Geronima T. Pecson Forum Highlights Women as Culture Bearers

With its continuing commitment in the promotion of gender development, UNACOM organized the second Geronima T. Pecson Women’s Forum in partnership with the Office of Cultural Diplomacy of the DFA. The activity was held at the Bulwagang Apolinario Mabini, DFA Building, Pasay City on March 20 with a theme celebrating women as culture-bearers.

The forum was opened by DFA-OCD Assistant Secretary Celia Anna M. Feria who, in her message, highlighted the ability of women to creatively mobilize resources through their competent technical skills, diverse networks, and unique strategies that contribute to the development of local communities. Among the guest speakers who delivered their talks were Marie Venus Tan, Founding Chair of Inspirational Women of the Cordilleras (IWOC), Renee Talavera, Head of the Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts Section – NCCA, and Natasha Tanjutco, co-founder of TAYO House of Culture & Creativity. Ms. Tan shared her journey in promoting people’s rights and engaging in storytelling through tourism, while Ms. Talavera talked about the School of Living Traditions (SLT), a program wherein culture bearers in indigenous communities safeguard their intangible cultural heritage and pass it on to the next generations. Finally, Ms. Tanjutco explained the importance of involving the youth in the conversation about protecting our heritage, which consequently expands their horizons and sense of responsibility beyond their immediate communities to encompass the whole country.

The Geronima T. Pecson Women’s Forum is UNACOM’s flagship program for Gender Awareness and Development (GAD) in compliance with R.A. 9710, An Act Providing for the Magna Carta of Women. As the first female senator (1947) and the first female member of the UNESCO Executive Board (1950), Sen. Geronima T. Pecson (December 19, 1896 – July 31, 1989) has laid down the very foundation of UNESCO’s work in the Philippines. Her works as a senator and her strong advocacy for UNESCO programmes has left an indelible contribution in the field of education and youth empowerment.