If you ask me to make a list of the things I like least about my job, shooting videos and driving trucks will be there somewhere. Not near the top, but probably within the top 10.
The tasks I’ve always struggled with in my male-dominated line of work are mostly the physical ones, but that’s not to say I can’t or don’t get them done. There’s always a solution or a workaround—like I know my arms aren’t strong enough to lift a gimbal-mounted camera for long stretches, so when I’m pressed for time, I stick with the shots I’ve mastered and do a full sweep of the vehicle first, then redo the parts I’m not yet fully satisfied with.
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As for pickups, I actually like the look of them. It’s driving one that I find cumbersome, and if I have to go long distances in a pickup or a truck-based SUV, I try to do it during ungodly hours to make it less of a punishment on my puny limbs. If that’s not an option, well, I just suck it up and take ibuprofen for my sore muscles afterwards.
Funnily enough, for International Women’s Month this year, I got an invite from Ford Philippines to try out shooting—with guns, not cameras—and they’ll also send me a Ranger to use for the event. I’ll be honest: I appreciate their effort to promote inclusivity and challenge gender norms, but a part of me wanted to say, “I feel empowered enough as a woman—no need to kill my arms.”
Still, there was my innate stubbornness to get things done, and the fact that I had never fired a gun before. It wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. Or if it did, there’s always ibuprofen.
I’ve only driven this generation of the Ranger and its Everest twin briefly on highways before, and taking it through daytime traffic in the city, my first impression was it’s not as bad as I expected. Not too long ago, even some of the grown men I know complained about the physicality of driving pickups—mabigat, matagtag, maugong, maingay. I can cope with loud, shaky, and bumpy, but while I like a car’s steering to have ample heft and feedback, some truck tillers are just a literal pain to budge especially at low speeds.
If anything, the steering is almost too light. Backing it out of a parking space for the first time, I also noticed that the steering ratio was quicker than I’m used to in a pickup. Even someone smaller and with less arm strength than me will be able to maneuver this truck around without too much effort. Where before, pickups would have mostly been targeted toward male buyers and seen as ‘panlalaki lang,’ the current Ranger can legitimately claim to be a more inclusive vehicle that a wider range of people will find quite manageable to drive.
I was still feeling pretty relaxed by the time we arrived at Armscor Shooting Center in Marikina, where I discovered after a few rounds that I might actually be a decent shot. Turns out the breathing technique I use when shooting videos also works to ensure a steady aim when firing a gun. Save for one shot with the .45 caliber that went a bit wide because my arms were starting to feel a bit fatigued, I managed to keep everything else close to the centerline.
By the end of the session, I had a respectable-looking target board—a photo of which was promptly sent to the work chat. I’m wondering if I should hang it up at the office, too. It might empower the guys to send their deliverables on time…
