9 women picked for TOWNS

Rachelle Gerodias. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A triathlete, a social worker, a government official, a premier soprano and an atmospheric scientist are among the nine exceptional women recently chosen to receive the triennial The Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service (TOWNS) awards for their contributions to national development.

The awardees are lawyer Darlene Marie Berberabe who was cited for her contribution to government service since she was appointed chief executive officer of Pag-Ibig Fund; Noraida Adang Abdullah Karim for her social work in conflict-affected areas in Central and Northern Mindanao; triathlete, trainer and race organizer Ani Karina Brown for popularizing triathlons among women and children; Karen Davila for her contribution to broadcast journalism; soprano Rachelle Gerodias for making the arts relevant to communities; atmospheric scientist Gemma Narisma for her work in understanding climate change; Eleanor Pinugu for social enterprise and education; Ma. Amihan Ramolete for her work on puppetry and children’s theater education, and University of the Philippines professor Maricor Soriano for her contribution to applied physics.

The list of TOWNS recipients was announced at the Dusit Thani Manila Hotel in Makati City on Tuesday. The awarding ceremony was set for Nov. 21.

The nine awardees will join the ranks of past recipients including Rosa Rosal, Zenaida Amador, Esperanza Cabral, Leticia Shahani, Lisa Macuja, Teresita Ang See, Nieves Confesor, Lilia de Lima, and Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno.

“The selection process for the 2013 awardees was very rigorous,” Aura Matias, TOWNS Foundation vice president and 2013 search chair, said, noting that the foundation has tried to include exemplary women in other regions in the search by conducting symposiums and fora in the provinces.

“We had observed that the TOWNS awards is becoming Metro Manila-centric. So (last year) we went to Cebu, Tacloban and Cagayan de Oro to do launching and press conferences so people will hear about the search,” Matias said.

She described the new set of awardees as diverse. “This is the second time a woman will receive a TOWNS award because of her contributions to sports,” Matias said referring to coach Brown who has been known for conducting running clinics in poor communities.

The TOWNS awards are given every three years following a yearlong nationwide search. Once selected, the recipients are expected to continue their work.

Since its inception in 1974, TOWNS has cited 149 women who have served as role models in various fields.

RELATED STORY:

Women, disasters and TOWNS