Mano po, Lola! Kumusta po kayo?

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Lila Pilipina, students from the University of the Philippines - Diliman are organizing a tribute to the women who were victims of violence during the Japanese occupation. 

 

The event, Mano Po, Lola, will be held at Pulungang Recto, Faculty Center of UP Diliman on 1 October, the start of the International Day of Older Person, from 8 in the morning up to 12 noon.

 

The Lila Pilipina is a non-government organization that supports the women who fell victim to the sexual abuses by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. Aside from taking care of the women’s needs, the organization also seeks public awareness on the issue of comfort women, and strives to pressure the  Japanese government to: (1) present a public apology regarding the crimes inflicted to the women, (2) revise text books and other materials where these crimes were ommitted and, (3) seek compensation for the victims.

 

Throughout the years, students and the faculty of the university have been in solidarity with the organization, for the fulfillment of their mission. For this year, Mano Po, Lola will feature discussions, tributes and cultural presentations that seek to shed light on the issues of comfort women. Students will present poems and stories and perform song, dance numbers and other forms of entertainment through printed and digital media to promote public awareness on their plight.

 

To these ends, the event aspires not only to amuse but to ensure that these women will not be forgotten in the country’s collective memory, especially  for the generations to come. The organizers, all students of FIL 25, FIL 40 and MP 10 of Prof. Vim Nadera, hope that Mano Po, Lola will have a lasting contribution to the fight against sexual violence and historical denial.

Press release from Lila Pilipina