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Baring It All a.k.a. The Belle Series: 7 Inspiring Ladies and their take on loving one’s skin

           Do you ever just hate your skin complexion? Have you ever been judged just because you’re too white? Or too brown? I hope you haven’t because obviously nobody deserves to be treated that way. Each person’s skin complexion is rooted from years of culture and heritage and no one shall take that away from you or use that against someone.

Skin color, who?

         Generally, we, Filipinos have the skin complexion of “kayumanggi.” It is often described as the brown skin. We have similar complexion with neighboring countries in the Southeast Asia region. But of course, it is not hidden to many that the Philippines is a colonized country. It being a colonized country, different types of culture infiltrated the country. Hence, the “kayumanggi” complexion mixed with other complexions. That’s why we have mestiza to morena these days.

           Apparently, Philippines has become a melting pot of  cultures. From the three different groups that made there way into the Philippines (Aeta, Malay, Indones) the early barter trade with other cultures (Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, Indian, etc.), colonial rule (Spanish, American and Japanese), and the current mix of immigrants and foreigners in the country --it is hard to tell what’s the true color of Filipinos today. Of course, there would still be differences in occupation and circumstances by women across the country. Some had to stay long hours in the sun, some doesn’t like office workers or stay-in mothers, and some has the luxury to buy sunscreen, and more.

           For the record, beauty standards of today still has a long way to embracing other skin color aside from being white. We all know, being white is what’s beautiful today, just look at how Korean beauty sensationalizes white, glowing skin. This would be the reason why there are a lot of whitening products catering women who are so done with their skin color. 

Ladies of Different Shades!

            We have 7 beautiful women who puts aside whitening and beauty products for their skin. They openly embrace their color, no matter how white or dark it is.

Jemimah Andaya: The Morena Lass from Pangasinan

           Hailing from Santa Maria, Pangasinan, she grew up with constant bullying from her peers, being the girl with the darkest skin in her class, making her insecure with her skin. Eventually, Jemimah has learned to love and to accept her skin, realizing that her skin is beautiful, just like the others --no more, no less.

Jessica Orozco: The Proud-of-her-skin Lady

           Surrounded with people who were proud and even envied her skin, Jessica Orozco didn’t much had problems with accepting her skin. However, most of the people envying her skin are foreigners who mostly rent her father’s car services. Nonetheless, Jessica sees her skin as something that makes her unique and stand out from the rest. She said she couldn’t be more proud of her skin.

Corinne Casas: The Sweet Girl from City of Pines

           Although for Corinne Casas, her skin is a blessing, having fair skin and all, she says that her skin is often the root of people’s prejudice about her. Corinne shares how her skin pegs her to be intimidating or high-class looking, which isn’t the actual her. She wants people to look beyond her skin tone and treat her the way all people deserves to be treated.    

Danna Ruiz: The Stress-free Lady from the North

           At first, Danna did not like her skin’s color, until she realized that it would not do her good if she will hate her skin. She now chooses to be proud of what she has in life, like her skin. She learned that accepting and loving her skin actually lessens the stress she experiences from her everyday life.

Ally Ravago: The Young-looking Colegiala

           Ally has always been teased because of her skin since her childhood. Although some may see Ally’s skin as fair-looking, for some, it’s dark already. Nevertheless, the comments she got when she got teased around, did not stop her from accepting her skin. It only pushed her to embrace her skin color and to always wear it with pride.

Divine/Dee Peñaflor: The Whitest of Them All

           Divine, or often called “Dee” by her close friends, sees her skin as a link to her lineage, her father coming from a family with very white complexion. However, she said that sometimes it’s the only thing that people remark beautiful about her —which of course, she thinks otherwise.

Christine Catibog: The Girl-Next-Door with a Substance

           Christine has always been proud of her skin because she had it naturally. She believes no one should influence or dictate you of what you think about your skin and what you should do with it.

You Skin, Your Pride and Identity

           Nowadays, we all know how people, mostly ladies, are focused on improving their skin color. A lot of whitening products or tanning products are out there in the market. Advertising for those kinds of products really make an individual think twice of her skin color —whether is it beautiful nowadays or it must be changed. Nonetheless, it is very important for everyone to know the importance of being proud of one’s skin color.

            We have compiled answers from the participants of this series, asking them what makes them proud of their skin and how it represents them. Most of them said that being proud of their skin comes from accepting that their skin is a blessing and something that is worth-loving. Although, sometimes, for some of them, there are moments when even the closest people in their lives are the ones who discriminate their skin, they had to look past the bad comments. Looking past the bad comments make them realize their skin’s worth. Lastly, as for their identities, their skin is their identity —whether their skin represents their genealogy, or just their image as a person.

Your Skin, Your Skin Only

           Whether you have white or dark skin, people definitely has something to say about other individuals’ skin. Sometimes it can be good remarks that make you love your skin even more, or sometimes remarks can be bad which would actually make you despise your skin.

           For the participants, all of them has experienced comments that make them insecure about their skin. An example is the constant comparison of one’s skin color with other’s skin color —as if being mestiza is way better than being a morena. For the participants, it they have portrayed comments like “Ay ang itim mo naman! Try mo ‘tong gluta” or “Sobrang puti mo naman, try mong magpaitim konti,” are comments which create a great divide between people’s colors that should not have existed in the first place. (But apparently, capitalism has provided solutions for it that only created greater problems, like discrimination). There are also situations when some of the participants are told how their skin are the only thing that makes them beautiful, an example is when they have soft and beautiful white skin —which really add up to the list of insecurities some of the participants already have. I mean, do most people really like bringing other people down? Why not just tell people how beautiful they are regardless of anything they have physically?

           Fortunately, there are still people who appreciate others regardless physical attributes. There are still people who made the participants love their skin and embrace it with all their heart. After all, it’s also about finding the right people beside you and standing firm against others who don’t appreciate you for who you really are.

           As for whitening and tanning products, the participants did not have varying views with it. They all went for the “it’s your skin, then it’s your decision to make.” Well, it’s true. Even if we all know that at some point, consumerism just tricks us with these products, it’s actually your discretion whether to use it or not. But, the participants emphasized the importance of self-worth and self-love. Primary to deciding on whether to use whitening/tanning products or not, you should have learned to love yourself and to see your worth more than anyone in the world. No one should be condemning you for using those kinds of products, but remember that the use of those products should not dictate who you are at the end of the day.

           I think you got the hang of this article already. So, to end this article, I’d just leave quotes from the seven brave participants who amazingly took part in this project to further inspire you and think more of how you see your skin and self. I hope we can all be like them —hopeful of the future, carefree, and proud to embrace their skin no matter color it is, and no matter what other people would say.

           You are a woman and your skin is part of your identity.

           Be proud of it. Love it. Embrace it.

The word “Belle” in The Belle Series came from the phrase “Baring It All” which means exposing oneself completely to the public—no holds barred. Lakambini Magazine’s The Belle Series features flawed individuals who are not afraid to embrace their inadequacy.

