SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – A former mayor
of this city has been awarded the 1st Sonia R. Lorenzo Award by the
University of Sto. Tomas (UST) and Kaya Natin! Movement, a non-government organization promoting good
governance and ethical leadership.
The award seeks to
recognize women who have excelled in the field of leadership and good
governance.
Former mayor Mary Jane
Ortega was chosen by the panel of judges from among five finalists for her
barangay development strategy program, which aligned the villages’ goals with
the vision of this city.
“I was overwhelmed
when the judges picked me as the winner after our interview,” Ortega said on
Saturday. She received received a plaque and P50,000 cash.
The judges described
Ortega as an epitome of women empowerment, citing her participation in various
organizations promoting women’s rights.
The four other
finalists were Councilors Betty Lourdes Tabanda of Baguio City and Arlene Jane
Alvarez-Reyes of Santiago City, and Mayors Janet de Leon-Mercado of Taytay,
Rizal and Evelyn Tang-Uy of Dipolog City.
Tabanda was recognized
for her advocacy on transformative leadership, Reyes for treating the civil
society as partners in governance, Mercado for the “I Love Taytay” employment
project and Tang-Uy for her servant leadership program.
Ortega, who served as
mayor from 1998 to 2007, is seeking to regain the post in next year’s
elections. – Jun Elias
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