Women uplifting women’s lives
Seated from left are Past Presidents Marilen Locsin,
Dr. Teresa Sarabia, Marissa Hortillas and Chona Bondoc,
President Lynnie Denila, Zonta District 17 Governor
Ma. Victoria Vergel de Dios, Zonta 3 Area Director Ofelia
Servando and Past Presidents Sandra Gomez, Susan Florete,
Mafelou Agriam and Ruth Javelosa. Standing from left are
Dr. Lydia Ramos, Rosemarie Bermudo, Avon Tinsay, Jasmin
Young, Tess Dulalia, Marissa Gorriceta, Gladys Cordero,
Gloria Castro, Vedette Ong, Dr. Ellamae Divinagracia, Ivy
Gurrea, Liberty Valderrama, Judge Gloria Madero and Prima
Buckley. The members who are not in the photo are Mayor
Carina Flores, Atty. Bels Gerochi, Cecil Francisco and Eva
Deunneisen.
For the past 16 years since being chartered in April 1991, the Zonta Club of Iloilo City II, Inc. has been active in the campaign to improve women’s legal rights, her health, education and economic status, and to prevent violence on women and children. In order to do these, the club follows two major strategies: Service and Advocacy.
The club works closely with the Women and Children’s Desk, which is located in the Philippine National Police (PNP) Iloilo City compound. Since 1998 when the club under Susan Florete built its edifice in the compound, it has served as a quick response unit for victims of domestic violence, rape, sexual and physical abuse and harassment. The club’s various intervening activities are supportive of the operations of the Women’s Desk. An adjacent Shelter for Threatened Victims was constructed during the term of Dr. Terry Sarabia, which functions as a temporary refuge for abused victims. This effort was followed with the club donating a vehicle during Marilen Locsin’s presidency to transport victims safely to specific destinations prescribed by the Women’s Desk.
“These were all brought about through fundraising activities like fashion shows, bingo games, our annual Pre-Christmas Bazaars at the Robinson Place and our past participation in the Belen-Making contests in partnership with SM City Iloilo,” says Lynnie Denila, current club president, dispelling common notions that the club is purely a social group.
The continuing education of women is a major club priority. For almost three years since it started in 2004 during Mafelou Agriam’s term, the Zonta Club conducts information and education campaigns for Iloilo City high school and college students, with the aim of heightening their awareness on the many faces of domestic violence, the laws and institutions protecting them, and how they can help themselves and others avoid at being victims of abuse. In this project, the club collaborates with the Commission on Human Rights, the Women’s Desk, Department of Social Welfare and Development, the city schools and the local media. Recently after a competitive process, the Avon Company awarded the club a P100,000 grant for the widespread implementation of this information campaign to include schools in the Province of Iloilo, and for the production and distribution of information-support materials to women and children situated in places unreached by the info drives through the help of institutions with municipal and barangay extensions like the Department of Health.
The seminar on Republic Act 9262 (a Law on Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004) for government and private groups in close contact with women in the grassroots level is held in partnership with the Women Lawyers Association of the Philippines (WLAP)-Iloilo Chapter and the requesting municipality.
The club also maintains a Zonta Reading Center inside the Haven for Girls, a shelter for physically and sexually abused children located in Cabatuan, Iloilo. The center, run by the DSWD, is equipped with books donated by the SM Foundation, embassies of France, Germany, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands and the Zonta members.
The women’s education projects of the club dates back to the charter presidency of Ruth Javelosa, when the club granted four-year scholarships to deserving but financially deprived college students entering the Education Department of the West Visayas State University. It funded, too, the six-month non-formal education of many housewives from depressed areas at WVSU.
The club held its own clean and green projects in the term of Sandra Gomez through the donation of huge drums as garbage bins to the city government and the tree-planting along the Benigno Aquino highway. The mature trees on the islands today are offshoots of this greening activity.
The club also promotes women’s reproductive health and care – a priority concern -- through Free Pap Smear Tests in selected city districts in partnership with the City Health Office and the Department of Health. This project was launched during the term of Marissa Hortillas. The club joins like-minded organizations involved in breast cancer and HIV/AIDS awareness. One health-related club activity done in late 2006 was the distribution of 200 packs of relief goods to families affected by the oil spill in Brgy. San Antonio, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras.
Skills and livelihood trainings are also important club efforts to make women independent earners and economic allies of their husbands. Project Nanay, which lasted for 8 months, taught women baking, cooking and food preparations, flower making, and dressmaking. Lecture-series on entrepreneurship were incorporated in the program resulting in some women becoming successful entrepreneurs. The Zonta Building at the I. Arroyo Elementary School, built during the presidency of Chona Bondoc, still serves as training venue and product display center todate. Project Nanay involved the tripartite project partnership of I. Arroyo Elementary School, the Western Visayas College of Science and Technology and the Zonta Club of Iloilo City II.
For its many initiatives in advancing the status of women, the club received noteworthy awards like the Special Award for Community Service (Zonta national award given in Cebu) in 1991; Achievement Award for Environment (Zonta national award given in Manila) in 1996; Zonta District 17 Outstanding Service Award in 1999 given in Hong Kong; PNP National Plaque of Recognition in 2003 (Camp Crame, Quezon City); District 17 Outstanding Club Award in 2003 (first runner-up given in Metro Manila); Zonta District Most Outstanding Zonta Club Service Award in 2005 (first runner-up given in Malaysia); Zonta District 17 Young Women in Public Service Award in 2005 (Miss Jennifer Acosta of UP High School Iloilo, signed by Zonta International president Mary Ellen Bittner and District Governor Subhaporn Peterson, and given in Malaysia); and a Special Plaque of Recognition in 2005 for active involvement in Women's Desk (given in Malaysia). Zonta Club of Iloilo City II, Inc. is one of the clubs in District 17, which consists of Zonta Clubs from the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong.