March signifies a milestone for women all over the world as people come together to celebrate and raise awareness for the often-overlooked impact of women in history, discovering important issues concerning gender equality while promoting women empowerment through advocacy and initiatives. PHilMech has been at the forefront of such activities with its own way of raising awareness.

KICK OFF ACTIVITY

With the sub-theme “Lipunang Patas sa Bagong Pilipinas; Kakayahan ng Kababaihan, patutunayan!”, PHilMech conducted the 2024 National Women’s Month Celebration (NWMC) kick off activity on March 4. The annual celebration raises awareness for the contributions of women in history and to highlight the government’s efforts to mainstream gender and development.

PHilMech Director IV and GAD Focal Point System (GFPS) Chairperson Dr. Dionisio G. Alvindia emphasized that there should be no double standards in women’s roles and that PHilMech is a work space where women can feel safe, supported, and empowered all the time. During the activity, May Angelica A. Saludez, Senior GAD Specialist from the Philippine Commission on Women, presentated the Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Pagtutok sa Kakayahan ng mga Kababaihan, highlighting the number of fields dominated by men such as agriculture, maritime, fisheries, executive, and engineering. Saludez mentioned that females can also be a part of these fields; it is only a matter of providing them the opportunity to showcase their abilities.

FILM FEST FOR A CAUSE

On February 19, the PHilMech GFPS, in collaboration with the Applied Communication Division, launched the first-ever Juana Film Fest for a cause. The activity served as an opportunity for PHilMech employees to showcase their work and creativity and spread their advocacy to a wider audience. The film showing ran from March 18 to 21, showcasing 11 films anchored on this year’s theme. The awarding ceremony was held during the Juana Night on March 22 at the PHilMech TMDC. Alpas by the Admin Division (AD Productions) was hailed as the Best Film.

Proceeds from the film showing were donated to the Home for Girls project in Palayan, Nueva Ecija - an activity in support of Girl-Child Week, observed every fourth week of March. Members of the GAD Technical Working Group conducted the outreach program on May 3, 2024. Home for Girls is a facility aimed to shelter and support girls who have experienced abuse and exploitation.

JUANA BAZAAR

The bazaar showcased the products of PHilMech-assisted women micro entrepreneurs and women-led enterprises/cooperatives, as well as the businesses owned by PHilMech women employees. It also served as an avenue for businesses to introduce their products, form connections with their potential customers, and provide employee access to diverse food options. A total of 10 enterprises/ cooperatives/businesses participated in the activity which ran from March 18 to 22, 2024.

EXCEPTIONAL JUANAS

To highlight women as active contributors of development, the GFPS, in collaboration with the agency’s Human Resource Section, introduced the Juana Awards system, which aims to recognize the exemplary behavior and commendable conduct of female personnel, regardless of their rank or status. The awards were categorized as the Malikhaing Juana for creativity and an innovation in her daily activities; the Maaasahang Juana who is a reliable, trustworthy, Juana who performs her work consistently; and the Ulirang Juana who’s the ideal woman and role model leading by example or with a gold standard.
For 2024, Frances Luisa M. Gallema, Lovelle D. Ramos, and Isaiah Leene V. Infante were awarded as the Malikhaing Juana for the R&D cluster, Admin and Support cluster, and the Extension Services cluster, respectively.

This year’s Maasahang Juana are Vicky G. Mesa, Angela Lea DR. Ramirez, Rosalie C. Feliciano, and Ruth N. Angeles for the R&D cluster, Admin and Support cluster, Extension services cluster, and the planning division, respectively.

Moreover, both Engr. Arlene C. Joaquin, and Ma. Cecilia R. Antolin, took out the prestigious Ulirang Juana Award. The Most Gender-Responsive Project award was also given to the Application of PHilMech Mango Pectin-based Edible Coating to Extend the Shelf-Life of Fresh Mango and Improvement and Integration of Greenhouse Solar Dryer with Biomass Furnace and Multi-drying Cabinets to the Processing System of Small Scale Agribusiness Enterprises for being the only two projects that garnered a perfect score on Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines— Project Implementation, Management, Monitoring, and Evaluation for 2023. The agency will continue to promote and empower not only its women employees, but also its cooperators, partners, and stakeholders for years to come. Each year serves as a learning experience on how to become more gender-sensitive in the workplace. 2024 saw innovations that gave women in the workplace a different kind of light, with the addition of the Juana Film Fest and the additional awards given during Juana Night. Each year serves as an improvement from the previous year, adding more and more activities, thus, intensifying gender mainstreaming.