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With the theme ?Equal rights and equal opportunities for women,? the One-Stop Shop for Women was put up by the Women?s Resource Center of Visayas, Sidlak Gender Resource Center, University of the Philippines Cebu Gender and Development Office, the National Service Training Program class, ABS-CBN and the Rotary Club of Banilad Metro.
Liza of Lihok Filipina and the Cebu City Commission on Women and the Family had provided us many suggestions since they had already accomplished this on International Women?s Day.
Many women responded positively and came for the services. A total of 74 availed of medical services provided by the Rotary Club and 44 of them approached the lawyers. Forty-seven were screened by the Cervical Cancer Prevention Network of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center and 20 were served by psychologists from University of San Carlos.
There were educational sessions on Healthy Lifestyle for Women, Anti-Violence against Women Law, and the Automated Elections. Eighty-three women joined these sessions.
Government agencies like PhilHealth, the National Statistics Office, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development served 235 women. Most of them enjoyed the body massage offered by DSWD-trained personnel.
There were products for women sold at affordable prices by Southern Partners Fair Trade Corp., Kapamilya Negosya Na, Welcome House, and Virginia Foods Corp. came for the women.
The response of the women really made us realize how much they needed the various services. It encouraged Dr. Rhodora M. Bucoy and Leny Ocasiones, the activity coordinators, to plan more similar affairs.
The Cebu Provincial Women?s Commission also had a memorable 10th Women?s Congress. The competition for the ?Most Gender-Responsive Local Government Units? title, now on its second year, had more nominees. The municipality of Pilar and Talisay City won again, but there was a new winner: Liloan town.
Best practices were presented. This competition is very helpful, not only to the municipalities in Cebu but also to many other LGUs working for gender mainstreaming. In a locality where we worked to provide technical assistance on this issue, delays in the project were caused by the slow response of the local government unit.
A highlight of the program was the inspirational message of Gov. Gwen F. Garcia, who expressed passion for her work and achievement as Cebu?s first female governor. Gwen said that her sisters, the many women who courageously face up to the challenges of everyday life, as well as the crises they confront, are the source of her inspired, earnest efforts.
The women?s congress had two relevant resolutions on education, regarding the Magna Carta of Women, and action on climate change.
The guest speaker Flor Cabatingan from the Philippine Commission on Women said that local ordinances would help in the implementation of the Magna Carta. Cebu Province already has Provincial Ordinance No. 2005, providing for the Women Development Code. It has also shown its determination to assert women?s worth in the case of bikini competitions. The presence of Maureen ?Maui Taylor? Rodriguez and Jennifer Lee with their decision to work for women?s rights was witness to that.
Women are also the best sector to respond to the challenge of climate change. They suffer the most in the face of this calamity. They can easily identify with Mother Earth in the current destructive situation. They bear in their hearts a reverence for life.
The Capitol and PWC led by GAD point persons, Gov. Gwen Garcia and PB Member Agnes Magpale reproduced the ?Heritage Cards? on women trailblazers in magazine form to honor the triumphs of Cebu. LAW Center, Inc. PWC secretariat announced that forty more women from the municipalities, more from the ?periphery,? will be included in the coming year.
