What are these Filipino women made of?

True Grit: Risa Hontiveros, like Vice President Leni Robredo, was widowed early and had to raise her four children as a single parent. Yet, with courage and resolve, she went on to become a senator (running for a second term this May) who champions issues that directly elevate the lives of her kababayans. Veteran journalist Paulynn P. Sicam, who has seen Risa evolve through the years, sums up her accomplishments.

Talent and Grace: The classically trained Minda Azarcon was a musical star in every sense -- singer, pianist, composer, conductor, teacher. She composed the musical score for such internationally acclaimed movies such as Tinimbang Ka Nguni't Kulang, Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos and Insiang, among others. Until her recent death at 85, she was the epitome of grace and regality, as her student and close friend, the artist Janine Barrera-Castillo, writes.

Toughness and Resilience: Her marriage plucked her from her close-knit family in Cebu and brought her to Maine, probably the most weather-unfriendly state for Filipinos in the US. But like many Filipino women faced with similar challenges, Geraldine Chappe toughed it out and thrived, creating a small community of kababayans in the process. Her grateful husband, Durin Chappe, tells us their story.

And then there's VP Leni, now causing sleepless nights of her opponents as her "kakampink" army of volunteers worldwide fuels her momentum as the most viable candidate against the survey-leading son of a deposed head of state. Will she manage the previously unthinkable and win? At this point in the campaign, it is important to keep in mind the wisdom of the ages: Never Ever Underestimate the Power of the Filipino Woman.

Read Again the Stories of Filipino Women in History:

Kumander Liwayway, A Feminine Warrior by Ana Maria Nemenzo
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/kumander-liwayway-a-feminine-warrior

Helena Benitez by Lyca Benitez-Brown
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/2013/5/travels-with-my-aunt

Clemencia Lopez, Independista by Lyca Benitez-Brown
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/2013/3/clemencia-lopez-independista

Sofia de Veyra by Titchie Carandang-Tiongson
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-thoroughly-modern-sofia-de-veyra

Sor Martha de San Bernardo by Robby Tantingco
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/give-this-pampanguea-a-memorial-in-the-west-philippine-sea

Recipe of the Week: The Happy Home Cook: Manila Clams in Pinot Grigio

Video of the Week: The World’s Oldest Chinatown