CALL TO CONFERENCE

CALL TO CONFERENCE
ALL ZONTIANS ARE ENJOINED TO ATTEND THE 15TH INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN CENTARA GRAND & BANGKOK CONVENTION CENTER AT CENTRAL WORLD, BANGKOK THAILAND ON 17-21 SEPTEMBER 2009

10TH BIENNIAL INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS

10th BIENNIAL INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS HELD
This biennium’s installation was held on June 14, 2008 at the Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention Center with no less than City Mayor Jerry P. Trenas as Guest Speaker. Area Director Ofelia Servando served as the Inducting Officer.
List of officers for BY 2008-2010:

Ma. Teresa Dulalia- President, Gladys Cordero- President- Elect, Melinda Tinsay- 1st Vice-President, Lydia Depra-Ramos, MD- 2nd Vice-President, Vedette Ong,- Recording Secretary, Eileen Benedicto- Corresponding Secretary, Jasmine Young-Treasurer, Eva
Duenneisen- Asst. Treasurer, Marissa Gorriceta- PRO, Cecil Gison- Auditor, Marissa Hortillas- Sunshine Committee Officer. Board of Directors: Ruth Javelosa, Sandra Gomez, Chona Bondoc, Susan Florete, Marissa Hortillas, Ma. Teresa Sarabia, PhD, Marilen Locsin, Mafelou Agriam and Lynnie Denila.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN UPDATE

ON-GOING SERVICE PROJECT

INFORMATION AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

In its effort to best eliminate violence against women and children, the Zonta Club of Iloilo City 2 has entered its third biennium of information drives and campaigns. The first half of this biennium saw two more provincial comprehensive national high schools, namely the Pototan Comprehensive National High School and Zarraga Comprehensive National High School as its project beneficiaries.

At both schools nearly two thousand third and fourth year high school students composed the enthusiastic audience listening to Past President Lynnie Denila and incumbent Pres. Tess Dulalia explain briefly what Zonta is, as an organization, followed by the main speaker PO2 Joanne L. Canja, WCPC Investigator who spoke on the four faces of violence, where to get help and familiarization on the laws that protect women and children. VP Gladys Cordero talked on the topic: “Women Empowerment” and an open forum followed. Packages of goodies were given to the five brightest students who correctly answered questions on violence against women and children.

ZONTA FOREST PARK

SAGIP KALIKASAN PROJECT

ZONTA FOREST PARK

Clearing, landfill and preliminary landscaping has started on a piece of 1,778 sq. m. land at I. Arroyo Elementary School in Fundidor, Molo to be known as the Zonta Rainforest Park in connection with the Sagip Kalikasan Reforestation Program. Such undertakings have been accomplished so far, through the Office of the City Mayor and JS Layson & Co. Inc. The planning and design will be handled by Arch. Penasales while the club has utilized the surveying services of Certeza Surveying Co. Inc. Formal g,.roundbreaking will be on June 9, 2009. The project chairman is Zontian Marirose Cacho.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY HELD AT THE HAVEN

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY HELD AT THE HAVEN

The Zonta Club of Iloilo City II Inc celebrated INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY and ZONTA ROSE DAY last March 8, 2009 at the HAVEN, Regional Center for Abused Women at Brgy. Wari-Wari, New Lucena, Iloilo. Twelve Zontians took time out of their busy schedules to visit the center and provide a moral and social upliftment to the residents there.

The center caters women and children (temporary residents) who were victims of rape, incest, involuntary prostitution, trafficking, illegal recruitment, domestic violence and abandonment. It offers protective and rehabilitative service. The social services are interventions that seek to restore social functioning of the residents from admission to discharge and preparation for family unification and community reintegration.

DSWD representatives Regina and Mary Ann explained that these women and children were given well-rounded support: financially, physically, psychologically and mentally. In addition, the women were given livelihood training such as curtain-making, dress-making, candle-making, bag weaving and stuff toy-making. President Tess Dulalia introduced the club, its mission/vision and the importance of this day to all women of the world. VP Gladys Cordero spoke on “Women Empowerment.”

Snacks were served by the Zontians and the women and their children were given gifts consisting of grocery packs, kitchenware and clothing. The residents in turn sang songs and gave dance numbers. What started as mere fellowship and interaction ended in hope and enlightenment.

ZONTA ILOILO I AND II HOST AREA MEETING

FORWARD-THINKING BRAND. Nearly 140 Zontians from 12 clubs in the Visayas and Mindanao attended the Zonta Area 3 Meeting held on Nov 28, 2008 in Iloilo City with the Zonta Clubs of Iloilo, Inc. and Iloilo II, Inc hosting with Area 3 . The conference challenged the Zontians to respond to the biennium’s imperatives in advancing the status of women. Also attending were District 17 Lt. Governor Beng Puyat (in lieu of Gov. Narudee Kiensiri of Thailand), District Treasurer Frances Monje of Zonta Club of Pasig Foundation, Inc and Dr. Marilyn Alentajan of Zonta Club of Valle Verde and Area 1 Director Rosario Ventura of Zonta Club of Quezon City. Area Meeting theme is “GLOBAL EMPOWERMENT THROUGH LOCAL ACTION.”

POWERHOUSE ACTION. The plenary program keynote speaker, Atty. Katrina Legarda, a top legal defender of women’s rights spoke on “Volunteerism Among Women”expounding on the state of domestic violence in each stratum of Filipino society. Chris Montano of the Regional Commission on Human Rights handled the topic “Trafficking of Persons in the Philippines” tracing its route from a person’s place of origin to brothels, nightclubs and sex or drug dens in the country and abroad, including the kidnapping of babies and children for sale and human body parts for sale.

“Providing Microfinancing and Entrepreneurial Opportunities for Women in the Community” by Engr Reynaldo Yambao of Taytay sa Kauswagan stressed how women’s economic growth opportunities can be had through project tie-ups with credible groups whose expertise lies in enterprise development service. The Plant Trees and Save Lives segment presented a short film on the havoc wreaked by Typhoon Frank, thereby challenging the 12 Zonta Clubs to campaign for, if not spearhead, sustainable tree planting activities in their areas.

Dr. Aileen Montero exhorted the audience to always look good and feel good and to aim at renewed zest for life in her topic “On Wellness and the Secret of Aging Gracefully.” Three workshops followed with the clubs sharing their best practices on these concerns:

Membership Recruitment and Revitalization, Increasing Zonta’s Local Impact through PR and Communications and Fundraising Schemes.

Fellowship night was held at the Crown Ballroom of Punta Villa Resort with the theme: Broadway and Movies. A day trip to Bella Cove in Guimaras Island capped the 3- day event.

(text by mafelou agriam
source: cream magazine)