Our Filipino
women in general and Davao City women in particular, have the historic role of
nation-building which deserve to be recognized and acknowledged. Actually,
although women had always been part of of the events of our history their
valuable contribution and remarkable achievements for the most part are
unacknowledged.
Aware of
such a sad situation we are acknowledging now a number of Davao City women
whose significant achievements and contributions to Davao and its development
had in many ways advanced the status of womanhood. Their distinctive in Davao history cannot be
taken for granted.
Soledad R. Duterte
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| Soledad R. Duterte |
Soledad R.
Duterte is the mother of the current Davao City mayor Rodigo R. Duterte and
wife of late Governor Vicente Duterte who served as Provincial Governor in 1959
to 1965. Mrs. Duterte was born on November 14, 2013, 1916 in Cabadbaran City,
Agusan del Norte to Eleno Roa and Fortunata Gonzales. She finished the
elementary and secondary in a Normal course at the Philippine Normal School in
Manila in 1939. She was connected with the Bureau of Public Schools as a
teacher when she met and married lawyer Vicente Duterte of Cebu.
The Dutertes
came to Davao in 1951. Vicente as a lawyer engaged in private practice while
Soledad as a teacher in the public school but retired as supervisor n 1952 when
her lawyer-husband joined politics. She left the government service owing to
the demands of a politician-husband. She became familiar with the social and
economic problems of the people, especially the out-of-school youth, women,
children and the disabled, in different municipalities that they went to as
wife of the governor.
In
recognition of Mrs. Duterte’s achievements she received numerous
awards/citations/ plaques of recognition locally, nationally and even
internationally. Among the local awards she received are from the Jose Rizal
Memorial Colleges, Rotary Clubs, Hijos de Davao, Boys Town, Zonta, Sorotimist
Club, Office of the Southern Cultural Communities for her invaluable concern
for the tribal Filipinos of Davao City, Girls Scout of the Philippines, Davao
Local Council, United Way, Mass Media, Datu Bago Foundation in 1977 (Datu Bago
Award is the highest award bestowed by the City of Davao to outstanding
citizens) Department of Science and Technology, UCCP Service Award
Rehabilitation for the blind.
National
Awards for Mrs. Duterte came the Philippine Women’s University, Far East
Commentator and Girls Scout of the Philippines.
To quote a
Dabawenyo in his write-up in a National Magazine, Most great men and women
became institutions only after they are dead but Mrs. Duterte is still around
and has established her name not only in the local scene but also in the
national and international world. From a writer of a National Magazine she said
of Mrs. Duterte as nothing moves in Davao City without Soledad Duterte and from
the Quarterly Magazine of PMHA Focus, Mrs. Soledad Duterte is Durian Country’s
Woman Achiever.
Mar. Duterte
is a devout/pious Roman Catholic and believes in the power of prayer. She has a
small chapel in her residence where one can see two very special and rare
images of our Lord Jesus Christ. She believes that everything is possible to be
done in this world if we have faith in God.
Carmen M. Soriano
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| Carmen M. Soriano |
Doña Carmen
Marfori Soriano was born to the wealthy couple Simeon and Margarita Marfori of
Luzon – Simeon from Calawang, Laguna and Margarita from Philia, Rizal. She was
born on January 27, 1907 in Ermita, Manila. She acquired her elementary and
secondary education in her birthplace in her birthplace at St. Theresa’s
College. At the age of 21 she got married to Fiscal Jesus Jalandoni Soriano of
Iloilo who was then assigned as fiscal in Tacloban, Leyte.
The Sorianos
moved to Davao in 1934 to look after their inherited properties left by Doña
Carmen’s parents. Atty. Soriano continued with his law practice. The growing
family of husband, wife, and children stayed at their hacienda in Catalunan
Grande. As a wife, Doña Carmen devoted her time to the care and needs of her
husband and growing children. However, immediately before the American
Liberation Forces arrived in Davao after World War II her husband was taken
away from them by the Japanese soldiers and never was seen again.
Widowed and
left with six children namely Rosamar, Francisco, Tony, Bobby, and Marie, Doña
Carmen underwent difficulties but was able to survive with faith in God. With
patience and perseverance she was able to send her children to school and was
also able to restore the devastated family business enterprises with the help
of friends and relatives. When her children were already grown-up she indulged
herself in various activities in the community.
