IN PHOTOS: A tribute to your #SHEro

MANILA, Philippines – To celebrate the Women’s Month, Rappler’s MovePH and Dakila recognized and thanked women and girls who have inspired us in many ways. We called each one of them a #SHEro.

Here are the images, stories, and poems netizens shared in honor of women and girls. Let all months of the year recognize the triumphs, challenges, and wisdom of women.

The conversation on women’s rights, gender equality, and empowerment, however, must continue. Keep the stories coming, continue to share your ideas with us through MovePH’s #GenderIssues section. Email us at move.ph@rappler.com. – Rappler.com

Each woman investigative journo in my thesis is a #SHEro! They not only made a mark but also established the field!

From: Jodesz Gavilan

Women weavers of Basey, Samar are sheroes helping in the rehabilitation of their community

#SHEro submission by Dakila Philppines

Details: http://rplr.co/SHEro

This is Ate Chona. She is a housewife and an assistant to her farmer husband on weekdays, On weekends, she is a tour guide. Like hundreds of other women tour guides in Fidelisan, Sagada, Chona is a shining example of women trying to break free from their stereotypical domestic role in rural areas.

#SHEro submission by Raisa Serafica

“I have 3—Kaka Bag-ao, Leni Robredo, Risa Hontiveros—advocates of good governance and human rights. They showed me how to struggle FOR and WITH the people in order to create real change in our society.

#SHEro submission by Jeff Crisostomo

Kristian Lising: My mom worked for 20 years in HK to provide for me, and she continuously inspires me to dream big. She has taught me how to live independently. My dad left us when I was two months old, and she had nothing then. She had to choose to be away from me, her only child, and raise kids other than her own in a foreign country because she wanted to give me a good life. It’s been hard growing up without parents, but she inspired me to become a strong individual.

Jess Santillan: Ever since dad passed away in 2008 she’s been raising my sister and I on her own. I think that’s true strength

Sarah Kaye is Ayeen Karunungan’s #SHEro:

“She has taught me I can be loved no matter my wreckage.”

Since I was a child, my mom would often cook chicken tinola because she knew we loved it. It took me years to realize she never ate a single piece. She never told us about it – she’d simply cook like it was the most natural thing to do.

Recently, her friends surprised her with a feast – the starring dish: Kadyos, Baboy, Langka or KBL. I guess, they assumed it was her favorite considering the amount of time she’d usually spent cooking it. What they didn’t know was that it was my dad’s favorite (as well as mine).

I guess my only wish is that one day, I might be half the person that she is, the kind of person that no amount of achievement/plaque could ever equate.

Nora Yu Lamentillo is my #Shero.

From: Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo

My #SHERO is Dr Lei Camiling-Alfonso. Straight out of medical school, she served as a Doctor to the Barrios volunteer in 10 islands in Palawan. She served mainly underprivileged communities and provided quality health care, despite the lack of resources and even if she doesn’t know how to swim (she had to take a lot of boat rides to visit patients). After her stint as a Doctor to the Barrios, she continued serving as a breastfeeding advocate. She works with DOH, WHO and LGUs on designing programs and doing research on creating viable breastfeeding programs, especially in poor communities and in areas affected by disasters.

Attached is her picture when she was in Singapore, on outreach to study their government breastfeeding program and how to apply them in the Philippines.

From: Julia Jasmine Madrazo-Sta Romana

A woman I am lucky to know, Major Rosa Ma Cristina Rosete-Manuel has been serving our country for more than 14 years. She evaded death during an ambush in Samar and survived leptospirosis after assisting in the Davao flooding just a few weeks after giving birth. She is a selfless #SHEro who endures being away from her children forn the sake of her duty. She is a woman who has demanded no recognition for all her efforts, a humble, funny, and commanding woman who, juggles her job, her family, and her advocacy for the youth.

From: Jessica Marie Madrazo

One of the inspiring women of Davao is #SHEro Maan Chua. She plays 3 remarkable roles full time. She is an advocate of the environment, a celebrated Davao artist, and a hands on mom. Maan is one of the faces that represent the rich culture and good heart that is Davao.

From: Jessica Marie Madrazo

My #SHERO is Rita Palo. She’s an NGO consultant specializing in recovery and development of war-torn and impoverished communities. She and her husband has worked in places most people won’t dare to go, post war cities in the Philippines and all over the world. She gives people hope and a livelihood, by training them on how to rebuild their communities, one industry at a time.

