All about women

To mark International Wo-men’s Day, the UN Development Fund for Women, National Committee for UNIFEM, headed by Georgitta P. Puyat, held a meeting at the Manila Polo Club. Its theme was "Gender Equality: Building a More Secure Future", with emphasis on such issues as development, human rights, security and disasters.

"International Women’s Day gave recognition to every woman for the gains and accomplishments of the movement to advance the condition of the world’s women against feminized poverty, gender-based violence and inequality."

SC Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide Jr., who was guest of honor and speaker at the event, was conferred the first honorary membership to UNIFEM Philippines.

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To celebrate the centennial of the Feminist Movement in the Philippines, the Cultural Center of the Philippines published a book on 100 Filipino Women Artists edited by Leonarda Navato Camacho. The book contains messages from President Arroyo, Nestor Jardin and Fernando Josef, CCP president and vice president, respectively, and each artist’s complete bio-data.

Among the artists included are, in random order, Paz Singson Abad-Santos, Julie Lluch, Yasmin Almonte, Tita Lacambra Ayala, Rosario Bitanga, Mailah D. Baldemor Balde, Impy Pilapil, Ivi Avellana Cosio, Baidy Mendoza, Susan Fetalvero Roces, Imelda Cajipe Endaya, Araceli Limcaco Dans, Remy Boquiren Concepcion, Teresita Mapua and Maria Victoria Rufino.

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I quote from an Alliance Francaise announcement: "After a successful performance at the RCBC Plaza auditorium last March 2, Alliance Francaise de Manille will present the second run of Dramatis Personae’s production of Eva Peron – a madly hilarious satire by the late Argentine playwright and cartoonist, Copi.

"The company stages the Filipino version of the dark comedy that shows Copi’s disdain for the late Evita Peron who has been recognized as a beacon of inspiration during her husband’s reign over Argentina. Dramatis Personae’s director Lito Casaje translates the play (originally written in French) into Filipino for its open-air ‘picnic recital’ at the Puerto Real Inner Garden, Intramuros which is made possible through the support of the Intramuros Administration and the Tourism Department.

"During the play’s initial run (in English), audiences were treated to a display of the unexpected, sounding off bursts of laughter as Copi’s version of the final hours of Evita’s life unfolded. Superb portrayals from Dingdong Rosales as the vain, neurotic and distraught Eva Peron, and Gio Respall, Eva’s clueless foxy blonde nurse who idolizes her, entertained the packed theatre with spontaneous antics and spirit. Veteran actors Daniel Robert Magisa, Alfonso Deza and Linda Lupton also star in this story of love, submission, greed, and deception. Costumes are by Frederick Peralta; jewelry, by French designer Muriel Biraghi.

"Eva Peron will be on a first-come-first-served basis on Friday, March 18. AF invites all interested parties to join the picnic at the Puerto Real Inner Garden. Baskets of French delicacies and wine, as well as picnic blankets, will be available from 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m."

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I have just received a copy of a book review by Anthoni Patel which appeared in an unidentified US newspaper. Patel reviews "Mayor of the Roses," a book written by Marianne Villanueva, daughter of celebrated concert pianist Nena R. Villanueva. The review follows:

"An appropriate marketing scheme for Bay Area resident Marianne Villanueva’s collection of short stories, Mayor of the Roses, would be to offer a coupon for a cocktail with each copy; you will need something to lift your spirits.

"Don’t let the title fool you – there is nothing remotely flowery about this book. In fact, the said mayor rapes a young beauty queen for thrills. Sound harsh? Then brace yourself, because that’s just the first story in a volume of haunting tales about characters (largely hailing from the Philippines) experiencing loss, isolation and insecurity.

"But even though the stories are disheartening, that doesn’t mean they are not worth reading. Indeed, with the exception of two stories (the weakest link is Extinction, which reads like an encyclopedia passage), the collection is perfected prose crafted so richly it’s difficult to discern whether the author created a memoir or a fictional account. From the sharply written Selena, which delves into the life of an aging husband on the verge of cheating on his wife, to Lenox Hill, December 1991, a powerful piece about a character coping with the sudden illness of a sister, each piece grips you and doesn’t let go until you’ve closed the book.

"Mayor of the Roses is essentially about strangers living in a strange land, whether that land is the Bay Area, New York or simply their own skin."