These 'ginangs' shine as role models

MANILA, Philippines – Women have indeed come a long way from the time of our grandparents. The Filipino word “ginang,” commonly used to describe a married woman, also connotes characteristics beyond her marital status: Today’s ginangs are career women, wives, mothers, entrepreneurs, and are active members of their communities. And that’s all in a day’s work!

The ginangs of today are empowered by their own choices and achievements. They know that to take care of their families, they must also take care of themselves first; that to be good mothers to their children, they must also be good wives to their husbands; that if they want to help change society, they must start in their own communities. 

This is what Ginang Alaska is all about. It is a community-based annual search for modern Filipino mothers inspired by the tradition of Santacruzan. It is not a mere beauty or talent contest, but a search for women who can inspire others.

The contest was started in 2003 in nine areas as “Alaska Ginang Reyna ng Santacruzan,” and in the beginning attracted only homemakers or traditional stay-at-home moms. Today, renamed “Ginang Alaska,” the contest is in 30 areas nationwide and attracts women with diverse backgrounds — from mothers of toddlers to those with teenagers, from engineers to teachers to stay-at-home moms. Two years ago, it also incorporated a scholarship grant for a short course for the grand winner to help further her skills.

As a tribute to these ginangs, Alaska is featuring their inspiring stories in its new campaign “Alagang Alaska.”

It Takes A Village

The ginangs are of different ages, backgrounds and from provinces around the Philippines. What they have in common is that they are all mothers, wives, and active members in their barangays.

The ginangs were judged based on their personality, achievements, culinary skills and popularity, and were also interviewed by a panel. Think of it as an achievement contest for mothers whose devotion to their families extends to their communities, and as such, Alaska included their barangays in the contest by giving cash prizes to the groups that generated the most number of labels for their candidates.

Ginang Baguio Alda de Vera, mother to four kids, donated waiting sheds to her community as a way of giving back when her small business grew. Ginang Roxas Janeth Ureta teaches catechism every summer for a month and helps in feeding the kids; she also helps raise donations to buy gifts for the kids for their graduation. Ginang Davao Maricel Makino and Ginang Sariaya Yvette Bunao are both active in their communities and churches, especially during fiestas when everybody is enjoined to do their share in organizing and raising donations. Ginang Cebu Navigail Cabahug is looking forward to eventually joining the church choir in the community where she and her family moved only a year ago.

Strengthening Family Ties

Alda says the only sacred rule in their house is that every Sunday the family should be together. They attend Mass together, they eat, and they bond. “Sunday is family day for us,” she says. The kids have their time for their friends, but Sunday is their time for catching up and strengthening their relationship with one another.

Alda is also an entrepreneur. She started her business in 1999 by renting a small stall to sell banana cue, palamig, and other snacks to students. Her stall was located in the middle of a row of stores; after a few months she got the rights to rent the space on the right side, and a few more months she rented the one on her left. In six months, she was able to pay off the P60,000 loan she got from a cooperative. From one to three stalls, her business expanded to five stalls — enough space to open an eatery serving budget meals to students. Today, she has three branches in Baguio City.

As for her parenting style, Alda says, “My children tell me their secrets. Sometimes even things that they don’t want their papa to know, they tell me.  They consider me their friend. There are times I am lenient with them, but when I find out that they did something wrong I make sure that I talk to them before disciplining them. When I am angry, quiet muna ako. I keep telling them I do these things not for my own sake, but for theirs.”

Ginang Davao Maricel Makino describes her mothering style as “malambing.” She says, “I am a disciplinarian pero di ako masungit.”

Her son is only three years old but this early Maricel is helping him build his self-confidence with encouraging words because “matalino talaga siya,” and she always reminds him to respect his elders, and to love God.

“I’m like his big sister,” she says. “Tamang balanse ng lambing — pag umiiyak or naiinip siya — at disiplina pag may nagawa naman siyang mali. Pag pangatlo or pang apat na at inuulit pa rin, mapapagalitan na yon.”

Maricel knows only too well the challenges of these modern times as her husband is working abroad. “Mahirap magpalaki ng anak na mag-isa ka lang,” she says, but she is grateful that today’s technology allows her to communicate easily with her husband. “We communicate through cell phone and computer. Mahirap na lumalaki ang anak ko nang di siya nakikita.”

To Ginang Roxas Janeth Ureta, being a good mother is not just about providing what her husband and two children need — she also wanted to be a role model to her kids. But how could she teach her children self-confidence when she herself was very shy and “hindi ako bilib sa sarili ko?”

So she mustered enough courage to join Ginang Alaska. When she asked her husband, he said no. But her children, ages 14 and 12, told her to do it and they wouldn’t tell their dad — yet. Imagine his surprise when he found out that she not only joined Ginang Alaska but that she won! “He was very proud that I won,” she says. “During the contest, may halo siyang saya at kaba.”

On raising children, Janeth says one must have rules and hers include the kids doing their homework when they arrive home from school, and limited TV watching on school days. “They have time for play and time to go out. I give them space naman, but disiplina din. We bond a lot, parang magkakapatid lang kami. Minsan napapalo ko sila but I explain why I do it.”

