Lalang Hu Mga Laga

Conversations on Love, Marriage and Motherhood in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato at T'boli Gono Ye Boi's (Princess' House) COWHED women weavers house.

June 15/16, 2024
Women map their own realities. Changing gender norms is a process.
Photos by M. Viejo
June 2024

Community Conversations on Love, Marriage and Motherhood in Basilan and Zamboanga City

May 25 and 26, 2024

Community women are defining their own empowerment within the context of their own communities.

-Self-awareness of one's own rights and welfare to make the right decision for self
-Awareness among parents and elders
-Protective local leaders
-Equal rights for young women and girls

Photos by M. Kaddaring and P. Angeles
May 2024

Meet us here
About Lalang Hu Mga Laga
https://storiesofwomencampaign.com/about/

OUR LOCAL AREA COORDINATORS ARE OUR POWERHOUSE. Aiming for direct outcomes level achievements, we work on the ground for results that benefit the lives of community women and girls directly.

About We live in the communities we serve. We were officially formed when Maypole women funded 500 USD for our research on gender-based violence in a conflict affected and geographically isolated communi…

JUST CONCLUDED: Strategizing workshop of young women, women's legal rights activists, and social and health workers on holding community conversations on ending child marriage practice from a culture- and context-sensitive approach, March 30-31, 2024 at the University Hotel, University of the Philippines Diliman.

We really do not have to be a big or well-funded organization to work towards ending child marriage practice. We can contribute to this goal step by step, one or two persons at a time, by promoting conversations in an atmosphere of respect and sincerity, activism and collaboration.

Resource Persons Carol Dawonlay, Paramisuli Aming and Ena Marie Dizon.

Let us promote and respect the voices of young women!

WE DID IT.
UP Mindanao Short Advocacy Video Festival 22 March 2024
held with Lalang Hu Mga Laga's support.

30-strong student short advocacy videos produced with the theme "Asserting Womxn's Rights in Gendered Words and Spaces," celebrating Women's History Month with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences-UP Mindanao.

READY. Faciltator's Training for Holding Community Conversations on Women, Girls, Love, Marriage and Motherhood.

Racel's video in youtube from the UP Mindanao Short Advocacy Video Festival in collaboration with Lalang Hu Mga Laga Stories of Women Campaign celebrating Women's Month in the Philippines 2024

"Hindi Ko Pinangarap" | A short Advocacy Video for Women's Month by Racel Jean Discrimination against single and young mothers is a harsh reality that many women face. Being a single parent can be tough, and there may be times when you ...

Madakel ha salamat sa PAMBANSANG KOMISYON PARA SA KULTURA AT MGA SINING!
Naisakatuparan ang proyekto, nakamit ang layunin--
Ikinagagalak naming maging recipient ng tulong para sa proyektong Pangutob: Bat-aw tu Kimukod (Manobo Tattoo Art: Light of the Soul)
Taus-pusong pugay sa inyong katapatan sa pagsuporta sa mga sining at mga kultura ng ating bansa.
Ang susunod na kabanata ay kapana-panabik rin!

Ready na sa SMPS Box research

Through the grant from the Bangsamoro Youth Commission-Ideation Impact Challenge (BYC-IIC), the Lalang ni Sigay (Kuwento ni Liwanag) research team is in full gear for the:
"Ethnomethodological participatory research on practices that build young women’s economic and health resilience" in the SPMS box in Maguindanao del Sur

Sigay nu mga Babay, Inc. https://web.facebook.com/sigaynumgababayinc

Lalang Hu Mga Laga

In photo
Myrah B. Sahid
Mellan Sayutin
Carol R. Bello Dawonlay

Continuing the advocacy to interrogate early, child, arranged, and forced marriages from a feminist perspective
-------------------------

Early marriages happen all over the world, the estimate by Childnotbrides.org is that 1 in every 6 girls is married before their 18th birthday. Our estimate from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data in the Philippines is 1 in 5. In some communities where we operate, the visual estimate is 4 in 6. These communities are where the norm is marriage before a girl's 18th birthday. Many studies have provided evidence that marriage before 18 along with deprivation of education because of early marriage duties is a major factor in pushing families into deeper poverty.

Although the Philippines has enacted into law the Republic Act 11596 or An Act Prohibiting the Practice of Child Marriage and Imposing Penalties for Violations Thereof, there is no implementation in sight.

In the feminist conversations we have conducted in select groups of community women, girls, and non-binaries in Abra Cordillera, Misamis Oriental, Iligan City, Bukidnon, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, North Cotabato, and Special Geographic Area (Bangsamoro), and Basilan, early marriages can either be forced upon or wanted by the young couple or spouse. Among low-income settings, early marriage does not save families or a girl or a boy from poverty. Economic, health, psychological, and emotional difficulties always set in because girl brides and young mothers and fathers are not yet ready for a family life.

