the administration? You’re just a general practitioner.... We saw you have tw years experience yet you feel so confident berating us and insulting those who practice steam inhalation.)

Steam inhalation, particularly salt water steam, is not among the treatments approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to help ease COVID-19 symptoms. 

Not the enemy

Netizens took to Twitter to show their disapproval of Garcia’s public shaming of doctors. By Wednesday, June 24, the hashtag #NoToDoctorShaming quickly soared to Twitter’s top Philippine trends with at least 3,100 tweets.

Many slammed the unfair treatment of doctors for simply rectifying misconceptions about steam inhalation, and wondered why public funds had to be spent for “tuob kits” when no evidence has been made to show their effectivity against COVID-19. 

Others also disagreed with Garcia's basis for questioning a doctor's credibility based solely on his years in medical practice, without taking into consideration the years and hard work he spent on getting a medical degree.

There were those who pointed out that medical advice from a doctor with two years of experience carried more weight than the opinion of a politician with no medical  background. 

“Gov, you really should try listening to medical experts. This is a pandemic, and in case you didn’t know, your opinion as a politician on health issues do not matter,” asserted Twitter user @katheerain.

Some pointed out how the governor's actions could further erode the morale of frontliners who are already battling exhaustion and fear of infection. They lamented how instead of thanking them for their hard work and sacrifice, the governor instead chose to publicly humiliate them.

Here’s what other netizens have to say about the matter:

It was not the first time for the governor to publicly shame a person for their critical comments. During a presscon in May, Garcia presented sheets of paper printed with Facebook comments of netizens who criticized her.  She even revealed the personal details and background information of a netizen, even going so far as delving into her marital and relationship history.

The Commission on Human Rights had reprimanded the governor for disclosing sensitive, personal, and privileged information without consent.

Cebu province counts 669 coronavirus cases so far, with 166 recoveries and 61 deaths as of posting. Cebu City has a total of 4,449 cases so far. – Rappler.com

How to help students in need cope with distance learning

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MANILA, Philippines – When the Department of Education (DepEd) stood firm in opening classes this coming school year through distance learning, groups and individuals took it upon themselves to help students who will be affected by the setup.

Netizens debated the move as they considered the gaps in education long before the pandemic.

According to them, shifting from traditional to distance learning would further widen the divide between te rich and the poor. (READ: No student left behind? During pandemic, education ‘only for those who can afford’)

To bridge this gap, groups and individuals have come up with ways to help those who have little or no means for distance learning. 

Here are some of the initiatives:

Office of the Vice President

The Office of the Vice President launched Bayanihan Para sa Distance Learning through its Angat Buhay campaign, in partnership with Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership. 

Bayanihan Para sa Distance Learning is calling on individuals to donate their spare smartphones or tablets, laptops, desktop computers, printers, and other gadgets. 

For those who are interested to donate, provide the necessary information such as name, address, contact number, and details about the item you want to donate.  Send these details to ovpdistancelearning@gmail.com with the subject: OVP Distance Learning Support.

Old Laptop Guys

Old Laptop Guys is accepting old laptop donations. These will be distributed to students enrolled in a home school run by the wife of Andy Umali, the man behind the initiative.

The group plans to install Chromium OS, a web-based operating system, in order to make these old laptops perform faster.  

You may reach out to the Old Laptop Guys by sending a personal message to their Facebook page or contact them at 09175154712, or Andy Umali’s mobile number 09224440889.

Streets to Schools

Established in 2016, Streets to Schools is the brainchild of 3 University of Santo Tomas students. They aim to gather 300 pre-loved gadgets, which they plan to give to students who are having a hard time coping with learning under the "new normal."

For those who are interested in donating, you may reach them by sending a personal message to their Facebook page.

One Gadget One Child

One Gadget One Child is an initiative which aims to collect used gadgets and provide them to students who cannot afford to continue their education through distance learning. 

If you have a spare laptop, tablet, or smartphone for donation, you may fill out this form. You may also donate in cash though the following bank account:

Bank of the Philippine Islands
4740-0031-73 
Carmencita M. Hermosisima

Remember to secure a screenshot of the transaction for documentation purposes.

– Rappler.com

Here's how you can march for Pride and help LGBTQ+ communities during pandemic

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MANILA, Philippines – Just because we're stuck at home doesn't mean we can't come together to march for equality.

As more Pride celebrations make the shift online due to the coronavirus outbreak, even the ever colorful Pride march has gone virtual to offer the LGBTQ+ community a platform to fight for their rights.

Through the March for Pride website, advocates and members of the LGBTQ+ can lead their own Pride marches from the safety of their homes and even help affected LGBTQ+ communities.

Participants will simply have to set their virtual Pride route on the website, pick a rainbow color, and pledge a donation. They may also choose to share their route online with the hashtags #Recreate, #Pride2020, and #PrideMarchFromHome.

The online platform was created by Google, Facebook, Globe, Gcash, IBM, Analog Devices, with digital agency Propel Manila, to create more inclusive spaces for the LGBTQ+ community and offer them an avenue to speak their truth despite quarantine restrictions.

The effort will also provide an opportunity to bring in more donations for LGBTQ+ communities heavily affected by the coronavirus outbreak through the Pride March From Home: United for COVID Relief that will happen on June 27 at 3 pm.

All proceeds will go to affected LGBTQ+ communities through iVolunteer, a volunteer portal.

Aside from the online Pride march, people can also celebrate Pride and show support for the LGBTQ+ community through some of the activities listed here. – Rappler.com

[OPINION] The Bahay Kubo and the making of the Filipino

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While preparing a chapter for my book on the archaeology of the indigenous history of the Philippines, I thought about how the long history of Spanish colonialism shaped the country's diverse cuisine of the Philippines. From adobo to laing to sinigang, various Philippine ethnolinguistic groups have developed distinct preparation techniques, although the base ingredients are the same. This got me thinking about how food defines Filipino identity – or is there such a thing as Filipino food? 

