By Diann Calucin
Manila Mayor Maria Sheilah "Honey" Lacuna-Pangan was recognized as one of the Most Influential Filipina Women in the World by the Filipina Women's Network (FWN) during the Filipina Leadership Global Summit at the Dom Pedro Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal, on Friday, Nov. 4.
FWN's Most Influential Filipina Women in the World Awards honors Filipina women who have shown leadership in initiating and uplifting projects that will benefit local communities.
Lacuna also accepted the Policymaker and Visionary Award among the nominees from ten countries.
The Policymaker and Visionary Award recognizes Filipina women with a forward-looking vision of developing policies that enrich people's lives, careers, and businesses.
Lacuna expressed her gratitude for the awards she received.
"The mayor of Manila has to be all of these: a leader, an advocate, and an influencer to address the numerous and complicated issues and problems confronting the City of Manila," she said.
The city could also implement a transformative change through "clear vision, political will, and a team of competent trustworthy bureaucracy,” she added.
As Manila’s first female mayor, Lacuna said she would like to address the demands of vulnerable women in the city by providing equal job opportunities to single mothers via the GoManila App.
GoManila App is the official mobile application of the Manila local government that aims to provide fast, effective, and convenient services to the public. These include providing information on public announcements, job applications, and payment transactions.
FWN is an organization committed to growing its group of accomplished Filipino women by publishing their leadership activities to encourage community projects.
It annually conducts the Filipina Leadership Global Summit to assemble groups of Filipina women leaders, influencers, and public figures from its 34 FWN member countries to participate in business meetings and educational sessions with corporate and community leaders, as well as elected and appointed officials.