DILG XII celebrated this year’s women’s month activity with a twist on March 8, through its Café Juana, a virtual and real coffee shop which form part of this year’s showcase of women empowerment. The event started with a ceremonial cutting of ribbon and showcasing Café Juana.
The brick-and-lumber mock-up, complete with a low center table and some cushioned lounge chairs, offered a comfortable and cozy corner for both the attendees at the DILG XII Conference Room and online. A makeshift kitchen was built for the purpose to achieve the full coffee shop setting.
Cafe Juana featured women who excelled in their fields, including Atty. Maria Theresa D. Constantino, Municipal Mayor of Malungon, who was one of the Key Speakers of “Babae Pambihira Ka” segment. During her slot, Mayor Constantino shared their town’s Best Practices in battling COVID- 19 Pandemic.
Aside from Mayor Constantino, another empowered lady lawyer Atty. Dinah Jean S. Cornejo, the Presiding Judge of Branch 55 Regional Trial Court, General Santos City, also joined Café Juana to share the milestones in her journey until she landed the job. Judge Cornejo shared how she managed to thrive in an environment where mostly men succeed.
More than 63 individuals representing various member- agencies/ institutions of the RGADC XII joined the café virtually via the Zoom platform, while the Conference Room was filled with DILG XII employees.
The cafe featured some original concoctions with familiar names and catchy taglines, based on the the comparison of women to various coffee blends: Americano=”Tulad ng pagmamahal ko, purong-puro” highlighting the intensity of a Filipino woman’s love, Macchiato:”makaya natin ‘to”, a play of words of the Filipino phrase “we can do it”, Juana Tea: “women are like teabags: you can’t tell how strong they are until you put them in hot water.” The wall of pictures in the cafe also featured some of the contributions of women to the society.
The National Women’s Month Celebration Kick-off Ceremony was officially launched by the Regional Gender and Development Committee (RGADC) XII led by its Chairperson, Director Josephine Cabrido–Leysa, CESO III.
Three RGADC initiatives were launched during the ceremony. Mr. Richlie Lyndon L. Magtulis, Co-Chairperson of RGADC XII, also joined the Virtual Café with the Launching of the Prime Government Regional Center (PGRC) as Regional GAD Zone. This is a zone which will manifest an ideal government center where people can equitably and efficiently access the government services they deserve. This zone will also comply with other laws and regulations on CHILD PROTECTION (child minding centers), WOMEN PROTECTION (breastfeeding stations) and other GAD best practices.
The certification of Regional GAD Resource Pool (RGRP), its screening process and schedule of activities was presented by Atty. Keysie M. Gomez, Attorney IV of Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and RGRP Screening Committee Chairperson.
RGADC XII Secretariat Jessilou Frugalidad, EnP presented the “Search for the Most Gender – Responsive and Most Gender Sensitive Agency/ Institution/ LGU”.
The Kick-off ended with a Bloodletting activity, provided by the Philippine Red Cross South Cotabato Chapter, Dir. Leysa was the first to partake on the activity and was also joined by fifteen other individuals from the DILG.
Dir. Leysa, in her closing remark, left the quote to every one: “This day is just another reminder that over the years we have conquered every glass ceiling that come our way. Women are born to break barriers.”
