A typical Filipina with tan complexion, stands more or less five feet and, having a pug nose, has something to be proud of. We Filipinas are on the way of attaining the highest standard. And one way to attaining the highest standard is accessing information.
Are you familiar with the song “Iba Na’ng Babae Ngayon” by Bodjie’s Law of Gravity? This song simply describes the Filipino women of today who have come a long way. I can relate to the recent scenario that women nowadays are much different than before. We do not anymore wear Maria Clara outfits. We are not anymore enslaved like in the Japanese times. In other words, we now have the freedom to do what men can do.
Let us think of the fact that we can now freely access information through the Internet. The recent United Nations Global e-Government Readiness report study showed that women now represent more than half of the Internet users in the Philippines. Results show that, our country ranked third in the list of countries with the highest percentage of female internet users. This simply means that Filipinas are keeping abreast with the many-sided technology which is the Internet.
Although based on statistics, a typical internet user in the developing countries like Philippines would be a male with a university education, approximately below 35 years old and fluent in English, apparently Filipinas do not want to lag behind. Have you observed that when you enter an Internet café anywhere in Baybay, the females are dominant on the scene? Maybe it is because of the fondness of women in entertainment and curiosity in other related fields. The study reached the conclusion that despite the country’s low Internet penetration of 0.6%, still many professional women in the Philippines go online and even higher than US or Canada.
In the same study, the Philippines ranked fourth in e-government readiness in Southeast Asia, behind South Korea, Singapore, and Japan. To quote the study, “Information Technology is a tool for providing access to all. But for women who are often in the economically insecure, marginalized groups, it can be an especially potent tool for economic and social advancement. Promoting gender equality in the access to ICTs should be considered primarily an issue of opportunity since ICTs can help women enhance economic and social empowerment and on gender political participation.”
See? Pinays are no longer isolated from the rest of the wolrd with just a click of the mouse and an access to the internet. However, it does not mean that we have to tolerate Pinays looking for a foreign husband abroad. Ironic as it may seem, the Pinays are using these internet access to find a “cash”ual husband. Although it would seem to be a good lucrative business but it’s not something to be proud of.
To be proud being a Pinay is not using these access to information and technology in search for a foreign husband who will pay of the debts of one’s family. A modern Pinay should be a smarter, dynamic and flexible Maria Clara. With a pug nose and tan complexion, Pinay beauty would still stand out with a beauty from within.