| The
Unsung Women Heroes Awards
The Unsung Women Heroes
Awards, a signature program of the Soroptimist
Inernational of the Philippines Region, will be held
on April 16, at the
Abelardo Hall of the University of the Philippines,
in Quezon City.
Initiated last year, this program aims to recognize
the extraordinary work
of ordinary, simple women in their community, to help
alleviate poverty
and despair. These awardees, mostly from the grassroots,
are women who
dedicate their lives for others. Highly recommended
by community leaders
in their communities, Soroptimists would like to bring
their heroic
stories into the national consciousness. They are:
- Ellen Batisan - nominee of SI
Cabanatuan, is an outstanding youth leader, recognized
by both the local government unit and the church
diocese, who has dedicated her time, talent and
effort to educating the youth of Cabanatuan through
outreach programs, youth seminars and other healthy
activities, directing them away from the modern
scourge of drugs, sex and violence.
- Rosalinda
Dagcasin, a
young volunteer coming form the grassroots, who
later became president of "Samahan
ns Mga Nanay" in Caloocan, mentoring them
into becoming their husband's life partners financially.
- Agnesita Espiritu -
nominee of SI Angeles, works for the social upliftment
of women in her community as a volunteer social
worker. She is recognized especially for her work
with the Aeta children, an indigenous tribe in
Pampanga.
- Patricia Gallardo, a domestic
abuse survivor, who later organized the women's
organization "Stop
the Abuse an Violence Against Our Women, Inc." in
Baguio City, helping women similarly situated as
herself.
- Rowena Jamaji - a certified Overseas
Foreign Worker, who by sheer hard work and persistence,
rose from her impoverished beginnings to become
a construction magnate, now helping thousands of
Filipinos land jobs here and abroad.
- Ma. Lourdes
Ocampo - Coming from
a life of comfort, she suffered depression upon
the death of a young husband, who left her to care
for 8 growing children. She now teaches jail inmates
bag-making out of recycled paper, to help them
meet their financial needs.
- Eden Reyes, a housewife
with a benevolent heart from Meycauayan, Bulacan,
has worked on assisting marginalized women in
natural "birthing",
raised funds for the construction of deep wells,
toilets, and other structures, oftentimes act as
mediator in family disputes, facilitated seminars
for the youth, all without remuneration.
- Wilma Rodriguez, an ordinary
housewife from Pampanga, who chose to organize
some 500 women in her hometown into a productive
group through livelihood programs. She is lovingly
referred to as " Barangay
Mother" by her community.
- Dr. Cristina
Santos, an
oncologist, Dr. Santos has dedicated all her
Saturdays to conducting forums on cancer detection
and prevention. Despite her own disabilities,
being a cancer survivor herself, she established
the "Gift2Life Foundation",
a non-stock, nonprofit organization providing free
services to cancer victims. She is a nominee of
SI Ortigas and Environs.
- Emerenciana
Tuliao, an Agta,
from the indigenous people of Bulacan, nominated
by SI San Rafael, shares her livelihood skills
with her community without losing her identity
as an Agta woman.
These
are the 2010 Unsung Women Heroes. The Soroptimist
International of the Philippines Region salutes
them!!
Gov. Carmen A. Flor
Updates...
Let me relate to you the events of the last week, which is an overwhelming
story of three different islands, strung together by nothing but the idea
of Soroptimist., quite a different story from the usual plaints often
heard.
Dateline: Manila
February 18, Thursday, we were at the Manila Yacht Club, where DD Flery
Marcelo was presiding over the charter of SI Tagaytay and from the brief
background provided by PP Ampy Araullo of SI Founder Manila, it is indeed
a "Miracle" Club. Planned many moons ago by Pres. Mary Jazul, prospective
members would come and disappear from the scene. But the nagging of the
governor and the image of the "Lady of Lourdes" looking for a home in
Tagaytay, came into play. The Lady found one in the home of PP Ampy
Araullo. The charter President, Jasmin Manahan of SI Tagaytay, who was
carrying the image of Lourdes, upon seeing the sign "A Soroptimist Lives
Here" was convinced to organize a Soroptimist Club. Twenty eight members
signed up, were SOLTED, paid and chartered on Feb. 18.
Dateline: Cebu
Friday, February 19, we were at the airport at the early hour of 5 AM, to
catch a flight to Cebu, to give an informational meeting to several women
entrepreneurs and professionals, invited by Pres. Lita Hizon of SI Manila
Tourist Belt. We were met by an ebullient and refreshingly engaging young
lady, a very good friend of Pres. Lita, Baby Dy, who owns one of the
biggest travel agencies in Cebu. The venue was the City Sports Plaza,
where we met with some 15 youthful, energetic and competent ladies, some
invited by Treasurer Marisol and Chit de la Cruz. By mid morning after
listening to the SIPR team, Fe, Cely, Flery, Marisol, Chit and me, they
were ready to elect their officers. Marisol was in disbelief. After
listening to her lecture on SIA and SIPR dues, they were still eager to
charter as early as March 19. The difference of ten dollars in March is
quite acceptable to all of them. We had a lively open forum afterwards to
make sure they all understood what Soroptimist stands for. Naturally,
Baby Dy was the chosen Charter President of SI Sugbu. After lunch, we
headed back to the airport to catch our flight to Bacolod City for another
informational meeting the following day ,the 20th of February.
We stayed the night in Silay City at my home ready for the next day's
activity. We were quite apprehensive about attendance but DD Mila
Hechanova , Pres. Cely Mirano of Bacolod and Pres. Virgie Virata of
Silay, assured us that they are ready for the Leadership Academy and the
informational meeting for SI Talisay in the afternoon.
