Filipina actress Althea Vega to compete in international swimsuit model search

A veteran of over 30 films and television appearances, Althea Vega has been in the Philippine film industry for over a decade. 

MANILA, Philippines – Filipina actress and licensed fitness professional Althea Vega is one of 65 contestants vying for the title of Miss Swimsuit USA International Model Search 2023. 

Vega gained attention once again for a powerful performance opposite Jericho Rosales in the film “Basurero,” which was hailed best short film at last year’s Star Awards, and has been nominated for the same award at the Busan Film Festival and San Francisco Festival, among others. A veteran of over 30 films and television appearances, Althea has been in the Philippine film industry for over a decade.

 A licensed fitness trainer, Vega is now based in New York, where she trains aspiring American actors and actresses while simultaneously working on upcoming international film projects. She was the first winner of the Ms. Gold’s Gym competition for professional trainers and joined the Fitness Universe pageant in the US a few years ago. Althea is also the founder of the Get FITPinoy movement, which encourages Filipinos to take responsibility for their personal health and fitness. 

Most recently, the talented morena walked the ramp at the Fashion Week Awards Gala Night in New York in September. Her work schedule is starting to accelerate as more film producers and talent agents in America get wind of her talent. In December, she will be producing her first international film with a Filipino director based in Texas. But for her latest major beauty contest, she admits that she needs help.

“These are very exciting times for me, and I’m proud to make it to the finals of Miss Swimsuit USA International, but I need the support of our countrymen,” said Vega, who has been based in the US since 2022. “These kinds of competitions are very costly, and I’m doing everything on my own.”

Women in art

How this special art gallery was made

for women by women

BY POCH EULALIA

Oct 8, 2023 10:29 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Women artists are still treated differently from men. — Yoko Ono

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WOMEN IN ART Several Filipina artists’ works were featured at the ‘Her Story in Color: Celebrating the Diversity and Creativity of Women’ art exhibit

When we think about great classical artists, we mostly only remember male artists. Try it for yourself, can you think of any women artists who rose to fame alongside the likes of Renaissance artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and so on? One might also notice that even the symbolizations of women in artworks come from a male gaze-y point of view. 

 

As Lynda Mead points out in her book, The Female Nude: Art, Obscenity and Sexuality, you would find that most of the artworks considered as "high art" were nude paintings of women. She notes that in these paintings, women were often depicted as having idolized bodies. They were drawn with body features that the average woman at the time did not have. She argues that this idolized vision in the art world is due to the increasing power of men in a capitalist world.  

A WOMAN IN POWER Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano leads the opening of the ‘Her Story in Color: Celebrating the Diversity and Creativity of Women’ art exhibit at the Grand Hyatt Manila in BGC, Taguig

Fortunately, in recent years, the art world has found a shift toward a more inclusive space. Nowadays, more people are aware of works by notable female artists such as Frida Kahlo, Margaret Keane, Georgia O'Keeffe, and many more. These are largely due to the collectives of women in the art industry that continue to grow over the years.

 

One such collective is Zonta International. Zonta found its start in 1919 in Buffalo, New York. Its name is derived from a Lakota Sioux Indian word that means "honest and trustworthy." What started as a small collective of businesswomen by Marian de Forest has now grown into a global movement consisting of over 29,000 members in 62 countries. Zonta International has put work into putting up programs hoping to provide better opportunities for women, improving the livelihood of women in their local communities, giving scholarships, and one day achieving a world free of violence against women and girls. Through their efforts, they wish to create a world in which women's rights are recognized as human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential. As their vision states, “In such a world, women have access to all resources and are represented in decision-making positions on an equal basis with men. In such a world, no woman lives in fear of violence.” 

Paghihip by Pia Dacanay, 20x20 inches, acrylic on canvas

Just recently, Zonta International held the 22nd Zonta International District 17 Conference at the Grand Hyatt Manila in BGC, Taguig. During this gathering, Zontians from all over the country and our neighbors in Asia were provided a venue to provide one another with ideas on how to uplift fellow women. A highlight of the conference was an art exhibit entitled, “Her Story in Color: Celebrating the Diversity and Creativity of Women.” It contained the works of several Filipina artists and was put together by Mita Rufino, in collaboration with ManilArt and National Art Fair curator Danny Rayos del Sol and NCCA National Committee on Art Gallery head Tess Rayos del Sol. 

