PH Consulate General Launches #JuanaSays Series, Features Inspiring Stories of Strength of Filipino Women in Jeddah

Consul General Edgar B. Badajos opens the #Juansyas series and delivers his welcome remarks. (Jeddah PCG photo)

JEDDAH 03 April 2019 — Four women from the Filipino community in Jeddah shared inspiring stories of strength drawn from their own personal experiences as migrant workers during a forum for women organized by the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah on 28 March 2019.  

Entitled “On Women’s Strength,” the forum is the second installment of the Consulate General’s #JuanaSays series.

The forum started with Consul Mary Jennifer Dingal, the Consulate General’s Focal Point Officer on Gender and Development, giving a brief overview of the National Women’s Month and a backgrounder on the various elements of “We Make Change Work for Women” as the theme of the month-long celebration.

In his welcome remarks, Consul General to Jeddah Edgar B. Badajos noted that although women in the Philippines and elsewhere in the world have made significant strides to close the gender gap, some barriers remain that prevent women from realizing their full potential in society.  He likewise noted the trend of feminization of migration and the numerous abuses committed against female migrant workers worldwide.

Consul General Badajos called on the audience to learn from the resource speakers’ experiences, specifically how they can apply the latter’s stories to also overcome adversity in their own lives.

During the forum proper, Norma A. Pedregosa, a certified female Karate and wellness instructor, spoke about the importance of mental and physical fitness in protecting and defending one’s self. She encouraged the attendees to learn basic karate skills and to strive to always be physically fit.

Reahbeln G. Alzate shared the personal adversities she faced in an abusive domestic relationship, and how she was able to triumph over them. She urged the attendees to find a glimmer of hope even in the darkest moments, and to push one’s self to rise and overcome the obstacles.

Sylvia De Silva-Delos Santos shared how a calling to give back to the community inspired and motivated her to form Serenata in 2005.  The group is an all children’s choir, a string ensemble and an all male chamber choir whose members are mostly drawn from the children of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) families in Jeddah. 

Serenata has since been serving the Filipino community and other expatriate groups in Jeddah with its tasteful repertoire of traditional Filipino music mixed with some foreign sounds. Proceeds from the chorale group’s concerts have been benefiting deserving but financially-challenged students in the Philippines through scholarship grants channeled through ABS-CBN Foundation’s Bantay Bata 163.

Emma E. Mercado shared that a desire for continuous growth and development motivated her to take part in providing livelihood trainings to other OFWs through Kapit-Bisig. She emphasized the need to continuously develop one’s skills and learnings as an insurance against the uncertainties of the future.

The testimonials of the four women illustrated how strength is present in every woman, and that it is up to every woman to harness this strength not only to help themselves but also to empower other women along the way.

Sitting as reactors to the presentations, International Philippine School in Jeddah Principal Miracle F. Tapado, Durat Al Sharq International School Principal Denver G. Lopez, Consulate Contact Center Team Deputy Head Lalaine S. Lopez, and Jeddah Area Coordinator Osmud B. Corpuz, shared their insights in areas that were relevant to their respective professions.

The #JuanaSays series envisions a string of events to commemorate International Women’s Month, with the vital role of women in nation-building as the overarching theme. Its objective was to showcase how female migrant workers can overcome adversity by possessing and harnessing the strength needed to “make change work for women.”

The Consulate General intends to continue the #JuanaSays series beyond Women’s Month to ensure that its message of empowerment will reach a wider audience.

#JuanaSays was launched on 13 March 2019 through a power dinner attended by its female personnel and their dependents at Piatto Restaurant in Jeddah

Over dinner, the attendees discussed the various elements of the theme of Women’s Month, “We Make Change Work for Women.” They also shared personal experiences of empowerment and the reality of the gender gap.

Consul Dingal gave a briefing on the various laws and institutional mechanisms in place that made the Philippines rank highest in Asia and eighth in the world, out of 149 countries, in the Global Gender Gap Index 2018.

On the other hand, Vice Consul Sheila Mae A. Briones discussed the salient points of the Magna Carta of Women, including the Magna Carta special leave given to female employees.

During the event, the group also discussed the disparity in the treatment of women in different cultures and highlighted the ways that a society’s culture and history affect how women are viewed and treated, and what roles they play in the community. It was an eye-opening event where everyone learned new insights  in viewing gender roles and women empowerment. END

Consul Mary Jennifer D. Dingal, the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah’s Gender and Development Focal Person, gives an overview of National Women’s Month. (Jeddah PCG photo)

First row seated from left: Norma A. Pedregosa, Reahbeln G. Alzate, Sylvia De Silva-Delos Santos, and Emma E. Mercado. Second row standing from left: Sittie Zubaida Murod-Malang, Jeffrey Estrada Sales, Vice Consul Lemuel C. Lopez, Lalaine S. Lopez, Miracle F. Tapado, Consul Mary Jennifer D. Dingal, Vice Consul Sheila Mae A. Briones, Violeta Castillo, Jijeth Echevarria, Denver B. Lopez, and Osmund B. Corpuz. (Jeddah PCG photo)

Prior to this event, the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah launched the #JuanaSays Series on 13 March 2019 through a power dinner attended by its female personnel and their dependents at Piatto Restaurant in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. They discussed the various elements of the theme of Women’s Month, “We Make Change Work for Women,” and also shared personal experiences of empowerment and the reality of the gender gap. (Jeddah PCG photo)

Consul Mary Jennifer D. Dingal, Focal Person on Gender and Development, gave a briefing on the various laws and institutional mechanisms in place that made the Philippines rank highest in Asia and eighth in the world, out of 149 countries, in the Global Gender Gap Index 2018. While Vice Consul Sheila Mae A. Briones discussed the salient points of the Magna Carta of Women, including the Magna Carta special leave given to female employees. (Jeddah PCG photo)

For more information, visit www.jeddahpcg.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinJeddah/.