1. Go Hard Girls: Nesthy Petecio Knocks Down Barriers
Go Hard Girls puts the spotlight on Filipina athletes who share the recognition they have received to uplift women in sports. In 2020, Ceej Tantengco talked to Nesthy Petecio, who was then fresh from her victory at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
“Buo ‘yung loob ko,” Petecio bravely recounts how she faced a full-grown male opponent publicly at just 11 years old and the result ended up in her favor. But at the dawn of Nesthy’s career, she was swallowed by darkness.
After China’s Yin Junhua won via a split decision at the 2018 SEA Games in Jakarta, Nesthy had to beat a greater enemy – depression. She fought it with the support of her family and team. Unbeknownst to everyone, she would become the first Filipino to win a medal at the Olympics for boxing in 2021.
Nesthy’s healing comes as a reminder that you don’t always have to appear strong. You are allowed to get emotional as long as you don’t let your thirst for a sense of fulfillment vanish whenever you don’t get the result you are hoping for.
2. Paano Ba 'To: Legends Only — Karen Davila
She shares her journey, from being a daughter who strove to help her parents make ends meet to rising from the unwarranted hate she gets for simply doing her job. She does not guarantee that following the exact path she took is the superior way for the youth to attain their ideal selves, and even acknowledges the differences between her generation and ours.
3. Wake Up With Jim & Saab: Through the Lens of Leni Robredo
Before podcasts were in the local scene’s loop, Jim Bacarro and Saab Magalona made waves with their pioneer series, Wake Up with Jim & Saab. Their channel gives a light-hearted spin to anecdotes that resonate with their “pod kids,” such as heartbreak and daily stressors, making their listeners feel like they are part of their “barkada.”
Once in a while, they also invite guests to give thoughts on various topics. To commemorate International Women’s Month this year, they conversed with Vice President Leni Robredo to speak her truths on being a mother, wife, public servant, and — to many people’s hearts — a “superwoman.”
Despite the praises she gets for her service, trolls abound on her feed, burying the minority who believe in her genuine desire to lead. VP Leni states that she chooses to swim against the current while immersed in a sea of bloodshed and hypocrisy, because her goal to see a better country overshadows her personal interests as a politician.
She remains as the last woman standing because of her belief that the grass can only be greener where you till the land. You can always flee, but if you don’t take up the responsibility to uphold what is right and wait a while as you toil, you might just miss the fruit before it blooms.
Read: 5 Underrated Superheroines Every Girl Should Know About
━━ Still from “Lost in Translation”
