Dear Readers,
Sometimes when you least expect it, a wonder woman is picked up by your radar, or in my case.. gaydar. And Risa Hontiveros IS a wonder woman.
I have a crush.
She inspires me so much, I'm determined to meet her one day. I have read many times now, that Risa is one of these woman who against all the odds, carved out a career that is formed around both steady principles and hard rock morals. I have read absolutely everything I could find on her. She's a bloody champion for so many people. If I were a woman, she is who I would want to be. The entire nation should be overwhelmingly proud of both her and her numerous achievements.
I will watch her and follow her career forever.
So much has already been written about her, I'm not quite sure what I can add.
All young ladies should look to this remarkable woman for their direction,inspiration and focus.
Please join me as I explore this incredible woman and the thousands of wonderful things she had already done for the Philippines in her short illustrious career in politics. I believe Risa has the potential to make changes in the Philippines that few other woman have. I trust Risa. I know her devotion to hard work only underpins her determination to make the country better.
After reading the copious amounts of information about her, I was left speechless and very emotional indeed.
I want every single person to understand that this woman is a BLESSING for the Philippines.
Social climbing has never been in her lexicon. But she is very beautiful and could be one of the light weights, if her moral compass was not so hell bent on its current direction.
She is the real deal. A true blue Filipina who deserves to run the country one day.
I will pray for her and her journey to the top job.
Without woman like Risa, the Philippines would be lost completely.
In Risa's first term in Congress, her accomplishments have surpassed those of other congressmen and congresswomen who have occupied their positions longer. This comes as little surprise to those who know her and have worked with her, for her background and experiences speak volumes of her commitment and dedication to uplifting the lives of the marginalized, voiceless and forgotten.
Though best known for her stint as a television broadcaster and media personality, Risa has quietly but steadfastly been involved in various advocacy's ranging from peace, agrarian reform and women’s rights. Since 1998, for example, she was a member of the government peace panel conducting negotiations with the CPP-NPA. Such engagement has provided her with the necessary perspective in addressing pressing issues of peace and human rights, and has earned her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. Her activism, however, traces itself much earlier, however, for even as a student, she had taken leadership positions in student organizations and helped articulate the voice of the youth in issues of national consequence. Both in St. Scholastica’s College, where she went for grade school and high school, and at the Ateneo de Manila University, she was at the forefront of the student movement – eschewing an otherwise sheltered life and throwing herself fully to progressive work.
Risa’s legislative track record reflects this passion and commitment. A well-known women’s rights advocate, she has filed several bills in Congress for the protection of women and the promotion of their rights. Among them are the Reproductive Health Bill, which aims to provide women with the necessary reproductive health information to empower them with knowledge and to protect them from sexually-transmitted diseases; the Anti-Prostitution Bill, which looks at prostitution as a symptom of inequitable and exploitative social structures and prostitutes, as victims rather than criminals; and the Gender Balance Bill, which will ensure women’s representation in all structures of governance. She is likewise at the forefront of the campaign for breastfeeding.
A critical piece of legislation crafted and filed by Risa is the Bill for Cheaper Medicines, a measure aimed at lowering the cost of essential medicines in the Philippines by allowing parallel importation and compulsory licensing. That the Bill was approved by both houses is a victory not only for Risa and AKBAYAN, but for the Filipino people as well.
Risa is also known as an agrarian reform advocate, campaigning actively for the implementation of genuine agrarian reform and condemning all forms of landlord violence. It is her office that has filed the CARL Extension Bill, a bill that pushes not only for the extension of CARL but also for a more meaningful program better suited to the needs of the farmers and the agrarian reform beneficiaries.
Over and above these achievements, it is her calm and gentle demeanor that has earned her the respect of her peers and the trust of the constituents that she serves. Though soft-spoken and mild-mannered, the passion of her activism and the strength of her convictions guarantee that her voice is always heard – whether in a podium inside the Session Hall of the House of Representatives or out in the world where the voice of truth always rings loud and clear.
Please help me celebrate Risa. She is simply too amazing for words.
Please Google Risa and find out for yourself, just how amazing and incredible she is. The Philippines would be lost without woman like Risa. She in only one of many who fight everyday for others.
She is selfless therefore needs to be acknowledged everywhere.
