Caraga recognizes outstanding women at annual summit
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY - The Regional Gender and Development Committee (RGADC), chaired by the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) Caraga, spearheaded this year’s Caraga Women’s Summit, which featured learning sessions, various free services from government agencies and recognition of women with outstanding performance in their respective fields.
The
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Caraga, as the lead agency in the
Gender-WEE (Women’s Economic Empowerment) subcommittee, led the awarding of
plaques and certificates of recognition to the Women Entrepreneur Awardees. The
Department of Agriculture (DA) also presented awards for the Outstanding Rural
Women Regional Winner and runners-up, and the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST) presented awards for Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading
Program (SETUP) Graduated Women-led micro, small and medium enterprises
(MSMEs).
As the
keynote speaker of the Caraga Women’s Summit at Balanghai Hotel and Convention
Center in Butuan City, Cabadbaran City Mayor Judy Chin Amante shared her
personal experiences as a solo parent for nearly 14 years, and how she was able
to raise her children alone and overcome all the challenges of motherhood.
“Warmest
greetings to all of you as we celebrate Women’s Month, an occasion that recognizes
the incredible strength, resilience and contributions of women in governance,
development and community-building,” she said.
“May we
all continue to be champions of empowerment, agents of progress and architects
of a more just and equal world. With deepest gratitude and unwavering support,
I want to thank everyone for this opportunity. We used to live our lives
constantly being told the phrase ‘babae lang ako’ (I’m just a woman). But
that’s a thing of the past, because today our mantra is ‘babae ako at lahat
kaya ko’ (I’m a woman and I can do anything),” she stressed.
DTI
Caraga Regional Director Gay Tidalgo, chairperson of the RGADC-GenderWEE
subcommittee, urged all women to stand and let their voices be heard. “As the
quote from Meghan Markle says, women do not need to find a voice, as they
already have a voice. All they need is to be empowered for them to be able to
use their voices and let the world hear our voices,” she said.
“We
celebrate this year’s Caraga Women’s Summit, an event that has grown in
significance and impact over the years. We started in 2004 as ‘Kalandrakas,’ a
gathering filled with fun and learning at that time, but it has transformed
into a powerful platform for advocacy, empowerment and meaningful engagement.
So, today, as we celebrate International Women’s Day, we reaffirm our
commitment to uplifting women, recognizing their invaluable contributions and
providing them with greater opportunities for economic and social advancement,”
she added.
Director
Tidalgo also highlighted that this year’s summit is proof of the unwavering
dedication of the gender and women economic empowerment subcommittee of the
RDC-RGADC and all its member agencies.
“Your
collective efforts have ensured that women in Caraga not only have access to
critical government services but also have the opportunity to showcase your
entrepreneurial finished products through the trade fair and learning sessions.
These initiatives reflect our shared vision of a more inclusive, equitable and
prosperous society,” she further remarked.
In his
message, RGADC Chairperson Regional Director Alexander Makinano encouraged
everyone to enjoy and avail themselves of the services offered at the summit
venue.
“First
and foremost, let me, of course, together with you, appreciate this very rare
occasion. At least, we are out of our usual office work for today, March 10,”
he said.
“Yes, I
am a male regional director and I am standing as the chairperson of the
Regional Development Council – Regional Gender and Development Committee, and
as others would say, this guy champions gender equality and women empowerment
in Caraga, or maybe I am just one of the very few regional directors willing to
take this additional responsibility at least until this year,” he added,
indicating the possibility of having another chairperson from other potential
agencies.
Director
Makinano also emphasized that he is fully committed to this cause in promoting
gender equality and women empowerment. “Gender equality is not just a women’s
issue, it’s a human rights issue. And while I am proud to have taken on this
role, allow me to join you as we recognize outstanding women with incredible
contributions in the region,” he underscored.
“As
workers and managers in government and private organizations, you lead, you
champion the causes, break barriers and show that leadership has no gender,
only competence, passion and heart. Indeed, the world moves because of women,”
added Makinano.
Concepcion
“Chit” Asis, regional chairperson of People’s Power Volunteer Reform (PPVR) and
co-chairperson of RGADC Caraga, further lauded the different agencies for
gearing up efforts toward promoting women in their respective agencies.
“I am
very happy to note the progressions that we have made, as evidenced by our
awarding this morning. We have more awardees this year than last year. And we
have expanded the awards to include women beyond institutions and beyond
communities that have reached a better life because of our programs in
government, like women parolees. Congratulations to the Parole and Probation
Administration,” she said.
“I wish
to announce that the People’s Power Volunteer for Reform this year’s
contribution to women mainstreaming was the conduct of crafting gender codes by
different agencies and different local government units, and we have achieved a
lot in crafting our gender codes because more and more LGUs are currently in
the process either producing, enacting or amending gender codes to make them
respond better to the needs of women in different provinces and cities in
Caraga,” she added.
During the one-day event, participating women also enjoyed free massages, haircuts, medical check-ups and consultations, and more. (JPG, PIA Caraga)
