I GREW in the tranquil generation of the fifties, sixties and seventies where a woman was expected to get married at a certain age. Get pregnant and have babies and be a dutiful wife. Aside from being a housemate to a working husband she was there always ready to swipe the sweat of her partner, ready his pajamas and massage his back if asked. I am talking about married couples in the early years. Not anymore.
Remember some years ago there were three women members of the Philippine National Police who were chiefs of police. One was in the City of San Fernando, and the other two were assigned in Lubao and Florida Blanca. They were barking orders to able bodied men in uniform who are highly trained with wide experience on combats against lawless elements. But they have to stand erect in attention when bawled out.
Aside from already having two women presidents, Cory Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo there were recently in recent years women headed the Supreme Court, Justice Department, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Ombudsman and Commission on Audit in this country were women. It's a woman's world, no doubt. In Pampanga today, there are two municipal mayors, Sto. Tomas Mayor Ninang Ronquillo and Lubao Mayor Esmie Pineda. Angeles City Vice Mayor Vicenta Vega Cabigting, popularly known as Vice Vicky, rested her gavel in 2016 and made a run for the mayorship, but failed. Maybe in the meantime. Meanwhile, in the City of San Fernando, there's a great possibility that a woman will be seated as the chief executive of the city in the person of Ms. Vilma Caluag, presently the barangay captain of Barangay Dolores. As president of the Association of Barangay Captains she is a member of the city council and has been a great job in fiscalization. The people of San Fernando are taking notice of her. Particularly her fight against corruption.
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Liza Carlos Timbol is not only a looker but also the quintessential beauty and brain Capampangan lady. Recently she was elected president of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philipines (RBAP), a nationwide association of rural bankers. She is the first Capampangan elected to this prestigious position. She is currently Executive Vice President of GR BANK, and older brother Jay Carlos as president. This is the bank founded in 1954 by their late father Jose "Pitong" Carlos which has now 25 branches spread in several cities and provinces. GR BANK is now the number one family owned in the country today. In Liza's hands now carries the responsibility of making rural banking a relevant partner of government in battling the pandemic. She now represents 429 rural banks with a combined resources of P244 billion.
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There are five potential candidates for the presidency, and we will know them in October next year when they will troop to the Commission on Elections to file their certificates of candidacy. Two of them are women, Vice President Leni Robredo and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. The other three currently mentioned are boxing champion Senator Manny Pacquiao, former Senator Bongbong Marcos and Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso aka Yorme Isko.