Three Days Until the 1st Malate Food Festival!

Just three more days until the first Malate Food Festival. Participating establishments along Orosa and Nakpil streets will be featuring specialty dishes by the restaurant and bar owners and their respective chefs. Best of all, the street event itself is completely FREE!

The food festival starts at 05:00pm on March 16, 2013. For more information, you can check out the official Facebook event page.

The Malate Food Festival an event by the Malate Business Association.

Task Force Pride needs you!

Do you want to help promote positive visibility for LGBTs? Task Force Pride needs you!

Task Force Pride will have an orientation for new volunteers on Sunday, March 17 at 3pm in Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig.

Sign up as a TFP volunteer at http://bit.ly/JoinTFP

(We're not really crazy. Chika lang 'yun.)

An interview with Bernadette Neri, author of 'Ang Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin'

As a small way of celebrating International Women's Day, here is an excerpt from a Kalatas feature article about one very remarkable woman: Prof. Bernadette Neri, author of the groundbreaking children's book, Ang Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin.

Hindi katulad ng mga nakasanayang kuwentong pambata, si Ikaklit (salitang Bontok para sa sunflower o mirasól) ay may dalawang nanay, sina Nay Daisy at Nay Lilia. Isinasalaysay ng panguhing tauhan ang masaya nilang pamumuhay at kung paano nila naresolba ang tunggalian ng kuwento nang nagsimula nang pumasok si Ikaklit sa paaralan at nakisalamuha sa iba pang bata. Dahil itinuturing na “hindi normal” ang pamilyang kinabibilangan ni Ikaklit, madalas siyang niloloko at kinukutya ng kanyang mga kaklase–“Siguro tomboy ang mga nanay mo!”, “E di putok ka lang sa buho!”, at kung ano-ano pa. Ginamit na pananalinghaga ng kuwento ang paghahambing ng iba’t ibang klase ng pamilya sa iba’t ibang klase ng mga bulaklak sa kanilang hardin. Sa huli, kinapitan ng batang Ikaklit ang sinabi ng kanyang Nay Lilia, “Hindi mahalaga kung sino ang nagtanim sa mga punla. At hindi rin mahalaga kung babae ba o lalaki ang nag-aalaga ng mga ito. Ang importante ay kung paano ito inaarugang mabuti.”

In the interview, Professor Neri answered questions on the inspiration behind Ikaklit, challenges to publishing the book, and how its audience received the story.

Task Force Pride Philippines presented Professor Neri the first Gawad Ikaklit during last year's Metro Manila Pride March. Gawad Ikaklit recognizes groundbreaking achievements that positively impacts LGBTs.


Task Force Pride would like to give one huge hug to all women: our mothers, sisters, daughters, nieces, grandmas, aunts, neighbors, mentors, colleagues, bosses, and friends who, one way or another, impact our lives in subtle and significant ways. Just like the women of Ikaklit, they add color and meaning to the garden of our lives.

Source: K Magazine: Interviews: Bernadette Villanueva Neri
Kalatas is the official publication of the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL), the largest organization of Filipino writers in the country.