Soroptimists launch leadership award for women who serve women

MANILA, Philippines - The Soroptimist International Philippines Region Inc. recently launched the search for Mariquita S. Castelo Leadership Award.

Mariquita S. Castelo, who brought the Soroptimist movement to the country 46 years ago, was honored during the launch. The Soroptimist movement is aimed at helping women and girls, regardless of economic status, to better their lives and stature and inspire them to assume leadership in whatever fields they choose.

Castelo dedicated her life to serving girls through the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, and women through the Soroptimist movement that she adopted from the US.

The glamorous ladies who attended the launch are frontliners themselves rendering volunteer services in marginalized communities, especially where young girls and women are hard-pressed in coping with social inequities and meeting the stiff demands of society and their families.

A brainchild of Soroptimist International Philippines Region Inc. governor Minda Garcia, the leadership awards launch coincided with the birth centennial of Castelo, who founded and steered the movement to its current nationwide strength. Since Castelo was a true-blue Girl Scout leader until her retirement, her initial recruitments and founding members/officers came from the GSP.

The yearlong search will focus on members and validate the impact of their creditable contributions to marginalized communities. The award will also encourage more members to do even more. Not included in the awards are the 21 Soroptimist club governors in the country.

“The Castelo Leadership Award will immortalize her significant contribution to the cause of women and girls through the GSP and the Soroptimist. Castelo founded the first Soroptimist Club in the Philippines, calling it the Soroptimist Club of Greater Manila, which was later named Soroptimist International of Founder Manila, affiliated with clubs in the Americas. It received its charter in Malacañang on May 5, 1966,” Garcia explained.

Garcia, who serves until 2014, said that after the first leadership award next year, “We will determine if we have the funding support to continue it in the subsequent years.”

Each club is entitled to send one nominee based on the following criteria: a) nominee must be a member of good standing for at least five years; b) must be engaged in volunteer service for at least 10 years, including service to other volunteer organizations; c) achievements must be verifiable and quantifiable; d) has initiated a program along Soroptimist advocacy or instituted by any volunteer organization and the project must have improved the quality of life of the community; e) must be a role model for others to follow and emulate; f) has received leadership/service awards from her community, school, church, company and other professional organizations; g) written testimonials given by at least three leaders from three different organizations (NGOs and GOs).

Deadline for the submission of nominees is on March 15, 2013 and the awarding of winners is on Aug. 30, 2013.

Prizes for the winners are: P50,000, first place; P30,000, second place; and P20,000, third place. There will also be cash incentives for the nominating club of the winners.