There is a very powerful momentum going through the Philippine blogosphere. It began when Filipina blogger Dine Racoma aka Sexy Mom was unjustly attacked via a blog comment because of her pseudonym. Her blog readers - fellow bloggers, too - rallied to her side.
The issue brought to the fore the fact that a Google search for the terms "Filipina", "sexy Filipina", "sexy Filipina mom," and "Filipina sexy mom" would bring up mostly mail order bride sites and nude model sites.
That has been my problem even with my Google Adsense ads here and at my Cafe Romanza site. It seems that having the keyword "Filipina" here already attracts ads from mail order bride sites and some sleazy dating sites. The same goes for Cafe Romanza which is about romance, dating and relationships, as well as romance novels.
This is very ironic, considering that I have been using my romance novels as a medium for advocacy against the sexual trafficking of women.
The issue is much bigger. Why should the word "Filipina" be automatically connected with commercialized relationships and commercialized sex? And just because web searches make this connection automatically, should we cower in shame and avoid at all cost being identified as "Filipina," more so as a "sexy Filipina"?
Shouldn't we, instead, correct the injustice being done to our race and reclaim the word "Filipina"? Going a step further, we should also proudly proclaim ourselves as sexy Filipinas -sexy, meaning strong, intelligent, capable, forward-thinking, courageous, confident, dignified, sincere, caring and loving. Sexy comes in all shapes and sizes. It goes far beyond the physical.
This is what the campaign is all about. Another Filipina blogger, Noemi Dado aka Angelic Mom, called for the reshaping of the sexy Filipina image online, as begun a few years back by other Filipino bloggers such as Marc Macalua’s Filipina and Philippines SEO campaign.
This essentially entails bloggers using the keywords "sexy Filipina" in blog posts tackling the issue. The desired result is for such posts - and the blogs - to appear at the top of Google search results for the term so as to provide a more balanced view of Filipino women.
This could work. Proof is that Googling the term "sexy Filipina" now shows the posts of Dine and Noemi on the first page. They, and related posts - including mine for Cafe Romanza, are also on the first page of searches for "sexy Filipina mom"and "Filipina sexy mom."
There is more work to be done. A search for the word "Filipina" still shows the same old sites.
This can't be a flash-in-the-pan campaign. To achieve more long-term results, a whole lot of us - especially those of you who already have high PRs and large readerships - need to post regularly using these keywords. Perhaps weekly or twice a month or even just monthly. We need to keep fresh posts on these keywords. I am quite clueless on SEO but from the little I have learned so far, and from what I have seen in this case, that could possibly do it.
Below are posts from various bloggers on the issue.
I would be happy to add your post link here if you join the campaign. Just leave me a comment.
Yes, Filipinas Are Sexy
Sexy Filipinas - Including Sexy Filipina Moms - Stand Up and Be Counted!
A Closure, A New Beginning–Reshaping the Online and Sexy Filipina ...
Posting a comment is not enough…Blog about it!
Let's bring sexy and Filipina back
Filipina2007
The attack on Sexy Mom: False feminism, if there is such a thing (as feminism)
What Filipina Should Mean Online
My Sexy Mom
Campaign Redefines the Sexy Filipina
I Am A Sexy Filipina Mom
The Filipina Bride Overseas - Not Necessarily A Mail Order Bride
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5 comments:
I agree, this should be an ongoing effort. I think we're all doing a great job so kudos to all of us sexy filipinas.
Yes, Dexie, when Filipinas put their minds to it and decide to work together, we are a force to reckon with :D
if you want to do something about the ads, check this out:
http://filipinolibrarian.blogspot.com/2005/09/filipina-google-adsense.html
Thanks, vonjobi. That's a great idea. Unfortunately, Adsense only allows 200 blocked urls and I have already used up my allocation. I am hoping, though, that the content of the post will deter the reader from clicking on those undesirable ads.
We can still protect our image by keep private the scandals and we must do help each other. We should accept the reality that filipino people are talented, other countries believed us that we have interest in singing, modeling, spots, beauty queen and many more. Some men/women are selfish they intend to spread those scandals in the net and has been listed in Google when you search the keyword "filipina".
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