Team DailyPedia
A photo of cultural worker and activist Nathalie Julia Geralde at the September 21 protest in Luneta Park went viral—not for the trillion-peso corruption scandal she was rallying against, but because bashers mocked her unshaven and discolored underarms.
Instead of shying away, Geralde directly addressed the ridicule in a powerful Facebook post, stressing that women’s bodies should not be policed while more pressing national issues demand attention.
“Sa lipunang kinakahon ang kababaihan sa unrealistic beauty standards, wag na wag mong ibaba ang iyong kamao! Hindi nakakahiya ang katawan na nakikibaka para sa patas at anti-korap na kinabukasan,” she declared.
She pointed out that her armpit hair and discoloration are trivial compared to the nation’s problems. “Ang buhok at diskolarasyon sa kili-kili ay katiting lamang kung ikukumpara sa suliranin na kinakaharap natin,” she added.
Geralde was onstage with Sining Lila, a progressive cultural group, to perform the protest jingle “Gising Na” during the “Baha sa Luneta” and “Trillion Peso March.” Their message was clear: demand accountability from officials allegedly involved in the multibillion-peso flood control fund anomaly.
“Pagtungtong namin ng Sining Lila sa entablado, malinaw ang mensaheng gusto naming ipanawagan: ipanagot ang mga korap at tuldukin ang opresyon at pananamatala dala ng kasalukuyang administrasyon,” she explained.
Instead, trolls fixated on her body. Geralde slammed this as a symptom of a “misogynistic and patriarchal society” that diverts focus from systemic injustice.
For Geralde, the attacks highlight how beauty industries and colonial legacies have shaped harmful expectations of women.
“Ang katawan ng babae ay tanging pagmamay-ari niya. Hindi ito dapat ginagamit para pagkakakitaan ng mga whitening products. Hindi ito dapat iniinsulto o tinatawanan, dahilan kung bakit nare-repackage ang insecurities at ‘flaws’ ng babae bilang negosyo,” she wrote.
She added that beauty is not the sole measure of a woman’s worth: “Ang kagandahan ng babae ay hindi nagtatapos sa pisikal na anyo at lalong hindi nasusukat sa iisang panukat lamang. Kayang-kaya ng babae na lumikha, mag-isip, mag-question, magalit at higit sa lahat, ipanagot ang nagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan!”
Despite the hate, Geralde also expressed thanks to those who defended her online.
“Maraming salamat sa lahat ng nagtanggol at nag-iwan ng papuri nitong nakalipas na mga araw. Napakahalaga ang mga katulad ninyo na tumitindig laban sa mali,” she wrote.
In closing, she redirected public outrage to where it truly belongs: “Hindi dapat ang bagay na napakanormal katulad ng buhok at diskolarasyon ang pinapakealaman natin. Ang dapat nating kalampagin ay ang mga buwayang opisyal na imbes magserbisyo, nagpapakalunod sa luxurious items na galing naman sa pera ng taxpayers! Tama ba yarn??!!”
As Bagyong Opong batters parts of the country, she called on Filipinos to demand genuine flood-control projects instead of tolerating corruption.
“Sama-sama tayong tumungo sa kalsada at iprotesta ang hustisya para sa Pilipinas. Abante babae, palaban militante! Ang tao, ang bayan, ngayon ay lumalaban!” she ended.
