Institute of Women's Studies Newsletter 2013

Institute of Women's Studies Newsletter 2013

Dear Graduates and Friends of IWS,

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 TO ALL OF YOU. As you see IWS is still alive and growing. I just came from a 6-month Sabbatical in Europe where I visited the following countries: Ireland, United Kingdom, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Prague, Stockholm, Germany and Rome. I did a Sabbatical Course in Dublin and a re-treat in Bolton Abbey near Dublin. I also did a Course in Findhorn Foundation in Scotland and a retreat in the magical Iona island. Moscow was a real revelation to me surprised at visiting a Cathedral Square with 4 beautiful cathedrals inside the Kremlin. I was also impressed with the Metro stations which were like vesti-bules to Palaces being ornately and richly designed and decorated. I was touched by my visit to the Infant Jesus Church in Prague. I also gave talks in Dublin, Wuerzburg, Germany, Russia and Rome. I was glad to meet the Filipinos in Moscow who have a Filipinos Association of Russia (FAR) and who arranged a River Cruise on the Moscova River where I gave my talk. My Sabbatical ended in Rome where I attended the Gen-eral Chapter and watched the proclamation of Hildegarde of Bingen as Doctor of the Church and the canonization of Pedro Calungsod.

But I am glad to be back. I am now full time Director of IWS and we are preparing for our 25th Jubilee in May of this year. I hope you can take part in some of our activities.

The picture shows me dancing the One Billion Rising Dance which is a campaign against violence against women launched in 177 countries and will have its climax on Febru-ary 14 when one billion women will go out in the streets to protest violence against women. Join us!

Lovingly,
Sr. Mary John, OSB

Training &Education Program

It was a busy year for the IWS with several intensive and international trainings. IWS held the Intercultural Course on Women and Society last April to June with 17 partici-pants from the Philippines, Indonesia, China, Myanmar, Cambodia, Nepal, India and Solomon Islands.

The Moving Beyond Faith: An Inter-faith Dialogue Towards Ecological Justice was con-ducted last October at the Women & Ecology Wholeness Farm in Mendez, Cavite.

Three Trainers’ Training on Feminism and Education Work for Women were conduct-ed. One of the 21-day training workshop was held at Digos, Davao del Sur last Octo-ber with 14 participants all coming from different provinces in Min preparing for our 25th Jubilee in May of this year. I hope you tated by IWS graduates from the region/area. The IWS graduates who joined to facilitate the training were Ms. Gina Lee Soreno, Ana Lea Asentista, Sr. Elvie Prado, Luzvisminda Caasi-Barro, Sr. AAAE0/18qL_3gspdw/s1600/468278_4 Sr. Lalyn Macahilo.

Another milestone for the IWS’ Training and Education Program is the implementation 2 Gender Studies for Men Training in Davao City last June and October 2012. The ac-tivities were attended by Moslem and Lumad participants, a first for the IWS 3-day course for men. Both trainings were facilitated with support from Tatis Yee and by our own GSM graduates based in Mindanao namely Roland Layno and Edgar Togonon.

For those interested to attend our courses, please call Tatis Yee at 025223551 or 02 523 0693

CHED Summit

The Commission on Higher Education held the “1st CHED HIGHER EDUCATION SUM-MIT ON GENDER ISSUES” last October 2011 together with its co-convenors, the Philip-pine Commission on Women, Civil Service Commission, Miriam College Women and Gender Institute, St. Scholastica’s College Institute for Women’s Studies, and the U.P. Women's Studies Center. CHED aims to raise the awareness of state universities and colleges on good practices in school policies, curriculum and research development, programs and services pertaining to gender and development. CHED committed to do regional summits which resulted to 17 regional summits before 2012 ended. Dr. Lilith Usog and Prof. Arche Ligo took turns in sharing the best practices on formal and non-formal education of St. Scholastica’s College.

Last November, to reaffirm the commitment in removing gender disparity and en-hancing women empowerment in higher education institutions, CHED spearheaded the 2nd Higher Education Summit on Gender Issues wherein our very own Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Rebecca Marquez, shared St. Scholastica’s College’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures. One of the highlights of the summit was the re-port of the 17 Regional GAD Summits aside from the parallel sessions on “GAD Plan-ning and Budgeting” and “Gender Responsive Curriculum”. Regional cluster meetings were also done led by the different regional directors.

