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CEDAW Features Philippines : NCR - Luzon - Visayas - Mindanao Love and Passion; Folly and Wisdom: Her Story This is the story of Fermina “Mina” Idao. Her common-law-husband accused her of having an affair when she refused to have sex with him. Drugged and intoxicated, he hacked her in blind rage with a knife. The blade pierced her neck halfway through, broke a rib, and shattered the bones of the arm that tried to shield herself from his madness. Her fingers hung by the skin because she tried to stop the blows on her head and face with her hands. Having overcome that trial makes her an extraordinary woman. But there is the rest of the story to tell. Of rape and early forced marriage. Of love betrayed. Of a fugitive with a cause, a mother’s heart, and a lover’s fool. Her life drama is one of moving on where many would have given up. Of composing a life with passion and meaning when life was most stripped of inspiration. She hopes that her story will send the message to other women to believe in their hidden strength; and to never give up especially in their lowest moments. And that really is the rest of the story worth the telling. The Prayer Warrior ‘This is the story from flesh to spirit of Cora Tantengco, a former top Mama-san in the biggest night club in Hong Kong during the early 90s. She and her girls were ‘born again in the spirit’ but no church accepted them for they knew too well they ‘walked the devil’s path.” But their faith reigned over this judgement. In time, out of a handful of girls, His Sanctuary Hong Kong, with a membership of between 600 to 700 today, was born in 1992. A church where even prostitutes come to worship. His Sanctuary Hongkong now has 12 other daughter churches in Hongkong. What’s In a Baby’s Surname? Illegitimate children in the Philippines can now use the surname of their father if the latter acknowledges them. Thanks to a new law that seeks to encourage birth registration of illegitimate children. Based on surveys, indigenous communities have a low registration rate due to the stigma they attach on illegitimate children. But while Republic Act 9255, An Act Allowing Illegitimate Children to Use the Surname of their Father, protects the rights of illegitimate children, it fails to take into account the role of the mother in the entire process of birth registration.
The End of Her Never Ending Sacrifice After surviving a war in Mindanao, which killed most of the members of her family, Mercedes Castro thought her agony would end when she met Carl, the man, whom she presumed would take her out from the clouts of life's sufferings, only to realize that she's into another bout of sacrifice. A sacrifice in the hands of the man she has promised to love. “I already conditioned myself that sacrifice is already a part of me since I was born in this world.” In the end, Mercedes finds, this is not so, as CEDAW shows the way. Space for Maya and her art In Albay's art world that is still dominated by men, Maya Muñoz, 34, has created her own space for self-expression. “I knocked on the doors of Manila's galleries and asked the owners if they want to see my works,” Maya recounts her initial foray into the Philippine art world. Now she has four solo exhibits and several group shows to her name. LIVING ON THE EDGE: Women in Relocation Eviction and relocation have serious effects on the lives of urban poor people, especially women. This situation is evident in Barangay Cabangan in Tabaco City, Province of Albay. Overall the women in the relocation site have poor health, lacked privacy and suffer from disturbed sleep due to unsafe environment. Their economic life is also affected by constant flooding in the area, its distance to places of employment and lack of access to livelihood opportunities such as credit for small business. Destitution has also led to incidences of violence among women and children. As pointed out by Community Organization of the Philippines Enterprise (COPE) Foundation, Inc., the lack of security in land and housing tenure is one of the major problems of poor people in the urban and rural areas of the Bikol Region. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) guarantees the rights of rural women. Despite the hardships, women leaders in Cabangan are relentless in their efforts to struggle for their basic human rights which are reflected in their simple dreams, “ a piece of land, a home to raise our families, a decent job and a peaceful society.”
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