Source: LGU Iligan – Gender And Development Office
LGU-Iligan CMO-GAD One Billion Rising Movement Commemoration 2025
Videographer & Video Editor: Clark Kent Fabro Batucan
Statment of Support:
“The LGU-Iligan Gender and Development Office (GAD) expresses strong support and solidarity for the 2025 Commemoration of One Billion Rising Movement with the theme “Rise for Empathy.”. This trailblazing global campaign was founded by Eve Ensler in FEBRUARY 14, 2012, anchored with the intent to cease cases of rape and sexual violence against women. According to One Billion Rising Organization, 1 in 3 women across the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime which is equivalent to ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS. In 2024, UNICEF also revealed that over 370 million girls and women globally were subjected to rape or sexual assault as children.
With the atrocities that women have deeply experienced, glorification of their intrepidity in surmounting the damages that these circumstances have caused should not become a norm. In lieu of that, recognizing their vulnerability and the time they took to rebuild themselves manifests the essence of empathy. Despite how women have interwoven facets of society, the society itself monopolizes women’s performativity and embodiment. They have faced the irony of becoming victims of abuse while being blamed by their perpetrators for having been a scapegoat of their own perpetrator’s ruthlessness.
Now, it is our responsibility to amplify this movement and stand for the rights of Iliganon women to be protected from any forms of viciousness that can jeopardize their lives. we must give them the freedom to be visible in expressing themselves in ways significant to them.
Ang LGU-Iligan Gender and Development Office (GAD) magpadayag sa hugot nga suporta ug makigbisog alang sa katungod sa Kababayen-ang Iliganon nga makatagamtam ug luwas ug layo sa katalagman nga dakbayan sa Iligan.
Rise for Empathy, Iligan City!”
“The LGU-Iligan Gender and Development Office (GAD) led the advance local commemoration of the 1 Billion Rising Movement on February 11, 2025, at Iligan City Anahaw Amphitheatre. The commemoration was supposedly on February 14, but it was initiated beforehand due to the celebration of Valentine’s Day.
The commemoration was participated by different local officials, barangay officials, representatives from national and law enforcement agencies, and respective women’s associations from the 44 barangays of Iligan City, wearing white t-shirts while dancing exuberantly as part of their solidarity and firm support for the movement.
Committee Chairperson on Gender and Development, Councilor Queenie Rosevi C. Belmonte formally opened the commemoration with an emboldening message encouraging Iliganon women to resist and be disinclined to accept any forms of abuse detrimental to the state of women. On the other hand, Committee Vice-Chairperson on Gender and Development, Councilor Michelle Sweet E. Booc, was given the floor to recognize and express gratitude to all 1,150 participants, especially the barangay officials who have been part of the 1 Billion Rising Movement Local Commemoration of LGU-Iligan.
To hark back, the most significant mass effort in human history to eradicate violence against women is the One Billion Rising Movement. Launched on Valentine’s Day 2012, the campaign started as a call to action after learning that one in three women worldwide may experience rape or physical abuse in their lifetime. With seven billion people on the planet, this equates to over ONE BILLION women and girls.
The LGU-Iligan Gender and Development Office Communications Team, led by CMO-GAD Communications Officer Daryl L. Mendoza, released the official statement of support of CMO-GAD on its official page:
“The LGU-Iligan Gender and Development Office (GAD) expresses strong support and solidarity for the 2025 Commemoration of One Billion Rising Movement with the theme ‘Rise for Empathy.”. With the atrocities that women have deeply experienced, glorification of their intrepidity in surmounting the damages that these circumstances have caused should not become a norm. In lieu of that, recognizing their vulnerability and the time they took to rebuild themselves manifests the essence of empathy.
Despite how women have interwoven facets of society, the society itself monopolizes women’s performativity and embodiment. They have faced the irony of becoming victims of abuse while being blamed by their perpetrators for having been a scapegoat of their own perpetrator’s ruthlessness. Now, it is our responsibility to amplify this movement and stand for the rights of Iliganon women to be protected from any forms of viciousness that can jeopardize their lives. We must give them the freedom to be visible in expressing themselves in ways significant to them.”
Iligan City Mayor, Frederick W. Siao, expressed his full support for the 1 Billion Rising Movement Local Commemoration as a gesture of recognizing the value of Iliganon women and reminding everyone to pay respect to women and acknowledge their predicaments and experiences, particularly the various forms of abuse that women have endured for a very long time:
“1 Billion Rising Movement, somehow reminds ang atong kinatibuk-ang katilingban dili lang sa Iligan but the entire Philippines that we should respect the women, all the women sector. Kay kani sila usahay, magpabilin gihapon ang I should say, ang mga daang practices nga naa gyapon ang pagpanglupig, pagpangdaog-daog sa atong lesser sex. So, it’s an obligation of everyone, sa member sa community nga kinahanglan gyud taga-an ug awareness, at the same time pag-respeto nga needed sa atong mga kababayen-an,” Mayor Frederick Siao said in an interview.
CMO-GAD Iligan City Council of Women (ICCW) Focal Person, Fmr. Hinaplanon Barangay Kagawad, Lydia Morales, is grateful for the active participation of Iliganon women constituting the different women’s associations of the 44 barangays in Iligan City. The presence of Iliganon women wouldn’t be visible if not for the efforts of the CMO-GAD Community Coordinators headed by Mariza Go Minaga, who successfully established women’s associations variegated accordingly with their socio-economic settings.
Article by Daryl Mendoza
Layout by Daryl Mendoza
Photo by Christian Joey Jutic”