Take for example the Bicol Express and the spicy-hot Bicolano laing. We know that gata ng niyog (coconut milk) and dahon ng gabi (taro leaves, Colocassia esculenta) are endemic to the Philippines. There are actually multiple species of coconut and taro in the country; each species has specific characteristics that local communities use for a particular cuisine. However, without the introduction of the sili (chili peppers), the Bicol Express and the spicy laing would not be Bicolano at all.

But this is not an isolated example. A song that almost all Filipino kids learn in school, Bahay Kubo, provides a window into the Philippine's connection to the world. The song goes,

Bahay kubo, kahit munti (Nipa hut, though small)
Ang halaman doon ay sari-sari. (It is surrounded by various plants)
Singkamas at talong, sigarilyas at mani (Jicama and eggplant, wing beans and peanuts)
Sitaw, bataw, patani. (String beans, hyacinth bean, lima bean)

Kundol, patola, upo’t kalabasa (Winter melon, sponge gourd, wax gourd and winter squash)

At saka mayroon pang labanos, mustasa (And there is also radish, mustard)
sibuyas, kamatis, bawang, at luya (Onion, tomato, garlic, and ginger)
sa paligid-ligid ay puro linga! (And all around are sesame seeds)

This song is a great example of the Homogenocene, the widespread expansion of plants (and animals) brought by maritime exchanges that started when Columbus accidentally ended in the island of Hispaniola in present-day Dominican Republic. Among these, only upo (wax gourd) (also native to South and East Asia), garlic and labanos (radish) (possibly SEAsian in origin) appear to be the only potentially local species. The rest of the plants mentioned in the song originated from the Americas, Africa, or mainland Asia. As such, the quintessential Philippine garden is a product of global connections that started more than a thousand years ago.

Trans-oceanic exchanges and mobility have been documented archaeologically and ethnographically. But most importantly, community stories and memory talk about foreign traders interacting with our ancestors. Philippine languages for example are filled with borrowed South (Indic, Tamil), Southwest (Arabic, Persian), and East (Chinese, Japanese) Asian terms. Of course, Spanish terms are now considered part of our existence. What a lot of present-day Filipinos don’t know though, is that we have borrowed Nahuatl (the language of the Aztecs) terms including nanay (mother), tatay (father), tiyangge (outside/open-air market) and many more.

The number of Nahuatl terms in Philippine languages points to the influence of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade that connected the Philippines to the Americas and Europe. It made the Philippines an important hub in the Trans-Pacific trade that brought ideas, animals, peoples, plants, and even pathogens to the country. Whatever they are, for better or for worse, made the Philippines that we now know. 

The Filipino then, is an outcome of recent history, of our recent experiences. However, our predilection for all things ancient gets us into the trap of romanticizing the past. Understanding our deep past is important but it should not be the basis of national pride. For instance, our archaeological tradition is still heavily invested in reconstructing pre-colonial societies, so much so that pseudo-nationalists appropriate the narrative to talk about “authentic” and “original” Filipino culture. (READ: What's a 'real Filipino' anyway?)

The concept of a “pure” Filipino is founded on the perceived civilizing effect of the colonial experience among Philippine lowland and coastal groups. An anthropology PhD student at UCLA, Maddie Yakal, argues that this is an example of “othering,” an imagined identity that is contrasted with highland groups that are described as “uncolonized.” The problem with the concept of “othering” is that it implies that pre-Spanish Philippines was a monolithic culture. These boundaries do not acknowledge the diversity of the Philippine ethnolinguistic groups prior to Spanish colonization, or the diversity that persisted even after Spanish contact. 

In the first place, the term Filipino itself was not applied to the local inhabitants of Las Islas Filipinas; the term specifically referred to the Philippine-born Spanish (insulares). It wasn’t until the late 19th century that the wider inhabitants of the Spanish colony (i.e. Indios, Chinese, mestizos, creoles) co-opted the term and started to call themselves Filipino. This is the beginnings of our identity as Filipinos, born out of resistance and protest amid the repressive colonial regime. (READ: Citizenship, identity and global Filipinos)

The Filipino identity is not just for those who are indigenous to the country; it is clear that the 19th century Filipino included the indio, Chinese immigrants, insulares, and peninsulares. But it was not until after 1898 that the rest of the inhabitants of the country became Filipino. 

The concept of being Filipino, indeed, is represented by the Bahay Kubo. We come from different corners of the globe; we are descended from peoples whose mobility was not hampered by high mountains and vast oceans. Our food is also a fusion of the world’s cuisine. Take for example our version of menudo: garlic, tomato sauce, flavored with fish sauce, and garnished with oregano. 

So, to this end, identity is now. We don’t have to look at the distant past to realize who we are. We just have to acknowledge that we have diverse experiences and recognize the flawed narratives that we were exposed to. Using food as an analogy, Bicol Express did not exist 600 years ago, but it does now. – Rappler.com 

Stephen Acabado is associate professor of anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a Bicolano from Tinambac, Camarines Sur. His archaeological work revolves around indigenous responses to colonialism. He is a strong advocate of an engaged anthropology.

C’mon guys, it’s 2020: Debunking LGBTQ+ stereotypes

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MANILA, Philippines – Why do LGBTQ+ stereotypes still persist in 2020?

In toto, gender awareness has increased in our society today. In the Philippines alone, more members of the community are recognized and celebrated for their skills and expertise in their respective fields.

