While social media floods from videos where cheeky girls defend themselves from haters and with guys posting their own versions of twerk, there is a fast-spreading Pabebe girls inspired video made by female soldiers to raise awareness on the significant roles women play in peace-building.
A group of women soldiers from the Civil Relations Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CRS-AFP) tried to extend the knowledge about the roles of women in peace-building and national security by posting a video identifying themselves as “Pabebe Soldiers.”
The 24-second video is inspired from the viral video of teenage girls asking people to leave them alone for being “pabebe”.
Lt Lady Chatterly Alvaro-Sumbeling of the Philippine Navy, the brains behind the video that got celebrities talking, said that the viral video “Pabebe girls” is an opportunity to do a video, so she looked for women soldiers that are willing to do the video with her.
The soldiers presented themselves as the Pabebe Soldiers and adding that no one can stop them from serving the country.
Alvaro-Sumbeling joined the Philippine Navy right after graduating from the Philippine Military Academy in 2006. She has been in service for over 9 years.
She said that breaking stereotypes is another aim of the video because women are always associated with being weak. So now, the video provides a stand for women telling people that they are not pabebe, but they are actually strong like any other military personnel.
Alvaro-Sumbeling believed that it is a fulfilling duty to be a soldier, hence; there is nothing to fear in joining the AFP and those who want to join are encouraged.
She added that there’s no discrimination for men have accepted that women plays an important part in peace-building.
The CRS-AFP is in charge of AFP’s social media engagement. It helps in disseminating public information among communities.
The fast-spreading video asks for people to help each other in rendering service to the nation, equipped with respect and dignity that can also be relied on in terms of honesty, and in pushing for peace and development.
