PASAY CITY, Philippines—The Provincial Government of Pangasinan, through the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO), in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines (DFA) – Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy (OPCD) and the UNESCO-Philippine National Commission (UNACOM or PH NatCom) held a symposium and opening of exhibit on Senator Geronima Tomelden Pecson last March 10, 2023, at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Pasay City.
The first part of the program was a symposium on Filipino women in multilateralism. It featured former Philippine Permanent Ambassador to ASEAN Elizabeth Buencuseso, former COA Chair and former Undersecretary General of UN Office of Internal Oversight Services Heidi Mendoza, and PTCAO’s Jan Marlon De Vera who delivered a lecture on the “Life and Works of Senator Geronima T. Pecson.”
The second part was the ribbon cutting ceremony and exhibit opening led by Assistant Secretary of DFA Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy Arvin R. De Leon, UNACOM Secretary-General Dr. Ivan Anthony S. Henares, and Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. Guico III. Alongside the Governor, First Lady Maan Tuazon-Guico, Chairperson of the First Spouses League of Pangasinan, also attended the momentous occassion as an avid advocate and supporter of the celebration of National Women’s Month.
During the opening program, the exhibit overview was presented by Pangasinan Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Officer Ms. Maria Luisa Amor-Elduayan, and a message was delivered by Dr. Sheila Alcantara, the granddaughter of Senator Geronima Tomelden Pecson, on behalf of the Unified Tomelden Clan.
Coinciding with the celebration of National Women’s Month, the event is also a tribute to Senator Pecson, the first woman senator of the Philippines and the first Filipino and first woman to be elected to the UNESCO Executive Board who was from Lingayen, Pangasinan.
The exhibit will run from March 10–21, 2023, at the DFA Lobby, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.
/JDV
Photos: G. Milanes
