Meet the Fearless Filipinas, the 12 Women Who Dared to Be Different

What is fearless to you?

For me, it's being a mother, a wife. 

In March 2012, my husband took a job in Region II, which is located in the northeastern section of Luzon Island.

We'd only been to Baguio for vacations, the farthest we'd been to that time. We were indeed under a lot of pressure as we only got a week to pack up our entire home, selling our stuff ( believe me, it took only days), the 12-hour unpleasant drive through the mountains ( plus huge boxes in the back seat), sending my three kids to a new place and school. 

My kids were so young then but they never showed fear about this huge change (I guess they got it from their mama). Change may be stressful but it can be a good thing nonetheless. Fearless for me is teaching the kids to endure change, even when it terrifies you.  

Just like what Ms. Merlee Jayme, the “chairmom” and chief creative officer of Dentsu Jayme Syfu, said during the book launch of Fearless Filipinas, it's okay to be afraid, to have fears. What makes us fearless is we get to overcome it or finding a way to get out of your comfort zone. Comfort zone tells you that you don't want to grow anymore and contented where you are. You abhor change. Being fearless is getting out of that and finding a new world out there to learn things from and get more capabilities that you've never had before. 

The above message was the key takeaway from the recently concluded book launch of Fearless Filipinas: 12 Women Who Dared to Be Different, the latest publication from online bookstore Bookshelf PH, which specializes in business books and other non-fiction titles. 

Although March is National Women’s Month here in the Philippines, the message that women can do anything and everything they set their mind to should be a point of emphasis in media, especially literature. Filipina women need more heroes, so they can see and realize that there are no limits to what they can aspire to. 

The book launch took place virtually on March 29, featuring a panel discussion involving most of the women featured in the book such as Kim Lato, Elda Rotor, Kaizen Dela Serna, Erika Legara, Jessica Cox, Jessie Sincioco, Dzi Gervacio, and Asia Jackson.

Those featured in Fearless Filipinas were chosen for how they defied various odds and excelled in fields such as business, entertainment, sports, activism, and much more. The stories shared in the book lend insights on how to succeed as a woman leader, the importance of grit & resilience, and overcoming women-centric issues such as sexism and harassment. 

From renowned actress and philanthropist Angel Locsin to astrophysicist Dr. Reina Reyes and renowned ballet dancer Stella Abrera and more, it is the aim of every feature included in the book to send a message to young Filipinas everywhere that although they may meet many challenges on the way to achieving their dreams, there is no shortage of real-life examples out there showcasing Filipina excellence for them to draw inspiration from. 

To further augment the message, a foreword from Vice President Leni Robredo is also included in the book outlining the importance of celebrating women’s fearlessness especially in the midst of an unprecedented crisis.

“While all of the women featured here hail from different fields, they are all united in their demonstration of ‘fearlessness’ in the face of adversity, prejudice, or even the status quo. Celebrating their lives—and indeed, their individual moments of fearlessness—should serve as a rallying cry to all women: We are all capable of the courage it takes to achieve unprecedented greatness,” wrote VP Robredo.

Actress and philanthropist Angel Locsin also expressed her pride at being included in the book. 

“Often, we only see Filipinas celebrated once they’re successful,” Locsin said. “Yet the beauty of ‘Fearless Filipinas’ is that it’s a dive into what Filipinas had to overcome to get to where they are today - it takes our stories back to when we were just starting out and full of doubt. But no matter what these challenges are, we all can get through them and you can too with courage, hard work and determination."

All of the accomplished Filipina women featured in the book are as follows:

Angel Locsin, film and TV actress and philanthropist

Dr. Reina Reyes, the Princeton PhD who confirmed Einstein’s theory of relativity

Kim Lato, the founder and CEO of Kimstore, one of the pioneering e-commerce retailers in the Philippines

Elda Rotor, the Vice President and Publisher of Penguin Classics who brought Filipino authors like Nick Joaquin to a global audience

Kaizen Dela Serna, a Southeast Asian Games gold medalist in the burgeoning sport of obstacle course racing (OCR)

Erika Legara, a physicist who founded the Asian Institute of Management’s Master of Science in Data Science program

Stella Abrera, the first Filipina American Principal Dancer of the American Ballet Theatre, playing roles such as Juliet, Giselle, and Princess Aurora

Jessica Cox, a motivational speaker and the world’s first licensed armless pilot and blackbelt in the American Taekwondo Association

Jessie Sincioco, the President of The Manna Cuisine Corporation and the chef who served Pope Francis on his visit to the Philippines in 2015

Dzi Gervacio, co-founder of the Beach Volleyball Republic (BVR) and a SEA Games beach volleyball bronze medalist

Asia Jackson, a Filipina American actress in Hollywood who started the #MagandangMorenx movement to combat colorism in the Filipino community

Merlee Jayme, the “chairmom” and chief creative officer of dentsu jayme syfu

The book was written by Monica Padillo, Pancho Dizon, and Mica Magsanoc; edited by Kyle Nate, and illustrated by Chloe Gaw. According to the team, they consider their work on the book their contribution to Filipina history. The team has also expressed that they will continue telling more stories that celebrate the achievements of various Filipinas in the future, pointing out that the 12 covered in “Fearless Filipinas” is only the tip of the iceberg. 

“Although completing the launch of ‘Fearless Filipinas’ was certainly satisfying, our team looks forward to turning it into a series that shines a light on even more examples of what Filipinas are capable of,” said co-author Monica Padillo. “Knowing that readers gain inspiration from it and are driven towards achieving their dreams certainly keeps us going.”

Those interested in getting their hands on their own copy of “Fearless Filipinas” can do so here: https://bookshelf.com.ph/pages/fearless-filipinas?utm_source=publications&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=fearless_filipinas_press_conference

ABOUT BOOKSHELF PH 

Bookshelf PH aims to promote great Filipino books in fiction and non-fiction. The goal is to produce a rich literature that will contribute to individual empowerment, and in the aggregate, nation-building. At the core of these aspirations is the belief that the surest and simplest path to personal and professional growth is through reading.