Robredo: Schools “best avenue” for creating programs on women

Former vice president Leni Robredo speaks at the “Girl Talk: An Accession of Modern Filipina Hija,” on April 6 at the UST Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Building

By Prince Ernest Eugene Ronson Sabado

SCHOOLS ARE the “best avenue” to create immersive programs for women empowerment led by the youth, according to former Philippine vice president Leni Robredo.

In a forum organized by the UST Asian Studies Society, Robredo urged schools to institutionalize programs that will sustain youth movement toward volunteerism on women.

“Until now, we are finding the balance in engaging the youth as most of the volunteers are young people like you. I think schools are the best avenue for that,” the former vice president said.

Robredo, the current chairperson of the Angat Buhay Foundation, said their existing programs are largely run by students through partnerships with universities nationwide.

The former vice president cited the foundation’s housing program after Typhoon Rolly in 2020, where the majority of their volunteer force were students who taught local women on construction work.

“The houses [for the victims of Typhoon Rolly] were made by women because the men had work. The women did the masonry, carpentry, electrical work, and painting,” Robredo shared.

Among those who trained the local women were students from Angat Buhay Foundation’s partner universities.

From these universities, Robredo disclosed that the volunteer engineering students were tasked to train the women while the architecture students were in charge of the house designs.

“With this, students are involved, and these programs can serve as a ‘practicum’ for them. I think that it is a good avenue when the schools create programs where the youth are immersed - this is enough.”

If done constantly, Robredo said young people will have more knowledge of the challenges faced by communities in the country.

“I think you will demand more from your politicians because you know already, you know what the problems are on the ground, and you can observe when they do not respond in a manner that they should,” the former vice president said.

“Girl Talk: An Accession of Modern Filipina Hija” was organized by the UST Asian Studies Society at the Blessed Giorgio Frassati Building on April 6, Saturday.

The forum aims to elevate the role of Filipino women in society and advocate for societal changes toward gender equality through women’s leadership and community empowerment.