Unstoppable lady in red

MANILA, Philippines - Called the Red Lady because she has been involved with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for the last 15 years, Gwendolyn Pang will stop at nothing to further her advocacies, even if it means entering the entirely different world of show business.

“Why not if I can use it to promote my advocacies?” she answers when asked if she is open to showbiz.
“I never dreamed of being an actress because I believe I do not have acting talent,” Gwen says with a laugh. “I do not even know if I can be one because I have difficulty pretending. I am good at portraying my real self.”

And Gwen’s real self is as good as it gets. She is the secretary general of the PRC, the youngest ever appointed and one of the youngest leaders of the Red Cross Movement today. Gwen was first a youth volunteer of PRC Sulu Chapter, and then an officer of the Youth, Social Service and Fund Raising Departments at the PRC National Headquarters. She then became director of Fund Generation, assistant secretary general and the first deputy secretary general of the PRC prior to unanimously being elected the secretary general in 2009.

Gwen is also a global leader, being the chair of the Red Cross Red Crescent Asia Pacific Fundraisers’ Network and the co-chair of the Strategy Implementation Group of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). She was a member of the IFRC Strategic Framework Advisory Group, member of the Commission for the Financing of the International Committee of the Red Cross, adviser of the Humanitarian Principles and Diplomacy Advisory Body, member and official representative of PRC to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, and welfare and liaison Officer of PRC Liaison Center in Macau

Gwen has also studied extensively here and abroad, earning degrees in Leadership and Management Development from the Ateneo de Manila University, Health Emergencies in Large Populations course (HELP course) from the University of Hawaii, International Visitor Leadership Program organized by the Department of State of USA, National Society Leadership Development course from Geneva, Switzerland, and a Business Administration Post-Graduate specialization course from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

She admits that her responsibilities and schedule require her to be fit and healthy to face her everyday tasks. She eats healthy  and dedicates 30 minutes to an hour of her day for physical exercise. She makes sure to visit her doctor for regular medical check-ups and does self-examinations as well, being a registered nurse.

“I love to eat, I do not restrict myself on eating food that I want to eat. But nonetheless I always try to eat foods low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein (eggs, fish and white meat), high in fiber (vegetable, oats, fruits) and low in fats. If I want to lose weight or have a detox, I follow the one week General Motors diet,” shares Gwen.

She adds, “Since I cannot get all the nutrients that I need in food that I eat, I take my all in one supplement — Life Oil (rich in antioxidant and vitamin C).”

Life Oil is a pure moringa oleifera extract that is 100 percent natural, safe and potent. Gwen takes one Life Oil capsule, equivalent to five cups of fresh malunggay leaves, to keep her healthy.

Life Oil does not claim healing effects. What it does is to supply the necessary cellular nutrition which supports and strengthens the immune system so it can adequately do its job of preventing or combating illnesses.

The Lady in Red has had offers to do commercials and to host on television, it is just that her hands are quite full with her duties and advocacies. But given the chance, she is willing to appear on TV or movies “as long I can inspire and educate the public.”