Case Facts
Lucy is a Pinay who migrated to the U.S. of A. There, she met and married Jack, a fellow Filipino. The union was not blessed with any children. This caused a strain in their marriage aggravated by Jack’s tendency to verbally abuse Lucy. Another source of tension was Jack’s habit of taking advantage of Lucy financially. What we would call nang-uutak with hidden accounts among his many schemes.

Despite the strain, Lucy held on and even planned for their future. After many years of slaving in the land of the free and home of the brave, it was decided they will eventually retire in their bayang magiliw. Back in Lucy’s hometown, they began to build a house on land Lucy inherited from her parents.

Rauanne Surbona and Jesseca Batanes are two bright young women from underprivileged families. Both their fathers had no fixed income – Rauanne’s an electrician and Jesseca’s a vegetable truck helper or pahinante. Their mothers stayed home to care for the family. Both girls graduated at the top percentile of their batch from national high schools. But going on to college would have been just a dream if they were to depend on their families’ meager income.

Case facts
Her name was Elsa. She was a showgirl. Or to be more precise, she was a Filipina entertainer in Japan. A Japayuki.
His name was Reizo. He was a patron at the bar where she worked. He was a Yakuza. He fell in love with her. Alone and far from home, Elsa succumbed to his persistent wooing. The liaison produced a son they named Kenji.

I have just attended the INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GENDER, MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT organized by the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women.

The theme of the conference was : Seizing Opportunities, Upholding Rights

Background