From: Julia Jasmine Sta Romana

I think every MOTHER is a #SHEro, like this woman who is going to be a mom soon.

My wife is my SHEro.

Women deserver respect, fair treatment, and freedom from violence. Oh, and lesbians, too.

From: RJ delos Santos

To my #SHEro – my mama – You’re the best

From: Hannah @classicgique

Because my first #SHero taught me how to be tough, to not let anybody bring me down and to embrace who I am. Ika nga ng aking ina, “Hindi ka maitim, WELL-DONE ka (In the words of my mother, “You’re not dark, you’re well done).”

Happy International Women’s Day sa aking mudra (to my mother), Bogs Ruiz!

From: Rash Caritativo

Maya Angelou: “Phenomenal Woman, that’s me.”

From: Évan @mouenne

My #SHEro is my Mom – crazy caring and strong. Happy Women’s Day!

From: Krista Garcia

For being one of the reasons of living, you are my Number One #SHEro, Mama! Despite all our ups and downs, laughter and arguments and differences in interests, you are always there to support me in any way possible. My passion for food will always be because of you (Leave music and poetry to Dad! ). I love you and thank you for accepting my own brand of craziness! Happy International Womens Day to all my girls!

From: Jhoi Villamar

My mother/friend/number one supporter… My #SHEro!

From: Phoebe Shane

Mudrabells (Mother)

From: Sarah Co

In recognition of her more than 20 years in service as a teacher. My mom, My #SHEro

From: Ardis Ritchell

My mother is my #SHEro. My bestfriend, sister, mentor, father, and cool mom. She is the only woman who inspires me everyday. I love her no matter what. Happy Women’s Month!

From: Jericho Rae

Mar 7

My #SHEro is my nanay! wooo!!

From: Emil @emillouise

Singer Kyla is my musical #SHEro. Back when birit was the norm, she pushed for PinoyRnB.

From: KC Araneta

My Lola is my #SHEro. She taught me the value of hard work, humility, and altruism. She’s a true inspiration.

From: Angel Flores

My mom believed in me when I can’t even believe in myself. She’s the best! #SHEro

From: Clarisse Inao

Epitome of grace, strength, and love in the face of tragedy. Lei Jimenez is my #SHEro

From: Micheline Mich Rama

My #SHEro is my kickass, smart mom who has been selflessly working so hard all these years for me and my brother.

From: Jee Geronimo

Auntie Nating is my #SHEro. She and another aunt helped my mother raise me and my sister after father died. She’s now battling cancer but I trust she’s brave enough to survive it. Love you, auntie! Happy Women’s Month!

From: Voltaire Tupaz

my #SHEro would be Garbage’s Shirley Manson, who is always tough and point-blank with her music

From: Marguerite de Leon

My mom is my #SHEro. She always asks me about my love life because she wants me to have a happy heart.

From: Ayeen Karunungan

Tres Marias are sheroes of reproductive health. They have been advocating women’s rights.

From: Dakila

#SHEro Marigel, a young solo mom volunteers at a preschool feeding program to cook healthy meals for kids other than her own

From: Fritzie Rodriguez

Women weavers of banig in Basey, Samar are sheroes.

From Ayeen Karunungan

#SHEro Roni Garcia, a nurse who advocates for human milk banks in the PH, better maternal and infant healthcare

From: Fritzie Rodriguez

#SHEro Mindy Kaling! Not only is she true to herself, she’s also one of the few Asian-American women to have her own show in Hollywood!

From: Tiffany Go

I’ve always wanted a sister and I always had one in my cousin. Kind, smart, and hardworking. Ate Gorgette is my #SHEro.

From: Nile Villa

Each woman investigative journo in my thesis is a #SHEro! They not only made a mark but also established the field!

Read Nanay’s story here: “Nanay, my 1st #SHEro“

From: Ayeen Karunungan

#SHEro Linda is a barangay volunteer. She hikes remote areas in Benguet daily to give health lessons/services to families.

From: Fritzie Rodriguez

Nanay Ines is my #SHEro! She goes to rural communities to educate mothers about breasfeeding:

From: Raisa Serafica

My mom! She had me at 21. Even if she got a lot of flak, she still persevered. #SHEro

From: Jodesz Gavilan

#SHEro Fe has been a farmer for over 20 years. I met her in Pampanga. She advocates for women’s equal access to land and agricultural services. She is a farmer, a wife, a mother, a friend, and an activist. She is a woman.

