Arts & Culture

5 Filipino Films That Continue the Conversation on Women Empowerment

Filipino feminist films everyone, in all genders, should revisit.

It took many centuries to achieve the kind of freedom we have now. Contrary to popular belief that women are weak, it is known that women took a significant part in shaping the ideology on bravery and empowerment.

During the pre-colonial era, tribesmen and communities turned to women for war advice and blessings. Cross-dressing was encouraged and, of course, communities seemed to believe no gender roles, since they accepted other genders on the spectrum, as well.

Babaylans were also treated with respect as priestesses or religious practitioners, healers, and mediators in the tribe. Through time, especially during Spanish colonization, women’s role in the society gradually changed; the Spanish imposed ideologies of conservatism and patriarchy.

But time is also the only proof that with its tides of changes, women’s roles in the society are unique in a way that women became flexible, empowered and sincere. From being powerful leaders in tribes during the pre-colonial era until today’s adapting and thriving to smash the patriarchy, women’s parts to play is no doubt impossible to neglect.

Here are five Filipino feminist films everyone, in all genders, should revisit.

INSIANG (1976)

Photo Credits to Cine Material: https://www.cinematerial.com/movies/insiang-i77740/p/oy2prxqz

Starting the character off as a timid innocent girl, Insiang was set to live her life in the slums where her sexuality was used against her, especially by her mother.

Insiang is played by Hilda Koronel. Her character takes us back to the historical meaning of being a woman. The film also portrays different societal issues like poverty and patriarchy. Because of the series of hardships she experienced, Insiang then learned how to use her gender and bravery.

Lino Brocka’s masterpiece shows us that a woman being brave isn’t wrong.

BATA, BATA PA’NO KA GINAWA? (1988)

Photo credits to TFC TV: http://tfc.tv/episode/details/41031/bata-bata-paano-ka-ginawa-2016

Chito Roňo, as always, restores our hope in Philippine cinema. Although this film has been published decades ago, the issue of women empowerment tackled is still relatable until today.

Played by Vilma Santos, Lea Bustamante shares the importance of women in the family building. Challenged by society’s patriarchal system, Lea plays the role of being a working mother, who has two children she raised alone.

Altogether, Lea shows how society views womanhood, motherhood, and parenthood.

DIE BEAUTIFUL (2016)

Photo Credits to IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6186430/mediaviewer/rm3387360512

Trisha’s story—like many trans women, struggled being accepted by her family and society. This film takes us back to the reason why people love and how a certain person, though discriminated, chose to show love to everyone she met.

Die Beautiful, directed by Jun Robles Lana, also shows how a trans woman became a mother and at the same time, fulfilled her dreams to become a beauty queen.

Trisha, played by Paolo Ballesteros, inspired many with her positivity, vibrancy and determination to become a woman she wanted to be.

KA ORYANG (2011)

Photo Credits to IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2097285/

Set during the Martial Law in 1970’s, Ka Oryang is a film that speaks about women’s part during these dark times. Ka Oryang is directed by Sari Lluch Dalena. Oryang, played by Alessandra de Rosi, is a student of the University of the Philippines who has been exposed to immersions in the countryside.

She became a medical volunteer that helped wounded fighters where she met Ka Noli, played by Joem Bascon, who became her boyfriend. Ka Oryang also discusses other societal issues during the Marcos era.

The film appeals to the audience by portraying women’s sufferings to protect men who were imprisoned by the military. This film will also take our minds off the typical women definition that women should be prim and proper.

SAKALING HINDI MAKARATING (2016)

Photo Credits to Nood: http://www.nood.ph/sakaling-hindi-makarating-review/

Another Alessandra movie takes our mind into traveling around the country. Cielo, Alessandra’s character, nurses her heavy and broken heart after a break-up. Postcards kept coming into her doors with artworks attached with each. She felt the love of the unknown author and decided to travel with the postcards as her guide.

This movie shares how a certain woman, just like many us, thirsts for love and self-love. Human as we are, love breaks us but finding ourselves will help us know ourselves better.

Sakaling Hindi Makarating also depicts that there are circumstances beyond our control and that each road of uncertainty is a taste of learning.

These films of different times show that women empowerment never stopped thriving.

Time will tell the story of how things have changed, but women empowerment and their role in the community development until today is never-changing. In fact, women’s struggles and fearlessness, as a microcosm to bigger societal issues, are continually discussed in modern times through films.

Related Topics:Feminism Feminist Films Filipino Films Women Empowerment

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Arts & Culture

Queer Coding in Cinema: The Best Shows to Binge for Pride Month 2025

compiled by Edge Javier

As Pride Month 2025 goes into full swing, the best way to celebrate LGBTQIA+ voices is with a binge-worthy lineup of shows that center queer stories, joy, love, resilience — and yes, of course, drama. From groundbreaking recent series to must-watch staples and fan favorites, here are the top shows to stream this June that reflect the vibrant spectrum of the queer-coded experience.

1. Heartstopper – Season 3 (Netflix)
Nick and Charlie are back, and the coming-of-age sweetness is stronger than ever. Season 3 explores deeper emotional territory while keeping the wholesome tone fans adore. Expect more queer joy, nuanced relationships, and tearjerker moments that feel like a warm hug.

2. Drag Me to Dinner (Hulu)
Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, this chaotic culinary competition pairs drag duos in a battle to throw the most fabulous themed dinner party. With outrageous challenges, surprise twists, and plenty of camp, queens serve up equal parts food, flair, and fierce shade. It’s RuPaul meets Top Chef—served with a side of sequins.