Elements by Joy Vocalan Cruz, 36x18 inches, acrylic on wood and resin

Two artists whose works were present at the exhibit, Pia Dacanay and Joy Vocalan Cruz, share their hopes for how such efforts can help women in the art industry. “For me to be able to paint is a blessing already. I did not even expect to be a part of this but I’m grateful for groups like Zonta that they give opportunities for women to be heard (and) to be seen through their works,” says Pia. “Ang hope ko (My hope) is that we encourage more women to still keep on doing what they love doing even if you become a professional or a career woman or even if you become a homemaker, whatever you decide to do with your life, you can still do a lot of things.” Joy, meanwhile, has a hopeful message for those who see the exhibit. “(I hope) that you will be empowered and influenced by all the artworks and do more good as an advocacy to help women (from) all walks of life,” she says.

Zonta.org

Muntinlupa mom to represent PH at Woman of the Universe international pageant in Dubai

BY JONATHAN HICAP

Oct 8, 2023 08:46 AM

  

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A 38-year-old mother of five from Muntinlupa City will represent the Philippines to an international pageant to be held in Dubai in November. 

Erika Joy Santos-Reyes from Barangay Ayala Alabang will compete at the Woman of the Universe pageant slated from Nov. 6 to 12 in Dubai. 

Erika Joy Santos-Reyes (Photos from the Facebook accounts of Erika Joy Santos-Reyes and Richard Hinola)

Reyes earned the right to represent the country after winning the Mrs. Philippines 2023 pageant title last Sept. 23 at WhiteWoods Convention and Leisure Hotel in Silang, Cavite. 

The Muntinlupa City government congratulated Reyes for her win. 

“As a Muntinlupeño and to be the pride of the city, I feel an overflowing happiness,” said Reyes, according to the city government. 

She added, “When I was crowned isa lang nasa isip ko, para sa Muntinlupa ‘to! (When I was crowned, there was only one thing in my mind, this is for Muntinlupa).” 

“Expect that I am going to put in all the effort to represent Muntinlupa and our country,” she promised about her upcoming participation in the Dubai beauty pageant. 

Reyes held a victory press conference on Oct. 7 at The Bellevue Hotel in Alabang. 

She earned a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Santo Tomas, according to pageant Facebook account Eventologie. She is the president and CCO of ESC Interactive Communication Services Inc. and Queues Inc.

Charity means all in

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

INDEED, that’s how charity is. It’s all in, irrespective of how the objects of our charity are. They may reciprocate our love for them or not, they may like us or not. On our part we should just continue to love them if charity truly dwells in our heart.

We are reminded of this truth of our Christian faith in that gospel episode where a scholar of the law asked Christ what he had to do to inherit eternal life. And Christ simply said that he had to love God with everything that he had and to love his neighbor as himself. (cfr. Lk 10,25-37)

And when asked who his neighbor was, that was when Christ told the parable about a man who fell victim to robbers in his journey and was left half dead on the road. A priest saw him but passed by. A Levite also just passed him by. But a Samaritan, who at that time had the least relation with the man, was the only one who took pity on the man. It was the Samaritan who proved to be the good neighbor to the victim.

Yes, charity is for everyone. It has a universal coverage. It’s not only for those who are right in something. It’s also for those who are wrong. It’s not only for the winners. It’s also for the losers. Not only for friends, but also for enemies! 

But the universal inclusivity of charity does not do away with the exclusivity of truth. It does not do away with the distinction between good and evil, between right and wrong, between truth and falsehood. In fact, it sharpens that distinction. And yet, it still works in all that distinction.

Yes, charity is all-inclusive, though it is expressed, of course, in different ways. As they say, we have to have different strokes for different folks. And that’s simply because at the end of the day, whether we like it or not, we are all creatures and children of God, brothers and sisters to each other. We have been created by our Creator out of love and for love.

We have to realize that our life here on earth can be described as a journey toward our ultimate home, which is to be with God our Father and Creator in heaven. It will be charity that would keep us going and that would enable us to leap to eternal supernatural life with God.

While here on earth, we have to realize that we form one body and that we are actually on the same boat. Despite our differences and conflicts, we have a common origin and a common end. We are bound to care for one another. We are meant to love one another.

Charity is what binds us together despite our unavoidable differences and conflicts. Yes, we form one body, but we are different parts of that body. We play different roles and carry out different functions.

So, we have to develop with God’s grace the true charity that is a living participation of the charity God has for everyone, including those who go against him. Let’s remember that Christ went to the extent of loving our enemies.

St. Paul describes charity in these words: “Love is patient, is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Cor 13,4-7)