In the Philippines, where celebrity culture is rampant, we tend to turn to public figures for inspiration. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, are we taking the women around us for granted?

 

This year, Pandora launched “Unique As We Are,” its worldwide campaign which celebrates the individuality of every woman. In line with this, the luxury jewelry brand recently collaborated with writer, editor and stylist Tata Mapa in creating a book that focuses on 10 women and their unique journeys.

 

 Real women

 

The book, titled “I Am We Are Unique,” is a subtle reminder that we don’t have to look too far for female role models.

 

“In the Philippines it’s always about who you know, what you look like, what you own, or how many followers you have on social media. All these factors may have their place, but they shouldn’t be the only things that matter,” Mapa shares.

 

When asked what attracted her to the project, Mapa says it was her shared vision with Pandora—pushing for female empowerment by celebrating women and their uniqueness—that did it. “For Pandora to be willing to break the mold by coming up with a book that features real women instead of celebrities means that it’s not just paying lip service to its  campaign.”

 

 

Intimately collaborative

 

With more than a decade’s worth of experience working for various women’s publications, Mapa liked how the book allowed her to expand on the work she did in magazines. “To discover the unique stories of our 10 amazing women, I had to dig deep and ask them to be vulnerable. The process was intimately collaborative and truly enriching. I was inspired by how brave these women are,” she says.

 

“I Am We Are Unique” features consultant and coach Rachel Consunji, who married at 46 because she knew early on she didn’t want to settle; artist and writer Grace Katigbak, who reveals, in her signature self-deprecating sense of humor, having 100 lovers from 21 different countries; broadcast journalist Mitzi Borromeo, who struggled to find her own career path; and psychoneurologist and integrative health practitioner Lia Bernardo, who nearly lost her baby during childbirth.

 

Creative consultant Chi Datu-Bocobo, healing arts practitioner Tin Jacinto, photographer and videographer Carmen del Prado, author Samantha Sotto, interior designer Nina Santamaria and artist Valerie Chua also share their moving stories.

 

 Bravery and strength

 

According to Mapa, you don’t have to experience giving birth or surviving cancer to relate to these tales of bravery and strength. “The women reminded me that we all have these qualities, and that we experience them in our own unique ways. In many ways, their stories are my stories, too,” she says. “If we strip away all the externals like our jobs, our names, our families, we will realize that we are all dealing with the same issues. It’s an awesome way to view the world and the women we encounter. Instead of being wary, defensive, or competitive, we can be connected.”  —CONTRIBUTED