But despite progress, more often than not, much of the awareness still comes at the expense of LGBTQ+ members experiencing discrimination, even violence. (READ: Remembering 'Ganda': The tragedy of Jennifer Laude)

Despite ranking as the 10th most LGBTQ-friendly country in the world, the Philippines – the Filipino LBGTQ+ community believes – has yet to become a genuinely gender-inclusive country. Discrimination remains rampant at home, in the workplace, and in public spaces. (READ: 'Tolerated, but not accepted': Filipino LGBTQ+ speak up vs discrimination)

To this day, LGBTQ+ members still experience prejudice and endure misconceptions that may harm them. Below are just some of the stereotypes that the Filipino LGBTQ+ community faces, according to Mindanao Pride:

Being LGBTQ+ is an illness

Let’s get one thing straight (no pun intended) here – being LGBTQ+ is not an illness in need of a cure.

The World Health Organization (WHO) already removed homosexuality as a disease or mental illness from its International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Its latest version ICD-11 dropped being transgender as a mental disorder. It reclassified “gender identity disorder” as “gender incongruence.”

While it's a big win for the LGBTQ+, many still argue this outdated stance against the community.

In 2019, an evangelist organization slammed the efforts of Ateneo de Manila University, a Jesuit community, to organize its first-ever campus-recognized Pride march. In its official statement, the organization said, “Homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered and contrary to the natural law. Same-sex attraction itself is objectively disordered.” (READ: 'Homosexual acts are disordered': CFC-FFL condemns Ateneo Pride, draws flak online)

Earlier that year, no less than the President Rodrigo Duterte said, “pero nagamot ko ang sarili ko” (I cured myself) after “confessing” he used to be gay. (READ: Duterte implies being gay is a disease)

Identifying as LGBTQ+ is not a mental illness, but the stigma, discrimination, and violence that members of the community experience make them vulnerable to mental health problems, Roy Dahildahil of the Mental Health Cluster said during Metro Manila Pride 2019.

"It kills them," Mindanao Pride board member Arnold Jarn Ford Buhisan said on how discrimination takes a toll on the mental health of LGBTQ+ members. "People don't understand how this adds up to suicide.... Imagine being bullied every day [on] the streets, [in] school, by your classmates, teachers, relatives, and even parents. Not to mention actual physical harm that some LGBT people encounter every day." 

It’s just a phase

To better understand the concept of “phase,” we may look into subculture trends – emo, skater, Tumblr, the cultural phenomenon "jejemon", you name it.

When you’re “in a phase,” you’re going through a stage that is expected to pass through time, maybe a transition, towards another stage. In other words, temporary. 

That’s not how it works for the LGBTQ+. While it can be temporary (keyword is “can”), LGBTQ+ should not be expected to “come back to” being straight just to meet heteronormative standards.

Instead of "temporary", the word you should be looking for is “fluid” – meaning, it can change over time.

On one hand, people may identify themselves as straight, then identify later on as bisexual. It’s also possible to identify much later on as another orientation or identity.

On the other hand, people may have always identified as straight, or as homosexual, or as transgender. 

Buhisan likens the process to a journey.

"I always believe gender is a journey and it never stops until you die.... It's not definite just like our feelings. We come across different situations every day, meet different people in various circumstances, and learn new things in our journey. These things influence our perspective towards the world, towards people. Sometimes, it's that perfect moment that makes all the difference," he said.

Another notion to dispel: it’s NEVER a trend. Bisexuals get accused of being bisexual because it’s “in.” Being transgender is not “becoming mainstream.” Queer people do not identify themselves as queer just to "look cool."

It's time to stop this thinking.

More and more members of the community are only coming out now because the times have changed – society has become relatively more open, but that’s not to say the LGBTQ+ folks are completely free from discrimination today. (READ: 'Tolerated, but not accepted': Filipino LGBTQ+ speak up vs discrimination)

Gays act or look a certain way

One of the most common myths about the LGBTQ+ is that they should act a certain way, that lesbians should act masculine, gays should act feminine.

The elements of SOGIE can be mixed and matched in so many ways, as explained in Sam Killermann's Genderbread person. (READ: EXPLAINER: What you need to know about SOGIE)

One can be assigned female (sex) at birth, grow up feminine (gender expression), identify as a woman (gender identity), and be attracted only to women (sexual orientation). She is a lesbian and a cisgender – meaning, their gender identity matches their assigned sex at birth.

In the same manner, one can be assigned male at birth and identify as a woman. In this case, when their gender identity does not match their assigned sex, they may identify themselves as transgender (trans man, trans woman). Being transgender doesn’t automatically equate to being attracted to the same sex. As Angelina Mead King and Joey Mead's relationship proved, trans women can still be attracted to women. (READ: Angelina Mead King on transitioning, relationship with Joey Mead)

Who’s the man/woman in the relationship?

LGBTQ+ people do not enter a relationship to subscribe to heteronormative roles. Same-sex couples should not be expected to adhere to gender roles, which can be stereotypical in its own right.

“There’s no husband or wife. There’s just two people who love each other. There’s no mommy or daddy like hetero relationships,” said Buhisan. 

A good analogy to explain the concept, Buhisan said, is the story of the chopsticks.

“One day, the spoon and fork asked the chopsticks, ‘who’s the spoon and who’s the fork between you two?’ The chopsticks said, ‘We’re no spoon and fork, we’re chopsticks.’”

It’s no secret that gender is a complicated topic, and therefore demands complex discussions. In a predominantly-Catholic and conservative society like the Philippines, gender and sexuality are still seen as taboo.