Dateline: Bacolod, Negros Occidental
Venue: Amrei Hotel,owned by Marissa Montelibano,Soroptimist of Silay. We
were not disappointed. Three local newspapers carried the news of our
Leadership Academy, and my photo was on a prominent page of the Daily
Star, courtesy of Soroptimist Elsie Jolingan. Fifteen members of Bacolod
came, many of whom never came to our meetings before, including PDD Celia
Ferrer and past president Andrea SI, ten members from Silay and three from
Iloilo, headed by DD Mila Hechanova,West Visayas. At the end of the day,
we had inducted four members of SI Silay and many women from Talisay,
young, pretty professionals and entrepreneurs came to attend the afternoon
informational meeting. Some came upon the invitation of DDE Tita
Lemoncito. They have scheduled their charter tentatively, on March 20.
Three Sampaguita pins were sold! Julia Smith, Inday Pefianco and Nina
Comia forked out 5K each for their pins. And wonder of wonders, none
complained about the dues. I presumed they must have been briefed by Pres. Cely Mirano earlier.
By early evening, the SIPR team was treated to a leisurely dinner at Bar
21 by Bacolod PP Inday Pefianco after a grand tour of her magnificent
residence. As I said in Davao earlier, this reminds me of the lyrics of a
song "This is a lovely way to spend an evening".
Mon. Feb. 21 -The SIPR team left for Manila in the morning of Sunday,
while I stayed behind to nurse a terrible case of cough and colds.
I wish to thank most profoundly, Pres. Mary Jazul, PP Ampy Araullo of
Founder Manila, (who calls me a "nagging" Governor) DD Flery for the
charter of SI Tagaytay. Credit for our Cebu sojourn goes especially to
Pres. Lita Hizon of SI Manila Tourist Belt, to Pres. Cely Mirano of SI
Bacolod /DD Mila for our prospect in SI Talisay and the SIPR team for
sharing their time and expertise in keeping the Soroptimist fires burning
in the islands of Luzon, Cebu and Negros Occidental. What a great way to
ride down the end of this biennium.
Gov. Carmen A. Flor
Human Rights Day Forum
December 29, 2009
Emerging from the euphoria of the Christmas triple
treat event on the 6th of December, Soroptimists
turned serious and reverted back to the grim realities
of the human rights situation in the Philippines
in a forum on Dec. 10 at the Club Filipino. The Filipino
people was righteously angry and indignant over the
Maguindanao massacre on November 23, of some 57 civilians,
mostly women and journalists in what is considered
the most vile and most inhuman election related crime
in our history.
Our speakers were carefully
handpicked to provide us with the latest development
in the human rights saga of the country. Atty. Ana Luz Cristal,
a hard hitting women's rights advocate titillated
her audience with her frank and incisive comments
on RA 9262, a law protecting women's rights in an
abusive relationship. She was most applauded by the
audience composed mostly of women. Congresswoman
Riza Hontiveros Baraquiel, a pretty activist and
outspoken critic of the administration, representative
of party list AKBAYAN spoke on her stand against
martial rule imposed in Maguindanao. Police Superintendent
Franklin Bucayo, head of the Human Rights Directorate
of the Philippine National Police (PNP) focused on
human rights practices of the PNP, especially in
light of the Maguindanao massacre, where policemen
proved inutile to prevent a string of heinous crimes.
Soroptimists, who have tirelessly worked in the training
of policewomen for years, have always considered
themselves to be "Friends of the PNP". (SIPR, who
sits as chair of the Community Pillar in the Five
Pillars of Justice, has been requested by the National
Police Commission to provide training for policemen
as well.)
Deviating from the usual practice, we invited
an interesting guest speaker, Professor Danton Remoto,
recently retired from the Ateneo de Manila University,
spokesperson and chair of the party list group advocating "gay
rights". Their association called "Ang Ladlad" has
just been denied participation by the Commission
on Elections as a party list in the elections of
2010, on various grounds. Soroptimists were one in
saying that gays have rights too. Our
distinguished reactors were Soroptimsts, namely;
Atty. Claire Padilla, of the Women's Legal
Bureau, SIPR Laws and Resolutions chair, Atty. Maripaz Chua
Tagle; District Director Amar Torres, Dean of the
College of Social Work of the University of the Philippines;
and Gertie Tirona, former Commissioner of the National
Commission on the Role of Filipino Women.
A lively open forum followed, with Police
Superintendent Bucayo, who presented in power point
the efforts of the PNP its defense of human rights,
getting most of the difficult questions. Professor
Remoto who spoke about the obstacles encountered
by their "kind" in getting regular employment and
their encounters with Commission on Election officials
provided humor in an otherwise very serious forum.
Unlike previously conducted human rights fora, attendees
actively participated and remained focused until
the end. Congratulations to our Human Rights Committee,
headed by Lennie Gorospe of SI Quezon City.
Gov. Carmen A. Flor
On the the Mindanao Carnage
Soroptimist International of the
Philippines Region condemns in the harshest possible
terms the Maguindanao carnage, a cold blooded murder
of innocent civilians, including defenseless women.
This is a crime that no words can aptly describe
as it cries to heaven for justice. We mourn with
the families they have left behind. We weep with
the children who have been orphaned by their mothers.
We strongly appeal to the authorities to render justice
expeditiously. The world is keenly watching us.
Gov. Carmen A. Flor
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