Cordillera’s regional outstanding rural woman Jolenda F. Lomas-e bagged 5th place during this year’s National Search for Outstanding Rural Women (SORW). She, together with other national nominees, was formally recognized during the awarding ceremony held at PhilRice, Munoz, Nueva Ecija recently.
Lomas-e bested four other national nominees which is two steps higher compared to the region’s rank last year. She will be receiving a Php30,000.00 grant which is in addition to the Php50,000.00 she received from the Regional Field Office of the Department of Agriculture in the Cordillera (DA-RFO CAR) as a regional winner.
“Agyamanak iti narecieve ko nga award ken maragsakanak ta nasabat ko dagiti kakadwa nga national nominees. Saan nga mailadawan ti ragsak ko ta uray nu farmer kami ket inawardan ken pinadayawan dakami kas women leaders” (I am thankful for the award that I received and I am happy because I met my co-national nominees. I cannot express my joy because even if we are farmers, they awarded and recognized us as women leaders.), expressed Lomas-e.
Lomas-e is a resident of Kaleo, Barlig, Mountain Province. She is currently the Barlig Municipal Agriculture and Fishery Council Chairperson. She has made a significant contribution as a farmer and woman leader. She is also the Founding President of the Kadaclan Fisherfolk Organization and also served as a President of the Kadaclan Heirloom Women’s Organization before. She strongly believes that women can do more, including those works done by men, as long as they are interested to make it happen.
She is thankful to the DA-CAR family and her local government units who supported and assisted her not only during the competition but even in their agricultural endeavors in their communities.
Further, Lomas-e encourages the other women farmers to continue farming particularly vegetables and root crops, and to find ways to become agri-entrepreneurs. “Agpanunot tayo ti sarili nga business ken livelihood ta adu ti pakausaran ti produkto tayo,” she added.
‘Let’s think of our own business and livelihood because our products can be utilized in many ways.’
The national nominees were evaluated based on the three major criteria: A) Contribution to food security/agricultural and fishery development productivity, profitability of economic activities, and quality of products/services (30%); B) contribution to sustainable development efforts to protect the environment, efforts to adapt to climate change/emerging conditions, and innovativeness/creativity (30%); and C) impact to rural women promotion of women empowerment and gender equality, improvement of family life, excellence in character/ability to hurdle difficulties, and contribution to local economy (40%).
The SORW or Gawad Parangal sa Katangi-tanging Kababaihan sa Pagsasaka a Kanayunan is an annual competition being led by the DA Gender and Development Focal Point System (DA GFPS). Started in 2003, the Search highlights and recognizes the important role of women in agriculture and food security.
According to DA GFPS, the Search focuses attention on smallholder farmers/fishers in rural areas with high poverty incidence to determine how a rural woman overcomes the challenges not only as a female but as a female worker in the countryside. It also appraises the impact of each woman’s success on the lives of people in her community. By JBAgrifino