Ginang Sariaya Yvette Bunao describes herself as a “cool mom” and you can ask her kids and they would say the same thing. She married young and now has three children, including a teenage daughter, whom she treats as a younger sister.

Yvette joined Ginang Alaska when her fellow moms in a nursery school encouraged her and she placed third the first time. This time, she won first. “When I joined, na tense ako. Inisip ko na lang, maganda ako sa kanilang lahat,” she laughs. 

Now that she has a teenage daughter, Yvette is filled with trepidation because the times are different from when she was growing up; life for teenagers is different. “I keep telling my children that not everybody who marries young ends up with a successful marriage and family life. And it’s better that they finish their studies and have a career before getting married.”

For Ginang Cebu Navigail Cabahug, the youngest winner at 25 years old, it was a welcome surprise that a contest was being held among married women with children. When she was single, Navigail used to join beauty contests. “I thought that phase of my life was over, then I heard about Ginang Alaska, so I joined.”

Navigail works in a call center and takes care of her three-year-old daughter Maria Alexandra. “My husband was very supportive of me when I joined; he even attended the rehearsals with me.”

Mothers As Daughters

Alda was raised both by her mother and her grandmother (she lived with her grandmother from the time she was nine years old to college) and has found joy in rebonding with her mother in her adulthood as mommy now lives with her.

She has had two role models to look up to as far as motherhood is concerned. Alda says, “I think a good mother fulfills her obligations to her family, makes sure the kids have what they need. You always want to give the best to them, especially things you did not have when growing up.”

Navigail, who grew up with three other siblings, is grateful for the kind of relationship they had with their mom. “When we were growing up, we saw her as our friend. We respected her, but we didn’t fear her. We felt we could tell her anything, di kami nahihiya sa kanya. I want this kind of a relationship for me and my daughter as well.”

Maricel’s own relationship with her mother taught her to be a good mother to her own son. “My mother is my friend. Mapagmahal siya, maunawain sa lahat ng bagay.  During times of difficulty she’s there for me, di ako pinapabayaan. And she keeps reminding me to be myself.”

Janeth’s mom lives with her family and Janeth says that she’s trying to teach her kids everything that her mother taught her. “My mom taught me to do the right thing, to respect people and elders.”

Yvette says that a Ginang Alaska represents a complete woman: She is a good daughter, a sister, a mother and a wife. “She takes care not just of her kids but also her husband.” She also points out that she must take care of herself: “Maasikaso not just about her family, but also about her own appearance whether she’s a young mom or an old mom. Beauty pa rin kahit may edad na, kasi pagmamalaki ka ng anak mo!”

Pinoy Traditions

Ginang Alaska is a contest based on the tradition of the Santacruzan, celebration of St. Helena finding the cross of Christ in Cavalry. In today’s times, participating women represent characteristics such as justice, respect, virtue and faith. It also represents our own cultural traditions.

Of all the Filipino traditions that have somehow been forgotten these days, the five Ginang Alaska want to bring back respect for elders, devotion to God and family, saying po and opo, and ligaw bahay or children receiving visitors at home instead of going out on dates and away from their parents’ protective eyes.

“As parents we want to know that our kids are safe,” says Yvette, who makes it a point to know who her kids hang out with.

Maricel says one thing she wants to see back in Filipino families today is having God in the center of their lives. “I know we all have different religions, but I hope that the tradition of faith will not be forgotten. We saw it in our parents and grandparents — and they probably wouldn’t have been able to keep their families intact without God or raise us the way they did without God. Bago tayo gumawa ng isang bagay, isipin muna natin kung ang bagay na iyon ay kagustuhan ng Diyos.”

Culinary Skills

Ginang Alaska also provided a platform for the women to display their culinary skills. They were asked to cook using Alaska Milk. Yvette cooked chicken a la king. She tasted a version of the dish at French Baker and loved it, so she went home and concocted her own recipe until she perfected it. “I really love to cook cream-based pasta like carbonara. And I love experimenting with different recipes.”

Alda cooked her favorite recipe: Tuna carbonara. “Everything that I cook is my own recipe. I experiment a lot until it’s perfect. Then again when it comes to the students meals in my business, I have to check if they can afford it.”

Maricel cooked a different thing: tortang talong with Alaska Milk. It brings her back to those days when they didn’t have much — but they had a vegetable garden where her mother grew malunggay, talong and kalabasa, among other plants. “When we didn’t have money my mom would say, ‘Anong gusto niyong gulay?’ And we’d always say tortang talong, but mine is different now, I put milk with the beaten egg.”

Navigail was apprehensive when she found out that there would be cooking involved. “I’m not much of a cook,” she admits. So she turned to the woman they call “lola,” who cooked for them when she was growing up. “I asked her if she knew any recipes based on milk.” The lola suggested pork steak with Alaska Milk — not a very common dish — and Navigail practiced cooking it at home only the night before the contest!

In their everyday lives, these ginangs are accomplishing much at home and in their communities. As Navigail points out, “Women today are not the same as they were before, when they were content with being full-time mothers. Women and their roles in society have evolved; they can now do what men can do. And that’s very good news for all of us.”