EMPOWERING THE FILIPINO WOMAN

Empowered Filipina women, what happened to Empowering Filipino Men? This is the slow decay of society, take a look at any western nations divorce rate. Everything needs limits.

Filipino women have since begun making waves in and around the globe. From the many shoes of Imelda Marcos to the beauty titles of Gloria Diaz and Margie Moran-Floirendo to Josie Natori’s designer dresses, Filipino women of all shapes, ages and shoe sizes have attracted solely a legion of followers that include even the most famous, the most brilliant and the richest societies. Not to mention those who have penetrated the Hollywood scene such as Lea Salonga, Tia Carrere, Phoebe Cates and many others.

 But sadly, not one too many from different nations have the wrong perceptions of what Filipinas stand for. Case in point: An episode of “Desperate Housewives” where actress Teri Hatcher referred to a doctor as having his medical license altered, “just like in the Philippines”. And another British show where a Filipina was considered domesticated. 

Now, a new mini-documentary film entitled, “The Empowered Filipina” dispels all those notions. The film, produced in collaboration with Dove Unilever Gulf, Nikon Grandstores UAE, and supported by Emirates Airline, London Dairy and Liali Jewellery,  seeks not only to provide a compelling message of Filipina empowerment but to create positive ripples throughout the whole Filipino community across the region and around the world. 

“I think a documentary has always been a beautiful medium and a vitally necessary form of information,” says director Kamil Roxas, winner of the Hayah Film Competition at the Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF) in 2008. “Even more so when the subject is something that you can really respond to. And so for my part, it was a choice to capture not only the exploitation and stereotyping but also to change the incorrect mindset some people have of Filipinas and to share that with as many people as we possibly can. Luckily for us, the need to make it, and the need to raise as much awareness resonates with everyone involved in the production and has propelled us through the very long process of shooting this film.”

“The Empowered Filipina” already had its premier screening at the Illustrado’s Women of Substance event in Dubai on the 27th March 2010 and had already been released on the web via Youtube and through other social networking sites.  The film will also be shown through links with Filipino schools, community organizations, Philippine government offices, NGOs, women’s groups, socio-civic as well as spiritual groups. The film is already being slated for a release in the following countries: UAE, Bahrain, Thailand, Malaysia, Ireland, Norway, Canada, Germany, and of course, the Philippines.
 

Adds Lalaine Chu-Benitez, Illustrado Magazine's Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, who partnered with Roxas for this project, “This film carries the message of empowerment which is the core of our Women of Substance Project – and that is a call for Filipinas to uplift themselves despite prevalent negative stereotypes.”  She continues, “The film has been created not only to make Filipinos aware of the effects of Pinay stereotyping, especially here in the Gulf, but most importantly to create that spark of positive action that will encourage each Filipina to carve a better future for herself by further enriching her talents and skills and developing love for self, confidence and self-respect.”