Women and Ecology Wholeness Farm

The habagat rains wiped out our herbal patch and vegetable greenhouses completely. We tried to rehabilitate this promptly after the traditional rainy season, but climate change and unpredictable weather patterns prevented us from doing so. The seedlings continued to be drowned by excessive rains. However, we were able to salvage some of our ginger before fungus due to excessive rains could destroy this altogether. Our ginger plots have also been the source of some of the salabat we make in-house use and for sale . Other produce from which we realized some revenue were our santol (pakyaw to a wholesaler), sili and other vegetables grown in the greenhouses (pechay, lettuce). We are now reviving our herbal and vegetable gardens.

With the clearance from Sr. Mary John that the farm resumes agricultural pro-duction, we recently bought a new set of fruiting mushroom bags and likewise resumed drying mushrooms for sale. Since 2007, repeated attempts to rehabilitate the existing solar-panel setup were unsuccessful, even though the batteries, charger and inverter were re-placed. This has led the Institute to the conclusion that the whole setup needed to be replaced. As a contingency, Sr. Mary John resorted to stand-alone solar light fixtures that have been used to light the pathways and as lighting accents in selected areas of the gardens.

Dancing to One Billion Rising

The participation of the IWS through Sr. Mary John Mananzan in One Billion Rising to help in promoting the elimination of violence against women was solicited by the re-nowned author of Vagina Monologues, Eve Ensler and One Billion Rising Philippine Coor-dinator and theatre actress, Monique Wilson.

Conceptualized by Ensler, the One Billion Rising is a global campaign to pressure govern-ments and institutions to put an end to various forms of violence against women. The campaign, which primarily involves dance as protest action, will culminate on February 14, 2013, when a targeted 1 billion women and men will dance all around the world.

HOMEFRONT

The prioress of the Missionary Ben-edictine Sisters of Tutzing seats in the IWS Board of Trustees. Thus, when Sr. Lumen Gloria Dungca was elected as prioress last January 2012, she returned to IWS as a member of the Board. However, during the 12th General Chapter of the Mission-ary Benedic-tine Sisters of Tutzing held last September 2012, Mo. Lumen Gloria Dungca was elected Vicaress Gen-eral and the congregation had to elect a new Prioress this month. Sr. Adelaida Ygrubay is now the new Prioress. IWS welcomes back Mo. Adele to IWS.

Ms. Marion Cabrera is now tempo-rarily based in Chang Mai, Bangkok. In her absence, Ms. Rebecca Padilla, former IWS staff and now Dean of Student Affairs of St. Scholastica’s College was asked to join the Board of Trustees.

We would like to thank all the new and previous members of the Board of Trustees for their contribution to the initiatives of IWS in empower-ing the Filipino women.

The Institute would like to congratulate Kristina Gaerlan, the farm’s Resource Center Manager, for the 25 years of service with the Institute. Itty, as we fondly call her, is responsible for the numerous books that IWS has published.

Last March 8, 2012 (International Women’s Day ), the launching of Sr. Mary John’s book, NUNSENSE, was co-sponsored by the Institute and St. Scholastica’s College. The book, published by IWS, was initially print-ed for 750 copies and was reprinted for another 500 copies. The Institute is now preparing for the third reprinting of the book. The book is available in IWS at P300.00 a copy. For orders, please call 02 522 3551 or 02 523 0693 or email us at iwsmnl@yahoo.com

We would also like to give our appreciation to Marites Yee, IWS Training Coordinator for the 15 years of service. Tatis started with the Institute as a Training Staff. Now, as Training Coordinator, Tatis is responsible for developing new modules that IWS has been offering.

Teodora Malaba, our Cashier, has bid us farewell in IWS to join her husband who is based in UK last September 2012. Dory stayed with IWS for 13 years. We wish her all the luck in her new phase of life.

