The aim of the aforementioned competition was to exhibit literary works from the defense workplace that can bring inspiration to Filipino women with five winners being chosen and rewarded with cash prizes. However, full copyright of their literary works will be surrendered to NDCP.
Being a writer, I jumped on the opportunity to take part in NDCP's Literary Contest. Although I am no stranger to these kinds of competitions, the fact that it has been a while since I participated in one made me worry a bit. The last time I received an award for a literary composition was back in 2007 for my column entitled "Lone Opinion", which is obviously where this blog got its name from.
After getting past the worrying stage, I had to decide what kind of literary piece I will be submitting for the abovementioned contest. With little time on my hands, I decided to write a poem. Fortunately, my entry entitled "Rightfully Hers" made it into the top five. The entirety of the said poem can be seen below and is being posted on Lone Opinion with consent from Ms. Joan Sayosa, Gender and Development Research Officer, NDCP.
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Although I did not finish in the top three, I still feel pretty good about my work since this was the first time I entered a poem to a literary contest and it won. My thanks to Ms. Sayosa and the people at NDCP for recognizing my efforts and for initiatives that promote not only women's rights but literature as well. More power to NDCP and to women around the world.
(A reminder to anyone who wants to post or share Rightfully Hers on social media, you have to seek consent from NDCP before posting it. As mentioned above, the copyright to the said poem has been surrendered to NDCP)
Being a writer, I jumped on the opportunity to take part in NDCP's Literary Contest. Although I am no stranger to these kinds of competitions, the fact that it has been a while since I participated in one made me worry a bit. The last time I received an award for a literary composition was back in 2007 for my column entitled "Lone Opinion", which is obviously where this blog got its name from.
After getting past the worrying stage, I had to decide what kind of literary piece I will be submitting for the abovementioned contest. With little time on my hands, I decided to write a poem. Fortunately, my entry entitled "Rightfully Hers" made it into the top five. The entirety of the said poem can be seen below and is being posted on Lone Opinion with consent from Ms. Joan Sayosa, Gender and Development Research Officer, NDCP.
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Rightfully
Hers
Mother,
daughter, sister and wife,
The
very definition of a woman’s life.
Or
at least that’s what it used to be,
Until
the world started thinking differently.
Nowadays
females can be so much more,
The
passing of time opened more than one door.
Looking
back, it has come a long way,
The
rights of women then are different today.
In
the past, some women cannot partake in elections[1],
Be
it as voter or candidate, they had limitations.
There
were societies where they were deprived of education[2],
And
working strictly inside the house was a normal restriction.
But
now, the human race has moved past such nonsense,
And
realized that we underestimated a woman’s essence.
Because
the jobs and tasks that can be done by males,
Can
also be performed with ease by females.
In
addition, education is now a must for all,
Regardless
of gender, whether you’re big or small.
Aside
from being able to elect their leaders,
Most
women can now become presidents or rulers.
However,
there are still things left undone,
And
changes won’t occur if actions taken are none.
Some
ladies are still discriminated,
While
others are abused and violated.
And
even in modern times, there are still societies,
Where
women are treated as properties or commodities[3].
When
talking about a woman’s rights, one thing is evident,
They
may be better now but they still need improvement.
We
must keep working at it though the order seems tall,
****************
Although I did not finish in the top three, I still feel pretty good about my work since this was the first time I entered a poem to a literary contest and it won. My thanks to Ms. Sayosa and the people at NDCP for recognizing my efforts and for initiatives that promote not only women's rights but literature as well. More power to NDCP and to women around the world.
(A reminder to anyone who wants to post or share Rightfully Hers on social media, you have to seek consent from NDCP before posting it. As mentioned above, the copyright to the said poem has been surrendered to NDCP)
