James Dan Gazmin looks back at the days when he and his two friends formed a chapter of Paggawisan Tako Am-in at the University of the Philippines Diliman (Pagta-UPD) in October 2024. They passionately wanted to present the beauty and history of Cordilleran culture and traditions through music shows in the urban centers but they...
Category: Diversity
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Stories of Filipino heroines now have a home in Tandang Sora Women’s Museum
The Women’s Month of March is made more significant by the Tandang Sora Women’s Museum in Quezon City. Now formally open to the public, the museum lies on the avenue named after “the mother of the Philippine Revolution”—a means to uphold the value of women and to perpetuate a culture where women hold significant roles...
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Vietnam is making waves in global pageantry
The last quarter of the year is proving to be a significant one for Vietnam in terms of international pageantry, with two global competitions in that country and an international crown for a resident of the capital Ho Chi Minh (or Saigon). It may appear unlikely for a communist country to take part in the...
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‘Miss Universe Asia’ is the Philippines’ latest beauty title
The Philippines may not have clinched the Miss Universe title at the recently concluded competition held in Mexico, but the country’s delegate Chelsea Manalo still made history as the first recipient of the “Miss Universe Asia” title. Manalo, also the first black woman to represent the Philippines in the most important international beauty pageant for...
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Pia Wurtzbach urges ‘allies’ to help fight for LGBTQIA+ rights
Pia Wurtzbach has been a staunch ally of the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and others) community since her much-celebrated journey into pageantry. And nine years after she was crowned Miss Universe in 2015, the actress and global influencer is still advocating its cause. In welcoming Pride Month this June, Wurtzbach gallantly...
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First Filipino of African American descent takes 2024 Miss Universe Philippines title
The prevailing beauty standards in the country were challenged and ultimately shattered at the 2024 Miss Universe Philippines pageant, which took all of five hours at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City and ended early morning of May 23. Chelsea Manalo, a 24-year-old model from Bulacan, bested 52 other aspirants to inherit the...
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In Maguindanao, internally displaced women are empowered through agri-entrepreneurship
“I remember during Ramadan last year, at iftar—just as we were about to break our fast—suddenly we heard an explosion. We dropped and ran, carrying our food with us,” Salha Salik, who now lives in Shariff Saydona Mustapha, recalled in Tagalog during a phone interview. “It’s unpredictable here,” said Salik, 35. “Ever since I was...
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When you hit the road and ‘feel the wonderful wind on your face’
“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling,” the American activist Susan B. Anthony once said. “I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a...
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Women in a Masbate barangay champion education
After completing their chores, eight mothers in Barangay Tugbo in Masbate come together to take on another role: as literacy champions for themselves and their children. Erlinda Cabarles, a mother of seven, rises at 3 a.m. to do her household routine. While her family sleeps, she cooks, cleans, and prepares for the day. She is...
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Bianca Bustamante strives to race in male-dominated motorsport
Teen motorsports prodigy Bianca Bustamante is living the dream. From jet-setting around the world to making history as McLaren’s first female development driver, she seems to have it all figured out at the age of 19. But with all the success coming Bustamante’s way, it’s very easy to overlook the inner obstacles she has been...