Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

"Spirituality is super-aliveness. Whenever we are alive, on every level, we are spiritual, and we are fully spiritual when we come alive on the highest level of our caring for one another and caring for this planet." - David Steindal-Rast

Artists are spiritual folks. Their craft connects them to the Universal Source, the deep wellspring of inspiration and creativity. Actresses are artists who are passionate about refining their performances, whether dancing, acting or singing.

I first met G (fondly known by this single alphabet letter), a veteran actress of Philippine film, television and theater in 2009 during the performance of The Vagina Monologues. G, for good, or G for grace, or G for graciosa. I am not sure. She does not behave like a star with a big ego. She poses graciously with fans and even approaches them on her own. Definitely G for Graciosa Giselle Tongi-Walters.

Are you an empty vessel or a channel for your artistry to manifest?, I asked G.

"No, my life’s work is my bag of tricks, it is a deep well from which I derive my motivation."

I expected a perspective of this kind to come from a feminist or a writer, not from a movie and television star. She reminded me of Meryl Streep, once interviewed on Oprah and who, as they said, is older and wiser. I wonder where G’s sage is coming from.

G is an advocate for women’s causes. She appeared in a television ad on domestic violence and relationship abuse. She was chosen after they found out that she can cry buckets of tears at the slightest provocation.

She describes poor women as marginalized, but was quick to say that they cannot handle things for themselves. They have no choice, G. adds. When subjected to beatings, they reluctantly submit to sexual relations with their spouses. Because of this, unwanted pregnancies become back-alley – abortions, to post abortion- infections, making for an unhealthy cycle to the bodies of women.

Most Philippine hospitals are banned from treating post-abortion infections, so women seek Likhaan, which provides post-abortion care. Likhaan was the designated beneficiary for the donations generated during the 2010 The Vagina Monologues (TVM).

She describes how backward-thinking the Catholic Church in the Philippines is, interfering with the government’s work in population control -- including condom distribution being promoted by Secretary Cabral. The Catholic Church hired a lawyer to oppose the government’s condom distribution, and the Church argued "that condom use is not effective against HIV. If one finds herself with HIV, it is because one is engaged in unacceptable sexual practices. " She described this backward stance as consigning the women to poverty, incapacitating them to support their families. She narrates how a woman threw herself down a flight of stairs, because she thought it would induce abortion, as reported in the New York Times. She wants to be their voice.

But in being their voice, she feels conflicted in her roles as a wife and a mother, with duties to care for her husband, to clean the house, cook, care for her children and study in college. She spoke of how supportive her husband, Tim Walters is of her self-growth. When she decided to go back to college, he took on a second job. When she is occupied with research, studying and writing papers, Tim takes on the duties of cooking, feeding and giving their children baths. " I am so happy when I get home, Sakura’s hair is already braided and both of them are waiting for me, ready to go to bed. That means a lot to me as a working college student. "

While she considers gendered roles as life-sustaining, she is grateful and appreciative when her spouse Tim does not expect her to do them and actively shares in parenting their two young children, Sakura who is 4 and Kenobi who is 2. Sakura was named after the cherry blossoms that the couple saw in Japan while on their honeymoon and nicknamed SAKE, the drink G had a sip of, the night before Sakura was born.

She emphasized she married a generous, loving, supportive man who is more Filipino inside than Caucasian. When she worked as a bartender for a living, he asked her what her ethnicity was. She challenged him with a free drink, if he can guess it right. Tim responded "Filipina" as he was familiar with their features, having already visited the Philippines twice.