Individually, we should take the responsibility to raise awareness among ourselves. A proactive effort to learn more about these concepts is a huge step to help better understand our LGBTQ+ friends and family. – Rappler.com

  

Netizens call to free detained Pride protesters: ‘Pride is protest’

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MANILA, Philippines– After the
arrest of 20 LGBTQ+ protesters by the police on June 26, netizens took their outrage to social media and called on the Manila police to free the apprehended protesters. 

This year’s Bahaghari-led Pride protest had 3 objectives: first, to celebrate Pride; second, to express their disagreement with the passage of the anti-terrorism bill; and third, to urge the government to swiftly act on the ongoing pandemic.

The group marched from Morayta at 10 am, and held a program near the Mendiola Peace Arch.

After the news broke on social media, #FreePride20 immediately trended on Twitter. Netizens expressed their outrage and called for the immediate release of the apprehended protesters. Some of them even reached out to Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno, saying the arrests were illegal and questioned his support for the LGBTQ+ community.

According to the police, the protesters were arrested due to physical distancing violations and supposed failure to secure a permit. These accusations, however, were refuted by the protesters who insisted that they practiced the protocols that had been set to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

In a statement, the Concerned Artists of the Philippines condemned the Pride march arrests in Mendiola and called for the protection of the people’s right to protest.  

“Today’s dispersal shows how all the more urgent it is to stand and push back for freedom, democracy, and human rights in the time of the pandemic,” the organization wrote on their Facebook page.

Gabriela Women’s Party echoed this and insisted that the arrests were illegal as there is no law that prohibits holding a protest under a community quarantine. 

“We call on the Filipino people to press for the immediate release of all those arrested. Police officers must be held accountable for conducting the illegal arrests,” said the statement shared by Gabriela on its page.



Netizens react to the arrest

Twitter users expressed their discontent and rage over the Pride march arrests through the online platform.

Ang Pride ay isang protesta laban sa diskriminasyon na natatanggap ng LGBTQ+ community at ang kawalan ng pagkakapantay-pantay sa ating lipunan. Kailan pa naging labag sa batas ang ipaglaban ito?” Twitter user @tomato_clara wrote.

(Pride is a protest against discrimination being experienced by the LGBTQ+ community and against societal inequality. When did fighting for it become a crime?)

Some netizens are worried as the arrests are already a manifestation of the abuses that could be committed if the anti-terror bill becomes law. (READ: 'This is not terrorism': Filipinos take to the streets after anti-terror bill hurdles Congress)

“The Anti Terror Bill is not yet a law, yet the police dispersed a peaceful protest and arrested them without any reasons. And they say the protesters started the violence? The protests have been peaceful until the police got involved,” Nichole Labiano wrote on Twitter.

Here are other tweets from concerned netizens: 

– Rappler.com


#MCHSdobetter: Groups condemn sexual misconduct of teachers, call for justice

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MANILA, Philippines – Seveal students and alumni broke their silence online to share personal accounts of harassment experienced from faculty members of Miriam College High School (MCHS). 

It started off when a former student of MCHS posted her story on Wednesday, June 24, recounting her experience with a Grade 11 homeroom teacher who made her his confidante. He admitted to her fantasizing about his minor female students. 

She was scared to silence after her teacher reminded her of how much control she had over his career given what she knew. He also thanked her for being such a trustworthy friend. 

This triggered other students and alumni to come out in the open, using the tag #MCHSdobetter as they flooded social media with their own stories of sexual harassment, assault, and pedophilia from teachers within the school. 

They also called on the school's administration to take action and questioned their management of the issue. 

Call for justice, transparency

MCHS’s student publication, The Magnificat, released a statement condemning all forms of sexual harassment experienced by several students and alumni. 

It also asked the school for transparency and accountability, demanded justice for all the victims, and called on them to take concrete action to make sure that future students do not encounter the same kind of trauma. 

“This is a matter ultimately rooted in sexism, lack of consent, and pedophilia. It is necessary to bear in mind that change can only happen if we actively seek to pursue it, and when people in power are able to fight and protect the individuals they represent. At the end of the day, schools are meant to be safe learning environments for all,” the student publication said. 

Youth-led women’s group Amarela PH echoed this, pointing out that schools should be spaces of growth and safety, free from worry about being targets of sexual harassment. 

“We find it extremely regrettable that Miriam College High School has lacked in that, given the thread and posts that followed,” it said in a statement. 

With the surge of sexual abuse cases being brought to light only now by the victims, Amarela urged MCHS to listen and acknowledge their cry for justice and for the perpetrators to apologize for their misconduct. 

“It is time for the students to stop carrying the burden of having to expect pedophiles and harassers in the school, and for the victims to receive the justice they should have received long ago,” the group added.

Abot-Tanaw PH, for its part, said Miriam College has turned a blind eye to the predatory acts within its campus. But it added that this issue is bigger than just one school.

"It is a systemic political issue, manifested in how authoritative figures use and abuse their power in displays of predatory behavior. Most of the time, such behavior is tolerated, brushed aside by the institutions that enabled them in the first place," the group stressed. 

Time’s Up Ateneo lauded the students for speaking up and added that it "stands with the growing number of high school students and alumni across the country who have been speaking out against sexual violence and impunity in their campuses." 

It added that numerous students from different institutions in Metro Manila also took to social media to express their anger and discontent with the way their respective school administrations have dealt with predatory behavior among faculty, as well as other concerns related to gender-based violence. 

Meanwhile, the Women and Gender Insitute (WAGI), Miriam College’s advocacy center for women’s empowerment, gender equality, and inclusion said that it will be holding the administration and every perpetrator of discrimination and abuse accountable and liable for their actions. 

It added that it is working with the high school student council to organize and hold a series of safe group discussions to allow all students to air their grievances and echo their call for justice and accountability. 

