SSABANGAN, Mountain Province – If MRT offered free ride to women on , 2016,in celebration of Internationally acclaimed Women’s day, In the Municipal Local Government Unit, lady employees were treated with a free Spaghetti snack in the afternoon courtesy of the newly appointed Municipal Budget Officer, Ariel Pio P. Pilacan and Ms. Fructusa D. Mamanteo, newly appointed Municipal Agriculturist(MA), and they spent the rest of the afternoon as bonding time and singing round songs and practicing their presentation on Gagayam Festival celebration.
According to Ms. Brigitte Cangoy Mangay-at, the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer(MSWDO), LGU Sabangan is being dominated by female employees. It has 33 female employees out of its 51 regular employees. Five occupies Head of Offices; Ms. Carolina Astudillo is the Municipal Treasurer, Ms. Alfa Beke – Municipal Accountant, Ms. Paulina Padsoyan-Municipal Secretary, Ms. Fructusa Mamanteo-MA and Ms. Brigida C. Mangay-at-MSWDO.
Also , national agencies based at LGU sabangan, the Municipal Election Office is headed by Ms. Clarita Liclic Lacwasan, the Municipal BIR Collection Officer is , Ms. Eva Facullo Falag-ey and Ms. Lorraine Garcia in charge for the DSWD’s 4ps program.
However, on the 12 elected positions, it is sad to note that not one position was occupied by a woman from Mayor down to members of the Municipal Council.
It is a sign that Women indeed can excel in all fields of profession but not much on politics. Women tend not vote for their own gender. In the history of Sabangan, No women ever became a Mayor nor Vice Mayor.
It is only on the Municipal Council that at least one or two lady legislators elected but sometime none at all and to think that women voters are more in number than their counterpart. The irony is that they complain of gender inequality or they are neglected specially in legislation.
Nevertheless there was one time in the late 90’s, two women broke the line , Hon. Carmen Lardizabal and the late Hon. Saturnina Dumpayan , made a record and were dubbed as the two most popular Municipal Council members because they garnered over 3 thousand votes of the around 4 thousand votes casted. The average winning votes for Municipal council ranges from 1,500 to 2,500 only from the usual 4 to 5 thousand votes casted every election.
By Gabriel Moguet
