Zonta District 17 Area 3 meeting to gather delegates from Visayas and Mindanao

Delegates from 11 Zonta Clubs under District 17 Area 3 will gather at Nustar Resort in Cebu City on January 26-28, 2024 to tackle concerns about women empowerment.

Hosted by Zonta Clubs of Cebu 1 and 2, the event, with the theme “Women + Education + Entrepreneurship + Equitable Access = Empower-Her” will emphasize education, entrepreneurship, and ensuring fair access to resources.

“We believe that empowering women is not only a moral imperative but also a catalyst for social and economic progress,” said IPP Petite Garcia, the organizing chair of the Area 3 Meeting. 

On the evening of January 26, 2024, a welcome dinner will be held after the District Officers meeting. The opening ceremony of the Area 3 meeting will be held the next day, January 27, 2024.

Atty. Myrish Cadapan-Antonio, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Living Heritage Initiative, will be the keynote speaker. 

Atty. Cadapan-Antonio served as Deputy Legal Counsel, Faculty of Law, and Director of the Dr. Jovito R. Salonga Center for Law and Development at Silliman University in the Philippines for over a decade before she and her family moved to the United States. She also serves on the boards of the Harvard Club of the Philippines Global, Save One Life (Interim President; an international non-profit serving children with bleeding disorders worldwide), and Khan Academy Philippines.

Mader Perci Cendaňa, former Commissioner of the Philippine National Youth Commission, will deliver the Motivational Message on “Celebrating Differences … Towards a more Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Zonta.” at the end of the business meeting of the same day.

Cendaňa holds the distinction of being the first openly gay Chairperson of the UP Diliman University Student Council and is currently a consultant of the Quezon City GAD Council and QC Pride Council. He is also the immediate past president of Babaylanes Inc., an NGO working on building capacities of young LGBTs. Having Cendaña is congruent to the Zonta International’s Program on Diversity, Equality and Inclusivity. 

The three simultaneous workshops on January 27 will focus on the theme - Education, Entrepreneurship, and Equitable Access as tools to empower women. The workshop participants will explore strategies to enhance educational kopportunities, improve access to quality education, and overcome barriers that hinder women’s progress.

The workshop speakers are Atty. Joan S. Largo, Vice President for Administration of the University of San Carlos; Ms. Laurie Boquiren, Marketing and R&D Director, Castilex Industrial Corp. and CEO/Founder Jamaica Markets Corp.; and Atty. Mylen Gonzales-Esquivel, Executive Director at Child Justice League Inc. 

“We hope to strengthen our bond and resolve to consistently collaborate with each other in order to collectively, as an Area, and individually, as clubs, effect transformational change in our respective communities and spheres of influence,” explains Area 3 Director Ma. Teresa Chan.