What started as a personal hashtag for Frankie Pangilinan swiftly became a source of strength for most people. 

The #HijaAko movement began on June 14 when Frankie Pangilinan retweeted a post about the Lucban Municipal Police Station instructing women to be cautious of what they wear in order not to get raped. 

“Teach people not to rape,” Pangilinan wrote in her post. Many lauded her for the tweet, but Ben Tulfo responded by calling Pangilinan “hija,” and saying that a rapist’s desire to commit a crime will always be present so women should be more careful of what they wear. Pangilinan countered Tulfo, addressing her as “hija”, saying that it will not “belittle” her point. 

A few hours later, Pangilinan tweeted the hashtag #HijaAko with a screenshot of a message from an anonymous sender saying that they would “also like to sign up for the hija label if that’s what Ben Tulfo’s calling girls who fight for their rights as human beings.”

Under the hashtag, survivors coming from different circumstances all over the country came forward to share their stories and thoughts, and to hold perpetrators accountable. 

Several students from different schools and universities came forward with their experiences and opinions on the movement. Even students and alumni from the Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) mustered up their courage and recounted their experiences using the hashtag. 

On June 27, 2020, the Ateneo de Manila University released a statement as a response to the current situation. “We assure our students that we are here to listen and support anyone who has experienced harassment. We are verifying these reports and are ready to immediately begin an impartial investigation when warranted.”

Shortly after the university’s statement, some ASHS students and alumni began an initiative called ASHS Safe Spaces which aims to make a change in the community by hearing out different experiences and perspectives on sexual violence and by proposing solutions to eradicate sexual harassment and misconduct, and other actions similar in nature.

A week ago, July 13, the ASHS administration posted a statement on their page detailing the actions they had taken in relation to the problems and issues that arose. These actions include reaching out to the affected students and alumni and offering debriefing periods as well as counseling sessions. 

The statement also provided an email address where the administration can be reached regarding these matters. The admin, through the statement, assured that they are “investigating the reported incidents following school and university procedures. Persons complained of will face the appropriate sanctions if proven guilty.”

On the same day, the ASHS Sanggunian released a resolution certifying the creation of the Anti-Sexual Misconduct and Gender Discrimination Act of 2020 which encompasses all students, student organizations and committees, core councils and teams under the Sanggunian, including the faculty and staff of the ASHS.

The #HijaAko movement in the ASHS, however, does not end here. As we venture into a new school year, may we constantly participate in making the community a safe space for everyone.