Words by Daoden Kate Sarmiento

Photos by Kimberly Joy Alejo

Photos Edited by Shem Peter Acal

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Why are napkins so expensive?!: The cost of being a woman today

          It is that week. Yes, THAT week when your body decides to turn on you and wreak destruction. Like a leaking faucet, you groan past the muscle cramps and mood swings to your restroom- and with great luck, you’re all out...OF NAPKINS!!!

           This is every woman’s monthly struggle, year in and out. To bleed excessively along with a long list of side effects that come along with it. But the real question is, why are napkins so damn expensive when it’s a natural and biological phenomenon? It makes one wonder which is worse, the cost of discomfort or the cost of all these hygienic products.

          The average woman has around 450 periods in her lifetime and uses between 12,000 to 15,000 period products. Adding it all up, one can imagine how blown up our total expenses are.

           The fact is, being a woman can be pretty costly—personal hygiene, menstruations, giving birth, menopause, among many more. And the real people benefiting from all these are the corporations producing these products, that 1% of society. So why aren’t we talking about this? Well, wait ‘til you get a load of the next paragraph...

           The thing is, it’s not just menstrual necessities that's got us by the neck, it’s almost every product marketed to the female population that we need to worry about: the phenomenon of the pink tax.

          The pink tax is the overcharge on products that are intended and marketed for women. When comparing two bottles of shampoo, those targeted for women are more expensive when there is little to no difference between the two. Yes the same ingredients, same manufacturing, and same brand but the difference is one is pink and smells like flowers.

          In other words the pink tax is basically just gender-based pricing. If we take a closer look it’s in almost all of the commodities we buy such as shampoos, razors, deodorant, toys, clothes, and a whole lot more. Skeptical? Head to the nearest shop around you and find any goods or services that are similar, except one is for men and the other for women, and start comparing. You are bound to find the pink tax. (Well who am I to tell you what to do right? So here are a few local examples I found from Watson’s online website as of May 2019.)

           It’s crazy but a lot of us don't notice the surcharge when we buy these products. You won't hear companies speak about this as it’s not the best angle for advertising, is it? The pink tax is also pretty hard to notice because most often the aisles of stores are segregated by gender. You've got the men's section in a different location from the women’s section, so to cross-check between products isn't exactly something you'd think of right away and thus the pink tax is implemented without us spotting the price differences.

            Why would companies place the pink tax? Well aside from their major goal is to empty our pockets for their gain, it is also simply because women are willing to pay more. Don’t get me wrong I’m not blaming women for the pink tax, hell no. It’s just that most of us are unaware of it, and we don't really have a choice about it, do we?

           However, one more thing, one BIG thing, that really helps the pink tax to go on is ADVERTISING. Yes, the way ads have been building our social construct, the way their sly marketing teaches consumers that there are products just for women, and products just for men but God forbid never for both. Oh it’s cool, edgy, blue, and spiky? Definitely for men. It’s soft, pretty, and smacked full of glitters? Yep, only for women. As a result women don’t consider men’s products and will pay more for the women’s products, even when it costs more.

           Listen up you beautiful beings, the things we need to buy are charged with the pink tax because the market does not see them as necessities but rather the complete opposite, as “luxury” items. Apparently taking care of your health and your hygiene, is an indulgence, a freaking nonessential treat we partake in. Imagine being subjected to commercialization because you came to exist as a woman :)

           I know it’s disheartening, right? BUT don’t give up just yet because we, the consumers actually have real power over this. Let’s remind them who puts the cha-ching in their oversized hands. Our spending decisions can make or break these companies, believe it! Spreading the word about pink tax makes a difference, the more attention and awareness we build on how unfair and sexist the pink tax is, the closer we get to a resolution.

           The pink tax is a manifestation, a branch of the real issue which is all the forms of inequality and discrimination around us. Because when we say no to biased pricing, we say no to all forms of discrimination. When we say no to the unfair treatment from the pink tax, we say no to all forms of inequality.

           In America, a few states have started making changes as their lawmakers and state representatives lobby for the abolishment of the pink tax or placing fines for those who place gendered-pricing in their goods, as well as the “tampon tax” (where period products are exempted from tax). There also sites now that have been put up dedicated to everything about the pink tax such as this one that has the latest news articles about it and other highly related issues to the pink tax or this one full of submitted photos from women in France of their encounters with pink tax. Some have taken to social media to be heard with with hashtags such as #axthepinktax while some are switching to brands who are gender-neutral in their branding.

           Let’s broaden the argument, let’s work our way to address these issues, and raise our voice. This is not just a personal fight, it’s for every woman struggling and having this pink tax worsen their situation, it’s for every human being because to break the pink tax is also to break the system. Alright I think I got a bit too emotional there but I hope this helps us learn more about the pink tax and what we can do to end it.

(P.S. And don’t even get us started with inflation…)

Words by Charlene Favis

Graphics by Charlene Favis

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Do women really loooove chocolates?

      Countless jokes have been made about boyfriends bringing chocolates to soothe their PMS-ing grumpy girlfriends. Women seem to crave sweet things during this time of the month. Apparently, there is this belief that women are more likely to have a sweet tooth, especially chocolates.

      So what led to this notion? Why is it that most advertisements of chocolate brands feature women biting seductively into a bar of chocolate? Rarely will you find an advertisement that features men in it. Well, that’s because there is this notion that women are more likely to be chocoholic than men. That may also explain while, if not flowers, chocolates are usually given to women on Valentine’s Day.

      Dr. Susan Mitchell, a nutritionist, has written in her book I’d Kill for a Cookie that women sometimes consider chocolate as better than sex and that it is the first on the list of food that women crave. She said that the ingredients in chocolate affects the brain and “gives you that overall optimum brain happiness.” Theobromine is like caffeine, but weaker. Phenethylamine is responsible for releasing endorphins which makes you feel love. Tryptophane increases the levels of serotonin which makes you feel happy and, meanwhile, sugar and fat makes chocolate creamy in texture which is one of the things that makes it so appetizing.

      It should be no surprise that women crave something that will give you overall optimum brain happiness during a time when mood swings are common. Many researchers have said that chocolate is craved by women during pre menstruation. This is when women have low levels of the brain chemical “serotonin”, which is the chemical that helps in regulating mood. Chocolate can help in the increasing of serotonin level during pre menstruation. It can also help release endorphins, which helps you feel calm.

      But, of course, the media has greatly contributed to this belief and has certainly taken advantage of it. Dr. Julia Hormes, an assistant professor of clinical psychology at the University of Albany, said in a HuffPost article that commercials or advertisements market chocolates as products that can help women in dealing with negative emotions. This may be why when we’re feeling stressed when we have our period, we turn to chocolate to make us feel better.

      When you think about it, it is always women that are featured in chocolate commercials and advertisements, and, usually, these women look like models who treat chocolate as something of a guilty pleasure. This somehow implies that chocolate is so irresistible to women that even those who follow a strict diet cannot stay away from it.