3. Queer Planet (Apple TV+)
Hosted by Janelle Monáe, this visually stunning docuseries dives into queerness in the animal kingdom and parallels in human identities. It’s smart, groundbreaking, and perfect for those who want to feel seen—and informed.

4. Fellow Travelers (Paramount+)
This period romance-drama set during the Lavender Scare continues to grip audiences with its tragic beauty and sharp historical insight. If you missed Season 1, now is the perfect time to catch up before the highly anticipated Season 2 lands later this year.

5. The Buccaneers – Season 2 (Apple TV+)
The unapologetically queer period drama returns with more scandal, sapphic yearning, and feminist rebellion among American heiresses navigating high society in 1870s London. Think Bridgerton, but with more edge and better sapphic representation.

6. Our Flag Means Death – The Finale Special (Max)
This fan-favorite pirate rom-com wraps up with a one-hour finale special airing this June. Whether you’re rewatching from the start or jumping into the last hurrah, this show remains a shining example of queer love told with heart and humor.

7. This Is Me Now… The Series (Prime Video)
Following Jennifer Lopez’s genre-blurring film-musical hybrid, the series version delves into themes of love, identity, and self-acceptance, and features cameos by queer icons and allies. It’s campy, messy, and made for Pride Month mood-boosting.

8. Sort Of – Final Season (Max)
This critically acclaimed dramedy about a gender-fluid millennial navigating love, grief, and identity in Toronto comes to a close with an emotionally rich final season. A thoughtful and often hilarious story that never loses its beating heart.

9. Red, White & Royal Blue – Limited Series (Prime Video)
After the hit film adaptation, the beloved queer romance returns in a serialized format, expanding on Alex and Henry’s story with new twists and deeper character arcs. It’s romantic escapism, elevated.

10. POSE: The Legacy (FX/Hulu)
This documentary miniseries honors the cultural legacy of POSE and the real-life ballroom legends who inspired it. Featuring interviews with cast, creators, and icons from the scene, it’s a must-watch tribute to queer history and resilience.

Whether you’re looking for laughter, tears, romance, or revolution, these Pride Month picks for 2025 offer it all—while honoring the complexity and beauty of LGBTQIA+ lives. So press play, turn up the volume, and let queer stories shine this June and beyond. Happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈

Arts & Culture

Chaos and Clarity: Zen Aesthetic in Oj Hofer’s Art

by Jing Ramos |

Oj Hofer, our fashion contributing editor, is a Fine Arts graduate from the University of the Philippines. Though he began painting at the age of eight, his artistic journey took a transformative turn in 2013. While volunteering as a costume designer for Siddhartha: The Musical, he encountered Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s One-Stroke Calligraphy, sparking a deep devotion to Japanese sumi-e painting and kanji calligraphy. Over the years, he refined his craft, using his art to share the Dharma through exhibitions while supporting the Hsing Yun Educational Foundation. In 2022, his spiritual path deepened at Nan Tien University, where he embraced Zen and Humanistic Buddhism, shaping his artistic philosophy.

“Plum Blossoms in Moonlight.” Serigraphy on abaca.

In his recent works, Hofer merges traditional calligraphy with serigraphy, drawing inspiration from his friend Charles Lahti—an internationally recognized New York-based painter and printmaker. Lahti, known for his collaborations with post-war American artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Donald Judd, Andy Warhol, and LeRoy Neiman, introduced Hofer to silkscreen techniques. Through a workshop Lahti conducted in Cebu—arranged by their mutual friend Greg Urra—Hofer integrated silkscreen into his Zen artworks, particularly those on abaca.

“The Circle of Harmony” Serigraphy and Calligraphy on abaca.

Hofer’s cross-disciplinary approach challenges conventional Zen aesthetics. His layered paintings on abaca may seem far from tranquil at first glance, but closer contemplation reveals a meditative core. His serigraph of an Enso circle, for example, initially appears chaotic, filled with Tang Dynasty poetry and overlapping, repetitive forms. Yet, by focusing on a single calligraphic element, the viewer experiences a moment of clarity—a glimpse of awakening within the visual complexity.

“Monkey Mind” Serigraphy and Calligraphy on abaca.

Even more engaging is his diptych Monkey Mind. At odds with the traditional Zen emphasis on negative space, this piece is deliberately busy, reflecting the restless nature of the mind. A distracted viewer may struggle to find a focal point, but one attuned to emptiness and presence will perceive clarity amidst the seeming disarray.

Ink and intention—creating calligraphy in support of one of my advocacies.

By fusing Zen philosophy with the discipline of serigraphy, Hofer invites his audience to look beyond surface impressions and discover stillness within movement, balance within complexity. His art does not merely depict Zen—it embodies the paradoxes at its core, offering a path to mindfulness through the act of seeing and the experience of doing.

Arts & Culture

What is Sappia? The Rice Myth Goddess of Bohol Who Helped Feed the People During a Great Famine

by Emma Gomez

The story began when the people of Bohol started to experience hunger and famine. All the livestocks were inedible and the fields were dried out leaving only weeds planted on the ground. The people prayed to the goddess of mercy, Sappia, to ask for food.

Sappia, the rice myth goddess of Bohol

Sappia, from the heavens, heard the cries of the people. She saw the dense population of weeds and offered to help them. Sappia thought of nourishing the weeds to be edible and healthy for the people of Bohol. Straightaway, she sprinkled the weed with milk from her bossom. She emptied each breast until blood came out. Before she left, she whispered to the weeds that they may be nourished and be able to feed the people.

When harvest season came, the people of Bohol quickly gathered the nourished weeds. They observed that the ones sprinkled with milk were white, while the other were red. They called the new plant rice and they replanted these in honor of Sappia, and for the people to devour.