Name: Giovanni G.

Calibo
Subject: GE 11 – Section AS
Activity 1
1. Draw or picture a symbol that best describes you and explain.

This is a picture of a boy and his parents embracing each other. These personas represent
my parents and me. I purposely included the house in the background because everything you
can see in this picture will describe who I am. The ankle represents the challenges, the cross
shows how I value spirituality, the tree that signifies growth in many aspects, and love that
conquers everything. Challenges are part of life, whether about education, society, family,
personal, or even gender. In my existence, I had experienced a lot of issues that had tried to
pull me down just like a burden on the ankle. I became discouraged, but he was always present
to protect and support me in everything I did. They taught me how to love and accept myself,
whatever gender or color I prefer, as well as to love my own family and the rest of the people
I associate with. They have taught me that the purest love is the love that knows what sacrifice
is, a love that sees beauty beyond outward appearance, and manifests love through forgiveness.
My family was the one who helped me develop my relationship with God without disregarding
that I also have my own journey as a Christian. They guide me to know what faith really is and
become an instrument to learn more about the world. Most importantly, who I am today is a
result of my family's upbringing. I continuously build myself towards my wholistic growth and
the values that they instilled in me ever since I was a child have made an impact as a present
college student, leader, sibling, son, and advocate for gender equality.

2. Explain what is gender?

Gender is an arbitrary idea about classifying humans based on characteristics, roles,

behaviors, expressions, and identities. Because of society's capacity to establish social norms
that give life to its social and cultural values, gender can be deduced as a standard. It has been
ingrained in our thoughts that a woman must be feminine, as indicated by her traits of being
soft, compassionate, and loving, whereas a man must be masculine, strong, gruff, and
domineering. In most cases, heteronormativity—a phenomenon that establishes normative
behavior based on normal human activities, beliefs, and culture—helps a person determine
their gender identity. However, we also need to consider natural variation in gender expression,
regardless of whether it adheres to cultural or social standards. Whether one is at ease with
being a man, woman, or transgender, gender identification makes sense of who they are.

3. Write an experience about gender issues.

One of the most heartfelt issues that I experienced about gender was when I entered military
training for the Philippine Military Academy. One of the career paths that I considered during
my high school days was to enroll in the Philippine Military Academy and serve as a loyal,
courageous, and integrity-filled leader for the country and the people. That was my greatest
goal, knowing that it was coming and that it would challenge me out of my comfort zone. I
spent not just money and time, but also effort and strength to survive and pass the different
rigorous and death-threatening trainings. During the training, I prepared myself and orientated
myself that there would be struggles, especially in dealing with my fellow cadet candidates,
given that there is something about me that is different. Despite that, I showed everyone who
I really am, and what I did was to focus on my abilities, skills, and knowledge to show them
that I am mentally, physically, and emotionally fit to be a future military servant. However,
there are instances that I cannot avoid. One day, after the morning exercise, I met one of the
officers from the lower management of PMA, and he was observing me from time to time.
When I came near him, he asked me if I was really sure I wanted to enter the academy. In
addition, he told me that although I have the capabilities, I have these actions that make men
confused about my gender identity. It was really hard to answer this stereotyping and
discriminating question, but I respectfully replied that my identity, especially my movements,
does not reflect on my abilities and my drive to serve the country. It was hard to justify my
stand knowing that the military had been instilling this type of manly mindset despite my clean
intention to serve. At the end of the day, I was accepted, but after much thought, I had
concluded that the military field is not yet ready to accept people like me. This is an issue that
I guess is nearly impossible to address because of the norms that have already been established
for many years.