“We are hopeful that these safe space discussions will help us get a clearer understanding of the extent and depth of the issues our students are raising and help us a craft a way forward that will address the pain, trauma, and other consquences of the harassment and abuse in the way the affected students had hoped for,” the groups stressed. 

Miriam College's response: Pained to know 

Miriam College President Laura del Rosario responded to the issue.

In a statement released on Thursday, June 25, she emphasized that the college is pained to know that the stories surfacing online could be told in “a caring institution.”

“I wish to express to our community, alumni, and friends our profound sadness for the pain and anger that the school system’s various members may have caused,” Del Rosario said. 

She also said the college has heard about these reports online and assured its students that they have initiated investigation and will take appropriate steps to resolve the issue. 

“We want all our teachers to be role models in leading their students towards well-being in partnership with the parents of our students leading their families. We also do not want our students to fear retribution nor faculty members to fear lack of due process when cases such as the ones tweeted about are raised,” she added. 

The institution is also looking into forming an independent “Justice, Truth, and Reconciliation Institutional Committee” that will review previous and current reports and resolve these cases. 

“And in the end, we hope that closures will be achieved, and reconciliation becomes possible,” she added. "Beyond the formation of this Committee, Miriam College will undergo a serious process of self-criticism to re-define more deeply the meaning of Justice – especially in its restorative sense…” the president continued. 

Over a week ago, Filipino women also braved social media platforms as they came forward with their own stories of harassment using the hashtag #HijaAko, pointing out how these incidents occurred even if they were not wearing revealing clothing. – Rappler.com 

From P20-donation drive, friends raise P4 million for coronavirus-hit communities

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WHAT'S YOUR CONTRIBUTION? Erika Ente flashes her own contribution to the donation drive. Photo courtesy of Erika Ente

MANILA, Philippines – The initiative of two friends who wanted to help contribute to the fight against the coronavirus has gone a long way since they embarked on their call for P20-donations months ago. 

Erika Ente and Charisse Parchamento were inspired to do their part when they saw people getting affected by the coronavirus lockdown in their area around mid-March.

Ente, 27, is a technical officer at the National Anti-Poverty Commission; 19-year-old Parchamento is an incoming college freshman. They became friends through Ente's youngest sister, who is a close friend of Parchamento. (READ: Indigenous youth find ways to help communities hit by pandemic)

Ente said after she discussed the plan with Parchamento, the latter included her in a group chat with her friends – all former students of Ente at St James Academy in Malabon where she used to teach subjects in humanities. Ente recalled pitching her idea to them at 6:30 in the morning.

After she told them about seeking out P20-donations on social media – with what she thought then was a grand goal of collecting P2,000 – she remembered asking them: "Are we going to do this? Let's just try it." 

After the group agreed, they started tagging people on Twitter – mostly influencers and celebrities – banking on the power of their retweets. With the question, “Ano ang ambag mo (What’s your contribution)?” and the power of the hashtag #MayTwentyAko, Ente, Parchamento, and their group got shocked when the donations amounted to P5,000 in just one day.

Later on, the group moved to Facebook with the same question and hashtag. They eventually created their own Facebook page.

Unexpected help pour in

Ente shared that the group initially targetted to collect just P2,000 to buy 100 hand sanitizers for homeless people in their community but the amount shot up to P30,000, allowing them to help more people in other areas. (READ: ‘Ambag ng kabataan’: Pasig youth help neediest in barangay during pandemic)

“We were able to buy bread and other groceries that we have distributed to informal workers in Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, and Bulacan,” Ente said. 

Their group now has 13 members. The youngest is aged 12, and the oldest member is a 53-year-old who is the mother of 3 members of the group. 

#MayTwentyAko also branched out to other cities and now has recognized campaigns in North Caloocan, Pampanga, and Cavite.

Expanded beneficiaries

With more donations pouring in, the group decided to expand their projects. The #MayTwentyAko initiative has been providing medical supplies and food to frontliners as well.

“We are also able to purchase 10,000 surgical masks, gallons of alcohol and liquid hand soap, as well as packed lunch and snacks for frontliners of Philippine public hospitals,” Ente said.

Photos from #MayTwentyAko Facebook page

 

Leaving no special education (SPED) student behind, #MayTwentyAko has also provided activity sheets and face masks to the learners of the Kapitbahayan Elementary School in Navotas City, Ente's hometown.

“At present, we are looking at printing and binding learning materials for the new modes of learning for the upcoming school year,” Ente said.

To help organizations with the same cause, the group also sent monetary donations to Save San Roque, All Together in Dignity, and Joly Homes Foundation.

Bumpy road to P4 million

To date, the donations to the group totaled P4 million – an amount none of them even dreamed of hitting at the start. But the road to get there wasn’t all that easy. 

Following community quarantine guidelines, the team had a hard time mobilizing their relief efforts. Some cities were under strict lockdown, which limited their entry. (READ: While classes are on hold, students find ways to help affected communities

Manpower has also become an issue at the start of the initiative since minors were prevented from participating in the distribution of goods to ensure their safety.

And of course, there would always be skeptics. No matter how good their intentions were, the #MayTwentyAko team still got flak from people who accused them of pursuing the donation drive for self-promotion, especially when they got more well known.

“We really did not expect to get this kind of reception. However, this did not stop us and inspired us further to reach more communities,” Ente said.

She said the continued donations and the communities that benefit from this help motivate them to continue the initiative.

“Every road trip is a memorable one and is a reminder that we are blessed beyond what we expect and that we should keep on giving,” Ente said.

In their video posted on YouTube, Parchamento challenged her fellow youth to stop being apathetic and start considering the welfare of other people.

