Women who stand out

Being a woman in a world where conformity is rewarded and standing by your beliefs is frowned upon requires a quiet courage—because choosing to stay true to yourself isn't just about being different; it is an intentional act of taking up space on your own terms.

In these trying times, I've seen women who carry the torch to make the world a better, more just place for everyone.

Risa Hontiveros comes to mind. She was elected to the Senate in 2016, at a time when the presidency reeked of misogyny and political opposition was constantly under fire. She fought her adversaries not with noise, but with undeniable facts, moral clarity, and sheer persistence. Despite being in the minority for so long, she still passed landmark laws focused heavily on public health, women's rights, social protection, human rights, and good governance. A quick Google search will show her major legislative victories, including the Philippine Mental Health Act (RA 11036), the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave Law (RA 11210), and the Safe Spaces Act or "Bastos Law" (RA 11313). Her pending legislative measures include the Anti-Dynasty Bill and reforms to the Party-List System Act. 

Roo Powell is the founder of SOSA (Safe from Online Sex Abuse), a nonprofit organization that works to combat online child sexual exploitation in collaboration with law enforcement. I first noticed her when I was watching Undercover Underage. She is a prime example of a woman who stands out by stepping into the shadows. Instead of turning away from an agonizing reality, she confronts it head-on, proving that true strength often means absorbing the world's ugliness so that the most vulnerable don't have to. Learning that she is Filipino made me even prouder, and I truly hope to see a counterpart to her work established here in the Philippines.

What makes women like Risa Hontiveros and Roo Powell stand out isn't just their extraordinary bravery; it is the path they clear for everyone coming after them. They show us that standing by your principles—even when it is frowned upon, even when it is dangerous—is the only way progress actually happens. They carry the torch so that the rest of us don't have to walk in the dark

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2 Dekada

What???? I've been MIA for 4 years, and now that I’m back, I just realized it's been 20 years since I started writing here. Sure, I post a lot of nonsense, but looking back, this might be the longest-running platform I've ever used.

I started as a college student ranting about my college life, music, politics, and other musings—a naive girl who didn't know what the future held for her.

But fast-forward 20 years, and I am still that naive girl—well, maybe a lady—who is still exploring her world. So many things have changed, yet so much has remained the same.

I still get kilig when hearing good music and lyrics, still attend live gigs even in my late 30s, and still get irritated by our politics.

In these 20 years, I've seen the bands I was just listening to when I started this in 2006 live. I never thought I would be able to see the Eraserheads not once, but twice.I never thought they’d reunite because of politics. Also, if you had told me another Marcos would become president, I’d probably have packed my bags and migrated to another country.

If you had told me back then that I would see The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys in the same year, I would have told you that you were insane.

We've faced a pandemic—another occurrence that we never expected. And then came the 2022 election. Right after the pandemic, we started going out to make sure we could fight for a brighter future—hoping that the liwanag sa dilim would guide us through the darkness. But we lost, we failed, and we're still facing adversities. 

If you had told me 20 years ago that we’d have AI to check my grammar, I would have laughed in your face and told you I wished it had come sooner so hindi naman ka-hiya-hiya itong blog na 'to, haha.

Now, I look forward to another 20 years. I will be 50++ haha! Sana naman our world is a better place by then, though I am not so optimistic. I hope in 20 years I am still me—just with a newfound peace with what I do and happy in my own way.

And here is a song from outerhope maybe also written 20 years ago.

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Whew

So much has happened since my last post back in 2022. Where do I even begin?

The UniTeam won, and today, our divided country is watching an impeachment trial unfold for the Vice President. Sara Duterte, who is currently facing these charges, could still end up as our next president if she survives this. Meanwhile, almost all of Luzon is submerged in floods—and to think it’s just the habagat, not even a typhoon. Add to that the ongoing outrage over flood control corruption and reports of active shootings in schools.

How did we even get here?

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