The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) – Office of Gender Concerns (OGC) Director, Dr. Finaflor Taylan, was invited as one of the guest speakers in the symposium held by Virtual Squad PH. The event was entitled “#HerStory: Women’s Month Symposium.” This was held on 19 March 2022 via Facebook Live.
In celebration of Women’s Month, Virtual Squad PH invited three empowered women as guests to their virtual symposium wherein they discussed their “accomplishments, current and developing women’s empowerment and gender equality topics, concerns, challenges, and commitments.” The event is also hosted by Virtual Squad CEO Kai Karen Santos, and trainers July and Ella.
Dr. Finaflor Tylan discussed the meaning of social work and shared the life and struggles of being a social worker, their importance in the government and Philippine scenario, and her journey towards her profession. She also talked about the important role of social workers in the society, especially in fighting domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence, in educating the masses, in volunteer works, and in providing support to various sectors of society. She also shared crisis intervention techniques to the Virtual Squad and viewers when engaging with victims. Dr. Taylan shared that she is hoping for a future that is violence-free, discrimination-free, with non-toxic resiliency, and people becoming more empowered and active in fighting for their rights. In her closing remarks she promoted the phrase “#WalaSaKasarianAngKakayahan”, an advocacy she believes and fights for.
Asst. Prof. Finaflor Taylan is a graduate of the Bachelor (Magna Cum Laude) and Master Degrees in Social Work in UP Diliman. She graduated Doctor of Professional Studies degree from the the University of Southern Queensland, Top #8 Licensure Examination for Social Workers (2004), a member of the Asia Pacific Regional Technical Working Group, an online educator, faculty, and program chair of Social Work and Women and Development. She was the Former Secretary General of the Asian Association of Women’s Studies, and one of the pool trainers on gender and development of the National Association for Social Work Education Incorporated (NASWEI) and pool of expert partners by DSWD, volunteer of Psycho Social Support during this pandemic, and Vice President of The National Association for Social Work Education (NASWEI) Luzon.
Among the other guests are businesswoman Miss Anna Carmela ‘Ella’ Mercula and physicist and beauty pageant titleholder Miss Karen Ibasco. Ms. Ella is a Bachelor of Science Entrepreneurial Management (Cum laude) graduate from Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), businesswoman, professional make-up artist, BHP Sales Culture and Engagement member, and named one of the Top 50 Make-Up Artists by Weddings Suppliers Association of the Philippines Incorporated. Ms. Karen Ibasco, on the other hand, is a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics Major in Instrumentation (Cum laude) and Master’s degree in Applied Physics Major in Medical Physics (Cum laude) graduate at the University of Sto. Tomas in the Philippines, a former college instructor at UST, a former medical physicist at St. Luke’s Medical Center – Global City, an active environmentalist, crowned “Miss Philippines Earth 2017” and “Miss Earth 2017”, and appointed as the Climate Change Commission’s Youth Ambassador in the Philippines in 2019.
The symposium is available at Virtual Squad PH’s Facebook page at: https://web.facebook.com/TheVirtualSquadPH/videos/5313524341999065.
Sustainable Development Goals
Written by Gian Macatangay
Edited by Myra C. Almodiel and Anna Canas-Llamas
Graphics from The Virtual Squad PH
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