The Philippine Women's Centre: Transforming Communities, Transforming Filipinas

*presented at Kabataang Babae Sulong para sa Kinabukasan!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC

They are quite different from other Asians like Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean etc...They are more bustier, sexier, darker skin...[a] Race who treats their partner like a king!!!
-"Filipina" from Urban Dictionary

A female from the Philippines. Usually abroad in the U.S. to work as registered nurses. Often they are trophy wives or maids to their husbands, [who] are usually old and Caucasian...who ordered them online....
-"Filipina" from Urban Dictionary

Of Public and Private Property

The socialization of Filipino women is summed up in these two illuminating "definitions". The former illustrating Filipino women as public property in the most humialting manner, the latter illustrating Filipino women as private property in the most submissive manner. While it seems hardly necessary to labour on the racist and sexist dogmas they encroach on Filipino women, nevertheless, they are graphic reminders of how Filipino women are percieved, thus determining how contemporary--and in our context, Western society treats and abuse Filipino women.

These stereotypes and the manipulation of Filipino women's bodies and identities are hardly new developments--young Filipino women have been on the receiving end of violence for the last 500 years: 300 years in the Spanish Convent, 50 years in Hollywood and now languishing in the post-colonial, war on terror era. For young Filipino women in Canada, we have been on the receiving end of exploitation in all its excesses since the first trickle of Filipino migration in the 1960's. However, repression, in all its creative manifestations, creates its own reaction and the formation of the Philippine Women's Centre of BC (PWC) in 1989 is an example of this dialectic. The organization of the PWC necessitates the process towards emancipation of Filipino women for the overall liberation of the Filipino community, thus sharpening the feminist tradition our sisters in the Philippines ignited before the time of Gabriela Silang and continues to be strengthened during the time of gross human rights violations and killings.

Beyond the Wild, Wild West

The early years of the PWC were met with challenges on a theoretial level and in methods of social practice. Western feminism, despite all its struggles and achievements in identifying the gender oppresssion of women, and "freeing" women from captivity from the private sphere, fails to interpret the quadruple oppression of Filipino women. By the end of the 1980's and at the beginning of the 1990's, Filipino women were entering Canada in droves not as landed professionals as previous Filipinas did, but as domestic workers with post-secondary education through the Foreign Domestic Movement (FDM) and since 1992, through the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP). The primary struggle of Filipino women was not psychological nor was it about sexual liberation alone. The struggle for Filipino women was and remains to be as women, as workers, as women of colour, as immigrants-- as immigrant women workers of colour.

This quadruple oppression, compounded with the misery of feudal and cultural values imported from the Philippines, aggravated by racism, sexism and extreme individualism perpetuated and championed in Western society set forth the following objectives and program of the PWC:

• To promote awareness of Philippine women of their common interests, issues and the problems as women of an ethinic minority of Canada;
• To help foster feminist values, emphasizing them from the perspective and experiences of Philippine women;
• To encourage the inter-cultural understanding among women from other ethnic communities;
• To dessiminate information about the Philippine community and about events in the Philippines;
• To establish links with other groups which share the same common interests as the PWC;
• To coordinate or work with agencies, associations, groups and individuals for the purpose of achieving its objectives.

The short and long term focus of the PWC is to empower Filipino women in ALL aspects of their lives and in doing so, empowering the Filipino community. The measure of society let us remember, lies in the full participation of its women, a crucial factor considering Filipino women hold more than half the sky in regards to the demographic of the Filipino-Canadian community.

The sharp analysis of Filipino migration not only looked at the history of migration, but looked toward the future so as to enable the potential and full participation of Filipino women in Canadian society. In doing this, the historical place and role of young Filipino women was integrated, thus further uniting a rather fragmented community.

Throughout the 20 year history of the PWC, hundreds of Filipino women have passed through its doors, from domestic workers to second-generation Filipino-Canadian women. I could go through the entire history, but lack of time and to avoid a long and drawn out historical lecture, I'll provide a sample of the work of the PWC since 1989 in the areas of education, organization, mobilization and economic development.

