Leading Ladies: Five Filipina Stories of Grace and Power

It’s easy to frame International Women’s Day or National Women’s Month in the Philippines as celebrations. But recognition matters simply because the work is unfinished. Misogyny, even in everyday conversations, continues to shape how women are seen, spoken about, and valued. Recent public discourse has once again revealed how women can still be sadly reduced to objects of desire or merely subjects, rather than respected as layered individuals with hearts and minds of their own.

There is a need to keep telling stories simply because they demand to be told. Many have chosen to forget the courage Filipina women showed throughout history, while others fail to recognize that women are now living beyond the boundaries society once drew for them.

From silver threads to the silver screen, here are five narratives that remind us how women constantly shape and challenge the world that chooses to box them into definitions. Be it through revisiting the past, exploring the what-ifs of the future, or leading in the present, these stories remind us how women can break glass ceilings and channel the strong, female spirit to create something inspiring. •

Cinema: Sisa –An Extremely Satisfying Story on the Filipina Feminine Rage

“This is what happens when a land is occupied: it reduces women into roles that blur love and abuse,” states the director and writer Jun Robles Lana (Die Beautiful, Call Me Mother) on his new brown movie, Sisa.

Despite being set in the Philippine-American War of 1902, Sisa’s story echoes through generations and cultures. Challenging the traditional portrayal of ‘Sisa’ as a ‘mad woman’, the film follows a community of widowed Filipino women in a concentration camp, each in a battlefield of their own. Shot amidst Tarlac’s sweeping landscapes, we watch the women navigate through grief, survival, and freedom. Although clearly marginalized by the times, the women challenge traditional gender roles and use their feminine energy to fuel the resistance and light the ignition to their freedom. Often overlooked by history books, the characters are given a space to be remembered and celebrated at a time when ‘feminism’ wasn’t even a word. 

Despite the very clear themes of empowering women, Lana clarifies that he never saw the film as part of a feminist movement but rather as a really good story about strength and overcoming oppressors despite the overwhelming odds. “I was raised single-handedly by my mom, so growing up, my understanding of strength has always been womanhood,” Lana shares.

Headlining the cast are Jennica Garcia (Saving Grace, Dirty Linen) as Leonor, Comedy Queen Eugene Domingo (Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, Kontrabida Academy) as Delia, and Philippine Entertainment Royalty Hilda Koronel (Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan?), who makes her long-awaited return to the big screen as the leading character. The film premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia last November 2025, leaving foreign audiences more curious about Philippine history. Though grateful, Lana shares that any international interest is simply a bonus. He remains more eager to hear what Filipino audiences have to say about his work. “My stories, my filmmaking, primarily have always been for the Filipino audience. This is home, this is where this [film] is supposed to be, where it’s supposed to be seen.”

Sisa opened in Philippine theaters on March 4, 2026.

Fashion: Through the Terno: A First Lady’s Journey Remembered

In 1953, Ramon Magsaysay made history as the first President of the Philippines to be sworn into office wearing a Barong Tagalog. At his side was his wife, Luz Banzon Magsaysay, wearing a white, beautifully detailed, and elegantly draped terno. This month, that iconic gown can be viewed up close for free!

A collaboration between the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) and the De Lasalle-College of Saint Benilde through the Benilde Fashion Museum, ‘Magsaysay as Muse: Luz Banzon Magsaysay and the Terno as Cultural Identity’ celebrates the life and style of the late first lady with eight featured ternos.

Seven out of eight ternos on display are from the late first lady’s personal wardrobe, donated by Luz’s daughter, Mila Magsaysay Valenzuela. Two of the ternos are by Aureo Alonzo, and five are by National Artist Ramon Valera, who is celebrated for his pioneering approach in modernizing the traditional, multiple-part baro’t saya to a single-piece terno through the zipper.

Curated by Architect Gerry Torres and Director of the Benilde Fashion Museum, the gowns showcase the first lady’s journey from campaigning for her husband, to the presidential inauguration, to her time as a widow following her husband’s tragic and untimely death. Although tattered and stained by time, Torres shares that all the beads are intact and the handmade lace is still in place—a testament to Filipino handmade craftsmanship, and all painstakingly made before the invention of the sewing machine. Despite being advised not to display the dilapidated gowns, the curator shares that the decision was made as a statement to encourage Filipino fashion preservation.

‘Magsaysay as Muse: Luz Banzon Magsaysay and the Terno as Cultural Identity’ will be on display at the Laureate Library and Museum, Ramon Magsaysay Center, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, until March 27, 2026.

Theatre: anthropology prompts us to question the blurring lines between AI, sisterhood, and humanity

From one grief story to another, Lauren Gunderson’s anthropology makes its Asian premiere under the hands of local theatre company Barefoot Theatre Collaborative. Written in 2019, just before Artificial Intelligence had permeated almost every digital platform, the story asks a very simple yet loaded question: If AI could comfort your grief, would you use it?