Nun-Sense, Makes Sense, will be celebrating its 3rd year anniversary this February 2013. We wish to thank our viewers, guests. sponsors and friends for all the support. Please continue watching ‘Nun-Sense, Makes Sense’ every Monday at 9pm in Global News Network. The program can now be seen via live streaming at www.gnntv-asia.com

That in all things God may be

glorified.

Sr. Mary John Mananzan, OSB: One of the Top 100 Most Inspiring People in the World

Sr. Mary John Mananzan, OSB: One of the Top 100 Most Inspiring People in the World

IWS NEWSLETTER FOR 2011 (1st Semester)

My Easter Message

Dear Friends of the IWS,

                  A Very Happy Easter to you all. Easter is a celebration of LIFE.  Sometimes we take life for granted . And yet it is the only one we have and it is short . So it is important that we live it to the full with awareness and joy. So I wish you fullness of LIFE and JOY during this Easter Season.

                  As you see in the following articles, IWS is fully alive and kicking. Let me give you some background of some articles in the newsletter. How did we get a van? Well  you see our van CERES was given to us by MIVA of the Netherlands. It is 8 years old so we applied for a new one but unfortunately we were rejected. Anyway , one day I got a call from the CEO-President of Hyundai, Asia, Ms. Fe Perez Agudo. When I visited her in her office she congratulated me on being cited among the 100 inspiring women in the world by WOMEN DELIVER. She also told me that she was a scholar of St. Scholastica’s College when I was Dean of College. So now she wants to pay back. She has actually 10 scholars already but she wanted to give tribute to me by making me a beneficiary of her FUN RUN FOR A CAUSE.  So not only did I get a commitment that HYUNDAI will partner with us in constructing a mission hospital in one of the poorest province of the Philippines, in Catarman Samar, she also promised to give IWS a van when I told her about our need. So in the FUN RUN where 24, 000 runners took part, our van with IWS and HYUNDAI logos was displayed. And after the RUN, we drove it home to IWS. It was just on time to use it to  transport the ICWS participants who arrived on that day and would be brought to Mendez the next day. Enjoy reading the columns.

With Warm Greetings,

Sr. Mary John, OSB

Members of the diplomatic corps, government, business and non-government organizations took part in the milestone Hyundai event ‘Run for a Cause’ last April 2, 2011 led by Korean Ambassador Lee Hye-min, Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI) chairman emeritus Richard Lee, Leyte fourth district Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez and her husband Richard, HARI president and CEO Fe Perez-Agudo, and Gawad Kalinga founder Antonio Meloto and Sr. Mary John Mananzan of  the St. Scholastica’s Institute off Women’s Studies.

 Moving Beyond Faith Workshop

We have a new addition to the list of trainings we offer. The recent addition is a training called Moving Beyond Faith: An Interfaith Discussion on Ecological Justice which was sponsored by the United Board of Christians for Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA). The first pilot training was done last February 21-25, at the Institute’s farm, the Women and Ecology Wholeness farm in Mendez, Cavite.  The training was attended by 15 participants, 7 male and 8 female teachers coming from the UBCHEA network.

The course tried to explore questions such as what religious tenets in the four major religions can help us decide how to value life and distinguish between right and wrong environmental attitudes and practices, is there a need for a single, complete set of environmental values (one theory)? Or what are the factors that keep our current ideologies and practices in place? What is the role of gender in the ecological movements? What is the intersection between gender, religion and ecology?  As a finale to this batch, the participants were able to attend the celebration of the EDSA revolution on February 25. 

Also,  we are currently having the Intercultural Course on Women and Society, its the two month training offered to women from Asia and the Pacific. We have 14 women coming from 4 countries namely Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines and Korea. The training started last April 4 and will finish by June 1.  Right now, they are on their holy week break, while I on the other hand, take time to write you a short note.

Aside from the MBF, regular trainings are still offered by the Training Department. There will be several Women and Spirituality trainings and a possible Trainer’s Training this coming year. Also, there will be the regional reunion evaluations that will commence from July – September.

Oh by the way, please graduates do updates us of your contact numbers so we can get it touch with you regarding the dates of the upcoming trainings.

Sr. Mary John Mananzan and Mr. Avron Boretz of UBCHEA with the participants of the Moving Beyond Faith Workshop.

