A women’s alliance composed of seven organizations in Minglanilla, San Fernando and Cebu City was formed during the Women’s Summit on March 5, 2022 at the Casa Miani Arvedi Formation House in Barangay Cadulawan, Minglanilla.
It was attended by 75 women leaders representing the seven women’s organizations coming from the seven project areas, namely: Tungkop, Calajoan, Tungkil, Tulay in Minglanilla, South Poblacion in San Fernando and Sawang Calero and Suba in Cebu City. The organizations are partners in a project currently implemented by the WRCV.
Workshops were held to discuss their current economic and social issues affecting their residents and how their organizations have collectively addressed their resolutions.
Primary issues included the rising costs of living and prices of basic goods and commodities while wages of ordinary workers have remained low and many family heads including women are still without stable jobs
Other issues included the impending Minglanilla Reclamation Project and the ongoing San Fernando Port Project that may lead to the dislocation of residents from their homes and their livelihoods, as well as the ongoing quarrying and destruction of the mountains in Minglanilla. The women feared that they will face demolition of their houses which are in the seashore, when the reclamation gets into full swing. They said that if the reclamation of the port pushes through in the coastline of their barangay, they cannot anymore dock their fishing vessels along the shoreline, thus depriving them of their means of livelihood.
The representatives of the women’s organizations affirmed their commitment to strengthen their ranks and relentlessly pursue their activities that will further unite their members so that they are in an effective position to lobby their demands with government authorities in the future.
The Women’s Alliance aims to further empower grassroots women to stand up against public infrastructures and land reclamation that result to dislocation of urban poor dwellers and fishing communities, loss of jobs, human rights violations, and environmental degradation. Furthermore, the alliance envisions a more liveable Cebu that prioritizes the welfare of the marginalized sectors including the grassroots women, is gender just, and environmentally friendly. A core group of women leaders was formed during the summit that shall lay down the guiding principles, vision, mission and objectives of the Alliance.
