Two empowered women with missions
THEY come from two different countries and speak two different tongues, but their hearts beat as one when it comes to motherhood.
This was Rep. Gina de Venecia and former First Lady of Panama Vivian Fernandez Torrijos, saw its other when they met in Panama recently.
They had many things in common. Before politics, Manay Gina, mom of four, was into real estate and showbiz. Vivian was a publicist by profession and a mother of three. Manay Gina’s husband Joe de Venecia was a five-time Speaker of the Philippine’s House of Representatives, while Vivian’s husband, Martin Torrijos was Panama’s President from 2004 to 2009.
The similarities did not end there. The two ladies have distinguished themselves with their respective advocacies, drawn from their personal experiences as mothers.
Torrijos’ eldest suffered from the Down Syndrome, her exposure to it motivated her motivation to help children with disabilities. Her work was so successful that in 2008, the UNICEF presented her with a plaque in honor of her work with disabled children.
Manay Gina, on one hand, lost her youngest daughter in a fire, but instead of wallowing in bitterness, her love for daughter KC became an inspiration for her to establish the INA Foundation that helps grieving mothers.
In 2006, she also built the first INA Healing Center in Batasan Hills, Quezon City that offers free psycho-social support to orphaned mothers.
“I also told her about my LOVE program for the 4th District of Pangasinan,” says Manay Gina. (LOVE is the acronym of her legislative platform: livelihood, over-all health care, values formation and education and environment).
In their sharing, Mrs. Torrijos said that she is being convinced by the people in Panama City to run for mayor. And from someone who truly knows that politics can also be a noble calling, Manay Gina said: “Go for it.”
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