The IWS staff with the participants of the Intercultural Course on Women and Society

  1 of the 100 most inspiring women

Sr. Mary John Mananzan is one of the extraordinary people who are being honored on the international list that has been put out by Women Deliver, the leading global advocate fighting for women’s rights and maternal health.  The list recognizes those who successfully navigated the corridors of power, along with those on the frontlines, who have worked to expand rights and choices for girls and women everywhere.”

            Women Deliver said that Sister Mary John was instrumental in developing a feminist and third-world theology within the Catholic Church, boldly challenging the Church’s hierarchical and male-dominated views, and introducing feminist activism into the country’s Catholic faith.

Women Deliver 100 list, which includes former first lady and now US  secretary of state  Hillary Clinton who was given recognition for being “a role model to millions and a relentless advocate for women worldwide,” honors men and women, both prominent and lesser known, who have committed themselves to improving the lives of girls and women around the world.  

WEWF— Comings and Goings

The phrase “comings and goings” best describes life at the farm, depicting the cycle of life. A few days before Christmas last year, Tinang, the farm dog that many of you may still remember, bid us goodbye. Everyone at the farm was heartbroken, for Tinang had been the sweetest, most giving companion for the past 13 or 14 years, graciously accompanying the staff on every orientation tour of the farm. She was buried by the large dita tree.

             And the amazing thing about the dita tree is that, four months after, it is in full bloom. Everywhere around the canopy are dainty white flowers that give off the most fragrant, delicate perfume at night. On a moonlit evening nowadays, stay a while under the dita tree to take in life’s fragrant, vibrant energy.

One of the sows recently had five cute piglets, all reserved for a parish priest who also wants to raise native pigs not dependent on commercial steroids-filled feeds in his congregation’s farm in nearby Silang.

A cabbage patch is always a sight to behold. Looking like giant green roses, the outer leaves are large and spread out, and in the center is the kernel of the cabbage. Guests are always thrilled to learn the cabbage on their plates came from the plots outside the house. We will need to wait for the cold months again, however, before we try growing them again.

            Alexa, a frequent visitor of the farm, was given her first turtle in 2002.“Tatay seemed to like the turtle, and decided to buy three more. We named them Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michaelangelo, after the Mutant Ninja Turtles of that popular  movie.”  A year later, one of them died. Early this year, Alexa and the rest of her family decided to donate the three remaining turtles to the farm.

Alexa was a guest of the farm for the recent holy week break. “I saw one turtle just below the surface of the water. I was happy to see it. Also, I found out that there is an additional turtle--from the farm’s koi pond! So now, they’re the four ninja turtles again!” the turtles can really swim, and it also has a place where they can bask. Finally, they have a proper home!”

Tinang found rest under a now wildly blooming dita tree.

Alexa introduces the turtles to their new home one by one

A New Vehicle for IWS

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), exclusive Philippine distributor of Hyundai vehicles, kicked off its 10th year yesterday at the Quirino Grandstand with a historic early morning “Run for a Cause” to benefit four iconic humanitarian foundations – Gawad Kalinga, Haribon, Habitat for Humanity, and St. Scholastica’s Priory.

To salute the achievements of Sister Mary John Mananzan, one of Women Deliver’s Top 100 Most Inspiring People in the World, , HARI forged a partnership with St. Scholastica’s Priory to put up the first 25-bed Maternity Mission Hospital with a pediatric ward and laboratory services in Catarman, Northern Samar, one of the country’s poorest provinces.  In addition, a new van was given to the Institute of Women’s Studies.

“The Institute of Women’s Studies of St. Scholastica’s Priory is very pleased to be part of this great run which benefits our project,” said Sr. Mary John.

PHOTO GALLERY

MOA signing between Hyundai and IWS last April 1 2011 with Sr. Mary John, Sr. Baptista, Mr. Lee and Ms. Agudo of Hyundai

Prestigious guests during the Moving Beyond Faith Workshop:  Abbess Min Jiao, Amina Rasul and Ms. Lizette Tapia

SNIPPETS

               It is with great pride and joy to announce that the IWS TV program, Nun-Sense, Makes Sense, celebrated its 1st year anniversary last February.  To commemorate the special event, an episode featuring the program’s staff and crew shared their thoughts and learnings on the said program. 