Education
Projects:

• Housing Needs Assessment of Filipino Domestic Workers
• Trapped: Holding on to the Knife's Edge-Economic Violence against Filipino Migrant/Immigrant Women
• Echoes: Cries fro Freedom, Justice and Equality-Filipino Women Speak
• Canada: The Next Frontier for Filipino-Mail Order Brides

Newsletter:

• Centre Update

Studies and Skills Training Workshops:

• Towards our Liberation: Filipino Women's Studies Program
• Computer and design skills training
• Media Training
• Writing workshops

Conferences:

• Towards Filipino Women's Equality: National Consultative Forum/1989-1999 10th Anniversary
• North American Consultative Forum for Women of Philippine Ancestry

Organizing

• Integration and social investigation with the community
• Assisted with the formation of SIKLAB (Overseas Migrant Workrs Organization), Filipino Nurses Support Group (FNSG), Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance/Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada (FCYA/UKPC)
• Assisted with the formation PWC-Quebec, PWC-Ontario, PWC-Manitoba
• Assisted with the formation of Grassroots Women
• Assisted with the formation of the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada (NAPWC)

Politics

• Scrapping of the LCP
• The Purple Rose Campaign (PRC)
• NO! To APEC Coalition
• Participated in the international campaign for Flor Contemplacion
• Participated in the international campaign for Sarah Balabagan

Economic Development

• Paluwagan (Savings Circle)
• Catering Program, esp. at the annual Under the Volcano Festival for Art and Social Change
• Carwashes, Raffles, Trips to the Philippines Raffle, Garage sales, Fundraising dances

The comprehensive programs and activities of the PWC in these personal and collective landscapes resulted in the rapid growth of the organization, strengthening the consciousness of its members, thus creating a model for collective leadership in the style and voice of women. One of the major off-springs of the PWC-and this has bearing for us here as young women--was the creation of the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance/Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada (FCYA/UKPC) in 1995. It was the young members of the PWC at the time (many who are here are now alumni members and dedicate much of their time in other respective organizations such as PWC, SIKLAB, FNSG provincially and nationally and even leading MIGRANTE International and working with Kilusang Mayo Uno/May First Movement (KMU) in the Philippines) who took on the task and leadership reigns to organize Filipino youth, both Canadian-born and newly-arrived. They understood that as youth, we faced issues that were unique and seperate from the community; it was imperative to create a venue where the empowerment of Filipino youth could root and flower for the betterment of the community.

Inspired by this example, the current young members of the PWC initiated discussion groups as part of the practicum of the Towards Our Liberation Women's Studies Program earlier this year. Gathering several young women from diverse backgrounds--second generation Canadian born Filipinas, immigrant women, young mother, students, and working professionals, the discussion and focus groups reflected the collective issues young Filipino women face on a daily basis. These issues included the reconciliation of identity crises, racism, sexism, gender oppression, family and generational dynamics, lack of access to education and decent employment. Thus an informal launching of the PWC-Young Women's Committee was initiated, and of the that initiation, the fruition of this conference today. The theme and objectives of this conference, "Kabataang Babae Sulong para sa Kinabukasan! Balik sa Ugat: Kapit Bisig! Magkaisa Kababaihan sa Pagpapalaya ng Bayan!" is a renewal and celebration of the feminist tradition of Filipino women, as this is just the beginning of bigger and more militantly exciting actions and gatherings.

Transforming Communities, Transforming Filipinas

As the PWC continues to be a work-in-progress, ever conscious of raising its standards to empower Filipino women, the community and to support the Philippines' aspiration for national democracy and liberation, Filipino women are also works-in-progress. Being works-in-progress, liberated women march forward, asserting our human rights and roles in society, stripping the shackles of our old selves and forging our freedom in the process of our new, liberated selves. It is difficult at the moment, to envision THE total and complete liberated woman--feminists from Simone de Bouvoire to Congresswoman Liza Maza of the Gabriela Party List in the Philippines defined and continue to define that woman--but we have yet to reach that point of totality. I have no answers, first we women are complex, divided creatures. Second, women will only be liberated in relation to the liberation of society, and that road is long and arduous. Our community and our situation as Filipino women has reached an acute climax where settling for mediocracy and consoling ourselves with the "at least" mantra is no longer acceptable and indeed perilous to the dignity of our community and to ourselves. Studying, analyzing and taking collective action are the tools towards the new woman--and what an awesome ride it's been so far towards emancipation! Together we ARE creating models and leaders in our community we can proudly emulate and succeed.

In the principle of offering best our human qualities towards the redefinition of humanity, I offer this to all the young women participating at this conference and especially to those who are unable attend: If you believe your life is worth living, then you will live it with compassion and conviction and I hope we all live our lives in the best of struggle in the colourful, political language that only liberated women can animate and assert.

And returning to the earlier definitions of the Filipina from Urban Dictionary, I am throwing a definite rebutle more concrete and more fitting to The Filipina that Ninotchka Rosca--feminist, writer, chairwoman of the Purple Rose Campaign and celebrated diva--bestowed to all Filipinas on the wake of the guilty conviction of one American soldier (out of three) who participated in the gang-rape of Nicole, a 22-year old Filipina, in the Philippines in 2006:

What fine daughters of Gabriela Silang they all are, from Nicole down to the 18 year-old still wearing her St. Scholastica Catholic school uniform as she picketed in front of the courthouse. They make us proud to be women, and to be women of Philippine ancestry.