By Cesar Taguba

March 8 is International Women’s Day (IWD). On March 10, 2018, MABIKAs Foundation joined Stichting Bayanihan, the Philippine Women’s Centre in the Netherlands, in her celebration of IWD with a theme focused on gender awareness and empowerment.

MABIKAs Foundation is honored to have this opportunity to participate in the celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD), a time of the year when the world celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievement of women all over the world.

As we celebrate this special occasion today, we would like to take this opportunity to honor our Igorot and Cordillera women who played exemplary role in the struggle against Spanish colonial rule and threats to their ancestral land and communities.

Among these exemplary women are Gabriela Silang and Ina Petra Mac-liing. During that time, Gabriela Silang was the very first woman general who fought against the Spanish rule in Ilocos-Abra for four years. She fought for four years, was captured and hanged with 100 of her men.

Of recent history is Ina Petra Mac-liing from Bontoc, Mountain Province. She courageously and wisely led the women of various Bontoc-Kalinga tribes against the World Bank financed Chico Dam in the late 80s. Ina Petra received an award from the Women’s World Summit Foundation and the  Asian Women’s Coalition for advancing the rights of indigenous people.

We also salute the LUMAD women in Mindanao and various indigenous people communities in the Philippines for standing for  their rights to development, social emancipation, and defense of their ancestral land, life and livelihood. MABIKAs Foundation honors the indigenous people achievers in their field of interest, service and advocacies.

We stand in solidarity with women migrant workers in upholding their rights and welfare, gender rights, and rights to fight against abuse and exploitation. We stand in solidarity with women in war and conflict areas; may all these hostilities end so they can reconstruct their family life, homes and communities.  We stand in solidarity with all the women in the world who are continuously doing their part to advance the emancipation, integration and participation of women in communities… for a better world, for better lives.