(Taken from a Dove Chocolate commercial)

(Taken from a Ghirardelli Chocolate commercial)

(Taken from a Godiva Chocolatier commercial)

      These commercials seem to associate women with chocolates in a seductive or lustful manner. It is clear with the sensual portrayal of the women in these advertisements. We might not realize that there might be a problem with this kind of portrayal. Here, men are portrayed as seducing the women through giving chocolates as a gift and the women, in turn, cannot resist the ‘temptation’. It seemingly brings to mind the negative perception on women that we can just be easily tempted or give into sin, a perception that resulted from the Biblical story of Eve and the forbidden fruit. These commercials can also be seen as marking similarities between women and chocolates as both irresistible to men.

     A combination of science and the power of media has led to the embedding of the belief that women are chocoholics into the psyche of most people. To men who might stumble upon this article, it may be good to keep this in mind the next time you’re thinking of buying chocolates for your girlfriends.

Words by Jemimah Cresencia

Graphics by Jannah Lei Junatas

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Breaking News: Women are not just women

      Ever wondered why most of the time CEOs of companies are often portrayed by men in television shows or movies? Have you ever imagined how women work different kinds of jobs? Do you think they are treated equally inside a workplace? If your answer is yes to my last question, your answer’s wrong. Women are discriminated in the workplace due to so many reasons like gender stereotypes, or sexual libido of other co-employees. These are all brought by patriarchy. Patriarchy is already fading since women have already built a firm ground to stand up for themselves, yet its remnant still haunts the women of today.

      Patriarchy is the form of social organization where males predominantly control the society. We may root the start of patriarchy in the years the stories in the Bible took place. Inside the Bible’s setting, male dominance is easily tracked. Names in the lineages mentioned in the Bible are all men, except that women are the wives. All the prophets are male. Also, there is a notion that patriarchy is actually rooted from how humans survived in the early times. Being the men have the “capabilities” to hunt food thus they are the ones who provide and the ones their families depend on. Then, everything escalated from there. Basically, men have more power than all the other genders, which is really evident today. But for this article, we’d elaborate and debunk how men’s power take over and discriminates women of all sorts.

Restrained Women

      Unlike the early times, families inside today’s society do not only depend on their male members. Women inside families can now be depended on to bring income and help in the maintaining of the family. Hence, women nowadays are and should not be acquainted & limited to domestic chores only. Today, women has the capacity to compete with other genders, namely male. But for some reason, women can’t always advance to higher positions in their working environment. This is what we can call the ‘glass ceiling effect.’ Well, not that, all women would be so career-oriented that they’d only focus on reaching the top ranks of their respective companies. It’s actually about higher-ranking officials in companies preferring women because of their bias with men. The only reason for this is sexism. Apparently, there is a study which revealed that only 7-9% at numerous firms’ upper management are women. With this effect, it requires women to strive harder than others. Women are not given the luxury to laze around.

       Notably, there are women who have shattered the glass ceiling. For some Americans, Hillary Clinton shattered the glass ceiling with her powerful arrive as a politician in the American politics. In the Philippines, no one have thoroughly shattered the glass ceiling. It can be Rappler’s Maria Ressa who have stood her ground agains the attacks of the government, but look what it brought her —more atrocities thrown at her doorstep. Also, women, who have dismissed the glass ceiling effect are famous relatives or daughters of prominent & powerful people and not because of their abilities and honor, like Sara Duterte. We all know this woman is climbing out the ladder of politics way faster than anyone else, thanks to her daddy.

Labeled Women

      People love to stereotype things. People likes putting labels at something they actually do not have much knowledge on. Women are victims of stereotyping (well, every gender is, except women is the focus of the article). Women are stereotyped by their unique characteristics, whether it’s biological or not. One example is when we get stereotyped for being the emotional kind because we get our periods monthly. I would say, yes, it actually has a bearing with our everyday moods, especially when the period’s coming up. But, hell, our emotional state and periods do not have to affect our work and contributions to the work force. Employers should look at the quality of the work women employees give them and not their gender. Having a period and all its side effects are already a monthly hellish experience. Unfortunately, working in a patriarchal society quite adds to the hellish experience.

      Aside from this, when the additional 100 days paid leave for mothers after giving birth, news articles revealed how companies then prefer hiring men more than women. Apparently, having a womb and being pregnant is a massive con in looking for job. The next thing we know, pregnancy will be a mortal sin. By the way, it is also quite interesting to note how sexual intercourse is connected with a woman’s promotion. What does it mean? It means, most often than not, when a woman is promoted, people think she got laid with the employer or her boss to get the promotion. As infuriating as it may seem, it happens in real life.

Prejudiced Women

       If you think, the things I have mentioned above are already enough to be called discrimination, —well, yeah— but there’s more. In the Philippines, there 76% of women and working mothers who gets discriminated inside their workplace. Workplace discrimination takes a lot of forms, like discriminating statements, or gender-based pay, or workload opportunities. For example, in the agricultural sector of the Philippines, men are paid higher than women just because men are men, and women are women. This gender-based pay is a real obstacle for most works across the Asia-Pacific region. A study showed that men earn more than 45% of a women’s earnings in a private corporation. Professionals have already written lots of articles that target companies to rethink their pay system. Yet, nothing changes.

     Aside from this, did you know that discrimination may take place the moment you are up for a job interview? It is said that when the human resource officer asks you about having children and family, it might be a discriminating factor for the company. Reasonably, you should critically think about the connection of having children with the work you are applying for.

What now?

      What I just said in a thousand words already are just some of the atrocities women of today experience. I could go on and on. (But I think, we should now think of inspiring statements to uplift our womanhood). We’ve already identified some of the things patriarchy brings to us. What now? Should we then stop trying to gain equality in this patriarchal society? It’s up to you.

      As for me and the staff behind this magazine, we won’t stop trying to achieve the long-overdue equality women deserve. Besides, countless of women have already stood their ground and sacrificed a lot to break the stereotypes, to break the patriarchy since time immemorial. Do you think it’s our place to give up now?

Get up. Write an article. Inspire other women. Prove sexists wrong. Fight back. Overthrow a misogynist. Love yourself.

After all, you are a woman and not just a woman. You can do anything.

Words by Daoden Kate Sarmiento

Graphics by Jannah Lei Junatas

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Beauty is not just seen from the outside but what’s really inside you. More importantly, remember that no matter how many products you apply to your face, if you don’t truly love yourself first, it doesn’t actually bring much change.

Learn how media influence our perception of beauty here: https://lakambinimagph.tumblr.com/…/psa-your-skin-care-isnt…

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Take a peek on how seven individuals embrace their own skin, no matter what color it is. Lakambini Magazine presents to you The Belle Series which feature flawed individuals who are not afraid to embrace their inadequacies.

Get to know the seven beautiful women who participated in this month's series. Stay tuned for the upcoming release of their photos and interviews on May 21, 2019.

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PSA: Your skin care isn’t enough

      Have you ever searched about skin care routines? Have you ever watched Youtube videos discussing skin care routines of your favorite stars? I bet, even if you never planned to achieve a tedious skin care, most of you reading this already did. The skin care trend has received global attention. From Youtube videos to online shops there is an evident given prime on beauty and skin care products.

