“JUST BEING a woman is God’s gift that all of us must appreciate. The origin of a child is a mother and is a woman. She shows a man what sharing, caring, and loving is all about. That is the essence of a woman.”
With these words, Sushmita Sen wowed both the judges and the crowd inside the Philippine International Convention Center in 1994, edged out early favorites Carolina Gomez of Colombia and Minorka Mercado of Venezuela, and captured India’s first Miss Universe crown.
Over the years since fighting for their right to vote, women have left indelible marks and continue to forge their legacies in fields that were once viewed as exclusive to men. From the legal, engineering and medical profession to the business world, from the armed forces to space exploration, and from the field of entrepreneurship to politics, we have a long, impressive and continuing list of women who play vital roles in nation building and international cooperation.
Kapampangan women have also come a long way from the kitchen to the board room and the corporate world. And as elected public officials, they have extended their unique style of leadership and selfless service moving their way from their homes to the barangay hall, the municipal office, the provincial Capitol, the halls of Congress and yes, even right inside the Malacañang Palace.
When Vice Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda entered public service, she was underestimated by her critics for being a woman and yes, a mother. What many failed to understand though was that her being a “mere mother” was exactly what the people of Lubao needed and hoped for in their local leader. During her stint as Lubao mayor from 1992 to 2001, as Pampanga governor from 2010-2019 and now as the vice-governor, Nanay has, in the absence of an appropriate word, “motherized” public service.
“Anggyang alang pera, ala mu sanang sasasakit keng pamilya.”
Who has not heard these wise words from our own mothers? I am sure that any parent would agree that one of their ardent prayers is for everyone in the family to be safe and well. No wonder that in almost 40 years of being in government service, Nanay has made health services the number one in her list of priorities. In 2017, she was cited by the Department of Health Central Luzon for being an excellent health advocate and was named Most Active and Supportive Governor. Countless Kapampangans have availed themselves of free laboratory assessment and financial assistance for hospitalization through the Alagang Nanay Preventive Health Care Program. I have personally witnessed many of my town mates, including two gay friends, undergo surgery without paying almost anything.
During her first term as governor, close to P60 million was allocated for the rehabilitation of hospitals in the province, including the construction of new buildings or improvement of existing ones, and the purchase of machines and other modern equipment to improve their services.
“Magaral kayung masalese. Ala kaming aliwang apamana kekayu nune ing edukasyon.”
Do the lines sound familiar? Of course they do. Spoken like a true mother, Nanay has given scholarship grants to thousands of poor but deserving students, including P2.6-million worth of allowances at the end of just her first term as governor. To date Gov. Delta has continued his mother’s legacy and provided assistance to deserving Kapampangan college students, including public school teachers who are pursuing their graduate studies at the Don Honorio Ventura State University in Bacolor.
“Luguran yu ing obra yu. Ali yu dapat pikarine ing marangal a obra o kabyayan.”
Nanay has launched various employment and livelihood programs including projects that benefitted those belonging to the agriculture, fishery and livestock services. In the area of agriculture alone, thousands of farmers continue to receive certified seeds worth millions of pesos. On top of this are other technical support services provided to them through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) and the national and regional offices of the Department of Agriculture.
Under her leadership, the provincial government has helped send Kapampangan workers to South Korea and placed workers in local and other foreign employment with the assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Pampanga Public Employment Services Office and the Provincial Cooperative and Entrepreneurial Development Office.
Health, education, and livelihood – the priorities of a mother who want nothing but the best for all her children and her entire family. Add infrastructure, and peace and order to the three and you have the cornerstone of Nanay’s brand of government service. I wonder how many more mothers, ima, inang, indu and nanay out there are willing, able and ready to steer a town, a province or a nation to a place that we all deserve as a people.
