Success secrets & women heroes of Karen Davila and other TOWNS awardees

I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. — Amelia Earhart

Women must tell men always that they are the strong ones. They are the big, the strong, the wonderful. In truth, women are the strong ones. It is just my opinion, I am not a professor. — Coco Chanel

After a year-long search and screening process, nine women achievers were honored at a dinner reception on Nov. 21 at Dusit Thani Manila Hotel ballroom in Makati City with The Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service (TOWNS) awards presented by TOWNS Foundation, Metrobank Foundation and Metrobank Card.

ABS-CBN TV and radio journalist Karen Davila, who coincidentally marked her 43rd birthday that night when she and the other eight women received their TOWNS awards, said in her acceptance speech: “There are three reasons why it is not easy to receive a TOWNS award. First, you need to win before you reach the age of 45; second, this prestigious award is only given out every three years; third, it is the hardest to get the approval of women.”

The 2013 panel of judges were led by the country’s first-ever female Supreme Court Chief Justice and 1998 TOWNS awardee for law Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno; National Academy of Science & Technology president Dr. William D. Padolina; Cinemalaya Foundation president Nestor Jardin; former Health Secretary and 1986 TOWNS awardee for medicine Dr. Esperanza I. Cabral; Philippine Export Processing Zone (PEZA) director general and 1983 TOWNS awardee for law Lilia B. de Lima.

Chief Justice Sereno was guest of honor and speaker at the awards night; Metrobank Foundation president Aniceto M. Sobrepeña also delivered a message and TOWNS 1977 tourism awardee Elsa V. Payumo was master of ceremonies. TOWNS Foundation, Inc. officers and also past awardees are Catherine Yu, Engr. Aura Matias, Regina Hechanova, Evelyn R. Singson, Atty. Lorna Kapunan, Corazon de la Paz-Bernardo and Rina J. David. 

The nine TOWNS awardees each gave the Philippine STAR exclusive interviews after receiving their trophy and delivering their speeches; they shared with me names of women they admire the most and also their own success secrets.

Karen Davila, winner of TOWNS Award for broadcast journalism, is Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, 2005 UNICEF Child Rights Award grand prize winner and 1999 awardee for Best Medical Report in the CNN World Report Competition. She has used her influence to help raise support for education, housing through international NGO Habitat for Humanity, autism and infant victims of Biliary Atresia. She is a popular and idealistic reporter, correspondent, news anchor and producer in Philippine broadcast media. A mass communication graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, her husband DJ Sta. Ana is TV5 News head of operations.

Karen Davila said: “I admire my mother Purita Lising Davila, she taught me something which I consider my success secret. She said: ‘Ang taong masipag tatalunin niya ang taong matalino.’ (The person who is hardworking will surpass those who are intelligent).”

Atty. Darlene Marie Berberabe, winner of TOWNS Award for government service, is CEO of PAG-IBIG Fund, winner of the 2012 CEO Excel Award, first woman Outstanding Chief Executive Officer in Asia Pacific Award from the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific, UP College of Law 1999 salutatorian and the first female philosophy instructor at UP.

Atty. Berberabe said: “The woman I admire the most is the late President Cory Cojuangco Aquino, because for me she’s the symbol of a risk-taker, she got out of her comfort zone and took on the challenges of leadership with dignity, integrity and honor. Cory not only survived graciously, she came out of government service with her moral values intact… On success secrets, I came from a very big family in Batangas, we are five siblings, my father also came from a family of 17 siblings and my mom’s side had 12 siblings, so you have to find ways to shine. You have to find ways that you can be heard, seen and noticed. Our parents also taught us, if you want to be a streetsweeper or a driver or to be in whatever profession, do it excellently, hindi puwedeng ‘puwede na iyan’ (it cannot just be ‘It’s already okay’).”

