GIRL POWER: A woman can be a man too

A mother is like a burning torch who throws away darkness in our respective homes. Like a father, she carries heavy responsibilities for a living. Practically, a woman can be a man too.

"Happy Father’s Day, Mang!"

Alexis once greeted her 58-year-old fisherwoman mother, Lina R. Gozanes. Lina has been both a mother and a father to her children. She was married to a first husband, with whom she has four children, who, later, left them because of stroke. A few years later, she was married again to another man, with whom she has three kids, but she left them sooner because he cheated on her. He met another woman to marry.

All these episodes in Lina’s life became her motivation to live stronger than before. She was left alone with her children, struggling to survive in Malaysia for almost eighteen years. There, she worked in a factory of plywood and she was also a part timer in cleaning various houses.

Time flew out of control. Lina shared her experience when she suffered from an unexpected miscarriage and collapsed while heading home from a tiring job. Fortunately, she was found and saved by a stranger, who brought her to the nearest hospital. That happened, making her life even more miserable. For her, that moment was as dark as slate. She suffered from too much pain—physically and emotionally. Lina couldn’t help but weep out whenever she remembers her past but needs to continue sailing amidst the wavy test of life. to her as a woman of all wom en. Raymond, one of his sons, proudly said that Lina, her moth er, is extraordinary. She is the kind of woman who never ceases to give her all. She is a lionhearted woman who doesn’t let the waves of life devour her. going to the sea to catch fish, she also works as one of the LGU’s public sweepers. Sometimes, she works as a laundry woman, too. She works non-stop to feed her children. working hard for the sake of my children. I promised them many times that as long as I am alive, they will be taken good care of because I want to see them grow into successful adults. I don’t want them to be like me, who started a miserable life. I am a mother and not just a mother myself", shared Lina in a sad tone. the battle of financial struggles,

Six years had passed. Everything she experienced is now a lesson for her and a motivation that made her stronger against all odds. She remained as strong as an ox, realizing that her life as a woman and as a mother is not as sweet as a candy to live for. She always finds herself in the doldrums.

According to her, she could do nothing against God’s plan. Maybe she really is destined to live in such a knotty world.

Arah Bhea Gapo

balancing her work and parenting responsibilities. As she said, she will do everything, regardless of the job, as long as it is decent yet beneficial.

As a fisherwoman, the cold breeze in the ocean has nothing to do with her determination to brave what she does. The scorching of the sun when she goes fishing has nothing to do with her aspiration to become a good mother, despite her source of living inconsistency. Her battle with the forces of nature when she goes to the sea is nothing against her ability as an unsung woman.

Raymond, her eldest son by her second husband, is now a graduating college student. He promised that he would do well in his studies so that he could graduate and hopefully find a job so that he would be able to help her mother support them and his other siblings. For him, he believed that the kind of life they have now is only temporary. Sooner or later, his family will rise against the toughness of life. He is optimistic that opportunities are just around the corner; all that is required is the right timing. Lina’s unfortunate role in society is one that the whole world needs to hear. She is unbelievable! See, our world needs more of her. Some may live a life with just a snap of their fingers, but Lina could live a life by becoming a woman and a man too.

57 % agree on banning softdrinks and junk foods in the canteen

43 % disagree on banning softdrinks and junk foods in the canteen