About the BWB Authors

Annabelle “Anny” Misa-Hefti

Writer

Anny Hefti describes herself as a person of action. When she gets inspired, she pushes the idea and immediately acts on it. For her, time is of the essence. She follows a work-play attitude in her endeavors and believes in enjoying what she is doing; she feels more effective this way.

Anny was born in Cebu but spent most of her life away from home. She attended college at UP Diliman and completed her graduate studies in California, USA. She is a cross-cultural Counseling Psychologist and a retired member of the Federation of Swiss Psychologists. Her exposure to the life of migrants at the Counseling Center for Foreign Women and at the migration center, Zentrum 5, in Bern made her aware of the significance of empowerment to many women’s issues like VAW, equality, and discrimination. She believes women should actively claim their places in society.

Anny lives in Rüderswil with her spouse Walter. They have 2 sons and 4 grandchildren.

Anny is an avid traveler.

Evangeline Bugayong

Writer

Evangeline Bugayong is a registered nurse originating from Taal, Batangas. She moved to Austria and then Switzerland in the early 1970s, soon after having graduated. She has since worked in different fields of nursing, such as at the Neurology Clinic of Zurich University Hospital as well as with blind people, but also as a psychiatric, geriatric, and private nurse, caring for people with different needs and backgrounds.

As a founding member of the Philippine Nurses Association (Switzerland Chapter), she served as the organization’s Vice President during its early years. Today, she is enjoying her retirement and spends her time hiking and visiting new places. She likes to reminisce with old friends but also enjoys making new ones. With the use of the latest technologies, she still aspires to perfect her baking skills.

Evangeline currently resides near Zurich with her daughter and grandson. When she is in the Philippines, she looks after her family’s heritage house, which was completed in 2018.

    Marcelina “Lina” Ermert

    Writer

    Marcelina “Lina” Manalo -Ermert,  is in her mid-seventies and enjoys swinging thru life, traveling here and there, realizing her childhood dream of seeing the world.  When it came to education, her parents were very liberal so she could choose her profession, and despite being a woman, opted to become a civil Engineer. As a Filipina, it might be an American heritage that women were allowed to be educated alongside men, unlike during the Spanish occupation when women belonged to the house, the family, and the church.

    It must also be her liberal upbringing that she became innately a feminist, a believer in gender equality. In her later years, she changed her profession to social work and working with women, especially for and with her fellow Filipinas. One advocacy she would like to be remembered with is that – women, especially migrant women, are not inferior either to men or “white” women. We should neither look down nor look up when we meet them but look straight to their level. For Lina, having been part of this book, “Bending without Breaking,” has been proof of this advocacy. She is honored to have known these other resilient Filipinas bending to their new surroundings and way of life, but never breaking.

    Helen Gaganao

    Writer

    Helen Gaganao was born in Iloilo City, grew up in Guimaras Island, Philippines, and moved to Tacloban City, Leyte to pursue her studies in BSCE and Civil Engineering. Her springtime of youth was spent in conscientious missionary work for over 21 years as inspired by her civic-oriented family. However, circumstances had forced her to set aside her degree, and family financial needs pushed her to leave her passion for civil service to work abroad. With the help of a Belgian Dignitary, she was able to work for a Switzerland-based European Royal Family in the Diplomatic Corps that gave her the opportunity to live in a castle with real-life princes and princesses.

    It has been said that life needs a balance of sunshine and rain. Thus, Helen’s life, too. She was confronted with the horrible ailment, Breast Cancer, that challenged her faith. With the help of her loving family, friends, and medical team, she was able to accept the reality of her health issues and even used this experience as an avenue for growth. She learned to fight against every battle and is a survivor of a number of medical setbacks. 

    Helen is a committed person, a dedicated and loyal friend who wants others to be happy in her company. Her vocation of serving others, her spiritual training and lifestyle, and her battle against all odds have resulted in a generous soul. She is always grateful to God for all His mercy, strength, and love. 

      Weni Gamboa

      Writer

      comin soon

        Melody Hunter

        Writer

        Melody Hunter lived in the Philippines for more than 20 years, living a fast-paced life as a director of an IT company where she was at the forefront of the computer and sports industries. She actively pursues her love of endurance sports and triathlon as a way to de-stress and stay focused, fit, and flexible.

        As an advocate of holistic wellbeing and lifestyle, Melody is a certified health coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York. She is also a certified PraiseMoves instructor – a Christian alternative to yoga –  and has established fitness ministries for women in countries as diverse as Canada, Barbados, and Switzerland.   

        After many years living as an ex-pat around the world, Melody is now settled in New Zealand. 

          Alice Javier

          Writer

          Alice Javier was born in Alaminos, Laguna, and went to Laguna College to finish her degree in Bachelor of Science in Education. Shortly after finishing her studies, she joined her sister in Bern, Switzerland to work as a housekeeper and, in 1983, became a chef at the Norwegian Ambassador’s Residence up to the present.

          During those long years as a single parent, Alice learned a lot about life and survival and, at the same time, to rise gracefully every time she falls. She also learned that there should no be shame in what one does to earn a living, as long as it is honest and legal. She respects other people and aims to earn their respect and confidence. She is a happy, positive and optimistic person and likes to do her job quickly but properly. She believes that jobs are done, not because of monetary reasons but because of the happiness it brings. She also learned to be flexible in different situations and found out that being resilient makes things a lot easier and less stressful and dramatic.

          For Alice, happiness is peace of mind, contentment, acceptance, and, most of all, gratefulness, especially to God, for all the blessings she receives.

