Historically in the Philippine setting, women are perceived as weak and only subordinate to men.
Women are not allowed to lead and take part in decision-making.
Fast forward to this modern age where society now recognizes women’s participation, drifting away from the notion that women are just born to do household chores and serve the patriarchs, we can now see how far women have come to be.
In the province of La Union, there is a young woman leader who is now breaking the stereotype of age and gender.
Raphaelle Veronica “Rafy” Ortega-David, 26, is the youngest and first lady governor in La Union who won the gubernatorial race by 348,269 votes during the May 8, 2022 National and Local Elections.
Rafy is leading the province through transformative governance towards her PUSO Agenda, which stands for P – eople Centered and Driven Governance; U – niversal Access to Basic Needs; S – ustainability and Progressive Economy; and O – rderly, Healthy, and Resilient Component City, Municipality, and Barangays.
With her vigor and dedication, she is the first governor to personally visit Barangay Bayabas in San Gabriel town, one of the farthest villages of the province, to bring medical and dental services to her constituents in the geographically isolated and disadvantaged area.
As a woman herself, she is also the first governor in the province to issue Executive Order No. 25 Series of 2022, granting two-day menstruation privilege for female employees of the provincial government.
Recently, Rafy was also appointed as the new chairperson of the Regional Peace and Order Council in Ilocos (RPOC-1), the council composed of national government agencies and local government units fostered to plan, implement, and oversee the government’s campaign in the grassroots against criminality, illegal drugs, insurgency, and violent extremism.
Again, she is the youngest and the first woman to assume the presiding seat in RPOC-1, rising above the male leaders of the three provinces of the region.
Taking from her speech during the Environment, Social, and Governance Connect Forum held in South Korea in November 2022, Rafy said, “People would see my age and gender as a weakness but I personally see it as my strength.”
She added, “With my age and gender, being a young, idealistic, female governor, I believe there are new ideas and new innovations that I can bring to the table.”
Rafy is indeed one empowered young woman, wearing numerous hats, proving ladies and young minds can take the center stage too in governance and nation-building. (JCR/AMB/CGRC, PIA Region 1)
