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Some of the projects and activities of Bayanihan are supported by: |
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Commissie PIN |
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Philippine Women’s Center in the Netherlands |
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Stichting Bayanihan: celebrating 100 Years of Women’s Achievements By Rochita Loenen-Ruiz
“Let us Celebrate Ourselves as Women, Be Empowered, Be Assertive” was the theme for Stichting Bayanihan’s celebration of International Women’s Day. Held at the 3 Generatiecentrum, Bernadottelaan in Utrecht, the celebration was attended by sixty five participants. By eleven in the morning, the 3 Generatiecentrum was abuzz with activity as participants, guests and attendees arrived. At noon, everyone present was invited to partake of the salu-salo lunch which provided the women with the opportunity to catch up with each other as well as to get to know each other more. After a hearty lunch, Veronica Balbuena, Stichting Bayanihan’s Chairperson, welcomed the attendees to the afternoon activities. Among those present on this special day, were Vice Consul Cynthia Pelayo, invited speaker Attorney Pendong Jalandoni (specializing in Family, Labour & Migrant Law, Schoolplein Advocaten), and invited speaker Maya Butalid (psychologist, specializing in Child, Youth & Cross-cultural Psychology, EmPact; Coordinator, diverse projecten Integratie, Stichting Nieuwkomer en Vluchtelingenwerk ; Bayanihan trainer). Stichting Bayanihan’s Coordinator and Social Cultural Worker, Diana Oosterbeek Latoza, gave an introduction to the afternoon activities. Diana spoke of the 100 years of struggle for emancipation and for gender equality. She spoke of how Stichting Bayanihan continues to be a part of this struggle as the organization continues to expend its effort in advocating for the rights of Filipinas and Filipina au pairs, in the representation and mediation on behalf of Filipinas, in providing information and workshops for Filipina women in the The Netherlands, and in giving trainings that help to empower Filipina women as they seek to integrate themselves in a new culture. Diana then introduced the members of Stichting Bayanihan’s working board as well as the network of Volunteers Hulpverlening, Network of Voorlichters Huiselijk Geweld, and the Trainors, advisors and supporters of Stichting Bayanihan. After this introduction, Vice Consul Cynthia Pelayo was invited to give a speech in which she presented the Gender and Development project for Au Pairs. Considering the afternoon’s focus on assertivity, Vice Consul Pelayo spoke of the importance of developing assertiveness, particularly for women who come from a culture where harmony is treasured above conflict and how asserting oneself can sometimes be problematic even for the emancipated Filipina. As part of the afternoon celebrations, Attorney Pendong Jalandoni gave a short information session on the Rights and Obligations of Au Pairs. Atty. Jalandoni, has been of great help to Stichting Bayanihan, providing legal support and advice to the organization in times of need. After the information session, those present were given the chance to ask their questions. After the information session, Maya Butalid provided a short introduction to the workshop on Assertivity. Maya stated that it was important not only to know what assertivity is but also to be able to exercise it as we navigate our way through the Dutch society. Attendees were then divided into groups. The workshop on Assertivity for Au Pairs was led by Maya Butalid, while the workshops on Assertivity for Women were facilitated by Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, Lana Kristine Jelenjev, Cecilia Lansang and Cora Campenhout-Alarcon. The discussions around the subject of assertivity provided the participants with the opportunity to share their own thoughts and their feelings regarding assertivity. The importance of saying what you think and what you feel, the struggle to break away from the cultural norm wherein one’s own desires are subjugated to the preservation of harmony, as well as the experiences of being looked down on or underestimated because of race all came into play in these discussions. These openhearted sharing allowed participants to recognize slices of their own experiences from the stories told by the other. In essence, these discussions speak of how the participants feel that this community is a safe place and the group around them is one wherein they can feel at home knowing they are not judged but accepted for who they are. There are always stories to tell and seldom is there enough time to tell all of these stories. Before the participants realized it, the allotted time for the discussion was up and participants were once again invited to join each other for an introduction to the next part of the program. Because International Women’s Day is not simply a day of getting information, but also a day to celebrate who we are as women, Stichting Bayanihan had two other workshops in petto. This part of the afternoon was called: “Let’s Pamper Ourselves” or “Laten wij onszelf verwennen”. Oriflame Cosmetics sponsored and facilitated a workshop on “Looking your best inside and out” which included a demonstration as well as a hands-on practice with various Oriflame cosmetics, and facilitator Indra Bhattoe provided a workshop called “Klank en Klaar”. The Klank and Klaar workshop which presents a creative way of listening to each other was a unique workshop which proved to be quite exhilarating for all participants. The results of the Klank en Klaar workshop were presented to the entire group towards the end of the afternoon. Variations on Filipino folk songs combined with rhythm and sounds expressing the creative and harmonious soul that is truly Filipino. After these presentations, certificates were awarded to the au pairs who attended the Assertivity workshop, and on behalf of The Philippine Embassy, Vice Consul Cynthia Pelayo presented Diana Oosterbeek-Latoza and Maya Butalid with certificates of appreciation for their work and their involvement in first Gender and Development workshop on Empowering Filipina Au Pairs which was held at the Philippine Embassy in December 2010. The celebration ended on a festive note as prizes were raffled away. While the winners went home with the prizes, everyone who participated in the raffle went home with a feeling of having contributed towards the continuing work of Stichting Bayanihan. Perhaps the best thing to come out of celebrations like these is the feeling of growing closer together as a community. For all that we live in a culture that is so disparate from our own, it is reassuring to know that we have a place to go where we can find warmth, hospitality, acceptance--those qualities which make us truly Pinoy, that feeling of being part of a community which is essential to Bayanihan. |
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