7 April 2015 - In celebration of the 2015 National Women’s Month, the Philippine Consulate General in Manado organized a seminar on “Juana Shares: Women in Leadership in Leading the Way”, a Gender and Development (GAD) activity held last March 28 at Puncak Manado Restaurant.
The activity brought together more than 50 participants from the Indonesian and the Filipino community, particularly high-level members of the Family, Education and Welfare Movement (PKK) of Manado City, led by Prof. Dr. Eng. Paulina J.A. Lumentut-Runtuwene DEA, spouse of Manado City Mayor G.S. Vicky Lumentut; IR. Erny Tumundo, M.Si, Head of Women Empowerment and Child Protection Department of North Sulawesi; the Department Heads of Sam Ratulangi University (UNSRAT) representing the Rector, Prof. Dr. Ir. Ellen J. Kumaat, M.Sc, DEA; Filipino teachers from Manado Independent School (MIS), and Consulate General personnel together with their dependents.
In his opening remarks, Acting Head of the Consulate General Jan Sherwin P. Wenceslao, expressed the Consulate General’s commitment to GAD initiatives and explained the mandate for observing Women’s Month. This seminar was in line with this year’s theme set by the Philippine Women’s Commission: “Juana, Desisyon Mo ay Mahalaga sa Kinabukasan ng Bawat Isa, Ikaw Na!” which pays tribute to all women leaders, who lead and continue to advance women’s advocacies. Vice Consul Wenceslao welcomed the resource speakers of women leaders from government, the academe and civil society. He also conveyed the support of the GAD activity by the incoming Consul General Oscar G. Orcine.
During the course of the seminar, speakers provided various presentations relating to women’s empowerment and the role of women in leadership. The first speaker was IR. Erny Tumundo, M.Si, Head of Women Empowerment and Child Protection Department of North Sulawesi, who gave a presentation on gender equity and the role of women in development and democracy. She also provided data on the representation of women in politics in Manado City and North Sulawesi Province.
The second speaker was Dr. Ir. Martina Langi, MSc of UNSRAT. Dr. Langi read the inspiring message of the Rector of UNSRAT, Prof. Dr. IR. Ellen J. Kumaat, M.Sc. DEA, emphasizing her challenge for all to be open to change and maximize his or her potential.
The third speaker, Ms. Novia Helena A. Lambey, Chairperson of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in North Sulawesi and Public Relations Officer of the Consulate General, spoke of her recent experience together with Prof. Dr. Eng. Paulina J.A. Lumentut-Runtuwene DEA as participants in the 59th Session on the Commission on the Status of Women held in the UN in New York from March 09 to 20. She discussed issues of concern such as HIV and human trafficking, and stressed the need for more advocacies on these matters.
In closing, Prof. Dr. Eng. Paulina J.A. Lumentut-Runtuwene DEA gave remarks as Advisor of YWCA North Sulawesi and Chairman of PKK Kota Manado, as well as her own experiences as an active leader in the community. She highlighted how women’s empowerment can be achieved through increased awareness and trainings and also informed of Manado City’s support for women’s programs such as a hotline and help desk for pregnant women in government hospitals in Manado City to help improve maternal health and reduce child mortality. She encouraged all participants to engage in more dialogue on women’s issues and participate in women’s “lembaga swadaya masyarakat”, (non-governmental organizations) in Manado.
After the seminar, lunch was provided to enable participants the opportunity to have further interaction and discussion among the attendees and resource speakers.The speakers and participants gave positive feedback on the activity, which both inspired and informed on various issues, and which could be discussed in more detail in future meetings. The Consulate General expressed support for the possibility of further activities. END