Her new book is a guide for Filipinas during the new normal and beyond

“When you educate a woman, you set her free,” icon, author, and famous TV presenter Oprah Winfrey said. Throughout history, women, who were once deprived of reading and education, change the world with books in their hands. We saw how a book can change a young girl's life, and while we are seeing more and more empowered women taking the pen and writing their own stories to inspire others internationally, the same cannot be said in our local landscape with only a few non-fiction books geared toward Filipinas today.

To help shape the minds and inspire today’s Filipina readers, Sen. Risa Hontiveros penned a book that mirrors her journey and gives advice specific to Filipinas. Titled “Healthy Buhay, Happy Mama: Risa Hontiveros’s Journey Through Motherhood,” the book weaves tales about “work-life balance, finances, health and wellness, and navigating the new normal as a mother.”

“There are of course many areas I could have concentrated on for my first book,” she said. “I chose these in particular as they all interrelate. Finding strength in one pillar reinforces the others and vice versa. I hope that other Filipinas will feel the same force-multiplier effect that occurs when developing any of these focus areas, just like it has for me.”

“Healthy Buhay, Happy Mama” is published by Bookshelf PH, a boutique publisher and marketplace for books, ebooks, and audiobooks. The title is one of several new ones from the publisher aimed at providing advice to Filipinos for the new digital economy. Sam Balinado, the head of content at Bookshelf PH, explained that Hontiveros was selected to lead the thrust focusing on women on account of her well-roundedness.

“Risa Hontiveros is not only a successful journalist, politician, and community organizer, but also a mother and daughter,” said Balinado, who works with partner thought leaders and authors in romance, business, and women empowerment. “We wanted to tap the insights of a leader like Risa, who shows it’s truly possible to achieve success across multiple personal and professional areas. You just need to consciously think about what your dream for each area is, and then meticulously design your life to reach those goals.”

“We’ve always been one of the most forward-thinking countries when it comes to women, but that’s no reason for us to rest on our laurels. I believe there is still plenty of room for improvement,” Hontveros added. “My hope is that by discussing what it takes for women to succeed as individuals, we can recognize what we still need to do as a society to make it easier for us to do so.”

The first two hundred copies of the book will be personally signed by Hontiveros, and it can be pre-ordered here.