The importance of women in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) cannot be underestimated since they perform tasks that are integral to achieve the organization’s mission to secure the country and protect the Filipinos.

While the hiring of male personnel and their designation in leadership posts are prioritized in the military, recent years have proven that the AFP already has deep respect and appreciation for the silent works of its female personnel.  

Fast forward to today, some women in the AFP got even designated to major posts and it is but timely to recognize them as the country celebrates National Women’s Month this March.

Take for example Brigadier General Fatima Claire Navarro and Colonel Ma. Dolores Lim, who serve as the AFP’s Surgeon General and Chief Nurse, respectively.

History-maker

Navarro made history in 2021 when she was named as the first female Surgeon General of the AFP. The Office of the Surgeon General exercises technical supervision over all medical treatment facilities and other units of medical service in the AFP.

Prior to this, she was the chief of the V. Luna Medical Center (VMLC), one of AFP’s primary medical facilities, where she led its facility expansion and comprehensive Covid-19 services (triage, testing, quarantine, isolation, intensive care unit treatment, and contact tracing) to make it a Covid-referral hospital for all AFP personnel and their families.

For Navarro, the designation of a female surgeon general in the AFP is a “big opportunity” for women in the military to get in and be recognized for their efforts and hard work. The AFP allocates 10 percent of its recruitment quota to female applicants and data obtained by the MANILA BULLETIN showed there are currently 12,770 female military personnel in the country which represents eight percent of the AFP's total strength of 159,625.

“Napakaimportante nito kasi isa itong napakalaking oportunidad na ang kababaihan ay maaaring mamuno sa larangan ng kalusugan. At the same time, malakas na mensahe rin ito para sa lahat, na ipinakikita natin na ang AFP ay kumikilala sa kakayanan ng indibidwal at hindi lamang nakatingin sa kanyang kasarian (This is very important because it is a big opportunity [to show] that women can lead in the field of healthcare. At the same time, this sends a strong message to everybody that the AFP recognizes the capabilities of an individual without looking at their gender),” Navarro said in a public briefing on Tuesday, March 7.

But Navarro acknowledged that her journey to the top was not an easy one since she had to prove to his male colleagues that she was worthy of her spot in the AFP.

“Hindi natin maiaalis na ang unang challenge talaga sa amin ay ‘yung physical strength performance (We cannot deny the fact that the first challenge for us is the physical strength performance),” she admitted.

Navarro said that men are “anatomically and genetically” powerful than women in terms of physical strength and it was a challenge that she had to overcome to make it to the AFP. 

But she said that the AFP has a policy which sets appropriate measurements to gauge the physical performance of women during conditioning and physical strength tests.

“Nagkakaroon tayo ng equality kung kaya’t nakakasabay din kami kahit papaano (With this, we have an equality that’s why we, women, can at least keep up with men),” Navarro said.

The healer

Meanwhile, Lim currently serves as the 27^th AFP Chief Nurse after she was appointed to the post just this January. 

“Ang pagbibigay ng pantay na oportunidad sa aming mga kababaihan na maitalaga sa mga importanteng posisyon ay nagpapakita lamang na ang kababaihan sa Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas ay napapakinggan, kinikilala ang abilidad at nirerespeto (By giving a fair opportunity for us, women, to get appointed to important positions, the AFP only shows that women are heard, recognized for their abilities, and respected),” Lim said.

The AFP Chief Nurse said that among her inspirations to surpass all the trials and challenges in the military were the soldiers she treated whenever they get wounded in combat.

“Sila talaga ang aking insipirasyon, ang mga sundalo na nagbubuwis ng buhay para sa kalayaan at kapayapaan ng ating bansa (They are my inspiration, the soldiers who offer their lives for the freedom and peace of our country),” she stated.

“The loyalty and commitment that the AFP had shown to our country and to our people has been my inspiration to fully give my best in everything that I do. As an experienced flight nurse, wala akong iniisip kundi makatulong at maparamdam ko ang aking malasakit sa mga nangangailang nating pasyenteng sundalo lalo sa panahon ng engkwentro at krisis (I never think of anything but help our soldier-patients and let them feel my care for them especially during times of encounter and crisis),” she added.