“OH, THE ladies!” The ladies behind Soroptimist International-Silay (SI-Silay) have their commitment translated into coordinated actions. “We are just doing a loving social push to help brothers in need in the community,” said its president, Elaine Montelibano.
Bobel (nickname of Elaine), incumbent SI-Silay president, has leveled up her project in the direction of the Silay City Government under Mayor Mark Golez. In cooperation with Silay City Water District under chairman Carmen Araneta-Flor (2013-1018), SI-Silay is able to put up a communal faucet at Gawad Kalinga in Sitio Dakutan, Barangay Mambulac.
Silay City Water District feels that it is a corporate social responsibility to reach out to a depressed community with more or less 75 families. The materials were provided by SI-Silay and the labor component with love was the counterpart of Siciwa. We also salute Joe Loie Ledesma and his staff for this. The management of this facility is now managed by the Gawad-Kalinga Homeowners Association of Dakutan.
One felt need was the construction of A-1 public toilet in the area (one for male; one for female). Water has been provided and the family members of the fisher folks need not have their morning and evening rituals at the shoreline. The said rituals could be violence against nature... and hazardous to the health of the people in the community. “Thanks SI-Silay!”
Charter president Maida Vison during her term made a firm stand on the crusade of SI-Silay centered on “violence against women” (VAW). The women of SI-Silay walked their talk in the defense of battered women (mothers and children). They made their campaign good in schools, haciendas, sitios, puroks and barangays.
SI-Silay is in line with the advocacy of Governor Lydia Co where the focus is on “adopt-a-day-care-center.” The target of SI-Silay this time is to assist in the repair of Day Care Center in Barra-Bat-os.
There are more or less 70 pupils. The rehabilitation effort is coordinated with the barangay officials and the Silay City Government. The Day Care Center teachers are expected to inform their immediate superiors. The project chairman is Emilea Villavicencio.
Another next move could be “adopt-a-barangay” wherein SI-Silay existing programs could be integrated... violence against women, scholarship program, livelihood undertaking, skills training, and marketing strategies. In a macro society, the consolidated efforts of SI-Silay could just be a small contribution.
It is a good thing to note that in our society there are private groups of people who are still interested in human growth and development. And, we are happy to know that our local officials share the same vision with them, work with them, and together we build a Silay that we want to have.
We have to prove that no accomplishments are too great for united Silaynons. We need persistence and solidarity to achieve what we aspire for.