Sr. Mary Thomas Prado, the Vice President for Academic Affairs of St. Scholastica’s College and Sr. Celine Saplala, the school’s Socio Pastoral Action, formally joined the IWS Board of Trustees during a meeting last November 4, 2010 in NURSIA.  Sr. Mary Thomas was officially elected as the Chairperson of the IWS BOT during the said meeting.

             The other members of the IWS-BOT are Sr. Angelica Leviste, Sr. Cecille Ido, Sr. Mary Paul Baul, Prof. Asuncion Azcuna, Ms. Conchita Manabat, Prof. Arche Ligo, Ms. Marion Cabrera and Sr. Mary John Mananzan.

The Institute would also like to congratulate Maria Aida Gaerlan and Susan Balindo, IWS Admin Associate and Bookkeeper respectively, for the 5 years of service with the Institute.  We would also like to congratulate our consultants Mr. Jonathan Rondina and Rebecca Marquez and one of our friends who helps in our TV Program, Mr. Mark Espino.

IWS Circular Letter

DEAR FRIENDS OF IWS

GREETINGS FROM THE PHILIPPINES! I don’t know when I last wrote to you so it must have been quite a time. In our last evaluation meeting, I was reminded that I should write another Circular Letter
— so here goes.



NEW PROGRAM: NUNSENSE MAKES SENSE!

Since February 6, we have started a weekly TV talk show entitled NUN-SENSE, MAKES SENSE with yours truly as host. I was invited by GNN, Destiny Cable to this T.V. series. It all started casually when I was interviewed on this channel by the Director of the Public Service Section of the network. While watching a show, I commented,“Oh, you have a T.V. show on the urban poor. Do you have on           women?” He answered, “None, would you want to host one?” I said,                “Sure!” He said, “I am serious.” I answered, “I am serious, too.” So he                 called an assistant and we decided that the Mass Com studio and students of St. Scholastica’s College would produce the show in tandem with the Institute of Women’s Studies. We have aired at least 28 shows! Our topics include: The Beginning of the Women’s Movement in the Philippines, Beauty Queens Turned Feminists, Women in Politics, Women and Religion. Women and Spirituality, Women in Non-Traditional Jobs, Migrant Women, Women Entrepreneurs, Women  Workers, Images of Women in Media, Women and Environment, etc.

                 find it really a lot of fun. We have no script , no teleprompter —just free flowing conversations and I am amazed at what comes out during the exchanges. When I was introducing the woman pedicab driver, I found out that she had been a street child for 20 years and is now living under a bridge! My guests come from every strata of  society matrons, urban poor, workers, homemakers, politicians, religious,
businesswomen, actors, artists.
        We are selling the CD’s of our show — five hundred pesos per
pack of 10 episodes. The next pages will be contributions from Tatis, Aida and Itty.
 

Lovingly yours,

Sr. Mary John, OSB

TRAININGS (Contributed by Tatis)

 

For several years now, training has remained the core program of the Institute. The IWS has remained steadfast in its course offerings. We still offer both long courses like the ICWS and Trainer’s Training in Feminism and Education Work with Women and our short courses like Women and Ecology, Women and Spirituality, Gender Fair Education, Women as Leaders. For this year, from February till June, we have done one each of our short courses namely WET,WAL and WS and just this July19 to August 6 , the Trainer’s Training on Feminism and Education Work with Women was done. The experiences and stories that the women have shared during each of these trainings made us cry, laugh and marvel at how strong, vulnerable and patient    women are. The power of these trainings lie in the use of images and metaphors, the overarching realization that of women as midwives, assisting each one to give birth to the new things in their life and expelling the negative. In each training women shared their common concerns and hope and uncover new visions. Aside from these trainings, a new thing happened to IWS, last April 28 to May 3, the first Trainers’ training on Education Work with Men was done. It was attended by former GSM 1 graduates, 14 men coming from the different regions. It was a 7-day program that focused on additional inputs on feminism, sexuality, spirituality and skills on how to impart these learning to other men, that was done in Mendez, Cavite. Through the tears and laughter, the pain and struggles, their participants came together, ready to weave yet another journey. 

