Meet Gabriela's Lucy Francisco
Women, just like wine, gets better with time. Gone were the days when women hide in their cloaks and painstakingly take the irrational judgement of the discriminating public. The present day Eve is more independent and no longer helpless. Movies like Charlie's Angels, Eon Flux, and Underworld Evolution justify the status of women in the present society. In the Philippines, Former President Cory Aquino and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stand as a living testimony to the recognition of women's equal role in the society.
Though often thought to be a noisy militant group, General Assembly Binding Women for Reform Integrity Equality Leadership and Action (Gabriela) has been known to defend the rights of women. Coincidentally, it relates to a woman in history who fought to continue her husband's quests for independence - Gabriela Silang. The organization has been a refuge for the female victims of violence and a source of knowledge and strength of most Filipinas.
In the local scene, the name Lucy Francisco is quite eponymous to the organization. The name may sound familiar to you. You might have heard it from the news that cover rallies and the likes. But the life of this lady doesn't just begins and ends in the streets of Iloilo. She too has a story of her own.
Miss Lucia Fernandez Francisco, the Campaign Officer and the Regional Coordinator of Gabriela - Western Visayas, was brought to life on August 18, 1957 by her nurturing parents. Her father, the late Mr. Elias Y. Francisco Sr. who died last 1990, was an employee at the Service and Credit Division of the Panay Electric Company. Her loving mother, Mrs. Josefina Fernandez Vda. Francisco, raised her with love together with her five other siblings. She,with her four brothers and her sister together with her fairly opposite parents, spent their memorable years in their humble abode in La Paz, Iloilo.
Contrary to the bubbly and the fearless woman she is today, Lucy was so timid, the kind who just sits in the corner, during her younger years. She was full of insecurities and inferiorities when she was still studying. Her dream was to work in line with the medical field. She took a Medical Secretarial course at Iloilo Doctors' College and graduated as a member of its pioneer batch in 1976. She studied her Bachelor of Arts for three years in IDC before shifting to the world of commerce. She then earned her degree from the University of Iloilo last 1981.
And here is something that you should know: Miss Lucy had three non-Filipino boyfriends during her blooming years. "Of course, one at a time!" she recalls as she laughs out loud with her huge voice. "I love to write letters. I had one American boyfriend while the other two were Australian and German," she adds.
Her first job was as a volunteer at Iloilo Doctors' College where she stayed worked for a while. She was then reassigned at the Iloilo Doctors' College Library where she began to appreciate reading books and writing synopsis. After spending her six years on administrative work at the IDC, she then transferred to an international agency. Another six years of her life was spent at the Foster Plan International that ceased to operate in Iloilo last 1986.
Her journey towards her present life began when she volunteered for the Citizen Peace Monitoring Council, an organization that keeps an eye on human rights violations. She too joined the Nagaisa nga Katilingban sang Kababaihan nga Imol sa Syudad, an urban poor women's organization, in 1987 to 1995. This modern-day Silang has been a Council officer of the Women's Center for the past five years. Her experience being with the less fortunate individuals led her to be the powerful force behind the nation's most celebrated women's organization - the Gabriela.
When asked what is her biggest fear, it took her a moment to come up with an answer. "I used to be afraid of nighttime but now what I am most afraid of is my health," she admits. According to her, fear is a negative thought that we must overcome. It should not hinder us but push us through to become what we always want to be.
Unknown to many, she has a collection of "empowering words", words to ponder about, written on her notebook. She loves reading it when she is down or when a friend needs something to uplift her soul. She was once a member of the International World Runner Organization along with the evicted Ilonggo Pinoy Big Brother Housemate Rudy Fernandez.
As a part-time job, she works as an underwriter for an insurance company. Her name was included in the PDI, a national magazine, as one of the Top Ten Underwiters for the Iloilo Branch.
In connection with the celebration of the Women's Month this March, she said that it is time for women to stand on their principles. "Though women are considered as secondary citizens of the society, bear in mind that men are not our enemies but our partners in shaping the society. It is our month. You should be proud to be a woman!" she delivers her message to the Ilonggas, Filipinas and to the women of the world.
Like her principle in life "Never judge a book by its cover," Lucy also believes that we should not leave our fate hanging."It is us who shape our destiny thru the option we make. Let us not blame others for it."