      It is interesting to note that the Korean beauty and cosmetic products seem to have invaded —if not the world, I say the Philippines. Well, for reasons like the notion of having white and clear skin is beautiful. I actually have tried some of it, and I can say it is handy and useful. Cost-effective? I’m actually not sure. Obviously, capitalism takes advantage of the craze people give skin care products in this day and age. And again, we consumers gladly patronize it. It is tempting to discuss how capitalism takes advantage of the skin care trend. Like, how pricey each beauty product can get even if they’re just all the same at the end of the day, or even if it does not actually work on your skin type (but you don’t know that until you use the product). So even if it gets pricey as hell, you still buy it. But this article isn’t about that, isn’t it? No.

      What we’re gonna do is dig a little deeper into the role of mass media in molding our confidence and notions of how should we, as women, be beautiful. Even before the Korean beauty trend became the talk of the town, mass media has posited a certain kind of beautiful. In different teleseryes and even in other foreign dramas, a clear line separates the beautiful and ugly —and when I say ugly, it’s either fat, morena, or the one with the face full of acnes. Are you familiar with Betty la Fea? Or the Diary ng Pangit? These are examples of how the media had been putting a line between what is beautiful and ugly. It’s told in a fairytale-like story of an ugly duckling turning into a swan...

The Betty la Fea Effect:

      Originally, “Yo Soy, Betty la Fea,” is a telenovela from Columbia that the Philippines adapted. Bea Alonzo played the role of Betty la Fea here in the Philippines. Big glasses, braces, unclear skin, weird hairstyle and sense of fashion —these basically describe the character of Betty la Fea. Her story pivots when she changes her whole appearance to be accepted by the society she’s in. Well, a lot of TV shows now are like that —somewhere in the beginning the protagonist must be someone with an “unpleasing” appearance, then gets knocked down by others, so she chooses to change or what they call “better” one’s physical appearance and, poof! She’s accepted and loved even more. That’s actually not the case in the real world. Or is it?

      While it may be seen as a great love story, Betty la Fea and her dream guy Armando, it is problematic. At first, it looked like it was going to revolutionize notions of beauty today. It could have been a teleserye saying that beauty is not just seen from the outside, that it is not skin-deep. Unfortunately, it failed to convey that until the end of the teleserye. The sad thing about it is that the teleserye had remakes all over the world.

      One example of this Betty la Fea effect also is the 2014 romantic comedy film, “Diary ng Panget.” Not that it was a really bad film… Somehow this movie, starring Nadine Lustre and James Reid, conveyed the idea “true beauty lies inside.” In the movie, you can see that Cross (Reid), a selfish dude, gets comfortable with Eya (Lustre) even if she has an unacceptable face in terms of beauty standards in society. Eya has all sorts of acne in her face, dark brown skin, unmanageable hair, and is poor. Because of her features, she is often discriminated. Even though comfortability and friendship were seen before Eya’s transformation into the beautiful swan she is, it still ended as predicted. The film still had to end with Eya having a “beautiful” transformation which means no more acnes, nice hair, and great skin complexion. Sadly, the said transformation appeared to be a prerequisite for Eya and Cross to be together at the end of the film. And of course, the discrimination stopped when she became what people would say “beautiful” and worthy enough to be beside Cross. I mean, does one’s worth depend on one’s looks? It’s a no for me, how about you?

What is love?

      If you have watched the 2010 Thai film “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” starring Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul and Mario Maurer, I bet you all had the feels for it. No one could resist the urge to have butterflies flutter in their stomachs as (spoiler alert!) Nam (Luevisadpaibul) and P’Shone (Maurer) found their way to tell each other their true feelings, even if it is in a variety show and through a diary. I must say, the movie is a complete package chick flick. However, let’s look deeper into Nam’s --the protagonist-- character.

      Nam has a long-time crush with P’Shone and did everything she could to get his attention. Nam did all sorts of transformation --throwing away her eyeglasses for a pair of contact lens, getting whiter skin, had braces-- and all the other stuff you can think about physical transformation (except for surgery, of course). It was all for the hope that P’Shone will be hers if she become the beautiful woman she really is. Amazing how she improved and pushed herself to change for the better. What’s the problem there? The problem is that she did not change for herself but for some guy to look at her beautifully. She despised her ‘old, ugly’ self before the transformation. Although it is actually revealed later in the film that P’Shone liked Nam way before her transformation. Yet, Nam gave the viewers of the film, the wrong meaning of how love really works. Indeed, love pushes you to do all sorts of things for the person you love. That’s the wonderful part of love that Nam showed. But, love does not require you to change yourself for others. Love is unconditional after all. Love accepts all flaws and inadequacies of a person.

Annyeong beauty!

      K-dramas have invaded the interest of most Filipinos today due to its accessibility in the Internet. Hence, more people witness how their skin glow and how it doesn’t have a mark of acne or anything. The commercial industry of beauty products and cosmetics has taken advantage of this phenomenon. Commercials and advertisements in the Philippines today brand its products as a way to “achieve that Koreana look.” However, Koreans have a different kind of lifestyle, they have a different climate and a different environment from us Filipinos.

      They have a colder climate than ours, which is actually good for the skin. They do not have to battle a lot with pollution with their advanced public transportation, compared to the Philippines’. Moreover, their products take thousands of money to purchase for an ordinary minimum-wage worker here in the Philippines. Yet, the beauty industry of the Philippines still strives to package “affordable yet effective” Korean-inspired products. Apparently, we still strive to buy those products.

The truth is…

      These kinds of portrayal from the media frustrates and puts a lot of control into what its audience thinks about their physical appearance too. In the real world, not everyone affords to ‘improve’ their physical appearance the way television shows it. In the real world, most people struggle to live by to even care about their physical appearance. The least thing the media should have been doing is to uplift and inspire its audience to embrace what they have and who they are, from head to toe.

      What I’ve been trying to say in this article is that we must embrace ourselves for who we are. Girl, you don’t have to change your physical appearance to be accepted and loved by people. If they truly want and love you, they will accept all your flaws, all your acnes, and shit. Beauty is not just seen from the outside but what’s really inside you. Truly, it is your preference if you let yourself follow skin care and beauty trends of all sorts, but you have to look good for yourself and not for others. More importantly, remember that no matter how many products you apply to your face, if you don’t truly love yourself first, it doesn’t actually bring much change. Confidence starts from inside you.

Words by Daoden Kate Sarmiento

Graphics by Jannah Lei Junatas

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Yes, motherhood is hard. Yes, being a mother is hard. You’ll have your fair share of struggles, of good days and bad days, but at the end of it all, the love you have for your children will always overpower the pain and the struggles that you felt in the past, you are feeling at present, and you will be feeling in the future.

