PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—More than 14,000 women from 66 barangays in this city gathered at BM beach resort in Barangay San Pedro to celebrate International Women’s Day over the weekend with a unified call for drastic action to stave off the huge slump in tourism revenues which has caused business closures and unemployment.
The women’s day celebrants called on former mayor Edward Hagedorn to step up and lead a campaign to revive the city’s tourism industry and restore its status as a premier international and local tourism destination.
The women’s groups said Hagedorn’s experience in developing and promoting the city’s eco-tourism industry is the kind of leadership that is needed to stem the deteriorating economic situation in the city as the sharp drop in tourism revenue in the past three years continues to bedevil the local tourism industry and allied businesses and workers.
The city’s women said Hagedorn who led the city in achieving international and local recognition as a model city in environment and eco-tourism destination for more than 20 years could effectively revitalize and restore Puerto Princesa’s role in global eco-tourism and sustainable environmental development.
Senate President Franklin Drilon, guest of honor in the event, assured the women of Puerto Princesa that he would push enabling legislation in the next Congress that would establish Puerto Princesa as the model city in eco-tourism and environment protection and sustainable development.
Drilon and another LP senatorial bet, former Tesda secretary Joel Villanueva were in the city for International Women’s Day celebration and to also declare former mayor Edward Hagedorn as LP’s official mayoralty candidate and incumbent 3rd District Rep. Douglas Hagedorn as the party’s official candidate for the third district of Palawan province.
Hagedorn expressed admiration for Filipina women who have evolved from being in the sidelines and turning themselves into active and effective catalysts and agents for social and economic change.
Former Tesda chief and LP senatorial bet Joel Villanueva, on the other hand, underscored the significant role of women and their crucial contribution in nation building.
Villanueva said “based on our experience in Tesda, women who have received skills training are more in demand for jobs that used to be dominated by men.”
The growing ranks of women leaders in government and the private sector, prove that women are very effective managers and leaders, Villanueva added.
The event in Puerto Princesa was highlighted by the ribbon- cutting rites for opening of the LP headquarters.
The 14,000 International Women’s Day celebrants brought their own meals and cleaned the venue after the affair. The women’s groups and volunteers at the celebration were organized by Mrs. Ellen Hagedorn, wife of the former mayor.