Senate Honors Outstanding Women

Senate Honors Outstanding Women

EMPOWERED WOMEN: Senators Pia Cayetano (sixth from left) and Cynthia Villar (fifth from left) lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony of an exhibit entitled ‘Empowered Women: Raising the Bar,’ at the Philippine Senate, Monday afternoon. The exhibit featured outstanding women known in the fields of sports, arts, entertainment, among others. Also in photo are (from left to right) Ann and Camille Meloto, Rachelle Gerodias, Olivia Bong Coo, Daphne Osena Paez, Liza Macuja Elizalde, Noelle Wenceslao, and Senate Secretary Oscar Yabes. (Albert Calvelo photo)

The Senate this week adopted a resolution recognizing women for their valuable contributions to society in celebration of Women’s month this March. It also cited 14 women achievers and an all-woman mountaineering team.

Senator Pia S. Cayetano introduced Resolution 1237 which seeks to honor the economic, political and social achievements of Filipina women while calling for greater gender equality in the society. 

“Women’s Month is an opportune time to recognize outstanding women who continue to raise the bar and break the glass ceiling, not only in the country, but also across the world,” Cayetano said.

 “It is important to continually acknowledge the role that women play towards nation building. The Senate is one with the country in celebrating Women’s Month by honouring outstanding and brilliant women from different walks of life who have been continuous achievers in different fields,” the resolution stated.

The resolution said 14 women and a mountaineering team were recognized for their accomplishments in leadership, power and decision making. They are Lang Dulay, a famous T’boli dream weaver who is considered a national living treasure by the National Commission for Culture and Arts; Liza Macuja-Elizalde, acknowledged as the first Filipina prima ballerina; Rachelle Gerodias, the Philippines’ premier soprano; Monique Lhuiller, a world renowned fashion designer; Lolita Valderrama-Savage, a Pinay global artist; Fe del Mundo, a pediatrician and the first woman admitted to Harvard Medical School; Jur-genne Primavera, a marine scientist and a conservationist who is one of Time Magazine’s Heroes of the environment.

Also lauded by the resolution are Roselle Ambubuyog, the first visually-impared Filipina to graduate Summa Cum Laude from Ateneo de Manila; Cristeta “Cris” Comerford, the first Asian and first female White House executive chef; Sheila Lirio Marcelo, the founder and CEO of care.com and named as a young global leader by the World Economic Forum; Anna and Camille Meloto, a social entrepreneur and founder of Human Nature, Inc. (Gandang Kalikasan); Daphne Oseña-Paez, the Unicef special advocate for children, TV host and blogger; Olivia Bong Coo, a four-time World Champion Bowler; Ani de Leon-Brown, the first Filipina to qualify in the Ironman Tria-thlon World Champ-ionships; and the first Filipina women to be part of the Mt. Everest team  - Janet Belarmino, Carina Dayondon and Noelle Wenceslao.

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said that the resolution was an expression of the upper chamber’s recognition of women as equal partners in nation-building and driving reforms to Philippine society.

“We acknowledge the indispensable roles of Filipino women in advancing the nation. Their victories and achievements in their respective fields, sectors and responsibilities are that of the nation’s itself,” Drilon said.  /MP