Although Doña Carmen is already in the twilight years of her life (91) she is still very active and only recently she attained a national stature when she was conferred in Malacañang Palace the national awards as the Most Outstanding Woman in Environment by the President of the Philippines himself Hon. Fidel V. Ramos.
Edna Tirol-Kimpo
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| Edna Tirol-Kimpo |
Atty.
Kimpo was the Mayor of Peñaplata, Samal during the Japanese time until after
the war. It was there that she began her apostolate in the church-singing at
the choir, playing the organ during mass and teaching catechism. When they
transferred to the city and her husband was working with the defunct War Damage
Commission, Mrs. Kimpo went back to school – at the Immaculate Conception
College to finish a Bachelor of Science in Education degree.
She
taught kindergarten, later Grade School at her alma mater. Later, she taught
Spanish subjects in college at the Holy Cross of Davao. When, the seven Kimpo
offsprings had grown up, Mrs. Kimpo devoted mother that she was, had more time
for her apostolic work with the Church, in addition to a part time teaching
position at the Davao School of Arts and Trade, which was very near their home
at Barrio Obrero.
Her
membership in organizations like Women’s Club of Davao City, Catholic Women’s
League, Archdiocesan Council of the Lay Apostolate (ACLA), CARITAS-Davao and
other organizations placed her in a position to help uplift the moral,
religious and economic welfare of the people, especially the poory of the city.
To her, upholding the sanctity of the family and promoting the welfare of the
young are the most important duties of parents.
She
gave talks on volunteerism, the proper attitude that people must assume during
relief operations towards the indigents and less fortunate brothers who happen
to be victims of natural or man-made disasters.
To
Msgr. Antonio Ll. Mabutas and her co-workers, she was “Mrs. Caritas”, a model
of service and devotion to the “least of our brothers.”
For
her splendid work for the church she received the Pro Ecclesia Pontifice Award
from his Holiness, Pope Pius XII on June 11, 1949.
She
continued to be active in her apostolates long after she retired from
Caritas-Davao. When she was widowed in 1988, she laid low from her social work
activities, the seed planted in the hearts of those she inspired continue to
grow.
She
died peacefully on September 28, 1995 survived by her children: Johnny married
to Haydee Zaldivar; Thelma, now he wife of Dr. Benjamin Panganiban (deceased)
Ramon, married to Ruth Razon; Barbara, Now Mrs. Ricardo Villanueva; Amelita of
the Philippine Tourism Authority; Philip married to Marilyn Paraiso; and Mary
Ann, now Mrs. Ali Al Sherhi; grandchildren and great grandchildren. (Davao
Historical Progress Cultural, Ecological, Economic, 2004)
Baldomera E. Sexon
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| Baldomera E. Sexon |
She
came to Davao in 1926 and took up a position at the Davao Mission Hospital
(that latter on became the Brokeshire Memorial Hospital). For someone her size,
scarely over four feet tall, with a delicate frame, she took a lot on her frail
shoulders during the first year with the hospital, working long hours,
sometimes round the clock, catching catnaps during lulls between patients.
Love
came in the person of the tall, dark and handsome. Dr. Leocadio Sexon who had a
flourishing dental practise. They were married just before World War II broke
out. During the war, they continued their services at the hospital which was
then transferred to their big house at the corner of Anda and Magallanes Street
because the Japanese converted the hospital into an office and residence for
its officials. Little known of how the Sexons were able to smuggle much needed
medicines to the guerrillas who came knocking in the night at their home. They were
also able to save four American prisoners of war in the Japanese prison camp at
Daliaon bravely bringing them food and much needed medicines. For this, the
couple received a Medal of Freedom from the US Government and a free trip to
the US after the war. She retired from the hospital in 1958 as Director –
Administrator after her husband, an avid tennis player died for a stroke a few
years earlier.
