Sining Filipina: Empowering Women Through Art

In his poem that was first published in 1865, William Ross Wallace wrote, "The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world." To paraphrase that, we say, "A woman's delicate hand that holds a paintbrush is the hand that can change the world."

- CHING M. ALANO

At the height of the pandemic, a lot of women found themselves with so much time on their hands.

Then an idea sparked in the mind of Joanne Zapanta-Andrada, president of Zonta Club of Makati & Environs (ZCME). "Why not an art competition strictly for women, which we've never had in the country before?"

She asserts, "Women have so much power, they have so much vision, they have so much to say but do not have the platform in which to express their human experiences."

ART WITH A HEART

Thus was born Sining Filipina last year - yes, to give women a platform to express their creativity and shine a light on their art as a catalyst for social change.

"The number of entries we received last year was surprising because we gave them a very small window to be able to send their artworks," relates an overwhelmed Joanne. "We were inundated with inquiries. Apart from asking questions, they would voluntarily share their stories which were all heartwarming."