However, while we advocate Intergenerational conversations, few have supported us. We support our own and find humble support from others. Zonta Club of Metro Greenhills kindly provided rice and noodles for those who joined the discussions. Women's Fund Asia helped us in many ways. Our local coordinators have been volunteering their time and energy with or without compensatory allowance. We continue to be a volunteer-run non-profit organization.

Among young brides/mothers and few young fathers, not one thought that a person could have a full life when marrying early. They have preferred the age of marriage to be 25 years old or older but complex contexts/situations and wicked problems got the better of them. Learning from them, Lalang Hu Mga Laga proposes that the implementation of the law should be preceded by careful and truthful culture-and-context-sensitive studies on the ground.

For the early married, we raise awareness on gender issues, ending gender-based violence, promoting gender equality within the home and community, and continuing education for all young girls and boys. Not one barangay official discouraged them from pursuing their education and safeguarding their health and welfare. So even if our country is immersed in dirty politics, we can still hope that barangay officials are among our dependable allies in addressing early marriage as a practice and norm, towards finally eliminating or denormalizing it.

To date, we have reached 140 young spouses/mothers/fathers and unmarried girls/young women (along with a few senior women citizens) from low-income and geographically isolated areas with feminism and women's rights awareness and we are still counting. A difficult issue to face is making early marriage a solution for young people who do not fit within the heteronormative prescription.

In this post, we are sharing some photos allowed by our partners on the ground. Some photos are intentionally low resolution.

Salamat sa Bangsamoro Women Commission- Tawi-Tawi province sa pagpapaunlak!

LALANG SA RADYO
29 Agosto 2023
Kapayapaan kasama ang Kalikasan
Anu anga mga gawi natin araw-araw na maari nating baguhin upang mabawasan ang ating CO2 emissions?
//fb.watch/mJrrbddo8g/

August 7
Bukidnon

Bagong mga kalahok sa pinagaan na usapan tungkol sa mga isyu ng kababaihan sa loob ng tahanan at buhay may-asawa. SARILING BOSES AT WALANG TAKOT NA PAGPAPAPAHAYAG ng saloobin ang siya pa ring pangunahin sa mga usapin. Paano nga ba ihahayag ang sariling saloobin kung may takot sa puso? Mga kababaihan rin mismo ang magtutulungan upang ngatan ang isa't isa. Sa pamamagitan ng pagkakaroon ng panahon upang magsama-sama, maaring palakasin natin ang loob ng isa't isa. Iparamdam sa mga babaeng sinasaktan ng asawa na hindi niya ito kasalanan at maaring siyang magsumbong at humingi agad ng tulong sa mga otoridad. At sa huli't huli, sarili lamang talaga ang maasahan, kaya kailangang mag-ipon ng kaalaman at tapang.

Tinunghayan ng mga kalahok ang mga bidyong "Impossible Dream" tungkol sa multiple burden/responsibilities ng mga babae na ginawa noong 1980s subalit totoo pa rin hanggang ngayon. Pinanood din ang "The Girl Effect" na naglalayong ipaunawa sa manood ang halaga ng pagpigil sa maagang pag-aasawa at pagbubuntis ng mga kabataang babae upang maitigil ang cycle of poverty sa mga pamayanan.

IPAGDIWANG: Lalang Hu Mga Laga in partnership with Sigay nu mga Babay, Inc. for a participatory research in the SPMS Box in Maguindanao del Sur

Ikinagagalak naming ibalita na ang research proposal ng Lalang ay nanalo bilang isa mga grantees ng pagsasaliksik para sa economic and health resilience ng kabataang kababaihan sa ilang mga pamayanan sa Maguindanao del Sur.

LALANG NI SIGAY = KUWENTO NI LIWANAG

SARILING BOSES
Pandaigdigang Araw ng Kabataan- 12 Agosto

Pugay sa mga young health workers at mga young mothers sa pagdiriwang ng International Youth Day,Sa pagkamit ng maternal and neonatal health, mahalaga ang pagtutulungan ng mga mangggawa ng kalusugan at ng mga nanay. Magplano ng pamilya at hasain ang sariling boses sa mga usapin ng pag-aasawa, pagbubuntis, at pagtatapos ng pag-aaral.

Mga larawan: Ungkaya Pukan Rural Health Unit, Basilan

“You can run away from bullets but not from floods”

DATU SAUDI AMPATUAN, Maguindanao (MindaNews / 06 August) — Fifty-five year old Norma Silad, a vendor in the public market here, worries about intermittent armed conflicts in her area but admits she is more worried now about displacements brought about by more frequent flooding. “You can run away from bullets and come back to your place when the fighting ends. You just cannot escape easily from the floods. Floods destroy our crops and vegetables and kill our livelihood,” she laments.

