By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY — Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday (Feb. 24) officially opened the BAYI Power Summit 2025 Feminist Leadership Network with the theme: “Strengthening Feminist Leadership for Transformative Change”.
Joanne Valdez, Councilor of Candon City, Ilocos Sur (Angat Bayi), said that she is thankful to Bayi Inc and Mayor Joy Belmonte for the opportunity to take part in the event.
She is a first termer Councilor of Candon City. She is a lone member of the Minority in the City Council.
All her proposed measures in the City Council were not supported enough by the City Council members.
She cited the values that motivated her. Since 2017, they were not left behind by Young Bayi where its program ended in 2019.
It’s providential for her that even if you don’t run in politics, Bayi Inc is there to help us.
There are 150 plus women who are taking part in the Network for the Transformative
Leadership Network.
We believe that with the Youth Bayi Inc. nobody is left behind.
It’s really difficult to run as an alternative to a father.
We will not stop at looking for spaces for those who will advance the cause of women.
Let’s not go far to national leaders who have abused power and made a mockery of political power.
We have a lot of men who raised their eyebrows when women are championing their causes.
Transformative women leadership is not about dominance of women over men but it’s about equality
We assure that we respect the cultures and it’s not our need to revolutionize them.
If you need to step up, even if you’re alone, you have to do it.
Dr. Leo Cubillan, Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University of the Philippines, said that UP has 9 campuses all over the country and is able to collaborate with more than 100 state universities and colleges.
UP is promoting gender and development.
With more than 100,000 applicants, only 6 percent qualify, 60 percent of which are women.
Our student population represents our population who earns P60,000 per annum.
Because of our mandate, we reach our demographic locations, despite of these efforts, women hold the top positions.
We have male faculty for every 126 students in UP.
Women leaders are capable. As women leaders, you can also focus on those programs.
Dr. Cubillan is from the healthcare sector. They allocate 5 percent of their budget to gender and development.
It’s really the talent that you get from this.
He cited that there are now more movements to empower women.
It’s the right timing for this network to raise awareness and make men more receptive of what women are doing.
Princess Naomie Amirel, Young Bayi Program Representative, said that the political involvement of women in elections is not new.
One of our aspirants is now here and she would still grow despite the limitations of a woman.
It’s really very crucial for a woman to participate in the BARMM elections come Oct. 13, 2025.
Aya Tamayo, Co-Executive Director of Bayi, Inc., said that they are grateful with the delegates present in today’s gathering.
Young Bayi helps us to learn and shape us.
She was an Sk Chairperson and one of the youngest as such.
She started her advocacies at the age of 15 and realized that it was what political world was.
At the end of the day, we are the ones who will follow you in decision making.
It is important that Young Bayi trains us how to work collectively as one.
It is the young who would offer more in young women’s participation in the community.
We have just opened a program last year which is focused of environmental problem solution, especially climate change is related to environmental sustainability.
The women’s agenda in the current administration is the representation of women in the Cabinet.
We should see whether women in Congress are really pushing for women’s agenda not only for their family and community.
I’m sure we have many women representatives in Congress and are they really pushing for women’s agenda.
Women empower, healthcare, and gender equality will be discussed during the Summit.
We are not intimidating men and they are not polarized.
At the end of the day, they are dominant in politics.
As a fellow graduate of Young Bayi Fellowship, it’s really achieving the holistic approach and not intimidating the men.
How and how feminism were tackled in the Fellowship.
Even if Angat Bay, we don’t intend to be dominant from others.
They have come to realize that Islam loves feminism when they dug deeper.
Among others, present were Ada-Stina Pesamaa, Attaché of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, and
Kimberly McArthur, Chief Operating Officer of the Apolitical Foundation.
BAYI Power Summit 2025 is a landmark gathering dedicated to advancing feminist leadership in governance.
The Summit builds on the Angat Bayi Political Empowerment Fellowship Program (AB PEF) and convenes women leaders from across the Philippines and beyond to discuss collective action, inclusive governance, and gender-responsive policymaking.
They announced the launch of the Feminist Leadership Network and highlighted the urgent need for women’s political participation, particularly the lead-up to the 2025 national and 2026 BARMM elections.
Bayi, Inc. traces its roots to the inaugural Angat Bayi Women’s Political Empowerment Program (AB PEP) in 2018, founded with the vision of eliminating barriers to women’s political participation and enabling their meaningful involvement in decision-making across all spaces.
Through mentorship, advocacy for feminist transformative leadership, and building a network of leaders and allies, Bayi, Inc. fosters a political reality where women champion holistic, rights-based, and sustainable social development while mobilizing communities around shared values to influence future voting behavior.
Building on this foundation, Bayi, Inc. has continued to inspire women leaders, currently running its 6th batch of the AB PEP Program.
The vision has expanded to include the Young Bayi Political Empowerment Program (YB PEP) for young women and the Angat Bayi Women’s Empowerment and Leadership Program for Civil Servants (AB WELP).
Over the years, Bayi, Inc. has reached and empowered over 140 Bayi Fellows nationwide, solidifying its role as a catalyst for transformative leadership.
