Women who matter

Eight exceptional women who defy traditional expectations and shatter gender stereotypes were welcomed to the elite sisterhood of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) during awarding ceremonies held last Thursday at Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City.

TOWNS 2016 awardees Cherrie De Erit Atilano, Hidilyn Francisco Diaz (Sports), Patricia Chanco Evangelista (Media), Luisa Mercedes “Issa” Paez Lorenzo (Arts), Marissa Andres Martinez (Government Service), Aisa Alvarez Mijeno (Social Enterprise), Lou Sabrina Saavedra Ongkiko (Education) and Jocelle Batapa Sigue (Information & Communications Technology) were chosen by the board of judges chaired by Supreme Court Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno “for bringing pride/recognition to their community and/or the country, demonstrating pioneering zeal in their work, introducing innovations that benefit the public, and by going beyond their sphere of influence.”

THE WEIGHTLIFTER: Hidilyn Diaz

No load is, indeed, too heavy for weightlifter Hidilyn Francisco Diaz who brought much honor to the country when she bagged the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

As a child in Zambonga City, Hidilyn — the first Filipina to win an Olympic medal — had to draw water from a community pump, which was 50 meters from where she lives, and walk home carrying two big buckets of water for her family to use.

“My male cousins love the sport so I would hang out with them. Nakatulong din po ‘yung pag-igib ko sa poso araw-araw because it developed my strength and endurance,” Hidilyn shared.

At 25, Philippine Air Force Airwoman (First Class) Hidilyn Diaz promotes sports in the service, as well as in her community where she intends to use her prize money to build a proper gym for the further development of young Filipino athletes.

“Through sports, you can reach for your dreams. You can be a product endorser and a TOWNS awardee just like me,” Hidilyn said with an impish grin.

THE INNOVATOR: Aisa Mijeno

Despite the country’s progress in science and technology, there are communities that are still struggling to get a light source at night.

This prompted Aisa Alvarez Mijeno to quit her high-paying job as a database programmer to put up Sustainable Alternative Lighting Corp. (SALt Corp.), a start-up social enterprise.

“It was during a hiking trip with my brother Raphael that we witnessed the struggles of the Buscalan tribe in acquiring kerosene for their lamps,” shared Aisa who prototyped an alternative lighting system by submerging two dissimilar metals in a salt-water solution to activate the metal-air battery. The lamp produces light for eight hours by filling it with two tablespoons of salt and a glass of tap water.

Aisa continues to improve her SALt lamp to become a more sustainable and cost-effective human-centered technology as it transitions to mass production.

THE ART ADDICT/PUSHER: Luisa Lorenzo

“The reason why I am here is because I’m an art addict. I consume as much art as I can. I also produce art for the Philippines, which makes me an art pusher,” enthused Luisa Mercedes “Isa” Paez Lorenzo, TOWNS 2016 awardee for the Arts.

Isa’s platform is called Silverlens, the first photography gallery in Southeast Asia.

“We manage 22 artists and Southeast Asian artists, as well as show 50 other Filipino artists,” added Isa, who has a medical degree, but opted not to practice. “I am the person who goes to various museums abroad and asks: ‘Can you show the works of Filipino artists?’”

Isa has put Filipino artists and their works on the global (art) map. “Art is a cultural marker of history, of identity, of pride. We need art now more than ever. Not the art that we can’t afford, but the stuff that makes us better people,” she said.

THE SILENT SERVANT: Marissa Martinez

A commissioned officer in the Philippine Navy, Marissa Martinez commands the BRP Tausug, a surface amphibious ship deployed in Basilan and Jolo.

As such, she and her crew support joint military operations of the AFP in Western Mindanao against the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group with naval blockades, maritime interdiction and sealift operations.

“Our primary mission is to make sure the streets are safe so you can all sleep soundly at night,” Marissa enthused. “This award means so much to us, the country’s silent servants.”

She is best recognized in the Navy for her work in training and development and capacity enhancement, helping to improve the capacities of officers and sailors, making them more proficient in the performance of their duties.

THE GLAMOROUS FARMER: Cherrie Atilano

“When people see dirt in mud, I see gold,” said Cherrie De Erit Atilano, the glamorous farmer who has been working so hard to improve the lives of Filipino farmers for 18 years now.

A native of Silay, Negros Occidental, Cherrie first taught migrant sugarcane farmers how to grow veggies around their homes so they could save on food expenses when she was 12.

“In the Philippines, farmers are considered endangered species, and it’s a crime that we allowed this to happen. It’s ironic that the people — the farmers and fishermen — who make sure we have enough food on the table are the poorest and the hungriest,” said Cherrie who created AGREA Agricultural System Int’l. Inc., an agri social enterprise in Marinduque that builds sustainable farming communities through sustainable organic agriculture and fair trade practices.

THE PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER: Lou Ongkiko

She has the credentials and the capacity to teach abroad where she could lead a more comfortable life, but Lou Sabrina Saavedra Ongkiko opted to stay because “she wants to encourage the Filipino children to dream more and to become successful in life.”

A BS psychology graduate, Lou finished her master’s in education at the University of Melbourne and earned her postgraduate diploma from the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University (NIE-NTU) in Singapore. As Culiat Elementary School department head of Science, she collaborated with different schools and organizations to upgrade science skills and knowledge of students and teachers, and facilitated study sessions with teachers from partner schools.

“I hope that educators work together to ensure that Filipino learners get the education they deserve,” she said.

THE TRAUMA REPORTER: Patricia Evangelista

“I’m a trauma reporter,” said Patricia Chanco Evangelista, the first Filipino to win in the London-based annual International Public Speaking championship. “It means that my job is to see the unspeakable, and to speak of it. Whatever I see — for example, the corpse of a baby in a backpack in Tacloban because the body bags are too big; or the two-year-old who was shot in crossfire during a hostage crisis in Zambonga — we say it’s unimaginable. In this country, and all over the world, many things are imaginable. Everything is now possible.”

As an editorial columnist, Patricia wrote fearlessly and indignantly, exposing the excesses of authorities, even the most sacred of cows in piercing and insightful prose.

THE I.T. EXPERT: Jocelle Sigue

All she wanted to do was to make a difference in a field that somehow makes it relatively different for any beginner to make a difference — politics.

“I realized a community needs to generate jobs so people would be able to lift themselves from poverty. That was also the year when the Philippines was positioning itself in the information and communications technology sector,” shared Jocelle Batapa Sigue, who pioneered the creation of a multi-stakeholder body that was a collaboration of academe, government and private sector to develop strategies to bring ICT-enabled jobs and opportunities to the countryside.

Today, she continues to train and build ICT councils in various cities and provinces. Photos by BENING BATUIGAS