Violy vows to champion women's interests

Engr. Violeta Codilla admires a
bag made of tetra packs and a
decorative item made from paper
at the city-run Productivity Skills
Capability Center. The wife of Mayor
Ondo Codilla expressed her desire
to establish a livelihood center for
women in Ormoc.

ENGR. Violeta Codilla will work on setting up a livelihood center in Ormoc. This she bared during the culmination program for the livelihood training of 66 women at the city-run Productivity Skills Capability Building (PSCB) wherein they were taught to make items out of indigenous materials.

The trainees consisted mostly of housewives but also included 13 public school teachers who wanted to upgrade their skills for the Alternative Learning System. They completed 21 days of trainings on dressmaking, 12 trainees; reflexology, 19; decorative items and flower-making, 13; and bag-making, 12.

It was the first time for the wife of Mayor Edward C. Codilla to visit PSCB and she was impressed by the finished products on display made of recyclable materials. These included bags made of tetra packs and tarpaulins as well as decorative items from recycled paper.

Engr. Codilla saw the potential in the craftsmanship of the items that she thought of influencing her mayor husband to put up a livelihood center where PCSB trainees can be employed and their products marketed locally and abroad. PCSB has 68 sewing machines used for its trainings.

Engr. Codilla advocates for women empowerment, having first-hand knowledge on the plight of housewives based on her experience in running a construction business. “Sa akong nakit-an sa akong business, I have 500+ pulos gyud na lalaki ang empleyado,” she said.

“Sometimes ang mga asawa musumbong sa ako nga ang ilang bana pag-abot kulatahon sila, usahay makauyab na didto sa project (site). Ang sumbongan sa mga asawa diri sa akoa. Ang isulti nga daog-daogon sila, katunga na lang ang suweldo (nga ihatag),” Engr. Codilla narrates.

“Usahay naay mga bana nga abusado, maghubog-hubog sugad. Usahay muapil sa drugs unya kulatahon dayon (ang asawa) inig-abot (sa balay). Maayo ra ba dako’g suweldo, ‘no? Luoy kaayo ang mga babaye so gusto nako ang kababayen-an ug mga inahan maoy unahon nga kamo dili na daog-daogon sa mga bana,” she continues.

Engr. Codilla finds women more trustworthy. “Sa akong opisina dili kaayo ko mu-accept og lalaki. Kay ngano? Ang lalaki man gyud dili kaayo responsible parte sa documentation. Mura’g ang ilang panarbaho dili ingon nga meticulous. Ang mga lalaki maayo sila sa field work,” she says matter-of-factly.

“Ang babaye nakit-an nako nga serious kaayo sa pagtrabaho. Kung tagaan nimo og responsibility, matuman og 90%. Pero ang lalaki usahay mu-absent kay nahubog, namista, nagsugal. Mura’g ang akong pagsalig sa mga lalaki sa opisina i-compare nimo sa babaye lahi ra,” she goes on.

Now that she has retired and her children have taken over the family business, Engr. Codilla vows to work for women’s interests. “Gusto nako nga ang mga kababayen-an naay kaugalingon nga panginabuhi, dili magsalig sa bana. Gusto nako ang mga babaye mubarog gyud kita – kitay mualibyo sa pamilya.” she said.