Blog – Pinay Collection

Jun 25, 2025

“Bakla Ka Ba?” and Other Ways Filipino Culture Polices Gender

Photo by Bahaghari Philippines The Joke That Isn’t Funny A little boy picks up a Barbie doll. An uncle snickers and says, “Bakla ka ba?” (Are you gay?)A teenage girl prefers wearing basketball shorts instead of dresses. A tita remarks,...

Jun 20, 2025

End the People’s Calvary: In Solidarity with Extrajudicial Killings Victims and the Urban Poor in the Philippines

Photo credit: ABS CBN News APRIL 16, 2025 | The urban poor organization Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY), led a processional march along España Boulevard headed to Mendiola in Manila City for their annual “Kalbaryo ng Maralita” (Calvary of the...

Jun 20, 2025

The 2025 Philippine Midterm Elections: A Democratic Crisis Marred by Fraud, Red-Tagging, and Systemic Failures

Photo credit: Lisa Marie David via Reuters Is democracy still alive in the Philippines or just a performance rigged to favor the powerful? The 2025 midterm elections, once hailed as a chance to recalibrate the nation’s future, instead unveiled a...

Jun 12, 2025

The Philippines was released from Spanish colonization 127 years ago, but are Filipinos truly independent today?

Photo credit: BBC The Philippines commemorates its 127th Independence Day on June 12, 2025, a day that honors the “historic” declaration of independence from Spanish colonial rule in 1898. While this day symbolizes Filipino courage, unity, and the long struggle...

Jun 09, 2025

The Legacy of Colonial Borders: Exploitation and the Path to International Solidarity

Borders, as we know them today, are largely a product of colonial history. Pre-colonial societies had territorial perceptions in terms of cultural, linguistic, and ecological zones. However, European colonialism introduced strict, artificial lines to meet economic and political objectives. These...