To further sustain the projects under #MayTwentyAko, the team explored other income-generating projects such as selling merchandise, and milk tea products. The proceeds are spent on grocery items, hygiene kits, and hospital logistics.

They also embarked on the #MayJerseyAkoproject that allows professional athletes like Ino Comboy of the San Miguel Beermen and Javee Mocon of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters to auction their jerseys to gather more funds for the initiative.

As of June, #MayTwentyAko was able to help more than 1,500 families, and over 40 hospitals, in and out of Metro Manila. – Rappler.com 

Martin Louise Tungol is a BS Development Communication student at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. As a student, he has been able to work as a photographer, covering festivities and local events headed by the city and the barangay. He also works as a freelance writer. Some of his articles are published in a rug company based in Europe.

‘Resist injustice’: Newly sworn lawyer helps detained Pride protesters

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IN SERVICE. Newly-sworn lawyer Eljay Bernardo teams up with Rainbow Rights Philippines to provide legal assistance to the Pride 20. Photo by Jose Mari Callueng

MANILA, Philippines– A day after the online oath-taking ceremony of successful Bar passers, Eljay Bernardo didn’t think twice to help his first clients: the detained Pride protesters in Manila.

The protesters including 10 members of LGBTQ+ rights group Bahaghari, 8 from other progressive groups, and two drivers were arrested by the police while holding an indignation rally to celebrate Pride month and to oppose the anti-terrorism bill. 

Jose Mari Callueng, a paralegal at Karapatan Alliance Philippines, shared a photo on his Facebook account, announcing Bernardo’s onboarding on the Pride protesters’ case.

 

According to Callueng, he met Bernardo in a paralegal training hosted by Rainbow Rights Philippines, an organization helping “persons of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression through legal literacy and empowerment.”

For his undergraduate studies, the 31-year-old Bernardo took BA Political Science at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. Eljay studied the Italian language and worked as an Italian speaker for an organization. 

He then enrolled at the UP College of Law and graduated last 2019. He was among the 2019 bar passers who took their oath on Thursday, June 25, through an online ceremony. 

According to Eljay, he studied law out of curiosity and would have regretted it if he did not pursue it. At first, his intentions were not clear, but he found a strong reason why he wanted to become a lawyer while studying in UP Law.

“Sa law school ako na-expose sa advocacy talaga. Tapos ayun, after I become exposed, naging larger part na siya on why I want to become a lawyer (I was exposed in different advocacies when I was in law school, and it became a larger part of the reason why I want to become a lawyer),” Bernardo recounted. 

For Bernardo, a lot of opportunities could happen if you are a lawyer. It could mean having a louder voice to advance the advocacies he believed in.

When he was still in law school, he was part of a group which formed a student organization dubbed UP Outlaw. This paved the way for him to get in touch with Rainbow Rights Philippines where he became a paralegal project coordinator for the organization. 

Case close to his heart

Rainbow Rights Philippines often handles cases of human rights violations.

The lawyers and paralegals of the organization operate as the quick response team (QRTs) when facing law enforcers. 

Bernardo mentioned that the protesters asked for his legal aid prior to the short gathering and during its planning. He noted that he was “on speed dial” just in case something untoward happened to the protesters.

Prior to this case, Bernardo spent most of his time in the organization providing legal advice online and remotely.  

“Malaki siyang learning experience for me kasi this is the first time ako naka-QRT for something na GCQ-related, human rights related, and LGBTQ+ related (It’s a big learning experience for me because this is the first time that I am in the QRT for a case that is GCQ-related, human rights related, and LGBTQ+ related),” Bernardo stressed. 

With the anti-terror bill awaiting for the President’s signature, Bernardo reiterated that the vagueness of the bill’s provisions is what made it dangerous. He noted that the bill has a lot of jabs to the freedom of speech, association, and assembly. He’s worried that any actions pursuant to these freedoms might be construed as destabilizing the government due to the bill’s wide definition of “terrorism”

“Sa current state, pinipigilan ka na. Kayang-kaya na baliin yung batas at iconstrue yung batas na mali, tapos dadagdag pa ang anti-terror bill sa mga batas na madaling iconstrue against any advocacy group,” Bernardo said.  (With the current state, we are already constrained. The law can be easily construed in the wrong way, and then this anti-terror bill just adds up to the list of laws that could easily be construed against any advocacy group.)

Bernardo also urged other law professionals to continue speaking up and help protect the freedom promised by the constitution.

“Try to speak up and show na ‘yung mga batas natin should not be used to impinge on our freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, kasi ‘yan talaga ‘yung mas mataas na proteksyon ‘yung binibigay diyan,” Bernardo added. (Try to speak up and show them that our laws should not be used to impinge on our freedom of speech and freedom of assembly because these freedoms are highly protected.)

He also urged fellow newly-sworn lawyers to join organizations that forward human rights.

“It can only bring us all up,” he said. 

Bernardo believed that Pride was a protest, and what happened to the protesters on Friday, was a manifestation of that spirit. In addition, he emphasized that the right to protest is protected by the country’s laws. (READ: Netizens call to free detained Pride protesters: ‘Pride is protest’)

This year’s Bahaghari-led Pride protest had 3 objectives: first, to celebrate Pride; second, to express their disagreement with the passage of the anti-terrorism bill; and third, to urge the government to swiftly act on the ongoing pandemic. 

The Pride 20 protesters werecharged with disobedience of person in authority in relation to Republic Act 11332, otherwise known as the Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases, and Batas Pambansa 880, otherwise known as Public Assembly Act. 

Earlier, the protesters were brought to the Manila Police District for an inquest proceeding. 