From: Fritzie Rodriguez

The SHEro of Iloilo Art Scene

Five years ago, if you were an Ilonggo art enthusiast, it is hard to find a place where you could meet people with similar interests. There is exclusivity in art that no one really tried to address. For years, art seemed like it is made only for artists. There is a gap between art and its audience. Not until, FDCP opened Iloilo Cinematheque that this gap was bridged, and Daniella Julieta Caro was the woman behind it.

Just like some of the greatest painters having their muses, the Iloilo art scene has Daniella. Last year, she helped the local artists organize a number of exhibits, one of them aimed to fill the 4 walls of Iloilo Cinematheque Art Gallery with 8×11 artworks from floor to ceiling. The exhibit blended both established artists and the young talents. Being the main woman of Iloilo Cinematheque, she was also instrumental in uniting local filmmakers and bringing socially relevant films to Ilonggos, especially the students. What was originally intended as a theater has extended into an art gallery. And the crowd of artists and art enthusiasts flocking the gallery and the theater showed that the city is opening its doors wider to art.

It is inspiring for an artist to have a venue where she can show an audience what her art is about. Personally, I am not an artist. I was not confident about my works, but when Daniella asked me to submit them to last year’s exhibit, it added a bit of assurance that my way of expressing stress can become an art, art that could actually be hung on walls. That’s who Daniella is, her love for art pushes other people to make art.

#SHEro submission by Allyn Canja

I Call her Mom – A Teacher to most, a #SHEro to me

Throughout life, people are always influenced in some ways by others. This influence is what causes individuals to change. It has been no different to me. I have met a wide variety of people in my life and have learned from each of them. The one person that sticks out in my mind as having had the most influence on me however, was my teacher in high school named Ma. Rowena L. Birol, more commonly known as Ma’am B or Ma’am Oweng.

The last class I took under her subject was in 2009, I was a fourth year high school student. If she’s your teacher, it feels like luck meets greatness, it is spectacular. Maybe, she doesn’t know that time that she has touched the heart of a student so greatly. That student’s heart was mine.

I cherish every class we had including all the lessons she taught. I’ve learned to love her within a very little time because of the way she handles us – with enthusiasm, with passion, with interest to all of us. She became my coach and trainer in various competitions, which gave us both the chance to build a deeper relationship. I will never forget how she would cheer us up, how she would cheer me up by saying, “Kaya mo yan! Ikaw pa!”

She supported me more than a teacher would and did love me like her own. To me, it was so special, something that never happens to every student. During my graduation, I thought her influence would stop there, but I was wrong. Although I started calling her mommy two years before I graduated in high school, I never expected that it would go on and that our relationship will keep on going strong.

I believe that it was the result of that affection that has developed in me towards her. She made me feel that I matter.

She has been there for me to listen and guide me all the way. In my downiest moments, she never left me hanging. She comforts and cares me like her own daughter. It is amazing how a teacher has come to love her student the way that she has loved me.

I have learned from her that every dream is worth achieving, every life is worth living and every moment must be spend wisely and with happiness in one’s heart. She taught me that people are very much shaped by what they think, so I must be positive to create the same impact to others.

Presently, she continues to inspire more students and educators alike. Yes, it is true that she is a teacher, but to me, she has served as my second mother, my bestfriend and cheerer. I will always be thankful to have her and she will always be my #SHEro!

#SHEro submission by Che An Dalida

How does one describe she who rose from poverty

and devoured all walls of poverty of the mind?

She who wrote pieces that have fueled the young,

lulled the old and amplified the voiceless?

She who is friends with the villagers, the drivers, those

who lost their houses in the biggest typhoon?

She whose creativity, empathy, and charisma has

brought her to a foreign nation to represent her initiative

a circle for the children, the youth and the arts.

She who gathered book donations and pedalled a trisikad

to bring reading closer to those who need it most.

She who believes that activism starts without shouts

but ends in the lips and hearts of the grassroots.

She who has won debates but never stopped there

for she does not find meaning in fighting.

This poem is dedicated to Kristine Buenavista, submitted by P. Balderas

Every son and daughter in this world would call his or her mom/dad their hero. I have a long list of reasons why I chose my mama, Cecil Laguardia. My siblings and I were raised in a single parent household, that alone made her my #SHEro. She is a mother, a provider, a nurturer, a loving daughter, a friend, a writer, and an aide worker all rolled into one awesome superbeing. She is presently deployed in an International NGO in Iraq (Yes! despite my utmost disapproval) and she is unstoppable!

