I’m here in the Philippines! Join this discussion with me and Gabes Torres - after 2 years of being friends connecting purely online, I’ve had her on the podcast, she is a powerful voice for Filipin@s & decolonization work. A few days before coming I spent time in Manila, to visit historical sites like Intramrous, and national museums.

Gabes Torres is a psychotherapist, writer, and organizer with her work focusing on the interplay of mental health, the arts, spirituality, and justice-oriented practice. 

She has an MA in Theology & Culture, and Counseling Psychology; both graduate degrees were accomplished in Seattle, the city where she organized with abolitionist and anti-imperialist groups at a local, grassroots level. She is also a poet and singer-songwriter. 

This will be released on Monday June 12, Independence Day in the Philippines, which is in itself, is mistaken because yes while it was freed from Spain it was handed to United States, officially become a republic on 1946, but nevertheless happy Independence day! Hope this day serves as awareness for people to learn we are not yet free and to honor those still advocating for freedom, you’lll learn here,

VIDEO RECORDING HERE

In this episode:

What those in other countries should know about what’s happening on the ground

• Activism & climate justice in the Philippines, Gabes talks about the the work being done here and community care
• Me seeing there’s a bigger role for us in other countries, for myself, to start engaging back with the fight for freedom & justice for our people, country
• We talk bout this Romanticization of Resilience
• Characteristics of Filipino people that is admirable, but was taken advantage of
• Intergenerational oppresion and how a lot of things is a trauma response
• I talk about my humbling experience a week before in Hong Kong seeing Filipino careworkers on the street on a Sunday and starting to see beauty in overlooked
• Going a step out of the identity work to contributing to progress
• Outside of the work, of dismantling oppression, who are we?
• In the work of always what are we free from, what are we free FOR

Gabes Torres:
gabestorres.substack.com
IG @gabestorres/