            Susan Nagel

            Writer

            After 20 years living in France, Susan Nagel and her Swiss husband, Beat, decided to move back to Switzerland in 2010 due to Beat’s health issues. Once settled, Susan opened her own beauty salon at Marktgasse in Bern where she put her skills to use. However, she gave it up after four successful years when Beat’s health declined. He passed away in 2019.

            A paragon of strength in the throes of mourning and the pandemic, Susan enrolled at Bénédict School to finish B2 in the German language. She also enrolled in the Financial Literacy and Social Entrepreneurship offered by Ateneo School of Government. Her greatest achievement in life is having her son grow up to be a good person. She also founded SOULLS, Share and Offer Unconditional LOve to Lonely Souls, a charity that helps children to go to school.

            Apart from education and her charity, Susan enjoys going to the gym and keeping herself healthy and fit.

              Evelyn Steiner

              Writer

              Evelyn Steiner was born in Manila. After finishing elementary, her family moved to Thailand when her father, Felix Bautista, a known professional tennis coach & instructor in Asia, was given a contract by the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand to train their best players. Evelyn and her four siblings went to the Bangkok International School and were able to integrate with international students and the Thai culture. As a permanent Bangkok resident, Evelyn worked as a secretary in a Norwegian Shipping Company where she met her husband, Toni Steiner, who was working with Diethelm Travel, a Swiss Company.

              They moved to Switzerland in the early ’70s and quickly found out that she was the only Filipina in Luzern. However, she met and got acquainted with many other Asian women from China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore & Thailand. Eventually, Evelyn founded Samahang Pilipina, Luzern, together with other writers Anny Hefty from Bern and Marcelina Ermert from Zürich.

              Evelyn lives in Horw, Luzern with Toni, her husband of 52 years. They have one son, three daughters, and nine grandchildren.

                Catalina “Cathy” Weber

                Writer

                Catalina Weber was born in Southern Philippines, the sixth of 11 children, and grew up with her grandmother who influenced her to be a Nutritionist/Dietician at the Provincial Hospital. She was reporting at the Regional office for a monthly conference and training when she met her husband, Georg Weber, a Swiss businessman visiting the Philippines. After getting married, they moved to Lucern where she was hired as an English-speaking sales interpreter at Bucherer Jewelry Store where she worked for 30 years.

                Cathy’s childhood memories of eating healthy and from the land sparked her love of food and cooking, which helped her integrate into Swiss culture. Her penchant for meeting people from all over the world and her fellow countrymen inspired her to become an active member of Samahang Pilipina and Euro-Pilipino Encuentro.

                After retirement, a widow without children, she decided to live in General Santos City, Philippines, where she can be with family and friends.

                  Esther “Terry” Windler

                  Writer

                  An accountant by profession, Terry Windler balanced the books of the companies she worked for from Geneva to Zug. She opted to work part-time because she wanted to be out in nature. She fell in love with growing plants from the moment she could grow flowers in boxes on her balcony. Her encounter with the writings of naturalist Henry David Thoreau made an impression on her for life.

                  Settling back in Dumaguete with her husband Heinz after 33 years in Switzerland, the garbage of plastic strewn around beaches and rivers unsettled her. With five of her friends, she founded an environmental NGO to bring awareness that the care of the environment is connected to one’s wellbeing. This NGO is still active to this day and is currently involved in creating partnerships with individuals and groups to promote the Rainforestation of native trees, enabling wildlife to flourish once more. She believes that when a system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence have the capacity to shift the entire system (Ilya Prigogine).

                  Terry writes a column in the weekly community newspaper, the Metropost, under the heading Tree Hugger. Her organic garden of fruit trees, vegetables, and kitchen and medicinal plants provide her and her friends a sanctuary from a world of uncertainty, disconnect, and politics.

                    Lily C. Fen

                    Writer

                    Lily C. Fen is honored to be part of this Filipino-Swiss migration project. She became a migrant herself in 2011, moving with her Czech husband to Prague and staying there for several years. They are living in their third city together as a couple: Zurich. Migration has taught her to separate identity from her occupation, and she writes her way into finding her own sense of self through works like Bending without Breaking. She loves the sea and will always be a storyteller, whether as an actor or writer. This is her first project as a book co-editor.

                    Lily’s features and Filipino fantasy fiction have appeared in QLRS, Asian Cha, Asian Dragon, The Local Switzerland, and New Asian Writing. She earned her MA degree in English Studies from the University of the Philippines and co-edited a book entitled Bending without Breaking: Thirteen Women’s Stories of Migration and Resilience. She translated one of Čapek’s beloved children’s stories, O pejskovi a kočičce, into Filipino, entitled Si Aso at Si Pusa. She is working on her first novel.

                    Monette Bichsel

                    Writer

                    Monette Bichsel is a confessed neurotic who tries to translate her “heimweh” into words. Since moving to Switzerland in the autumn of 2015, she has grappled with the realities of moving from one country to the other — from learning the language to finding a space where she can continue her career in training and development. Despite difficulties, she persists in finding pockets of refuge in family, friends, and this small community of strong and independent Filipinas who constantly show her that over time, she can call Switzerland home.

                    She graduated from the University of Santo Tomas with a degree in Literature and works in corporate training while pursuing her love for travel and writing.  Her works were published by Southeast Asian Travel Magazine, Juan’s Destination Magazine, Navigator Magazine, and top online publications. She also wrote several travel essays as part of Dispatch Magazine’s travel anthology book published in the Philippines. She has collaborated with tourism departments, airline companies, and hotel associations in promoting the Philippines as a travel destination. She recently co-authored and co-edited the anthology of short stories about Filipino women living in Switzerland, Bending Without Breaking: Thirteen Women’s Stories of Migration and Resilience.