28 September 2016 – The significant role of women in advancing and promoting Philippine arts and culture took center stage during a lecture co-organized by the Philippine Embassy in Cairo and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
NCCA Chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr., who was on hand for the event, identified 19th century figures such as poet and playwright Leona Florentino, sculptor Pelagia Mendoza, and recording artists Dolores Paterno and Maria Carpena as pioneering women in Philippine society. “Their leadership made possible the entry of women in academics, professional fields, politics and legislation,” he said.
Chairman de Leon added that countless ordinary Filipinas serve as cultural heroes, from indigenous priestesses and folk weavers to women raising families: “Kung wala ang mga ‘yan, wala tayong identity.”
During a discussion on gender in Philippine arts and culture, the Chairman noted that Philippine culture celebrates balance, a legacy of the pre-colonial period. It is not surprising therefore, that the Philippines is among the most gender-equal countries in the world.
Chairman de Leon urged Filipinas in Egypt to embrace their role as active purveyors of Philippine culture, even amidst a foreign society with different gender values.
The lecture, a Gender and Development initiative, aimed to provide the Filipino community in Egypt with a vision of an empowered Filipina who considerably enriches the country’s heritage. END