Cheers to all the beautiful mommas out there! Read more:https://lakambinimagph.tumblr.com/…/the-chronicles-of-a-sup…

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The world today needs to hear our voice, as women, more than ever. We are no longer confined within the walls of our homes. Women of today have proven time and time again that we can do just as much as men can.

Read more: https://lakambinimagph.tumblr.com/…/exercising-womens-right…

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Filipinas are more than the meek and submissive Maria Clara—we are a battalion of Gabriela, who braved the bullets of Spanish conquerors in the 18th century. Filipinas, indeed, are palaban as fuck. Be educated: http://lakambinimagph.tumblr.com/post/184547975244/herstory-filipino-women-through-times

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Saludo kami sa mga manggagawang patuloy na kumakayod upang maitaguyod ang kanilang pamilya. Bilang pakikiisa sa Araw ng Mga Ina, saludo kami sa mga babaeng manggagawa. Walang kapantay ang inyong sakripisyo! Basahin kung paano kumakayod ang apat na manggagawang itinampok namin dito: http://lakambinimagph.tumblr.com/post/184802439909/mga-trabaho-at-mga-tindera-sa-baguio

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What matters more is whether or not you can express yourself freely through colors. At the end of the day, you wanna look good for yourself and be comfortable with any lipstick you put on. Be the shady lady that you are and wear all of the shades you wanna! Know more about lippies here: http://lakambinimagph.tumblr.com/post/184704985574/the-basics-of-lippies

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Want to know what women empowering tracks did we choose from your comments? Is your favorite girl power song included in our list? Read how the lyrics of your favorite girl empowering tracks empower you as a woman:http://lakambinimagph.tumblr.com/post/184798564759/hindi-mo-lang-ako-baby-babae-ako-playlist

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Should we follow the “study-work-marry-have a baby” advice by our Titas?

            Filipinas’ lives are already planned before they even know it. Study—Work—Marry—Have a baby, that’s the usual trajectory. In a society where conservatism is deeply embedded in its culture, women are dictated by the elders, most likely by Titas, on how they should live their lives. Along with this setup is the rule that never gets old:  Thou shalt not break the path, lest you want to experience your Tita’s wrath. Conform or be disowned.

The “Matuto ka nang mag-ayos, dalaga ka na” phase

         Although you are well-aware of the changes in your body, your Tita constantly reminds you to take extra caution at everything. Tita would also remind you to be ladylike and to embody poise and finesse in every little thing that you do. Even if you want to sit with your legs wide open (because hey, it’s hella comfortable and relaxing) or in a disorganized manner, your Tita reprimands you with the iconic “Umayos ka ng upo, dalaga ka na” line. You played luksong baka with children outside? “Dalaga ka na nakikipaglaro ka pa rin, pumasok ka nga rito.” But when you make paalam to your Nanay that you will have a sleepover with your girlfriends this weekend… Tita will immediately butt in and say that you’re too young to do that. Tita, ano ba talaga?

           Family reunions, in your vocabulary, cease to be the lechon season, but it is now the one-on-one session of Titas stating the one-dimensional and repetitive “’Wag ka munang magboboyfriend, ang bata mo pa.” You’re forced to comply to what they say, unless you want to hear a sermon on not respecting elders. Suddenly, it feels like your Titas grab the holiday season as an opportunity to pry into your lives—the easiest target and the ones with the juiciest stories.

The “Iha, dapat mag-asawa ka na” phase

           As traditional as conservatism is concerned, some Titas expect things to be as it is when they were still 21. They thought that like them—who revered the ceremony of marriage—their nieces would also like to follow their path: to settle down with someone they love and nothing else. Little do they know that millennials would rather own dogs than take care of children.

          Titas think that at 21, you must have already figured out your life. Titas—being the authoritative figure that they are—demand you to either find a boyfriend or to marry that boyfriend (if you have one), even if you still want to enjoy your “pagiging dalaga,” since you just graduated from college, and you still need to prepare yourself as adulthood just got started. Titas are quick to associate the concept of having no boyfriend with apocalypse. Some harsh Titas would even tell you that “malapit ka na sa finish line” a.k.a. you must find a man sooner or later unless you want to experience the ultimate curse for Titas: be alone in life.

The “Bibigyan mo pa kaming apo” phase

          Titas, at this stage, would demand you to produce children as if they’re just waiting for flowers to bloom. Repetitive statements like “’Bibigyan mo pa kaming apo,” suddenly becomes your daily wake-up call. Although you are talking about the latest accomplishments of your company, they always tend to butt in and say, “Iha, ‘wag puro trabaho ‘di ka magkakaasawa niyan.” Some Titas would even accuse you of being a dyke or would label you as unattractive… which would make your blood boil, but since they are your Titas, you will just smile.

“Why are you so obsessed with me?”

           “Respect the elders,” they say but in times like this, don’t let culture hold you back as a strong and independent woman that you can be. Our culture, at some point, stands in the way of growth and progress. While several aspects of our culture nourish our well being—such as having a tight-knit relationship with our families—traditional beliefs that prevent your potential to be unleashed, standing on your ground and asserting your opinion must be your choice. Begin with saying that traditions and cultures slowed down many advances for centuries.

            Although we consider our Titas as sweet and loving second mommas who only want the best for us, we should realize that the trajectory they made is not the only path that we can traverse. Always remember that we have a choice: follow the track or create your own path; either way, Titas will always have a say. For the record, we, women, must not be coerced to make ourselves pretty, to have a suitor, or to produce offspring. Study—Work—Marry—Have a baby, perhaps now is the time to reinvent the trajectory… Study—Work—Be merry (or marry and have a baby if you want to). Let’s allow women to be who they want to be and unleash the life they want to live.

Words by Chelsea Joy Serezo

Graphics by Jannah Lei Junatas

GIF Sources: 1 2 3 4

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The Chronicles of a Supermom: A Mothers' Day Special

          It’s that time of the year again - the time when we get to honor and to show our love and our appreciation to our ‘ilaw ng tahanan.’ Whether it may be a teenage mom or a single mother, a lesbian couple or a gay couple who raises their own bundle of joy, whether it may be grandmommas or aunts who become one’s mother figure, or a single dad who assumes the motherly role for his kids, this day is for all of you. But wait, have you ever wondered why and when did people start celebrating “Mothers’ Day”?

Before there was a Celebration...

          Before “Mothers’ Day” was even a thing, the ancient Greeks and Romans held their own festivities to celebrate motherhood, guised as the Greek goddess Rhea and the Roman goddess Cybele; however, it was the early Christians who introduced the idea of a “Mothering Sunday.” The “Mothering Sunday” was a festival not necessarily devoted to mothers and motherhood; rather, it was when Christians would return to their mother churches for a special service. This was not even celebrated during the month May! The “Mothering Sunday” was celebrated during the fourth Sunday of the Lent. As years pass by, this festival was celebrated in the manner we all know at present - give flowers and tokens of appreciation to our mothers.

