Close to 500 women leaders and gender and development advocates from all over the province, provincial offices and selected national government agencies will converge in Bacolod City today, March 1, to celebrate the Provincial Women’s Day and kick off the annual National Women’s Month Celebration.
Atty. Andrea Lizares-Si, chair of the Provincial Council for Women, said they will have a program at the Event Center of Ayala Capitol Central Mall from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, after a 9 a.m. caravan from the South Capitol Road to major thoroughfares of Bacolod.
The program, focusing on the theme “Agenda ni Juana and Making Change Work for Women” will feature initiatives on the establishment of gender and development database, assessment of GAD mainstreaming in the local government units, and a panel discussion on what women want from candidates and elected officials.
During the program, which will be hosted by Charie Ginete-Ilon, Cauayan Councilor Analiza “Jing” Tabujara-Soriano, PCW vice chair, will acknowledge the various delegations after which Board Member Helen Zafra, chair of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Women and Family Welfare will give the welcome remarks.
Atty. Si, will explain the Gender Responsive Local Government Unit or GeRL Ka Ba Self-Assessment, which was advocated by PCW and the Provincial Planning and Development Office, to be used by the component cities and municipalities of the province, with the assistance of the Department of Interior and Local Government, to check the level of GAD mainstreaming in their locality.
PCW has invited mayors, local government operations officers, LGU GAD Focals, councilor who are chairs of women’s committees, and presidents of local women’s councils for the ceremonial submission of the GeRL Ka Ba results, which will be received by PPD Coordinator and GAD Action Officer Ma. Lina Pellejo-Sanogal, together with the representatives of Gov. Alfredo G. Marañon, Jr., Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose V. Lacson, and DILG Provincial Director Carmelo Orbista.
Juvy Pepello, president of the Provincial Liga ng mga Barangay is slated to give a solidarity message on behalf of the 601 barangays of Negros Occidental, after which, former PCW Chair and Current Adviser, Marie June Pavillar-Castro, will give a brief about the Barangay GAD Database survey initiative of PPDO and the Liga.
The panel discussion on “What Women Women from our Candidates and Elected Officials?” will be moderated by Dr. Richelle Verdeprado, head of the Social Work Department of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos.
Panelists are Joy Jarabello, former commissioner of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor and coordinator of FED UP or Federation of the Urban Poor, Professor Jeanette Patindol from the University of St. La Salle, and Ma. Sol Gerardino of Women’s Day-Off, representing the labor sector.
The Provincial Council for Women of Negros Occidental was established by Provincial Ordinance 54, Series of 1994 and is celebrating its silver jubilee this 2019.*NDB