With the help of the Rainbow Rights Philippines, a legal team was formed to help the apprehended protesters.–Rappler.com

[OPINION] Drawing the line on sexual harassment in all-girls schools

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I woke up today to my timeline exploding with the #MCHSDOBETTER hashtag. Current and former students from Miriam College High School (MCHS) were coming forward with stories of their high school teachers' predatory behavior. The hashtag gained traction. Even the singer Kakie Pangilinan and Kabataan Partylist Representative Sarah Elago tweeted in sympathy for the victims, while calling for the school's administration to listen to their students' complaints. (WATCH: Youth pushes PH anti-sexual harassment movement further)

The unearthing of these transgressions was a natural reaction to the anti-victim blaming movement sparked by Ben Tulfo's unsavory comments towards Kakie Pangilinan. Tulfo's comments placed the blame for rape and sexual harassment on the way victims dressed, rather than the perpetrators. The #HijaAko movement had multiple people coming forward with their own stories of sexual harassment and gender-based sexual violence, showing that what one wears does not have any bearing on one's victimhood. All it took was one tweet about teachers' behavior in one private and elite all-girls Catholic high school to spark the "outing" of predators.

Search the #MCHSDOBETTER hashtag on Twitter. You'll see stories of how teachers (mostly male) message their past and present students on different social media platforms and engage these young girls in conversations. While we welcome teachers showing compassion and care for their students, we must realize that constantly messaging them on social media, inviting them out to different establishments, and making sexist jokes, isn't care. A student has no agency in these interactions. 

The student is always the one with less power in the relationship. The intersection of age and gender adds to these students' powerlessness. While others may excuse university professor-to-student relationships (which I still find dodgy), it should be easy to condemn relationships with high school students because these students are adolescents, often aged 13-18. In high school, a girl navigates that awkward middle between childhood and adulthood, finding their identity, and exploring their sexuality. Adolescence is a very tricky time. And a time of high vulnerability for young adults. (READ: The many faces of sexual harassment in PH)

The students of MCHS are in an all-girls environment, meaning there are no male peers. However, there are male teachers and male staff. In an all-girl, single-sex school, exposure to men is often limited to outside interactions. While self and peer regulation concerning gender may exist on a larger scale in co-educational schools, the girls from single-sex schools have no chance to learn peer regulation on a day-to-day basis. Students can't learn their boundaries and negotiate what kinds of co-educational interaction they are comfortable with if they don't have peers. The lack of clear boundaries becomes problematic when male teachers start defining the limits of acceptable interactions. The limit then becomes dictated by the teacher rather than negotiated because the student has little to no power in this relationship. The girls, who are taught by the school to hold their teachers to a higher esteem, may not be able to ignore a teacher's late-night message, a simple invitation to coffee, or even state that the teacher's comments are sexist and offensive.

But again, this line of thinking places the responsibility on the student rather than the educator. Rather than asking why these girls continued to engage their teachers, why these girls didn't report, we should ask why teachers message their students on social networking sites in the first place. Why do they engage their students in a very personal manner? And if a teacher can't keep their professionalism, why be in this environment at all? A high school teacher isn't supposed to be the peer (or boyfriend/girlfriend) of someone they are supposed to be mentoring. Why can't they draw that line?

Hearing the stories of abuse the younger Knollers (or MCHS students) faced forced us older alumni to reflect on our own experiences. My batch grew up in a time when having a personal cellphone was still new, and before Facebook Messenger and Telegram were popular. There was more of a divide between teachers and students. Yet, did we have teachers that caused us this discomfort? Were there rumors that we brushed off? Or were we blind to what was happening? (LISTEN: [PODCAST] Making Space: Sexual harassment survivors 'fighting to fight')

That's the thing about harassment: it's hard to think of it as a problem if you do not have a name for it.

A day after the hashtag blew up on Twitter, more and more girls' schools are coming forward with their own stories of abuse and sexual harassment. Despite the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1997, the Safe Space Act, and the Magna Carta on Women, these abuses still happen.

We need to be wary of the danger of masking words for action. An institution that highlights its gender-responsiveness in education, which has produced numerous feminist and gender advocates, can still be home to sexual predators. Just because a space is supposed to be safe, it doesn't mean it is. We value the all-girls education because it gives girls a space to grow into young, strong women in a world that values men's opinions and voices. However, if the leaders of the institution itself do not follow this tradition, if these leaders do not listen to their student's concerns, then the institution replicates the oppressive conditions that it promised to shield its students against.

As someone who has spent a third of her high school life in the institution, I can say that I'm proud of the values it taught me. However, I feel I share my opinion with most former Knollers when I say that our education planted a desire to do better, and be better, hence the critique of our alma mater. We then call for our alma mater and all institutions of education to #DOBETTER, and for educators to #DRAWTHELINE. – Rappler.com

Leal Rodriguez is a gender justice advocate doing her PhD on Masculinities, Gender, and Higher Education at the University of Auckland. She’s always open for discussions, so feel free to send her a tweet at @AMLealRodriguez.

After #MCHSDoBetter goes viral, other schools urged to act on sexual harassment

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MANILA, Philippines – As many come forward with their stories of sexual assault using viral hashtags like #HijaAko and #MCHSDoBetter, students and alumni from different schools have one plea in the protection of safer spaces for the youth: “Do better”.

Soon after #MCHSDoBetter became viral, victims from other schools have come forward with their own experiences of assault, harassment, and pedophilia.

Among them are students and alumni from Marikina Science High School (MariSci), Don Alejandro Roces Sr. Science-Technology High School (DARRSTHS), St. Theresa's College Quezon City (STCQC), St. Paul College Pasig (SPCP), Ateneo Junior and Senior High Schools, and Ateneo de Manila University.

