Gone are the days that women are only envisioned to become homemakers. Women of today are now cognizant of their rights and further driven to develop their own potentials. As time goes by, women are becoming more empowered, knowing, and capable of making their own decisions of which path to take and which line of profession to pursue.

Belonging in a profession dominated by men, Acting Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Luisita G. Clavecillas of the 3rd Civil-Military Operations (Peacemaker) Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, has proven that beyond the conventional thinking, women has also the capacity to serve and help in sparking change to the community.

According to Clavecillas, she draws inspiration in the pursuit of her job from her family who became her backbone to enter the military service.

Clavecillas said her father who was formerly a part of the Philippine Constabulary inspired her to enter the Army, highly emphasizing his evident sincerity in service.

“I admired my father’s dedication in public service and I always look up to him because despite his meager salary then, he was able to finance the six of us and made us the people that we want us to be,” shared Clavecillas.

She further imparted that her mother, who was a public teacher, showed her the importance of education, while her sister, who is also active now in the military service, pushed her to go beyond the boundaries of every woman.

However, she believed that having personal courage to take on the challenges in both personal and professional life and fully understanding the nature of a noble job which only a few dares to accept, are the key elements she constantly carries as a military woman.

Known to be very articulate in expressing the message of the government in achieving sustainable peace and harmony in the region, she emphasized the important role of every woman in public service that highly contributes to nation-building.