Sara honors empowered women, contributions to society

QUEZON CITY – As the world celebrates National Women’s Month, vice presidential aspirant and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Friday honored Filipino women and underscored their contributions to society.

“Let us honor women who chose the pathway to empowerment. Let us honor women who are our source of strength, inspiration, and love. Let us honor the women in our lives who made us who we are today — for all the lessons and the blessings that they left us. Let us honor ourselves,” Duterte said.

Speaking during the online Women 2022 Entrepreneurship Summit of the non-profit organization "Go Negosyo" through the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship at the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship, Mayor Duterte cited the “countless women leading the way, with power and in power. Women are everywhere, and everywhere women are making history and meaningful changes.”

Regarded as an influential woman and recognized as a top-performing local government official, Mayor Sara has built landmark projects for women who often
are not afforded the same opportunities as men.

“Alam natin na ang mga kababaihan sa mga komunidad ay isa sa mga sektor na minsan ay hindi nabibigyan ng pagkakataon na maging parte ng ating paglago o progreso — kahit pa man alam din natin na malaki ang kanilang potensyal at papel sa usapin ng kaunlaran
(We are aware that women in the community is one of the sectors that often is not given the chance to be part of growth or progress -even though we are aware of their big potential and role to attain progress),” she said, adding that among her priorities is addressing the community's lack of economic opportunities for women.

Duterte took pride in Davao City’s landmark project “Mag Negosyo Ta Day (MTD)” owing to women’s big “significance in development.”

“Dahil po sa Magnegosyo ‘ta Day, (through Magnegosyo 'ta Day) women were able to help their husbands provide food for the family, they were able to contribute to the educational needs of their children, they were able to earn their own money,” Duterte said.

MTD is a program for women to address gender inequality in the labor and economic sector in Davao City.

Women, she said, have now reached greater heights and continue to occupy influential positions in society.

“Malayo na ang narating ng laban ng mga kababaihan. Marami na rin tayong naipanalo. Naabot na natin ang panahon na mayroon tayong pagkakataon na maipakita ang ating galing, ang ating talino, ang ating lakas bilang tao sa iba’t ibang larangan ng buhay (Women's fight has gone a long way. We have also won on so many fronts. We have reached the time to show our competence, our intelligence, our strength as a person in different fields),” Duterte said. (PR)