Hoping school administrations will act on the matter and provide safer learning environments for the community, they urged others to speak up about their experiences and post them under the hashtags #MARISCIDOBETTER, #DARSSTHSDOBETTER, #STCDOBETTER, #SPCPSQUAREUP, and #TimesUpAteneo.

A quick scan of these hashtags show students and alumni speaking out against sexual harassment and abuse, and calling out the inappropriate behavior of several teachers in their institutions, complete with screenshots.

Some of the incidents reported through the hashtags involved being sent suggestive messages and being asked for sexual favors, as well as incidents of being groomed into becoming a teacher’s romantic partner at a young age.

Seeing the lack of action from the school administrations, many have resorted to the hashtags to push for due process and safe spaces for the youth.

Not long after being under fire, courses of action were released through statements both from the administration and student councils. 

Taking action

The administration of Miriam College High School, for instance, quickly formed a committee to investigate incidents of sexual harassment done by their teachers to students, following the rise of #MCHSDoBetter. An email address was also made to be a forum for concerns. (READ: #MCHSdobetter: Groups condemn sexual misconduct of teachers, call for justice)

Meanwhile, MariSci school head Janet Amurao posted a message on the school’s website to acknowledge the social media posts that are circulating about students’ alleged experiences of sexual assault.

Asserting that MariSci does not condone acts of violence in their school or elsewhere, she called on parents and educators to engage in a dialogue with the administrators by contacting the school’s landline at 8-647-94-57.

"We recognize the impact of various experiences in our students’ welfare; it was never our intent to invalidate anyone’s feelings. Together, the young and the old have to address these issues with open minds and compassion to keep both the mind and body healthy," Amurao said.

In a similar fashion, STCQC released a statement reassuring the community that it won’t turn a blind eye on issues involving sexual and verbal harassment.

“We shall be relentless to get to the bottom of all these to ensure the protection of our students. Rest assured that issues on sexual harassment are taken seriously by the administration with due regard to due process and the privacy of the parties involved,” they said.

The Theresian Student Council of STCQC promised that it will exert more effort and take concrete action towards creating a safe environment for students.

They added that students willing to share their experiences of sexual assault can reach out to the student council so they can file a report.

"We need to have a safe environment for students where they can express their feelings to people whom they trust without being overwhelmed with fear of being invalidated or blamed," the Theresian Student Council pointed out.

As #SPCPSQUAREUP started gaining traction, reports of Viber messages from parent representatives surfaced as they urged fellow parents to advise students against signing petitions and posting comments on social media immediately. They asked that students consult their parents and allow the institution to investigate the matter first. Another message requested that parties must "learn all angles of the stories."

Noticing the complaints and reports under the #SPCPSQUAREUP, the St Paul College Pasig administration later opened voice@spcpasig.edu.ph to provide a new communication channel for students.

The SPCP student council added that by submitting a formal letter of complaint to the email address, those who are coming forward are “aiding in the inquisition and assuring that this will no longer be an issue for you and any other student.”

The SPCP administration assured students that any details that will be provided will be held in confidence, and will only be accessed by the Student Coordinating Team or the SPCP student council.

It will also only be disclosed to SPCP administrators and the deliberating committee later on.

These letters may be sent anonymously, though the SPCP student council encourages reports to be submitted with the name of those filing “to ensure a more accurate process” and allow easy communication in case of any inquiries.

Institutionalize reforms

Just recently, the #TimesUpAteneo was revived as several students from Ateneo Junior High School, Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS), and Ateneo de Manila University came forward with reported incidents of sexual harassment by members of the faculty and the student body. 

Maria Elissa Lao, the chairperson of the University Gender and Development Focal Point Committee, assured the community that they are verifying reports and are ready to immediately begin an impartial investigation when warranted.

She added that people can coordinate with the University Gender and Development Focal Point and the Loyola Schools Gender Hub by emailing them at genderdev@ateneo.edu and genderhub.ls@ateneo.edu. The two offices are working together to ensure the safety of anyone willing to come forward.

“We assure the public that the University prioritizes the safety and welfare of our students, and the entire Ateneo community. We are committed to institutionalize reforms to ensure that our university is a safe space for all,” she said.

ADMU Sanggunian’s Commission on Anti-Sexual Misconduct & Violence also reminded individuals that they are ready to extend support even to those who are from a different institution.

Meanwhile, Lakambini, a committee part of ASHS Sanggunian that seeks to tackle issues related to gender equality and women empowerment, merely said that they are “reaffirming our advocacy for gender rights in light of these stories of sexual harassment being told [under #HijaAko].”

In stark contrast to the current committee’s stand, alumni of Lakambini called for the “reexamination and upheaval of administration's values that have fostered a culture which allows incidents of sexual harassment and misconduct to persist."

They also reprimanded the current Lakambini, saying their statement “failed to address any relevant issues, namely those involving its own internal administration and the allegations against certain members of the ASHS community.”

“While it is important to say that one stands and empathizes with survivors, taking no action makes those words performative and futile,” they added.

 While other schools were quick to respond, DARRSTHS has not released any response on the matter at hand as of writing.

Similar reports and stories emerge day by day and continue to pile under distinct hashtags per school to call for accountability of the alleged perpetrators and the protection of young women.

The cause continues to gain support from various groups, organizations, and advocates, including Kabataan Representative Sarah Elago, Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, and Frankie Pangilinan who started the viral #HijaAko hashtag in response to a condescending reply from Ben Tulfo. Rappler.com

Felicity Santos is a Rappler mover from Pasig City, Metro Manila. She is currently an incoming freshman of the Ateneo de Manila University taking up Bachelor of Arts Major in Political Sciences - Masters in Public Management. She was the Editor-in-Chief of Pauliworld for Editorial Year 2019–2020.

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