The play follows Merril, a brilliant AI programmer who recreates her missing sister as artificial intelligence in an attempt to survive unbearable loss. The tech-noir story reminds us of Black Mirror’s ‘Be Right Back’ and ‘San Junipero’ or Amazon Prime’s Upload. While the concept of a digital afterlife is nothing new, it used to be a thing of science fiction. With AI griefbots and digital ghosts now a reality, the show and its themes are more relevant than ever. The question is, are these tools helping us heal, or are they just curating the hurt of letting go?

This show features an all-female powerhouse cast from different generations: Jenny Jamora (On the Job, Saturday Night Fever) as the AI programmer Merril, Maronne Cruz (Parokya ni Edgar Musical, Kpop Demon Hunters) as her sister Angie, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante (Kinky Boots, Into the Woods) as Raquel, Merril’s ex-girlfriend and the voice of reason, and Jackie Lou Blanco (Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit, Widow’s War) as Brin, Merril and Angie’s estranged mother. At the helm of the production is Caisa Borromeo as the director.

anthropology by Lauren Gunderson will be staged for three weeks only, with strictly 15 performances from March 13 to 29, 2026, at the Doreen Black Box, Areté in Quezon City. This production of anthropology is licensed by Harmonia Holdings, Ltd. under special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Ltd.

Design: PIID’s 2026 Board Blooms with a Female Majority

RED Founder and Interior Design Principal IDr.Cecil Ravelas takes over as President of the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID), the country’s national organization for licensed interior design practitioners. Ravelas and her team hope to build on the momentum of the previous board with a focus on soulful and conscious leadership.

In her first address as President during the PIID Oathtaking in the Goldenberg Mansion in Malacañang Palace in Manila last February 20, 2026, Ravelas reflects on her past shortcomings as a PIID member and how it still feels surreal to be where she is today. She cites the incredible community of fellow designers who have helped her grow into this role, and her excitement to bring a new chapter to the organisation.

Her board of trustees for 2026-2028 is composed largely of women: IDr. Lorenzo Valencia III as National Vice President; IDr. Ivy Almario for Public Relations; Joy Ejercito for Finance; IDr. Honey Mutia-Cervantes as Treasurer; IDr. Iris Ocampo as Corporate Secretary; IDr. Doris Dy for Conventions and Events; IDr. Nina Santamaria for Professional Development; and IDr. Mary Ann Venturina-Bulandi for Professional Practice and Ethics.

Kanto previously spoke with Ravelas about what PIID members can look forward to under her leadership—from strengthened professional standards and expanded training programs to initiatives that position Filipino interior designers more prominently on both the local and international stage.

Theatre: Mabining Mandirigma on Gentle Leadership 

The life of Apolinario Mabini, the face of the 10 peso coin, is not necessarily a play mounted for Women’s Month. But when he stage adaptation casts a woman for the hero’s role, a discussion certainly needs to happen. Premiering in 2015, Mabining Mandirigma is staged again by the Tanghalang Pilipino under the direction of Chris Millado, with Shaira Opsimar (Rak of Aegis, Walang Aray) as the titular character for this month’s limited run. 

The show’s playwright, Nicanor Tiongson, says he was hesitant about the unusual casting but later understood why the creative choice was made. Mabini did not exactly fit the macho-male standards of his time and was therefore seen as more feminine. The title of the show itself is a play on words. Mabini translates to modest or gentle, making the title carry a double meaning: The Gentle Warrior and Mabini, The Warrior. 

The bold casting also emphasizes the hero’s moral force over physicality, never letting his disability confine his capacity to rise through social ranks and his passion to serve the country. Five ladies have taken on the role, including Hazel Maranan, a descendant of Apolinario Mabini himself.

From a musical standpoint, they wanted a variety of voice types on stage. With Emilio Aguinaldo as the First President of the Philippines, it only made sense to cast him as a tenor. As a presidential advisor, Mabini led with a soft voice; in a literal sense, this gave the show a wonderful tonal blend. 

Set in the very infancy of the Philippine Republic, we follow our heroes through the birthing pains of creating a new nation. While remaining politically charged and relevant to today’s political climate, the steampunk musical also knows how to have fun. The show’s costumes by James Reyes are a visual delight, and the choreography by Denisa Reyes and Richardson Yadao is a fluid blend of old and new. The main reason to watch Mabini? The performances are undeniably bursting with nationalistic energy and vibrating with talent. 

Mabining Mandirigma will be staged until March 29, 2026, at the Teatro Ignacio Gimenez, CCP Complex, Pasay City. 

Pat Herb is a Filipina content creator who splits her time between Manila and London. From uncovering the best eats in Cubao to catching the latest shows in the West End, Pat curates everything from culture, travel, and lifestyle.

A graduate of the University of Asia and the Pacific with a degree in Integrated Marketing Communications, she brings over a decade of experience in content creation across print and digital media. As a former magazine editor, her career is built around shaping compelling narratives and engaging audiences both online and offline, including hosting a Guinness World Record event.