          A few years before the Civil War, a lady named Ann Reeves Jarvis helped establish a club called the “Mothers’ Day Works Club”—a club which aims to teach West Virginian women on how to properly care for their children. Aside from being a ‘school for mothers,’ this club also became a unifying force and a support group for the region during the Civil War. During the mid-19th century, Jarvis organized the “Mothers’ Friendship Day”—an event aimed to reconcile the Union and the Confederate soldiers. Another revolutionary woman who contributed to the celebration we know today is Julia Ward Howe. In 1870, Howe created the “Mothers’ Day Proclamation” - an action calling for mothers to unite to promote world peace. Three years after, she campaigned for the celebration of “Mothers’ Peace Day” which was celebrated every 2nd of June. Other revolutionary people who lobbied for the unification and the celebration of mothers and motherhood were Juliet Calhoun Blakely, Mary Towels Sasseen, and Frank Herring.

           It was on the record that it was not until the 1900s when “Mothers’ Day,” because of Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis, was fully and successfully established. After her mother’s death, “Mothers’ Day” started as an honorification of all the scarifices mothers make for their children. The rest, as they say, is history.

          In celebration of today’s Mothers’ Day, we, the Lakambini team, featured the some of the mothers of today.

The Challenged Newbie Mom

          “Motherhood is not just having your own child, but rather it is how you care for other people. Hindi dahil wala kang anak, hindi ka na pwedeng magpaka-ina. Pwede kang magpaka-ina in your own way hindi lang sa isang bata, pwede rin sa sarili mong kapatid, pwede rin sa iba. It’s just how you care for other people and how you nurture them to become better people and better versions of themselves.”

          It was a rollercoaster ride for 20-year-old mother Danna Ruiz. Being in her third year in college, transferring to a different school, and finding out that she was pregnant, she was bombarded with a plethora of emotions. It felt surreal to have a baby growing inside her. She admitted that running away crossed her and her partner’s mind, in fear that once they confronted their families, they will not get the reaction and the support that they were hoping for, but despite the fear and the hesitation, not once did abortion crossed their minds.In the end, they chose to be open to their families and spilled the beans of their pregnancy. It actually turned out to be better than what they expected.

           Apart from the support and the understanding they received from their families, they also sought and gratefully received support from the institution they were in.

          “Naging understanding and accommodating ‘yong school administration. Naiintindihan nila kung bakit hindi ako nakakapasok minsan, kung bakit late ako pumapasok,” she explained. Sometimes when she brings her baby to school, her friends, classmates, and even her professors help take care of her child so that she can focus on her school works.

          Growing up in the province, there is a stigma attached to a small-town girl like her. Being a consistent honor student, a daughter of a teacher, and a granddaughter of a politician, there are expectations of her becoming. She says that she and her partner values their privacy as a family, not because they are ashamed or because they have anything to hide, but because they want to avoid and protect their child from the cruel world. “Hindi mo rin kasi alam kung gaano sila ka-genuinely interested doon sa bata. Baka magtanong sila for the sake na may ma-tsismis,” she explains. Some of her closest friends to whom she personally broke the news to always tell her and always encourage her to finish her studies for the sake of her baby.

            One of the challenging aspects of motherhood (and parenthood) is learning how to raise a child in the way they have not experienced. “Paano namin mapapalaki ang isang bata, paano namin aayusin ‘yong pamilya na kami, parehas kaming galing sa pamilya na hindi ayos. Kasi kung pag-aalaga, madali lang ‘yan. Matututunan ‘yan, pero kung paano magpaka-nanay at magpaka-tatay, ‘yan ‘yong isang malaking challenge lalo na kung wala kang role model na maganda.”

          “Kanya-kanya tayo ng coping mechanisms. Pero hindi sagot ‘yong sukuan mo ‘yong bagay-bagay. Hindi iyan isang problema. Isa ‘yang challenge at responsibility para magtanda ka, at kung umabot man sa punto na hindi ka paninindigan ng lalaki, kayanin mo para sa anak mo. Hindi na lang ito tungkol sa’yo, may buhay nang umaasa sa’yo.”

The Young, Christian Mother

           “Motherhood is like a stage play. Imagine you are performing something on stage, in front of judges, you have to give your best shot because the moment the audience thinks you are not good enough, it’s like you did not give your best care to your child. Being a mom is one of the hardest things to do but definitely all worth it.”

           Johnielle Grace “Jheng” Vera is a 20-year-old english major, a former student-athlete, born and raised in a Christian family, and a mother to a 2-year-old little girl.

          Her story was not an easy one. Between trainings for their institution’s volleyball team and having an irregular menstrual cycle, it did not cross her mind that she could be pregnant. She was already in her second trimester when it was confirmed that she does have a little bean growing inside her. Once she got home from a trip to Laguna, her partner suggested they see an Ob-gynecologist.Jheng was barely 18 years old when she found out. 

          She was at the peak of her youth - the part of her life when she should be carefree, when she should be enjoying the best things in life: college, hanging out with friends, parties, sports, and all the other things teenagers are known to love and enjoy, but no. She was thinking of the ‘what abouts’ and the ‘what ifs.’ She was anxious. She was scared.

         “Nawala ako sa sarili ko. Gusto kong ipalaglag. Gusto kong magpasagasa. Gusto kong magpahulog sa hagdan. Lahat basta mawala ‘yong baby sa tiyan ko. Sobrang stressed at paranoid ako no’ng mga unang weeks na nalaman ko ‘to. Sising-sisi ako sa lahat ng pinaggagagawa ko. Iyak dito. Iyak doon. Ang hirap magpanggap na okay ka. Ang hirap magpanggap na kaya mong magbuhat. Ang hirap itago ng tiyan. Ang hirap itago ng mga gamot at ng gatas ni baby,” she said.  

          In the society that we live in, engaging in pre-marital sex is discouraged and frowned upon. Imagine how scary tt is for a young adult, who was raised in an environment that is grounded on the teachings of the Bible,  to be pregnant at a tender age of 18, but Jheng was very grateful.

         “Ang laki ng pasasalamat kong Kristiyano ang tatay ko. Kung hindi, napalayas at nabugbog na sana ako. Pero hindi, ang unang sinabi niya “Huwag ka nang mag-alala. Aalalayan kita. Haharapin natin ‘yan.” Doon ako sobrang humagulgol. ‘Di ko akalaing ganito pala talaga kabait ‘yong papa ko. Sobrang thankful ako na tinulungan niya akong i-open ito sa buong pamilya. Nag-iyakan lahat, siyempre. Niyakap ako. ‘Di akosinabunutan o kinladkad. doon ko naramdaman ‘yong suporta ang pagdamay nila sa akin.”

          She has one more hurdle to conquer - opening it to the church. Jheng was very active in church and in its activities. She was one of the most requested young adult to perform a special number every Sunday. She admitted that she cannot go to church or even face her church mates. She was held back by the shame and the fear she was feeling, until such time when she started to crave for the warmth and the comfort of home, of her brothers and sisters in Christ.