After
retirement, “Doctora Sexon”, as she was called by everyone, worked towards the establishment of the Brokenshire School of Nursing. Today, the school auditorium
is named after her. In 1966, the Davao Medical Society cited her for being its
most outstanding physician. In 1967, she received the UP Alumni Award from her
alma mater. The Philippine Medical Women’s Association honored her twice – the
Golden Service Award on her golden jubilee as a physician in 1971 and the
Loyalty Award in 1977 for services rendered to the Philippine Mental Health
Association. She received from the
Rotary Club of South Davao in July 1976 a plaque of appreciation in recognition
of her long and faithful service in the community and its people as a Physician
from 1926-1958. She had also received other awards from civic clubs and
professional organizations in recognition of her contribution in terms of
health need for someone who had lived a life of gentle kindness to the sick and
the needy and would expect a peaceful happy end. However, she was killed by a
burglar, one of the poor that she was helping, who came during the night to her
house one April evening in 1980. (Davao Historical Progress Cultural,
Ecological, Economic, 2004)
Julia M. Macasaet
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| Julia M. Macasaet |
It is unfortunate and sad to note that the two projects
she had, the lying-in clinic and the school of Midwifery got burned after her
death. It was a loss not only to the family but also to Davao as well. She died
November 23, 1998. (Davao Historical Progress Cultural, Ecological, Economic,
2004)
Margie Moran-Floirendo
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| Margie Moran-Floirendo |
Margie
Moran-Floreindo was a former Miss Universe title holder, is the epitome of a
modern day Filipina who is out to prove that the gender issue on a woman’’s
being, holds no water as she is known to pursue with her own workaholic drive
various major concerns challenging the modern woman. (Davao City: It’s History and Progress by Dabbay, 1998)
Enrica “Baby” Ongchua Babao
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| Enrica O. Babao |
Baby
Babao is the chair of the Babao Estate Development Corp. and is a frequent
traveler visiting Europe, the Americas, Brazil, the Dominican Republics,
Jerusalem, Japan, Australia and the different ASEAN Countries. She was also a
Datu Bago Awardee of the City of Government of Davao in the year 2012. (Davao City: It’s History and
Progress by Dabbay, 1998)
Aida Rivera Ford
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| Aida Rivera Ford |
Aida
Rivera Ford, an English Professor, edited the first two issues of the Sands and
Coral, the literary magazine of Silliman University in 1948. She graduated with
an AB degree major in English, Cum Laude in 1949. In 1954, she obtained an MA
in English Language and Literature at the University of Michigan, USA and won
the prestigious Jules and Avery award for fiction. In Davao, she taught at the
University of Mindanao and the Ateneo de Davao University where she held the
position of Chairman of the Humanities Division for 11 years. In 1980, she
founded the first school of Fine Arts in Mindanao the Learning Center of the
Arts, now known as the Ford Academy of the Arts.
The
City of Davao bestowed on her The Datu Bago Awards in 1982 for her
contributions to culture and arts.
She
is a former President of the Mindanao Foundation for Culture and Arts. She’s
the owner and developer of Riverford Nature Park in Catalunan Grande, Davao
City. She wrote the “Dreaming up Our Very Own Cultural Center”. (Davao City: It’s History and
Progress by Dabbay, 1998)
Gloria P. Dabbay
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| Gloria P. Dabbay |
Josephina C. San Pedro
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| Josephina C. San Pedro |
A
graduate of Davao City High School Class ’48 finished a Bachelor degree in Arts
at the Mindanao Colleges (now University of Mindanao) with two majors, History
and English in 1952 and a Bachelor of Laws degree in 958. Startd working in
media in 1949 at the Mindanao Times and for close to 20 years worked with that
newspaper before taking a government position at the Mindanao Development
Authority in 1979 as Personnel Assistant. Transferred a year later to the
Department of Trade where she was a research writer then moved to the
Department of Tourism as Public Relations Officer where she stayed until the
Department of Public Information was established in Davao and assumed the
position of Supervising Info. Officer II, then rose to Chief Information
Officer I, later to Assistant Regional Director and to Regional Director until
she retired in 1992.
She
has written three books. The first, History at a Glance an account of the
arrival of the Dominican Sisters of the Trinity and their work in Davao
published in 1987 and translated intro French in Montreal, Canada, The second,
Datu Bago Awardees from 1969 to 1995 and the third, a biography of the late
Leon Garcia of Davao City. She wirtes a daily column “Passages” at Sun Star
Davao. Josephina San Pedro became an Awardee of Datu Bago Award in 2002 and she
wrote the “The Mass Media in Davao City”. (Davao City: It’s History and Progress by Dabbay, 1998)
Updated on April 13, 2017 @ 8:45pm by Rhey Mark H. Diaz
Updated on April 13, 2017 @ 8:45pm by Rhey Mark H. Diaz
Lola ko yan..
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