– by Diana Marie L. Paquingan

This girl is my #SHEro. People keep saying I saved her by keeping her, but everyday she keeps saving me from myself

– Loreen Ordono

Janetter Toral is my #SHEro. It is not in her achievements in the IT industry that made me consider her my SHEro. It is a known fact that the IT industry is mostly composed of men movers and shakers. It is very difficult to find women inspiration, especially locally. Back in 2009, I was fortunate enough to have joined the online trainings she gave. I have always liked IT, but her talks and insights made me love IT. Her passion to drive development in the country didn’t only motivate me as Filipino but also as a woman. Her gender did not hinder her from doing what she love and she does it well. I believe every woman should be able to do what we love and do it well, regardless of what industry we belong in. Janetter Toral is my #Shero

– #SHEro submission by Therese Quijano

My mother Judith is my #SHEro. She is 57 years old. She is an election officer. She is my “diskarte (ingenuity) sa buhay” mentor. She’s always there guiding me well through my direction towards a brighter, better, and fruitful future. She dreams not all for herself but more for us, her children. She has gone through a life with poor and difficult beginnings. She has struggled to rise and soar above the lowliness of life. And up to now, she continues to live a life with humble comfort – the same comforts that she provides and extends with much grander advantage to her family.

– By Kim Juguilon

My #SHEro is Lolita Kintanar, a Filipino social worker in San Francisco. She is the Director of Canon Kip Senior Center, a program of the Episcopal Community Services, a nonprofit organization which feeds seniors, people with disabilities, individuals dealing with addiction and the homeless.

The program also places people in homes and helps them find jobs. Lolita is also a well-known advocate for San Francisco’s seniors and a champion for homeless seniors’ rights. She helps negotiate the needs of the Filipino elders and the increasing numbers of homeless seniors. She was named one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the US by the Filipina Women’s Network and was also awarded as one of the Women making history in women’s education, women’s economic strength, women’s empowerment in District 6 in San Francisco by the SF Commission on the Status of Women in 2012. SHE is the reason why I chose to become a social worker. She showed me how important and fulfilling it is to help empower people. And I am so thankful and proud that she’s my Mom smile emoticon I love you and want to thank you for all you have done for us and happy 70th birthday! Yes her actual birthday is March 8, International Women’s Day! A mini documentary on her was also a finalist in the Youtube/Pulitzer Center’s Project Report Competition.

From: Silayan Kintanar-Chuck

#WomenofManila: Hannah Manalo, 33

“I have 3 kids. Now I use family planning. I got it in the hospital for free. I asked the doctor what my options are. They put an implant in my arm. Here – feel it. This will last 5 years. If I want to get pregnant again, they can take it off. But I don’t want any more kids.”

#WomenofManila: Ruby Asistio, 45

“We’re doing a survey, a volume count of the cars. We’re on call when there’s a survey, it’s only then when we have work. If there’s no survey, we just stay home. Before, I had permanent work but when the management changed I was paid to leave because of my age. And at this age, of course its hard to find a new job, right? I already have kids who are working, so I just do this so I don’t get bored at home.”

#WomenofManila: Anna Gayleen Robles, 26

“I’m a hearing aid specialist. It was my first job. I like it because I get to help people. When you see them hear for the first time, it’s different. You can’t explain it. Especially the kids. Their reactions are priceless. I plan to study to be an audiologist. There are only about 200 from the Philippines and many of them are abroad.”

#WomenofManila: Noreña Laut

“My favorite customer is named Miriam. I have other favorites, but I forget their names – I just know their faces. I give discounts too. I don’t get mad when people ask, I just kid my customers. How will you sell anything if you get mad? There’s a lot of competition but I’m able to sell through the grace of Allah. If you pray always, Allah won’t neglect you.”

#WomenofManila: Joy Jaucian, 22

What’s your favorite childhood memory?

“Playing with my cousins. We played patintero. My favorite cousins are Jane and Jazen. Eversince, until now, we hang out. When we were smaller, we showered together. We were close through high school, and even now that we’re all working we see each other on our days off. One works for Shakey’s, the other is a secretary at a hospital.”

Veronica David, 32

What advice would you give your younger self?

“Finish my studies. I didn’t finish. I wanted to go into nursing but I took Hotel and Restaurant Management instead. It was in demand back then. But I never finished because I got married. I have a 10-year-old child.”