Ortiz named to women’s panel

MANILA, Philippines–President Aquino has appointed Dr. Leonida B. Ortiz a commissioner in the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) representing the National Council of Women of the Philippines (NCWP) which she serves as president.

Ortiz was among 11 commissioners appointed from the private sector, according to a communication signed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. to PCW chair Remedios Rikken.

A well-known civic leader and entrepreneur, Ortiz is currently a governor of the Philippine Red Cross, national president of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and vice president of the Council of Past Lions Governors.

The NCWP is the oldest and one of the biggest women’s networks in the country serving as a national coordinating body. It was founded in 1946 by the late educator and civic leader Francisca Tirona Benitez whom President Manuel Roxas had asked to mobilize the women’s sector to participate in nation building.

Now in its 68th year, the NCWP is a member of the Asean Confederation of Women’s Organizations and is affiliated with the International Council of Women, International Alliance of Women and Apec Women Leaders Networks.