She Fights for Love
Meet Ana Santos, one of the country’s most fearless journalists. No other Pinay has tuned writing into a potent instrument to promote the sexual and emotional rights of every Filipina.
“It is our divine right to give love, to show love, and to make love. It’s all part of being human, ‘di ba?” Ana Santos, 37, writer and women’s rights activist, asserts.
As editorial director and founder of sexandsensibilities.com, the site which “heralds the value of loving yourself first and aims to make reproductive health sexy and sassy for women,” she is not one to balk at the topic of sex and relationships. In fact, she’s spent the last three years conducting workshops, attending conferences, and writing articles meant to educate Pinays about their reproductive health rights and remind the of what they could accomplish and deserve to have in and out of the bedroom.
Starting Write
Three years ago, Ana’s life was far removed from women’s woes and issues. She was a banker. “My last post was assistant vice president,” she recalls. “Then, one day, I just said, ‘I’m done.’”
She started writing features for a men’s magazine. Her writing career took a different turn when five of her nieces got pregnant at a young age: suddenly, she felt compelled to do something.
“It was heartbreaking. I also have friends who were affected by HIV. I had all these questions racing through my mind. What does it mean? What now? I realized I didn’t know anything besides having baseline knowledge. It’s so close to me. It’s already in my family. My nieces and nephews could have aspired for more to reach their highest potentials.”
Journalism was the perfect opportunity to voice out her concerns She researched and wore about women’s issues, reproductive health rights, and HIV/AIDS. “It’s not sex and relationships lang pala,” Ana says. “It’s sexual health. Women’s issues.” Later, she reported on women and children suffering in the midst of armed conflict in Mindanao for foreign media agencies.
Her comprehensive reports and gung-ho attitude didn’t escape the attention of international media organizations. She was invited to participate in the 2009 International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific in Bali, Indonesia; and the global conference “Delivering Solutions for Girls ad Women” in Washington. D.C. In 2010, she won a media scholarship to the East-West Center’s Summer Institute for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights; and a series of her stories on HIV for Newsbreak was a runner-up for Best Investigative Report in the PopDev Media Awards.
Safe Sex and More
In her writings, Ana always champions choice, giving all Pinays a chance to be heard. She cites a common problem: “Kasi, ‘di ba, and sabi, ‘mahalin mo and pamilya mo, asawa mo, anak mo.’ Paao na ‘yung ‘mahalin mo and sarili mo?’ You have to put yourself first.” Ana writes to remind every Pinay to know her true worth, balancing romance and relationships with self-value.
“We fall in love so much. Head over heels and all that. Love yourself first. Validation will not come from a man. It will come from you. Know your worth, what you’re capable of, harness your full potential,” she says. “You have to have a love affair with yourself.”
Ana Is…
Fun. “Fun is all about having long, funny conversations.”
Fearless. “I do have role models. Women’s rights activist BethAngsioco is fearless, fashionable, and aspirational, but she stands for something.”
Female. “Women have to up with a lot here in the Philippines. A lot.”
