17 December 2015 – The Philippine Consulate General in Milan continues its program for women as outlined by its Gender and Development (GAD) Project by exhibiting two films highlighting the plight of Filipino women at the San Lorenzo Maggiore Theater on December 09.

First is a short film “Ang Babae sa Likod ng Mambabatok” by director Lauren Sevilla Faustino which unravels the multiple layers of the almost mythological figure – the living legend Fang Od, a 92-year-old woman who is the Last Traditional Tattoo Artist of Kalinga. The short film chronicles Fang Od’s skill at the art of traditional tattooing and the fascinating stories of her 92 years as a woman of Kalinga. Fang Od regales the audience with stories of her many suitors and her lost love and the age-old traditions of her Kalinga tribe which are slowly being washed away as the Kalingas continue their march into more modern living. She talks of the challenges of her time and how traditions have deprived her of love and her unvoiced fears that the Kalinga tradition of tattooing will die with her.

Next was the film “Bacao”, directed by Edgardo Boy Vinarao, a fascinating look into the life of a woman living in the barrios and her struggles with fertility. It is an honest portrayal of how small-town folks view women and the values attached to them. The film exhibits a traditional view of provincial Filipinos that a woman only has value if she becomes a mother and thus explains the extreme lengths that the film’s female protagonist goes through to solve her apparent infertility.

Both films exhibit intimate portraits of womanhood– one a close look at a cultural legend and the other, an intimate examination of the demands that small-town societies impose on women.

Mandated by Section 26 of RA 9710, or the Magna Carta of Women, GAD promotes the right to information regarding policies on women, including programs, projects and funding outlays that affect them. The Philippine Consulate General in Milan has been very active in promoting the ideals of the GAD Project and will continue to educate its Filipino community in Milan and Northern Italy with similar programs in the future. END