Feminism and the Women's Movement in the Philippines: Struggles, Advances, and Challenges The movement should be able to overcome the challenge of recruiting the youth in feminists causes at a time when politically charged issues turn off most of them from being involved. The current disinterest is not because of apathy of the youth, but because there is difficulty in capturing their imagination(Cendaña, 2016). One platform which the young are actively using is social media. Hashtags/online campaigns are effective tools in raising awareness on the plight of other women, spreading feminism, and increasing women's voices on various issues affecting their lives. But, it should be emphasized that'clicking' and'liking' something posted on social media are not enough.'Digital' solidarity should be coupled with human interaction that could provide more political impact. The information age has generated unprecedented growth in the spread of information and speed of interaction: gaps in spaces and generations were narrowed, and formerly elusive information became a click away. Indeed, there has never been a better platform to capture the imagination of younger people toward engaging the women's movement, and the specific agenda that it advances. While Left organizations have turned their attention to women's issues and recognized the equal importance of the reproductive and productive spheres, women's issues – especially those dealing with sexuality – are still marginalized in the discourse on social transformation. Divorce and abortion are issues that remain to be absent in the debates among other social movements. Developments in the national political scene pose new challenges for the women's movement. Newly elected president Rodrigo Duterte has made crass and misogynist statements and actions the'new normal' in the daily conduct of the highest official of the land, spewing 'jokes' about rape and sexist remarks about the Vice President's body, and bragging about numerous extramarital affairs. He called his own daughter'drama queen' after the latter claimed that she had been a rape victim. Although some women's groups and feminists never failed to call him out, other women political figures like former Senator Pia Cayetano brushed aside such instances of misogyny, and claimed instead that Duterte, as mayor of Davao City, advanced women's rights and welfare(Gutierrez, 2017). In her welcome remarks during the'Women Defend Democracy' forum held on 8 March 2017, former presidential peace adviser and feminist leader Teresita Quintos Deles cited the crises of the current administration in various facets of governance and democracy. While acknowledging the strides that the women's movement has made, Deles(2017) lamented the rampant human rights violations, the 8,000 deaths brought about by the administration's'war on drugs', and the efforts to revive the death penalty. She made a point of how a general vulnerability of the poor is even worse for women, since they are already a vulnerable sector to begin with. She beseeched women of all ages to take up the challenges of time, space, and clarity and integrity in battling these persisting problems. Indeed, women should take the past into account in order to analyze present problems. Likewise, Deles(2017) emphasized that the struggle should not be suppressed by the limitations of space; it should be archipelagic not just in geographic scope, but more importantly in depth. It should permeate the capillaries of the society in order to take on the roots of the problems as experienced by women and other sectors. Lastly, the truth should take the center stage in our democracy. Truth is the foundation of change, for how can change be truly achieved if there is not a truthful picture of the things that we intend to change to begin with? Change, after all should be based on facts and logic for democracy cannot flourish in lies and deceit. The Filipino women's movement has come a long way, but still has miles to go, so to speak. Problems had been surmounted in the past, battles had been won, but each generation faces new challenges peculiar and unique from the last. Nevertheless, each generation is also provided with new resources and new strengths. Indeed, each challenge and each resistance gives birth to new kinds of resilience. Each battle fought, no matter whether won or lost, is a victory nonetheless. And for the Filipino women's movement, every day is taking a step toward the envisioned equality, empowerment, and social justice.# 20