Celebrating women

Today is International Women’s Day in this International Women’s Month of March. The theme for this year’s celebration is, “Kababaijan: Gabay sa Pagtahak sa Tuwid na Daan” (Women: Guides Through the Straight Path).

This afternoon on the monthly Women’s Kapihan which I host at 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on radio station dyLA, the subject will be women in governance. And most appropriately, our guest will be Mayor Teresa Alegado of Consolacion town who will be engaged in a panel discussion with our Cebu Women’s Network board members, officers and regular members. The program is coordinated by the Legal Alternatives for Women (LAW), Inc.

The first time I heard about International Woman’s Day was on March 8th years ago in the late 70’s when I was In Turin, Italy on an International Labor Organization (ILO) grant for radio broadcasters on the subject of labor. I was then working full time at dyLA, Cebu’s labor station.

One morning, walking on a crossover from our dormitory quarters to our daily seminar lectures in classrooms on the other side, I saw a woman coming toward me with a single beautiful long-stemmed rose which I could not help admiring. She said she was giving it to me for International Women’s Day that year! At the time, I marveled at the coincidence in the fact that it was the birthday of my first daughter. I took a picture of the rose and sent it to my daughter back in Cebu to wish her, by then, a belated happy birthday.

Years later I was invited by LAW Inc. executive director Lolet Aliño to handle Women’s Kapihan and attend numerous seminars on women. Now, I am involved in women’s concerns in the Cebu Women’s Network, the Zonta Club of Cebu I and the Cebu Council of Girl Scouts of the Philippines.

This afternoon, we Zontians have been invited together with Cebu’s other women advocate groups to attend the opening of the “I am Woman” campaign at the Ayala Activity Center, that includes an exhibit of women icons and a concert by Bossa Nova Queen Sitti. More details on these next week.

Turning to current events, the troubling Sabah, Malaysia stand-off beween members of the Filipino Sulu Sultanate and the Malaysian government forces has come to a head with fatalities on both sides. With so much confusion as to why this has come about, excerpts from former senator Jovito Salonga’s speech delivered way back on March 30, 1963 explaining the Philippine claim to Sabah, was published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer last Tuesday, March 5th. I hope you read it. Senator Salonga gave a clarifying historical explanation to this current confusion.

Another top current event concerns cardinals seeking answers to the sadly disturbing “dysfunctional” state of Vatican affairs in Rome after Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s resignation. In this period of interregnum until the next Pope is elected, we learn the Vatican says 114 of the 115 voting cardinals are now in pre-conclave meetings at the Vatican where they “organize elections, discuss the problems of the Church and get to know one another before voting.” Two cardinals from the Philippines are there, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, a non-voting cardinal, and young Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, a voting cardinal.

With just one voting-age cardinals still en route to Rome, it is speculated that the conclave still might not begin around March 11th, although the cardinals aim to have a new Pope installed by March 17th, the Sunday before Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week.” The Associated Press further reports that with 115 electors, 77 votes are needed to reach the two-thirds majority to be elected pope. What an electoral year this will be: papal elections this March, and our own Philippine mid-term elections in May!

And now, for the delayed report on the Executive Committee Meeting of our Cebu Council of the Girls Scouts of the Philippines last Feb. 22nd. The meeting started with our annual Thinking Day ceremony which honors the joint birthdays of Lord Baden Powell, the founder of scouting, and Lady Olave, our World Chief Guide, both of whose lives and service we remember with gratitude.

With a center table setting with a picture of Lord and Lady Baden Powel with flowers and lighted candles and the flags of different countries, the ceremony proceeded with songs and talks about the significance of Thinking Day from our various Executive Committee members.

At the regular meeting which followed, we heard reports on past and current Girl Scout activities, and discussed future activities: our 2013 Annual Council Meeting and Awards Ceremony on April 6th; the Regional Training School 2013 on April 5 to 14; 37th National Encampment in Candelaria, Quezon on April 20 to 26; and the GSP On-the-Spot Poster Making Contest on March 16th. All busy, busy activities for our Girl Scouts.

And speaking of women, last Tuesday, March 5th, the world’s oldest woman, Misao Okawa, turned 115. A descendant of kimono merchants in Osaka, Western Japan, she received a certificate from the Guinness World Records confirming her status. Japan is known for the longevity of its people.

In closing, we note that the relics of two saints have visited the country, recently: St. Therese of the Child Jesus on her third visit to the country (I was able to visit during the first visit), and St. Camillus, patron saint of the sick, hospitals, nurses and health care workers.

Till next week, then, as always, may God continue to bless us, one and all!