[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Ilongga volunteer ‘outstanding woman’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
ILOILO – A volunteer worker who did not finish college won this year’s Ang Ilongga Awards or the Search for Outstanding Woman Community Leader of the Junior Chamber International Iloilo Ilang-Ilang.
Forty-four-year-old Gemma Moquete, an undergraduate of Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education of De Paul College in Jaro district, is the second woman leader to bag the award since the search began two years ago.
Serving as federation president of Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina, a women grassroots organization based in the coastal town of Concepcion, Moquete was nominated for the second time in the search.
She bested eight other nominees with a rating of 94.6 percent during the panel interview at Casa Real de Iloilo on June 9 and during the field validation held in Concepcion on July 8.
“I was really surprised. I never expected this,” she said, adding that her win showed an ordinary woman could accomplish extraordinary things.
Moquete started volunteering in 2002 as Barangay Health Worker, Population, Health and Environment (PHE) advocate, and Family Planning Facilitator under the PESCoDev Project of non-government organization Save the Children.
Her impressive performance in the community as a family planning volunteer, according to her nominator Dr. Helen Minguez of Concepcion Municipal Health Station, opened an opportunity for her to become the KALAHI-CIDSS Community Empowerment Facilitator of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the municipality.
Several community projects were established under her able assistance as facilitator like day care center, solar streetlights, post-harvest facilities, and barangay access road.
Her rich experience and deep commitment to volunteerism and her exceptional track record with KALAHI-CIDSS made it easy for the Philippine Business for Social Project (PBSP) to entrust her with P1-million worth of livelihood assistance for individual or organized fisher folks with small businesses, according to Minguez.
There were only 150 members when the project started in February 2014 but under her able leadership, it has now expanded to more than 500 members.
Being an epitome of an empowered woman, she’s also one of the most sought-after resource persons in Gender Sensitive Training and Gender and Development Training for various women organizations and local organizer of gender-based violence watch group in Iloilo.
“Gemma has indeed made major contributions in the field of women empowerment, especially in the Municipality of Concepcion, all throughout these years. She did not allow her being an undergraduate to prevent her from making life-changing impacts in the lives of her fellow Concepcionanons. As a volunteer worker, she doesn’t get compensated for her efforts and services but I never heard her complain,” said Minguez.
The other finalists who were also recognized by the search were Dumangas Sangguniang Bayan member Jasmin Ocampo, Senior Police Officer 1 Rina Salaya of the Women and Children’s Desk of Maasin Municipal police station, Dueñas tourism officer Susan Pacheo and retired Iloilo Prosecutor Irene Panigbatan.
Ang Ilongga Awards aims to identify and give recognition to women leaders with extraordinary accomplishments creating positive change and sustainable solutions to issues and concerns affecting their community. (Jezza Nepomoceno, Iloilo Capitol/PN)
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
