Speaking as a resource person during the kick-off ceremonies for the Women’s Month 2026 celebration, Regional Executive Director Rose Mary G. Aquino inspired women leaders, government officials, employees, and students of Cagayan Valley gathered at Santiago Sports Arena on March 2, 2026.

“I am going to speak how women lead change and how this contributes to our nation building efforts. In change, there is transformation, transition, and there must be innovation, at least in the agricultural sector,” the trailblazing agricultural leader, and first woman director of DA RFO 2, with a 37 year career who specialized in crop improvement for legumes and cereal-based farming systems said.

She narrated that in March 2025, about 2.66 million women are registered as farmers, fisherfolk and agricultural laborers in the Philippines and accounted 42.9 percent of the registered workforce under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture.

Available research also shows that Filipino Women comprise 40% to 50% of agricultural scientist in major public research agencies.

These are not mere statistics, she, said, but are significant figures reflecting growing participation of women in agriculture, signifying increased participation, visibility and acknowledgment of women’s role in agriculture.

“Transition happens when these changes begin to influence systems, policies and mindsets,” Aquino said. “Increased participation translates into stronger representation in decision making.”

RED Aquino started off in the department of agriculture as a researcher. She rose to the ranks as the first female research manager of the Cagayan Valley Research Center, introducing new technologies and innovations along the way.

Through out her time in the research center, she transitioned programs and projects in a regional context.

Her leadership bore fruit as Food Safety Act of 2013 was strengthened, research and regulations was bridged with the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division which led to an all women team recognized as back to back regional winner of the CSC PAGASA Award.

Showing what transition looks like in agriculture, that feat resulted to public and market partner appreciation of pesticide safe labelled products-GAP certified products on vegetables and the recent mycotoxin and aflatoxin MRL reduction on corn and peanuts.

“It is when women’s growing presence is no longer symbolic, when it becomes structural, embedded in policies, programs and institutional systems that gives us the third factor-innovation,” the recipient of the 2017 CSC Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award regional executive director said.

True innovation does not happen in isolation. It happens when diverse voices are heard. Data driven decision making is also a form of innovation-from management down to farmers themselves. She concluded her talk by saying the often quoted statement: “Here’s to STRONGER women: may we KNOW them, may we BE them, may we raise them.” The kick off was organized by the Regional Gender and Development Committee, Regional Development Council.

Written by: Dr. Ferdinand Cortez