Who is the Filipina?
Oftentimes, when one is asked to describe the Filipina, the pictures that come across are those of Maria Clara, graceful and retiring; or of Sister Stella L., fiery and full of revolutionary fervor; or maybe even Flor Contemplacion, besieged and lost.
A sister, a mother, worker, ruler, lover, goddess and friend. But does she even have a solid identity? Do we confine her into an ideal character? Should she ever be defined at all?
With her many facets and varied personalities, an ideal Filipina is hardly identifiable. From a slight figure in native attire to a tall, mestiza in baro’t saya, to the modern woman in corporate garb or the ubiquitous caretaker’s dress – the image of the Filipina continually evolves with every role she has been relegated to play.
In order to understand fully and appreciate where the Filipina has been and where she is headed, Vibal Foundation Inc. has produced ‘More Pinay than We Admit: The social construction of the Filipina,’ a collection of 16 wonderfully written essays by the country’s leading scholars, examining the the Filipina through the lens of historiography, sociology, economics, religion, politics, art, literature, cinema and more. It is the second book in the Academica Filipina + series of books published by the foundation, with the first being More Hispanic Than We Admit.
With the essays and photographs tracing the evolution of the Filipina from tribal matriarch to post-colonial fame, More Pinay than We Admit aims to deepen the understanding of women as a vital construct in Philippine society.
Instead of just asking, “What is a Filipina?” we also ask, “Who are women as Filipinas?”
In examining what makes women different and similar reveals how identity is fluid and that the acceptance of the past is as important as taking control of who Filipinas are in the present.
More Pinay than We Admit was edited by Dr. Ma. Luisa Camagay, director of the University of the Philippines Press, and features essays by:
- Carmen A. Abubakar
- Belinda A. Aquino
- Digna Balangue Apilado
- Thelma B. Kintanar
- Karina C. David
- Luciano P.R. Santiago
- Lilia Quindoza-Santiago
- Johanna O. Zulueta
- Flaudette May V. Datuin
- Rolando B. Tolentino
- Edna Zapanta-Manlapas
- Hope Sabanpan-Yu
- Leonora M. Fajutagana
- Marya Svetlana Camacho
- Rosalinda Pineda Ofreneo
Vibal Foundation books are available worldwide through Amazon.com. In the Philippines, they are available at select National Bookstore, Powerbooks and Fully Booked outlets. To order directly, call our sales department at +63 2 712 9165 ext. 350. You can also send an email to sales@vibalfoundation.org.
it’s suppose to be a long flhigt, even if you take any other airline because it originate from the East coast crossing the Pacific ocean to Southeast Asia. look at the world map and you’ll find out. PAL is using the latest Boeing aircraft as Cathay, Korean Air, Eva Air or Air Canada is using for their long haul to Asia, so if others are using the same plane, why would the safety be any different?
expect it to be a big reception by a great numebr of Filipino residents of Toronto when the first Philippine Airlines direct flight from Manila touches down at Pearson International Airport’s Terminal