Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso pose with the members of the

Executive Committee of the ASEAN Women’s Circle.

The Permanent Mission of the Philippines to ASEAN held a Gender and Development  (GAD) event and ASEAN Women’s Circle (AWC) coffee morning with the theme Women’s Health: Art as Therapy on 08 December 2017 in Jakarta.

The activity allowed guests to meaningfully appreciate the role of arts in women’s health and well-being through a panel discussion with four Jakarta-based, Filipino artists.  Cean De Vries spoke about her experience in singing and the performing arts; Kristine Nartates talked about decoupage or the art of paper cutting; Mary Anne Obusan- Widjaja shared her own experience as an architect turned jewelry designer and journalist turned painter Noreen Flores, expounded on the therapeutic benefits of painting and visual arts as a whole.    Questions and sharing of experiences from the audience made for more lively and fruitful discussions that revolved around the theme of women’s health. Aside from the forum, the participants worked together to transform common materials into their own pieces of art.

In her remarks, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to ASEAN Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso emphasized that in the Philippines, the significant role of women is especially recognized and enshrined in the Magna Carta of Women.   She noted that as part of its gender and development initiatives, the Philippine Mission continues to provide for comprehensive, culture-sensitive, and gender-responsive health services and programs covering all stages of a woman’s life cycle.  Ambassador Buensuceso also mentioned that the Mission has dedicated a special place that serves as a day care and reading room for younger children of the Mission’s officers and staff.She also underscored that “women’s issues occupied a central part in the collective ASEAN agenda this year, notably in the adoption of key documents such as the Joint Statement on Promoting Women, Peace and Security in ASEAN and the Action Agenda on Mainstreaming Women’s Economic Empowerment in ASEAN.”

Ambassador Buensuceso also expressed appreciation to AWC, particularly its President, Madam Sari Percaya for their fundraising and charitable endeavors.  On the same occasion, Ibu Sari presented to Ambassador Buensuceso the AWC’s pledge of 25 Million Rupiah (USD1800) worth of school supplies for the children displaced by the war in Marawi.  AWC will partner with a Philippine non-government organization to distribute the supplies directly to the beneficiaries.

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