#cat-call

Hi, so today, I did a very unusual move in my entire 17 years of existence (lol may ganon pa talaga.) Few months had passed when I posted/shared a link of someone's status on FB about the girls'/women's concern being cat-called. Like, MOST of the time, we would really encounter this scenario. Required na ata sa mga babae 'yun e. Isang requirement nga hinding-hindi mo magugustuhan kahit kailan. This was the summary of my story: I was from school that time, at kakagising ko lang kasi nakakaantok ang biyahe. While walking inside the village I saw again this unfinished house. It's just near the guardhouse because as you enter the village, you'll see it agad. Observation #1: I checked it again if nandoon na naman yung mga karpintero and nandoon nga. Observation #2: I'm waiting them to cat-call me for the second time. I dare myself na if this happened twice, papatulan ko na sila. Observation #3: While passing by, aba, himala. Wala... Ah, teka, may naririnig ata ako. (Sige lakad lang, confirm mo muna) Boom, meron nga. Nalagpasan ko na yung house pero binalikan ko ulit. Nag-beastmode na ko. Tinanong ko kung sinong tumatawag sakin, tinuro nung isa yung isa. Naglakad na ako papuntang guard house. Tinawag ko yung guard para malaman niya and as much as possible, for him to witness the incidence. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero pag sobrang climax na galit ko nanginginig ako at pwede nang mag breakdown anytime. Nangyari nga. Pinipigilan ko maiyak. Gusto kong makita nila na ang "batang" katulad ko, alam ang karapatan niya. Di lang bilang isang estudyante, kundi bilang isang babae rin. So ayun, yung way ng pananalita ko pagalit na. "Kuya, ano bang trip mo?" "Kung gusto niyo ng respeto marunong din kayong rumespeto. Kung sa inyo balewala lang yung nangyari sakin big deal kasi nabastos ako. Gusto niyo bang mangyari to sa anak niyong babae? Nanahimik kaming mga residente dito tapos gaganyanin niyo." Mostly yan ang mga sinabi ko. Yung ibang karpintero, may paki sa sinasabi ko. Yung isa tumango, doon ko na-feel na baka may anak tong babae. Pero yung taong nambastos sakin, nakangiti, saying na "Walang nang-aano diyan..." Sobrang frustrated na ko pero pinigilan ko na sarili ko magsalita ulit. Ending: Naabutan ako ni ate sa daan riding with her car. She asked what happened, I said they did it again for the second time. She informed the OIC (officer-in-charge) of the village and the OIC said that they'll inform the foreman and if it happened again, tatanggalin na sila. First time, nagsalita ako para sa sarili ko sa di ko kakilalang mga tao. Pero it's a democratic right to say what you feel. Hindi naman talaga ko namamatol talaga. I can contain what I feel. Pero minulat ako ng kapatid ko, unconscious nga lang siya, na kung alam mong nababastos ka na, ibang usapan na yan. Minulat nya kong magsalit ng may katwiran. Malaking pasasalamat ko 'yun sa Kuya ko. Sabi nya kaya nga tayo nag-aaral eh. Para malaman ang tama't mali. At tulad ng sinabi ng ate ko, iba-iba nga daw ang tao. Maaaring yung iba, hahayaan na lang sila. Maaaring yung iba, papatulan ka talaga kasi 'di mo alam kung anong iniisip no'ng taong 'yon (tulad ko). Malay natin may traumatic experience na siya back then. Ang masasabi ko lang, mas gugustuhin ko pang kausapin sila (mga lalake) at baguhin ang pag-iisip nila na WE CAN DEFEND OURSELVES ALONE kaysa hayaan na lang akong bastusin ng kahit sinuman. Gusto kong ipa-realize na hindi sa lahat ng oras, mahina ang mga babae; na hindi sa lahat ng oras, mamaliitin ang kakayahan naming mga babae; na hindi sa lahat ng oras, babastusin at babastusin nila kami anytime/anywhere they want. Okay lang na kahit minsan, ipagtanggol ang sarili, basta on point at nasa tama. Especially choices of words. Sana nakatulong ako sa'yo habang binabasa mo 'to :-)

Last night on my way home from volleyball, a silver sedan was driving on the street by where I was walking, and as it came closer, it started slowing down and flashed its lights at me. The driver got closer and stooped his head down to look at me across the car through the passenger side window and gave me one of those “Sup?” type nods. Then he sped up and drove away. I continued walking to the other side of the roundabout, only to see him come around and do the exact same thing again. Creepy. I think I’d just prefer the average American cat-call or the “Hey girl, how you doing?”. 

Adult Wednesday Adams Kicks A** @melissaFTW There's been a lot of talk recently about women being cat-called, but this might be my favorite response to the trend.

And it just aggravates me, and uuhggghhhh, okay rant done. Thank you for listening.