Good GAD Award

AMONG THE HONORS RECEIVED BY DIREK GIL PORTES’ HOMECOMING AT LAST YEAR’S METRO MANILA FILM FESTIVAL was the Most Gender-Sensitive Award. Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte handed the trophy to an obviously thankful but confused Alessandra de Rossi, the film’s lead star.

The word "gender" sounds intelligent and sophisticated but few actually know what it means. The young actress is not alone in her confusion. Even fewer understood the thrust of the award–let alone the government office that sponsored it.

I knew gender was a complicated term. Some time ago, I became aware of the difference between gender and sex, after a UP mass communication professor gave us a 10-minute lecture on why survey forms should never use the word "gender" instead of "sex". Sex is biological–one is born either male or female; whereas gender has to do with perception and preference–some quarters include male, female, bisexual, transsexual and homosexual.

Gender and Development Resource and Coordinating Office (GADRCO) Executive Director Ruby Palma agrees: "Sex is biological and unique. It surpasses time and space. Gender is a socio-cultural application, perception, expectation of society. Kaya nga may stereotypes. That is why, kung hindi ka ganito, mahinhin, you are out of the norm (and) they call you tomboyish. Violence against women is a bias and a gender issue."

Ruby finds it no surprise the mention of "gender issues" instantly brings to mind sexual minorities such as women and homosexuals. That’s another bias that pervades Philippine society. But, with much effort, even that can change.

This is a three-year-old office," she explains. "Quezon City is the only city in the National Capital Region with this Gender Development Code and Office and Council. There is a law that mandates the implementation of a development concept which includes the values of gender equality and empowerment. One of the applications of the Gender and Development concept is to do away with traditional biases which disempower women and men. This involves both male and female because there are areas where males are also discriminated."

The GAD Code has rightfully equalized the importance of both parents during the births of their children. It has extended the paternity leave from work from seven to 14 days. Steps have also been made to protect the rights not only of female but also of male prostitutes during police raids. Discounting male issues in gender concerns is one of the biases the GAD Office is trying to correct.

"A lot of people are not aware of gender issues involving males. In the first place, there’s mortality. Mas mahaba ang buhay nating mga babae sa mga lalake. Why? Kasi society expects men not to cry or show emotion. So their emotional health is at risk. They’re also more exposed to dangerous work. Even in reproductive health, there are more women who undergo pap smears than men who undergo rectal exams.

"Yes, we have had more women complainants than men. There have been a few gays though. Doon siguro pumapasok yung lack of sensitivity. Nahihiya siguro sila to come out in the open kasi mawawala ang pagka-macho nila. This is true even for vasectomies. May libreng vasectomy dito pero for every 1,000 women who have tubal ligation, tatlo lang ang nagpapa-vasectomy. There is a need for more education on the male side of the equation, that they too are sexual transmitters of diseases. Dapat magpa-examine din sila sa hygiene clinics. Hindi dapat na puro female GROs and prostitutes lang ang nagpapa-examine. That is part of the machismo complex na inaalis ng GAD."

The issue of gender goes even further. "Sexual violence is not limited only to women and gays," Palma continues. "Dyan papasok ang Anti-Rape bill. The new bill has been re-worded such that even men can now press charges of rape. Pero kokonti pa din ang nagre-report dahil sa machismo nga. Nahihiya sila o nadi-discriminate sila. Pero talagang mas madaming disadvantaged na babae of course."

It can’t be denied that women’s issues generated interest in the creation of a GAD Code. NGOs concerned with women’s rights saw the need for gender and development. Leading the pack were then representative for women Justice Leonor Luciano and the Sentro ng Manggagawang Filipina headed by Palma. Ordinance 821 (in 1999) first granted assistance to Sentro for its GAD-related information and training activities. Two years later, Ordinance 1036, which was also known as the QC GAD Ordinance, established the GAD Council, a gender coordinating and resource office with its own budget.

The meager budget is being used for an awareness campaign that includes free Gender Sensitivity Training (interested parties can inquire at the GAD Office located inside the Quezon City Hall Compound), the collection and dissemination of a gender responsive statistical system (statistics now indicate population distribution according to gender) and the publication of We Connect, a free quarterly tabloid on gender issues which is the first of its kind in the country.

Then, of course, the highlight of this year is the second Gender-Sensitivity Award at the Metro Manila Film Festival which went to Aishite Imasu starring Judy Ann Santos and directed by Joel Lamangan. The honor comes with a cash prize of P50,000 and a trophy by feminist artist Sandra Torrijos. Made from mango wood, the artwork "symbolizes the triumph of both women and men in the Filipino film industry in promoting gender sensitivity in their film. This awareness in creating such films will in turn have an influence and change in the community."

Palma admits they had little time to prepare for the first Gender-Sensitivity Award at last year’s MMFF. Everything happened so quickly the public was caught unaware by this special award.

"The idea was born in this office. We have a young staff that came up with the idea. That was first week of December. We crept into the presscon for the Metro Manila Film Festival and presented the concept right there. We gave them a 10-minute gender sensitivity training and they liked it. In a matter of a week’s time, we chose the three jurors and went ahead with screenings," she recalls.

Homecoming was the unanimous choice of jurors who considered the film, the tale of a Filipina OFW afflicted with SARS and ostracized by her community, as a fitting vehicle espousing gender equality and empowerment. The film was given the Most Gender-Sensitive Award with little if any explanation for the choice.

There were those who wondered why Crying Ladies, the MMFF Film of the Year, did not bag the special award as well. Palma is quick to say it placed second to Homecoming.

"Kaya lang mas pinili ang Homecoming kasi ipinakita ang buong community. How the traditional values exist amid transformative elements. Tapos empowered pa siya sa end."

Jurors for this year’s Most Gender Sensitive Film Award were Judge Teodoro Bay, Out-standing Gender Judge awardee in 2004 for the gender-sensitive practice of his profession; Jerry Respeto, assistant professor at Ateneo de Manila University and former president of the Young Critics Circle Film Desk; Dr. Amar Torres, chair of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women; Anna Leah Sarabia, producer, director, scriptwriter and women’s advocate; GADRCO’s Ruby Palma and Lee Topacio.

The first thing the board of jurors did was to improve on the criteria for judging. Speaking for the board of jurors, Respeto explains that a movie is judged based on what it aims to say and how the message is conveyed. The two main criteria include three crucial aspects.

First is the representation of the film’s characters, whether or not it accurately portrays gender roles, like men and women for example, rather than stereotypes.

The next is the realism of the characters–if they are believable enough to exist in real life. The third aspect comes in in case of a tie, where they review the immediacy of the issues tackled by the movie. "Last year, napaka-immediate yung issue ng SARS," Jerry says. "Kaya siguro nanalo sa mga hurado ang Homecoming ni Gil Portes."

The second part of the criteria comprise the technical aspects of the movie like direction, screenplay, acting cinematograpy, production design and sound–the usual guidelines of award-giving bodies. As a critic, Jerry says that these elements are very important in determining the overall quality of the film. "Dapat may organic unity. Dapat nagbe-blend yan."

Adding prestige to the award is the possibility of going international. Internet sources have failed to name any similar film award honoring gender sensitivity. Palma reveals that there are now moves to invite an Asia-Pacific film production to hold an international film festival in Quezon City, legally known as our local City of Stars. During such an event, the Quezon City’s Most Gender Sensitive Film Award will be given to a foreign film.