A splash of colors and throngs of people from government offices both in and outside of the regional center joined in full force on March 2, the first Monday of the month for the Kick- Off of National Women’s Month Celebration (NWMC) for 2020. Various regional agencies, colleges and universities, organizations, and other member- entities of the Regional Gender and Development Committee (RGADC) XII and Association of Regional Development Executives (ARDE) XII joined for the combined celebration of the Women’s Month and Fire Prevention Month.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Regional Office XII, led by RD FC/Supt. Louie S. Puracan, CEO VI, played host to the third monthly joint convocation, lending the whole BFP XII building and compound to all the NWMC and Fire Prevention Month participants. Regional employees and officials flocked to the venue for the joint celebration, which also gave honor to the extraordinary contributions of the brave women of Philippine history through a gallery which highlighted their work.     

Right after the flag-raising ceremony and the opening program, a long line of vehicles joined the motorcade towards the City Proper to herald the start of the event. What followed next was an overflow of snacks, warm fellowship and additional free services at the BFP XII Office with various agencies like TESDA XII offering body massage, manicure, pedicure, haircut, and facial make- up at a very minimal cost. Not to be outdone, DA XII gave away gardening tools and seeds, CHR XII offered free legal assistance while fruit tree seedlings were distributed by the Provincial Environment Natural Resource Office of South Cotabato.

The energetic RGADC XII Chair/ DILG XII Regional Director, Josephine Cabrido- Leysa, CESO III, was one of the earliest blood donors in the bloodletting activity sponsored by the Philippine Red Cross- South Cotabato Chapter. DILG XII offered “balut” and chocolate drink to all the blood donors in exchange for their selfless act. The Red Cross was eventually able to gather more than seventy (70) 400 cc-bags of blood for their future clients.

Meanwhile, a few booths featuring the exotic handicrafts and attractive handbags made by the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) were put up in front of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Regional Office. It caught everyone’s attention and soon, buyers came flocking to grab the items for sale. Some other local products were given display spaces at the Department of Trade and Industry XII (DTI).

Inspired by the theme, “Make Change Work for Women”, the long productive day was capped with a Zumba exercise led by trim and fit firefighters. Quite a number of eager participants showed up in their fitness attire to shake down and shape up, their way of celebrating this year’s Women’s Month.

The RGADC XII and ARDE XII hoped that this year’s gathering will give afford acknowledgement and recognition to the multiple roles of women in public service and society, in general.