Napatawad ang sarili at bumangon, #BabaeKasi: How one woman's dark past led her to help other women

Published March 22, 2018 6:42pm

“Kapit sa patalim na. Pag lasing na sila, syempre nagbabayad sa club, nagagawa yung mga bagay na sana hindi nila ginagawa sa amin,” Mary Joy Barcelona recalls her time working in Japan’s night clubs.

She may have just spent six months working as an entertainer in Japan but in those six months, she lost herself and her dignity. “Parang nadurog yung pagkatao ko,” she says.

At 21, Mary Joy went to Japan to help her mother fend for the family. Her father had left them for another woman and life turned difficult.

But in the Land of the Rising Sun, a harder life met her. “I lived simply for 21 years but in six months, nasira lahat, pati pagkatao ko.”

In Japan, Mary Joy lived with five other Filipina dancers, with whom she shared the same soul-crushing experiences. They would deal with their situation by crying together and going to church. “Yun yung nagpapalakas sa amin at nagbabalanse sa amin.”

Returning home to Isabela after six months in Japan proved to be equally difficult, if not more so. Apart from having to deal with the shame and horror of her recent experiences, Mary Joy became the subject of cruel town gossip. “’Dati kang hostess? Kung sino-sino naging boyfriend mo.’” She says of the talk about her.

“Pangarap ko lang talaga maging teacher pero paano pa ako magiging teacher kung wala na akong dignidad?”

Soon she came across the Development Action for Women Network (DAWN) which Mary Joy says helped her fix her life. "Binigyan nila ako ng support. Tinulungan nila ako itayo ang sarili ko.”

But more than helping her get back up again, DAWN also helped Mary Joy reach a version of her dream. She became the project coordinator for DAWN, where she ran its livelihood programs. “Hindi nga ako naging teacher sa school, naging teacher ako sa ibang paraan.”

Says Mary Joy, forgiving herself is the most important thing she learned through all this. “Matuto tayong magpatawad ng sarili nang matuto rin tayo magpatawad at magmahal ng iba,” she advocates.

Adds Mary Joy, it is exactly her dark past that inspired her to fight for women's rights. — LA, GMA News