Supple Bloom: Empowered UNCeanas Empowering Others

“ALL FLOWERS ARE beautiful in their own way, and that’s like women too” ‒ Miranda Kerr

Flowers and women are somewhat alike. They add beauty and inspiration to those around them, making them even more unique. It is up to them when will they bloom, showing their true colors and when will they wilt or lose their chance to spread positivity and light to others.

In honor of Women’s Month, we will highlight three outstanding female alumni from the University of Nueva Caceres, as we gain knowledge about their efforts to promote women empowerment, as they share their journey and conquered milestones.

Leni: The Iris

Since iris is known as the flower that symbolizes royalty, respect, and wisdom, this remarkable woman from our university is the current Vice President of the Philippines, Maria Leonor “Leni” Gerona Robredo. She is the country’s 14th Vice President, the second female vice president and the first vice president who hails from the Bicol region. She graduated Law from the University of Nueva Caceres in 1992 and was a probono women’s rights lawyer before entering politics.

According to the official website of the Office of the Vice President, Leni has the anti-poverty program, “Angat Buhay”. Food security and nutrition, women’s empowerment, education, healthcare, rural development, and housing are among the six primary advocacies that have inspired this project. Also, she inaugurated “Istorya ng Pag-Asa”, a campaign aimed at spreading optimism and positivity by showcasing incredible stories of everyday Filipinos through words, photos, and films, which would be presented in events, exhibits, and social media. Moreover, Robredo got her latest award. The magazine PeopleAsia has awarded Robredo and the Vice President’s Office the “People of the Year” award for reaching out to communities and creating partnerships with the commercial sector for their COVID-19 response.

Robredo is also an advocate of women’s empowerment. She stated in her speech for International Women’s Day that there is so much to be proud of which are the freedom to vote, increased economic and political participation, and stricter legislation protecting women’s rights are all examples of a world that has become more gender-equal in recent generations. Despite these achievements, though, there is still a long way to go. The reality on the ground, however, paints a picture that is far from ideal.

“Today is a reminder of the imperative: We need to band together to continue the work. We need as many women and allies as possible banging against the glass ceiling and creating spaces where all genders can flourish and contribute to society. Because progress hinges not on the brilliance of a few, but on the sustained united effort of all,” Robredo said.

Alzel: The Gladiolus

Alodia Berzel Laguardia, 20, is the gladiolus as she is known to have a strength of character, sincerity, and integrity. She served as the former Supreme Student Government (SSG) President in both Junior High School (20162017) and Senior High School (2018-2020), is the second outstanding lady who completed high school in 2019 and has been a student at the University of Nueva Caceres for a decade. She is now in her second year, pursuing her chosen course, Bachelor of Arts in Journalism at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) Manila Campus.

According to our one-on-one interview, she competed in public speaking and broadcasting competitions when she was in high school, as these were her hobbies. She even represented the university at Regional Competitions, but she claimed that she could not recall all of the awards and prizes she received since she is doing it for experiences and the prizes and awards are just a bonus for her.

Laguardia is an awardee of the Philippine Eagle Outstanding Youth Service Award (PEOYSA), a group that acknowledges achievements made by outstanding youths in the Bicol Region, the Isko Award given by UP Harong, and the most recent, which is for placing fourth in the Flash Reporting Category at the recently completed Camilo Osias Art Festival 2021, are the only accolades she can recall.

Talking about women

empowerment, she recalled her experience in her public speaking competition when she was in Junior High. She said that she was the third contender and that all of her other competitors were male, which she claims is very ‘fulfilling’ because she got first place in the competition. She also demonstrates that women have a distinct communication style than men and that women are more adaptable. Women empowerment is extremely important, relevant, and powerful to her. Women, not merely men, but people at all levels of society, have a unique perspective that has to be heard. Women can be so much more, as she put it, “babae tayo, hindi babae lang.” They can work and raise their children at the same time. “Women do not only speak from what they see or kung ano ‘yung beliefs nila, ‘di ba? We go beyond the limitations. We go beyond what is presented to us kasi nga, we have this kind of different vision,” Laguardia added. Her advice to all women who are unsure about competing is to take their time, but first to recognize and hone their potential.

If a person is aware of her potential, she must shape it on her own. It is not necessary to imitate others because every woman is unique.

“You don’t have to be anyone else. You don’t have to be like me, you don’t have to be like them. You are unique,” she said.

Liezl: The Hibiscus

Liezel Anne Iñigo, a 19-year-old nursing student of the University of Nueva Caceres, is the third remarkable woman. She has delicate beauty and a feminine energy just like the hibiscus. She enjoys baking and cooking for her family. She also plays the ukulele and other musical instruments. She is also interested in creating content.

In 2019, she competed in the Miss Teen Philippines 2019 pageant, representing Camarines Sur, which was held at the New Frontier Theater. She also entered Daragang Magayon 2019 and Miss Bicolandia 2019 as an official candidate. As for the beauty pageants inside the university, she joined Miss HS 2014, Miss HS 2017, and Miss University 2018. So far, these competitions have been the top three biggest pageants. She was unable to obtain any significant accolades but has received numerous minor awards. She also stated that she is fortunate to have had a lot of sponsorship from various brands and companies with whom she was able to work after the contest.

“Every time I step onto a pageant stage, facing a crowd while trying to act gracefully and holding my composure, is where I believe I can empower women by having the courage to face pressure and maximize my voice. I know it is not always easy, but I will not allow our fear of the unknown to keep us in a toxic and unhealthy position,” said Iñigo as she was asked how she empowers women by joining beauty pageants.

When someone makes a negative remark about her, she attempts to see things from a different angle. People who propagate negativity, she feels, have hatred in their hearts. Rather than returning criticism, she seeks to understand them and assist them in moving forward.

“To empower other women, we have to empower ourselves first. It takes so much courage to instill confidence to achieve the things we wanted. We are independent enough to not rely on men to survive. By working hard to the best of our abilities, we can support our families, help those who are in need, and inspire other women to do the same thing. We would be able to build on ourselves, and this makes women’s empowerment very essential,” she explained.

Her advice to ladies who are unsure about competing in beauty pageants is to believe in themselves and never compare themselves to others. ‘Do not weigh up your first step to the other’s tenth step,’ which means that each step counts, and all you have to do is focus and remember that you can do it.

These three extraordinary women represent a flower. They are all beautiful, unique, and bloom at different times. They are beautiful and unique because every woman has the potential to be a queen, a leader, a speaker, a journalist, or anything else she desires. Women are multifaceted and do not limit themselves to being a mother or a worker. If a woman does not yet realize her full potential, let us encourage her to be herself and provide her with experiences that will help her shape her talents. By the time that she already knows how to be confident in her talent, she will immediately blossom, continuing to radiate happiness and be a ray of light to others for every woman to also be empowered.