          “Nag-pray ako nang sobra. Iniyak ko nang iniyak kay God lahat. Sobrang ang bait Niya. Sa kabila ng pagkakamali ko, gumamit pa rin Siya ng mga tao at bagay na makapagpapakitang sobrang tapat Niya. Hindi ko kayang nasa bahay lang ako kaya humugot ako nang humugot ng lakas ng loob hanggang sa ayon, for the sake of my baby… nag-church na rin ako,” she said.

         The reaction she got was far from the reaction that she was expecting. Despite everything that happened, she was still greeted with warmth and love.

         She sometimes envy her peers who get to live their teenage lives to the fullest; and, more often than not, thoughts about how she should be enjoying her teenage life instead of being at home and caring for a child have crossed her mind. She admits that being a teenage mom is hard. But despite the passing jealousy and the ‘what ifs’ lurking in her head, she continues to grow and to appreciate the little things in life because of her precious daughter.

          “To all the teen moms out there, I know it is hard, but one thing I have realized is that the most important thing you must learn is to know what love is - God. The moment you start knowing Him, you will learn to be kind, strong, and understanding. Life is short so be with your children always. Treasure every single moment because you will never know what tomorrow brings. You are God’s instrument to your children. You are the one who will teach them the best things this world could give. and lastly, remember to let God be the center of your life and everything will follow.”

           Mothers, may it be expecting moms or first-time moms, have different stories to tell, but at the end of the day they all have one thing in common: Yes, motherhood is hard. Yes, being a mother is hard. You’ll have your fair share of struggles, of good days and bad days, but at the end of it all, the love you have for your children will always overpower the pain and the struggles that you felt in the past, you are feeling at present, and you will be feeling in the future. This, ladies and gents, is what makes mothers the best superheroes we will ever know.

Cheers to all the beautiful mommas out there!

Words by Jannah Lei Junatas

Graphics by Jemimah Keziah Cresencia

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Exercising Women’s Right to Vote: A Hundred-Year Battle

           Election day is just right around the corner and we have seen the continuous campaigning of several candidates. Do you already know who you’re voting for? Well, vote wisely as the future of our country lies on the hands of the winning candidates. But did you know that our right to vote wasn’t always extended to women? Did you know that a lot of women sacrificed and fought for this mundane right we now have? If not, here’s a quick history for you.

           In the years before 1848, women all over the world were seen as domestic people and did not have the same rights as women of today have. Fast forward to the actual year of 1848, a women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York City. Although not the first, it is considered as the catalyst for the Women’s Suffrage movement. For over 50 years, women’s rights activists led by Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Jane Hunt, Mary M’Clintock, and Martha Coffin Wright continuously labored for women to be granted the right to vote.

            The Women’s Suffrage movement, as said by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, existed because women knew “to declare our right to be free as man is free, to be represented in the government which we are taxed to support, to have such disgraceful laws as give man the power to chastise and imprison his wife, to take the wages which she earns, the property which she inherits, and, in case of separation, the children of her love.”

             Some more years after, organizations have been made to focus on the movement and most notably the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) took leadership of the movement. NAWSA led movements and campaigns to give women their suffrage in each American state. Another organization took part and also led the movement in a more militant style: the National Women’s Party (NWP). The NWP took actions towards women’s suffrage by picketing outside the White House in hopes of convincing the president and the congress to pass a women’s suffrage amendment.

             Finally! The 26th of August 1920 saw the efforts of women fighting for their rights when the 19th amendment, which enfranchised women, was passed. Although it took so long for our rights as women to vote to be given, it was one of the most peaceful and democratic processes history has seen. About 8 million women all over the United States were able to take part on the elections and women from other countries started to follow suit.

             Women, despite their difference in race and location, had similar struggles when it came to their right to vote. Women’s suffrage in the Philippines’ context is still quite young at the age of 82. Filipinas were given their right to vote in the year 1937 while their male counterparts were allowed to vote as early as the year 1907. Although Filipino men also faced struggles in order to vote, Filipino women were completely disqualified from voting. While a bill was proposed during that same year, the then all-male congress thought that allowing women to vote would destabilize Filipino families hence the thirty year wait.  

              It was not until April 30, 1937 that over 400,000 Filipinas voted for the favorable motion of allowing them to have a say in elections. While the target of 300,000 women voters for the motion was seen a difficult task, many Filipinas lobbied for each other to vote for the passing of the motion. Around 91% of the women’s vote cast, in turn, voted “yes” to their right to suffrage.

             As of 2019, some parts of the world, although allows women to vote, makes it a difficult task to do. The fight for women’s rights shall continue and as part of that, make use of your right to vote. A woman’s voice is just as important as a man’s voice. The world today needs to hear our voice, as women, more than ever. We are no longer confined within the walls of our homes. Women of today have proven time and time again that we can do just as much as men can. So go out and vote for the right people. Vote for the people who can lead our country towards the right path and will not let us be trampled on. Do not let the women before us’ years worth of hard work of having us allowed to vote go to waste!

Words by Francesca Maria Isabel Lazaro

Graphics by Maria Elaine Pamisaran

Image Sources for Suffragettes: 1 2 3

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Mga Tra(baho) at Mga Tindera sa Baguio

          Malansa. Mabaho. Makipot. Maputik. Madilim. Mainit. Ito ang araw araw na dinaraanan at kinakaharap ng mga naghahanap-buhay sa pamilihan ng Baguio gaya nina Aling Becca, Aling Denden, Aling Angel, at Aling Lorena.

          Siguro’y mapapatakip na tayo ng ilong sa umaalingasaw na amoy ng malansang isda, karne, o sa nakakahilong amoy ng kemikal na ginagamit sa mga parlor, pero para kina Aling Becca, Aling Denden, Aling Angel, at Aling Lorena, hindi na ‘to alintana dahil ito ay parte na ng pangaraw-araw na pamumuhay nila.

Tiyaga sa Lansa ng Isda

         Nag-uumpisa na ang buhay ni Aling Becca alas singko pa lamang ng umaga. Pagpasok pa lamang sa parte ng palengke kung nasaan ang bilihan ng isda, kapansin-pansin na ang basa at maputik na daanan dahil sa tubig na natatapon mula sa mga palanggana at timba kung saan nakalagay ang mga isdang kanilang ibinebenta. Kapansin-pansin din na walang sapat na mga ilaw sa ibang mga sulok ng nasabing lugar, kaya dobleng ingat sa paglalakad upang hindi makabangga ng iba o madulas. Sa isang sulok paglabas sa isang makipot at madilim na eskinita, kadalasang matatagpuan si Aling Becca na nagkakaliskis ng isda para kaniyang maitinda.

          Tubong Pangasinan si Aling Becca na nakipagsapalaran sa Baguio upang maghanap ng hanapbuhay rito. “Ito na ‘yong nakasanayan [pagbebenta ng isda] mula noong dalaga pa ako, at tsaka sanay naman na ako sa malansang amoy ng mga isda eh.” sambit niya. Ang malansang amoy na ito ay hindi na malansa para sa kanya bagkus, ito ay amoy ng kabuhayan; ng gagamiting pantustos upang makakain siya at ang kaniyang pamilya ng tatlong beses sa isang araw.

