Women in Politics

The Philippine Women’s Business Council, in cooperation with Ten Outstanding Women in Nation Service (TOWNS) and the Philippine Commission on Women, invited five women political candidates to speak at the Women Rising Forum at the Dusit Thani Hotel on November 25, 2015.

I arrived at the hotel at exactly 2 pm. The lobby was bedecked with Christmas ornaments with matching ladies in traditional Thai fashion.
Alyssa and Guilla

The forum was held at the Pool Pavilion. It was noisy inside the tent pavilion because it’s right there at EDSA. We could hear all the honking of buses, wang-wangs of police cars, the ambulances and fire trucks, helicopters, etc. Incidentally there was a fire raging somewhere in Mandaluyong, we were told.

I paid the P1,000 participation fee at the registration.

Shared table with Ces Drilon, Chit Juan, Jeannie Javelosa, and Monette Iturralde-Hamlin

I blocked another chair beside me for my daughter who would be coming from the office. But since she was late, more people came and I had no choice but to give up the seat. Oyen found another chair at the next table when she arrived.

Ces Drilon, BCDA chairperson Boots Garcia, Echo store co-founder Chit Juan.
Chit complimented Ces that she looked more relaxed. True.

One by one the forum speakers arrived. They were each given 12 minutes to present their platforms. Leni Robredo prepared a long speech but when she reached the podium, she said twelve minutes won’t be enough so she decided to scrap it and instead she casually talked about her experiences in governance in her province, her thoughts and plans to institute changes.

Rep. Leni Robredo – 2016 Vice-Presidential Candidate
Atty. Lorna Patajo-Kapunan – 2016 Senatorial Candidate
Ms. Risa Hontiveros – 2016 Senatorial Candidate
Ms. Susan “Toots” Ople – 2016 Senatorial Candidate
Ms. Carmen Rita “Mitch” Monfort-Bautista – 2016 Congressional Candidate, 4th District of the Province of Iloilo

Former senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani was also in the audience.

Veteran news anchor Ces Orena-Drilon moderated the discussions.

The special guests and audience were served with Pilipino merienda of pansit bihon, tokwa’t baboy, bibingkang malagkit.

Boots Garcia, senatorial candidate Risa Hontiveros, Ces Drilon, Chit Juan, Chiqui Escareal-Go

Annie C. Tan-Yee with former secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Delia Domingo-Albert.

Boots Garcia, Senator-to-be Atty. Lorna Patajo-Kapunan and ladies who would surely vote for her. LPK emphasized the word “WHEN’ she becomes a senator. With her nationwide popularity, high respect from people from all walks of life, Lorna has every reason to be confident. I think among the new comers, llamado sya.

This is my second time to meet vice presidential candidate Leni Gerona-Robredo. First was at the APEC Women Summit. I could tell why President Pnoy Aquino and Mar Roxas chose her as the vice presidential candidate among all others in their political party. She’s intelligent, smart, in touch with the needs and reforms needed in government, honest, a perfect Mar’s partner in Matuwid na Daan.

Julienne Yee with VP candidate Leni Robredo

Atty. Lorna Kapunan came with her son, lawyer-to-be Lino Kapunan. He told me the color PINK is the election branding of his mom, as evidenced by LPK’s pink shawl and this pink Birkin handbag. When you see pink, think of Lorna Kapunan.