Women in Poverty Reduction Program

     Anchored on the theme, Babae, Yaman Ka ng Bayan (Woman, You are Wealth/Asset of the Nation), this year's celebration of Women's Month focuses on the critical role of women in nation-building and recognizes the significance of women in poverty reduction amid the global financial crisis.

      Women's groups, provincial and local government employees and concerned stakeholders from different private and government line agencies converged on Tuesday last week at the Jagna gymnasium to kick off the month-long celebration of the National Women's Month.

      They converged in a grand parade which started from the municipal hall compound and snaked through the thoroughfares of Jagna where the women participants were clad in Filipiniana attire.

      Mayor Exuperio Lloren and wife, Nimfa Abaya-Lloren- -chair of the Local Council of Women (LCW), led the unveiling of Jagna's vernacular translation of the theme in a program at the town's gymnasium.

      In his message, Mayor Lloren commended the around a thousand women who participated in the activity for their willingness to create a gender-responsive environment.

      "I am encouraging you to support and engage yourselves into high-value and more meaningful economic activities and enterprise development as your contribution in uplifting your family's standard of living and in nation-building in general," Mayor Lloren said.

      Provincial Board Member Aster Apalisok-Piollo, chairperson of the PB Committee on Women and Family Welfare, was the guest speaker during the launching ceremony.

      She cited the women as the first teachers of the children, and enumerated the strengths of a woman, foremost of which is her faithfulness both to her husband and to God; her creativity, resourcefulness, flexibility and wisdom to know her rights and privileges that highlight her significance in a community.

      Estrella Espinosa, local area coordinator of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW), also gave her message on solidarity, through which she reminded the women on their importance and their vital role at home and in the community's economic agenda.

      A symposium on human trafficking was conducted at the same venue in the afternoon with the Philippine Against Child Trafficking (PACT) Regional Convenor Fe Josol as the guest presentor.

      The month-long celebration also includes the debut of a special radio program on women over the Jagna community radio station DYJP-FM, involvement in the series of activities of the GREAT Women project, participation in the provincial-level celebration of the Women's Month on March 20 and the local culmination activities on March 27.