While the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has joined hands with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (M**F) in the current normalization phase following the peace agreement with the Philippine government, elements such as those from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), ISIS-affiliated groups, New People’s Army and other non-state armed groups (NSA) still make their presence felt, including those in flood-prone areas. “Rido” or violent clan feuds involving land ownership disagreements and election-related issues also cause multiple and repeated displacements of families and communities. .CLICK THE LINK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2023/08/you-can-run-away-from-bullets-but-not-from-floods/
Thank you MindaNews.

“You can run away from bullets but not from floods” DATU SAUDI AMPATUAN, Maguindanao  (MindaNews / 06 August) --  Fifty-five year old Norma Silad, a vendor in the public market here, worries

28 July 2023
Iligan

PAGHAHASA NG SARILING BOSES, ito tinutukuan ng pag-uusap ng mga kababaihan sa lugar ng mga Higaonon sa Rogongon, Iligan City, Northern Mindanao. Itaguyod ang respeto at pag-aalaga sa sarili, kilalanin na hindi uusad ang pamilya, hindi giginhawa ang mga komunidad kung walang boses ang kababaihan sa mga usapin ng pag-aasawa, gawaing-bahay, panahon sa pag-aaral, tulungan sa pag-aalaga ng mga bata at matatanda. Kung hahasain ang sarili, magkakaroon rin ng TAPANG MAGSALITA NANG WALANG TAKOT dahil ang batas ay panig sa KAPAKANAN NG BABAE, upang maging LIGTAS SA PAMGBUBUGBOG NG ASAWA AT LAHAT NG URI NG SEKSWAL NA KRIMEN, kasama na ang pambabastos sa daan.

Ang pagod at puyat ay kadalasang dulot ng WALANG PAHINGANG PAGTATRABAHO SA BAHAY. Ito tinugunan ng lumang paraan ng paghihilot ng katawan gamit ang dahon ng saging, kandila at langis ng niyog, na pinaunlad ng kaalaman ng modern therapy na ligtas. HINDI ITO ANG HULI dahil masayang nagtapos ang pag-uusap nang may pag-asang magkikita-kita muli sa mas mahabang oras, kasama pa ang mga taga-ibang sitio.

Ang pag-uusap ang pinangunahan ng direktor ng Lalang na si Carol Bello-Dawonlay. Ang pagtuturo ng hilot ay isinagawa ni Carmen Liboon, 20 years nang hilot at licensed therapist, bukod pa sa maraming taong karanasan bilang Barangay Health Worker (BHW).

"Masaya ako na natuto rin ako maghilot. Walang pahinga sa bahay lalo na may anak agad ako," wika ni Ara.

"Sa mga kabataang babae, matuto tayong ingatan ang sarili. Unahin natin ang pag-aaral, iwasan ang mga gawain na hindi ligtas, lalo na walang tayo boses at madali para sa kultura natin na ipa-asawa ang mga babae. Matuto rin tayong humingi ng tulong sa mga pinagkakatiwalaan natin. Magsumbong sa pulis. Huwag tayo manahimik kung may problema tayo sa relasyon,"wika ng mga kalahok sa gawain ng araw iyon.

Salamat Women's Fund Asia
Salamat sa T-shirts mula sa Zonta Club Metro Greenhills
Salamat sa mga kalahok na umayon na makuhaan ng larawan :)

CARMEN LIBOON, Manghihilot at Licensed Therapist

"May healing powers ang ating mga kamay"

"20 taon na akong hilot. Nadiskubre ko na kayang matulungan ng kababaihan ang kanilang sariling katawan mula sa mga sakit dulot ng pagod at stress sa buhay. Nais kong ibahagi ang ilang mabilis na paraan para mahilot ang sarili. Napakadali nito, at libre."

Abangan ang Facebook Live! ng opisyal ng hilot ng Lalang Hu Mga Laga. Ituturo ni Ate Carmen ang mabilis at mabisang paraan ng ating mga ninuno upang agarang maibsan ang mga sakit sa kasu-kasuhan ng mga kababaihan. Nag-aral si Ate Carmen ng mga paraang moderno mula sa kanyang mga training sa TESDA at sa mga sinauna, mula sa kanyang mga ninuno.

28 Hulyo 2023
Ika 11 ng umaga
dito sa Lalang Hu Mga Laga
Lalang Hu Mga Laga

For free slides on feminism

T-shirt kayo riyan

T-SHIRT KAYO RIYAN....

Get a shirt in exchange for your contribution to the Feminist activities of Lalang Hu Mga Laga, in kind or otherwise
Send us a message!

-----
Thanks to Canva.com and Zonta Metro Greenhills

Live ngayon, Lalang Hu Mga Laga sa DXGR 106.9 Radyo Gandingan.
Speaker: Carina Rodriguez

https://web.facebook.com/radyogandingan/videos/855265016022003