Courage, Music and Kalinga Beads

It's the tail end of Women's History Month but there is no shortage of amazing women to feature. In this issue, we're introducing two young women in two very different career tracks -- one in music, the other in the legal profession—but are equally passionate about their chosen fields.

A woman who calls herself Raq Filipina is determined to put Filipino music, albeit fused with various influences, on the world music map. Read Rene M. Astudillo's story, "Make Way for Filipino World Music.

On the legal front, Tia Taruc Canlas on whose bloodline flows the courage of revolutionaries (she is the great granddaughter of Huk supremo, Luis Taruc) dedicates herself to representing survivors of domestic violence through her nonprofit, the Alipato Project. Cherie Querol Moreno writes about Tia in "Courage Runs in the Family."

Back home, Kalinga women are refusing to let their ancestors' bead-wearing tradition die. They are instead recycling plastics—utensils, plates, rulers—into beads and threading them into colorful, attractive fashion jewelry. Our Baguio-based contributor, Desiree Caluza reports on this homegrown creativity in "A Bead In Time Saves a Tradition."

May the force be always in your life.