Ang Amoy sa Ilalim ng Puting mga Ilaw

           Mula sa bilihan ng isda, maglalakad lamang ng ilang metro at makakarating na sa bilihan naman ng manok. Pagpasok rito, agad makikita ang dikit-dikit na mga pwesto kung saan ibinebenta ang pambansang karne ng Baguio, ang manok. Sa gitna nito ay naroon si Aling Denden. Tulad ni Aling Becca, tubong Pangasinan din si Aling Denden na umakyat sa Baguio upang maghanap ng mapagkakakitaan. Hindi rin naiiba ang naaamoy na ni Aling Denden sa kaniyang araw-araw na pagtitinda- malansa.

          Hindi pagmamay-ari ni Aling Denden ang pwestong kanyang pinagtatrabahuan, kaya halos kakarampot na ₱350 lamang ang kanyang kinikita sa isang araw at ito’y kaniyang pinagkakasya upang mapakain ang kanyang pamilya.

          “Minsan matumal ang tinda, kaya tipid tipid lang talaga... Pero minsan, kulang talaga ‘yong sweldo dahil maraming gastos sa araw-araw,” dagdag pa niya. Ganun pa man, hindi na rin alintana ang malansang manok at kakarampot na kita dahil ito ang tumutulong sa kanya upang mapag-aral ang kanyang mga anak at upang mapakain ang kaniyang pamilya.

Gunting-pala sa mga Parlorista

          Mula sa loob ng palengke kung nasaan sina Aling Becca at Aling Denden, matatagpuan naman sa labas ng palengke ang isang parlor shop. Hindi man maputik ang daan at malansa ang amoy dito, hindi nalalayo ang araw-araw na hirap ni Aling Angel mula kina Aling Becca at Aling Denden. Ang amoy ng mga kemikal na ginagamit ni Aling Angel bilang isang parlorista ay hindi rin kaaya-aya sa pang-amoy lalo na kung ito’y ilang oras sa isang araw nalalanghap. Bukod pa rito, nakakangawit ang trabaho ni Aling Angel dahil maghapon siyang nakatayo at naggugupit, nagkukulot, nagkukulay, at minsan ay nagre-rebond at relax o nag-uunat ng buhok ng mga taong pinaglalaanan niya ng kanyang oras at serbisyo.

          Mula sa Cagayan, nanatili si Aling Angel sa Baguio dahil sa kanyang trabaho bilang isang parlorista. “Ito lang kasi ang alam kong trabaho… wala nang iba,” kwento niya. Sa isang buwan, kumikita si Aling Angel ng P7,000 o nasa mahigit P200 lamang kada araw.

          Kaakibat ang gunting, ang amoy kemikal na nalalanghap ni Aling Angel araw-araw, ang nagbibigay-buhay sa kaniyang mga pangarap para sa kaniyang mga anak.

Amoy ng mga Pampalinamnam sa Buhay

         Hindi man mabaho ang paligid at walang kemikal na naamoy, hindi naiiba ang nararanasan ni Aling Lorena sa kanyang trabaho.

         Sa kanilang lahat, si Aling Lorena ang may pinakamabango at pinakamasarap na paninda. Ngunit, ganoon man kasarap ang amoy ng mga putaheng hinahain niya sa kanyang karinderya, hindi ganoon kasarap ang buhay na tinatamasa niya.

        Gawat. Ito ang tawag ng mga Ilokano sa panahon ng taghirap o mga buwan na hindi na anihan. Mabenta man ang mga inihahain ni Aling Lorena, hindi pa rin ito sumasapat kumpara sa hirap niya sa pagluluto at paghahanda ng kanyang mga binebenta sa araw-araw. “Ang malakas ay ‘pag holiday at ‘pag maraming estudyante. Ang pinakamahina kasi June hanggang August; bagsak ang negosyo. Kaya do’n din lang napupunta [ang kita]. September ang balik ng tao pero taghirap pa rin, kasi ‘yon ‘yong time na tinatawag nilang “gawat.” June hanggang September ang gawat. Sa October, okay naman na. Makakaipon ka, tapos babalik ulit, makukuha rin lang, kasi magne-negative ka kasi mahal ang renta,” paliwanag ni Aling Lorena.

         Tulad nina Aling Becca, Aling Denden, at Aling Angel, si Aling Lorena ay hindi rin tubong Baguio. Galing siya sa Dagupan, Pangasinan at nakipagsapalaran sa Baguio buhat ng paghahanap ng trabaho, gaya rin ng iba.

Halimuyak ng sikap at tiyaga

          Sa linya ng trabahong kinabibilangan nina Aling Becca, Aling Denden, Aling Angel, at Aling Lorena, marami silang kinahaharap na problema sa araw-araw. Idagdag pa rito ang kanilang mga nakakasalamuhang iba’t ibang klase ng mga tao na magpapasaya o magpapainit ng kanilang mga ulo. Ngunit sa kabila ng mga problemang ito, patuloy pa rin silang nagtatrabaho upang matustusan at maitawid ang pang-araw araw na pamumuhay.

          Sa bawat amoy mula sa paninda o sa serbisyong ibinibigay nila, hindi matatawaran ang sakripisyo at pagpupursigi nina Aling Becca, Aling Denden, Aling Angel, at Aling Lorena, [at ng iba pang mga kababaihang nasa ganitong linya ng mga trabaho] upang matustusan ang pangangailangan ng kani-kanilang pamilya.

          Pamilyar tayong lahat sa sari-saring amoy na nalalanghap mula sa iba’t ibang lugar at produktong nabibili o serbisyong natatanggap natin. At sa likod ng mga ito ay ang araw-araw na pasanin ng ating mga kapamilya, kaibigan, kapitbahay, kakilala o kababayan.

          Sari-saring amoy ang nalalanghap ng karamihan sa ating mga kakilala mula sa iba’t ibang linya ng trabaho na kanilang kinabibilangan. Mula sa mga produktong itinitinda at serbisyong ibibinigay, hanggang sa kapaligiran kung nasaan ang kani-kanilang mga pwesto o tindahan, hindi maiiwasan ang mga ‘di kanais-nais na amoy sa kahit saang sulok ng kanilang mga pinagta-trabahuan.

          Hindi naman na lingid sa ating kaalaman na kabilang ang pagtitinda ng isda, karne, at iba’t ibang klase ng karneng mula sa mga hayop, pagbibigay ng serbisyo bilang parlorista, at pagtitinda ng iba’t ibang klase ng pagkain, sa mga trabahong may kaugnayan sa “masangsang” na amoy.

           Ang mga amoy na nalalanghap ng mga kababaihang nasa ganitong linya ng trabaho ay amoy ng pagod at hirap nila sa araw araw na siyang bumubuhay sa kanila. At dahil diyan, saludo kami sa inyo!

Words by Kimberly Joy Alejo

Graphics by Kimberly Joy Alejo

Photo by Kimberly Joy Alejo

Interview by Kimberly Joy Alejo