“We've got strength, we are resilient, courageous, beautiful and empowered.”
This was how Fire Senior Superintendent Pamela Rojane Candido described women in uniform like her, adding that they are “breaking the glass ceiling so living up and breaking all the norms.”
Candido, who is the former fire marshal of Bacolod said, career women like her need to do a whole balancing act, and their partner must also be supportive in order to succeed.
She said that being a working mom entails a lot of sacrifice and time management.
Admitting that it was a challenge on her part to juggle her career, married life and being a mother, Candido said she was able to pull it off gracefully even under pressure.
“I'm driven and motivated by my loved ones and I've become resilient to the rigors of work, being a hands-on mom and wife at the same time. All thanks to God! For the love of the country and my family,” the chief of the health services of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Region 7, said.
Luckily, her husband BFP Region 6 Director General Jerry Candido and children Jerry Allen, Ella Jane and Jerry Marshal are backing her up in her endeavors.
She said her children have been exposed to her job at an early age and they used to go with her and her husband to respond to a fire incident or other emergencies.
There were even times that they were sleeping with them in the fire station during heightened alert status like Christmas, New Year, typhoons and Holy Week since they could not be left at home, she said.
Meanwhile, Candido said she believes that the biggest misconceptions about women in uniform is that they are weaker sex and that they could not do what men in uniform can.
“They think we should be assigned in the offices only to do desk work, (but that is) totally untrue (because) we dealt well (with) life's challenges and adversities and we have overcome all with flying colors,” she stressed.
March is national women’s month and the six-year theme of the celebration is “WE Make CHANGE Work for Women” that speaks about how and to what extent women change the landscape of the society especially in the Philippines.
This year’s celebration endeavors to highlight the gains achieved for women and girls, assess actions towards gender equality and look forward to steps that must be taken to ensure progress in empowering women.
True enough, Candido and women in uniform like her have indeed made a change and a huge impact not only in the society but in their families as well.*