NURSIA HAPPENINGS (contributed by Aida) 

During the celebration of the International Women’s Day, the Institute in coordination with the Department of Women’s Studies of St. Scholastica’s College sponsored a seminar on Violence Against Women with Judge Zenaida Elipanio and Ms. Terret Balayon of Women Crisis Center. A special guest also joined the discussion by narrating her story as a VAW victim. The Institute will     be conducting another seminar focusing on the Magna Carta for Women by mid-October with the women legislators who sponsored the bill as guests.     Since last year, the Institute has already conducted 2 Integrated Healing Workshops which was conducted by Dr. Noel Resella. A repeat of the said successful workshops will be scheduled before the year ends. Other activities to be conducted by the Institute will be skills training courses like Meat Processing and Healthy Cooking. I am full of pride to share with our friends that the IWS staff has agreed to forego their annual outing (rest and recreation) and instead donate the allocated fund to one of our former staff who is diagnosed with Breast Cancer 3A. Aside from this good deed, the Institute is now conducting a fund raising campaign by selling rosaries made from fresh-water pearls. Should you be interested to help, please call or email us at iwsmnl@yahoo.com. Keeping abreast with the modern information technology, the Institute now has a facebook account. Schedule of trainings and of our TV program can now be easily accessed through this account. Facilities of both resource centers are also featured.

MENDEZ FARM EVENTS (CONTRIBUTED BY Itty)

It is now the season of santol, and the farm is once again a huge stage for dancing butterflies in all sizes and colors, flitting from one santol that dropped to the ground to another, as they suck the tender but sharp juice off the fruit. In the butterfly garden where we have planted the plants butterflies need for food and laying their eggs, at any time there are twenty to thirty of these fascinating, delicate creatures, even though we have removed the protective net cover overhead and maintained only the net wall as protection against our neighbors’  stray dogs. The large brown native butterfly called the Mariposa is on the  window screens and of course, in the ilang-ilang trees they have reclaimed for the meantime. Our winged friends will be constant, visible companions for a few more weeks, before the cold winds of the coming “-ber” months drive them away.
Unfortunately, we lost an avocado tree to the typhoon Basyang, as well as much of our vegetables. But with grit, when the weather tamed, we cleared more of the cultivable area of the farm in our resolve to replace our loss. So, now there are string beans and snap beans and radiant violent eggplant. The summer heat siphoned the ponds of oxygen (due to excessive algae growth), but the rains are slowly rehabilitating them. In the morning we see twenty-some koi fingerlings, about three inches long, floating just below the water skim. We also have at least  thirty of the bigger koi (at least eight inches long), besides the numerous small ones. Yes, we are eyeing to supply koi- aquarium keepers soon. In recent months, besides our own training, other women’s groups based in Manila, as well as development and environment organizations, have used the farm for their learning activities. One noon, four carloads of religious sisters from different  congregations also dropped by a quick tour of the farm within their lunch break.  But the specialty of the house – lemongrass tea – as well as freshly harvested native (white) corn bought from the neighbor distracted many of them
from the original plan, and there they sat in the refectory chatting while enjoying an unscheduled snack! By the end of August we look forward to some very  special returning clients – the kindergarten and preparatory tots of St. Gregory Parochial School of Indang parish. The last time we hosted these children, they had plenty of things to say about the spaghetti and fried chicken we served. “Spaghetti is my favorite,” the kitchen staff would hear from at least five or six children in a single morning. Because the driveway was rain-drenched, we  needed to carry some of these children out to the street where their schoolbus was parked when it was time to go home – in threes or fours, because this was as many children as the umbrellas could cover. The farm staff was soaking wet by  the time the last child had boarded the bus but they enjoyed waiting on these  children immensely.

The participants and facilitators of the Gender Studies for
     Men Trainers’ Training. (May — June 2010)

The participants of the Self-Integrated Workshop.
              (Feb. to March 2010)

Our winged friends from the farm feasting on
 the santan and lantana in the butterfly gar-
 den (top right, top left and bottom right); a
small white one resting against the net of the
         garden foyer (bottom right)

   The participants of the recently concluded Trainers’
Training on Feminism and Education Work with Women