Noraida Adang Abdullah Karim, winner of TOWNS Award for social work, deputy director for the Philippine Program of humanitarian organization Community and Family Services International (CFSI), project coordinator of the Food Assistance Project that serves around 400,000 internally displaced persons in conflict-affected areas of Central and Northern Mindanao. She is the recipient of 2007 Voices of Courage Award from Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children in New York, and 2007 Social Justice & Social Change Award from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

Karim said: “Women I admire the most are DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman for her guts and principles, also Aisha the last and youngest wife of Prophet Muhammad, because she fought for women’s rights and women’s liberation… My success secret is the all-out support of my family and of the CFSI organization.”

Ani Karina de Leon Brown, winner of TOWNS Award for sports, is a three-time Philippine triathlon champion, trainer and race organizer, program manager of Pinay in Action Women Empowerment through Fitness Program, and the IronKids Association of the Philippines.

Brown said: “The women I admire most are Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Hillary Clinton and England’s four-time Ironman Triathlon World champion Chrissie Wellington who also does a lot of good work. Last but not the least, I admire very much Senator Pia Cayetano; aside from her support, she taught me the quote which is my success secret, that in sports (as in other pursuits), you need to have 10,000 hours of training to excel. My success secret therefore is basically, keep working hard.”

Rachelle Gerodias, winner of TOWNS Award for the performing arts, is the country’s premier soprano, and the only Filipina to have worked with the legendary opera diva Mirella Freni; she is founder of the Rachelle Gerodias Music Foundation, Inc. which gives scholarships to talented musicians. She also launched her first solo CD at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) last Nov. 23.

Gerodias said: “The women I admire most are the late Greek soprano and opera singer Maria Callas, my UST teacher Gloria Dizon Coronel, my mother Perla Rivera Gerodias who is a businesswoman with principles and strong faith, who will fight for what she thinks is right… Success secrets: be hardworking and determined.”

Gemma Narisma, winner of the TOWNS Award for atmospheric science, works at refining climate models of the effects and risks to communities brought about by climate change, and was a 2012 Outstanding Young Scientist in Atmospheric Science.

Narisma said: “The woman I admire most is my mother Antipolo Tamayo Narisma, for her generosity and spirit of service. She’s retired as a teacher at St. Mary’s College in Tagum, Davao… Success secrets: It’s love and perseverance, because everything is tough, so you keep on going, and you dig deep into your heart and remember what it is all about, that it’s about love and service.”

Eleanor Pinugu, winner of TOWNS award for social enterprise and education, is founder and executive director of the Mano Amiga Academy non-profit school for underprivileged kids, also founder of Bistro 3846 a high-end cafeteria that donates 100 percent of its profits to Mano Amigo. Pinugu has been named 2012 Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum and was a recipient of the Social Entrepreneurship Star Award at the 2012 Asian Social Enterprise Summit in Korea.

Pinugu said: “The woman I admire most is my mother Fortunata Cruz Pinugu, because I saw her sacrifice her own dreams and luxuries to put her younger sister through medical school. Later on, she also made sacrifices for me and my sister to have better lives. We’re not rich and I’ve always wanted to study at the Ateneo de Manila University, but our mother found ways for me to get there… Success secret: Don’t act as if you know everything already. One advantage of being young is it makes me more open to learn from others’ experiences and expertise.”

Dr. Ma. Amihan Ramolete, winner of TOWNS Awards for theater arts, is the company manager of Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas, managing director of Dulaang UP, artistic consultant of the Usbong Papet Baclayon in Bohol, Philippine representative to the ASEAN Puppetry Association and the chairperson of the Department of Speech Communication and Theater Arts at UP Diliman. 

Dr. Ramolete said: “The woman I admire the most is my mother, playwright and writer Amelia Lapeña Bonifacio, the founder of Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas… Success secrets? Love for work, having fun, and commitment to one’s work.”

Maricor Soriano, winner of TOWNS Awards for applied physics, is president of the Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas and 2006 Outstanding Young Scientist Award recipient from the National Academy of Science and Technology.

UP Professor Soriano said: “The woman I admire the most is Dr. Lourdes ‘Luli’ Cruz, past TOWNS Award recipient for chemistry… Success secret? Confucius once said that you should enjoy what you are doing or do something that you like and you will never work a day in your life because it’s never work and because you consider it fun.”

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