Cebu Celebrates Women’s Month

Staunch advocates for women’s rights and empowerment in Cebu and other parts of Visayas paraded to Cebu Provincial Capitol Wednesday, March 1 marking the Women’s Month Celebration with a theme “Make change work for women”.

“Karong adlawa napamatuod na layo kita’g naabtan ning atong pakigbisog alang sa kalambuan sa kababainan dili lang sa Sugbo kundi pud sa nasod,” said Governor Hilario Davide III as he led the welcoming of the participants of the event.

Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) chose Cebu to kick-off the month-long celebration part of the worldwide observance of the International Women’s Day in the month of March.

Dr. Rhodora M. Bucoy, chairperson of PCW, expressed her happiness as she was back at the Provincial Capitol which she said gave birth to a lot of activities for women in Cebu province and city.

Bucoy accentuated the event on empowering women and discussing their vital role in changing not just the nation but the whole world in any fields and events.

“Every woman has innate potentials that can only be unleashed if she embraces her own empowerment to make positive changes,” she said.

Davide applauded the Filipino women in this modern world as trend setters, effective leader and powerful nation builders unafraid to empower, cultivate and reshape possible change.

“Women inspired men to become women,” he added.

Bucoy supported Davide’s statement as she said men can become women imbued with qualities of compassion, care, concern and love for freedom and dignity.

Vice Governor Agnes A. Magpale, an active advocate for women and children, presented in her speech the changes Province of Cebu made for women since 1993.

She said that the Sanguniang Panlalawigan prior to that time did not have a Committee on Women until she brought it up which started through advocacy programs.

Magpale discussed how the Provincial Women’s Commission came into being and how it developed and shaped the lives of lots of women in the province.

The event focused on empowering women through inspiring women’s shared stories and experience in dealing and improving their lives as well as others’ lives. (Francis Nacua)