To the Young Women of Mindanao

People of diverse cultures and traditions all come together on this island called "Mindanao."
Women, in particular, are precious gems. In the face of countless wars, they remained
unwavering and brave for the sake of their family and their motherland. Women continued to
traverse life despite the rough waters from these battles that afflicted many of all ages in
Mindanao.
The hopes and desires of women in the Spanish occupation are slowly being realized as women
in Mindanao are no longer subservient to men as they became the forefront of communities,
leading and influencing the people. No longer are we the puppets of the friars as we are
empowered. No longer are we oppressed, as we have already come this far in our war against
sexual discrimination. No longer are we treated as second-class citizens because we are
educated and hustled harder than most men. No longer will we be confined in our homes for
childrearing and domestic work as industries need our capabilities and tenacity.
The norms that the Spanish brought to the Philippines about the idea of a woman and where
women should be placed in society are now being eradicated. Women today are ambitious,
confident, eloquent, shrewd, and most of all empowered. Nevertheless, women continued to
be the loving and tender mothers, sisters, and daughters they always have. In the pursuit of
aspirations and careers, Mindanao women will undoubtedly be the pillar of the family,
homemakers, and loving wives, always.
Today, we still have a long journey ahead to see the change we want to see in society. Although
we are empowered, our fight does not end as hundreds of thousands of women in Mindanao
still suffer discrimination, abuse, and prejudice. If we have not experienced the horrors our
fellow women in Mindanao experienced, it is now our time to be their voices and fight for social
justice so not a single woman will be left behind. Women must empower women. To do that,
we must be their anchor. In times of crisis, we must be there for them and comfort them in our
own ways. We must participate in movements that uphold the welfare of women regardless of
their gender identity, race, color, social status, and religion. We must use our voices to
advocate the rights of women to access proper education and have a safe environment to live
in. We must do whatever we think is beneficial for our fellow women, even in the simplest and
littlest way we know.
My fellow women in Mindanao, we have already come this far. We have survived a profoundly
patriarchal society. We fought for our suffrage rights and won. We were denied education, but
we are leaders now. We were abused, oppressed, belittled, dominated, and harmed. We will
not allow that we, and the future generations of women will go through the same path again.
Thus, this is a life-long war, and we must do our part.
Love, Altessa