BDJ Women's Summit 2016 Highlights

A few weeks back, Belle de Jour Power Planner held its first ever BDJ Women Summit as part of their 10th year celebration as a community empowering women. And I am honored to be part one of ilovebdj.com's MVP Bellas hence got the chance to have a free seat plus 2 other bellas, Ate Zhai and new bella Joan!

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For the millennial women of today, this kind of empowerment is the right effort on the right mark, a push to live life to the fullest. This event was fun-filled learning experience for me as it tackled success stories, personal social causes and inspiring initiatives on self-proficiency, anti-intellectualism, legacy-building, and meaningful social impact. 

The program was subdivided into four plenary: 1 - Boosting Curiosity and Intellectual Discourse, 2 - Working Towards Financial Freedom, 3 - Finding the Courage to Lead, and 4 - Nurturing Passions to Inspire Good.

The program was started by a huge raffle and games portion. Sponsors and brand partners includes Manulife, Maynilad, Strip, Keds, Flawless, Daily Grub, AwardExtremes, BrowHaus, Canon, Goldilocks, Coca-Cola, Haier, Lipault Paris, Jergens, Subic Grand Seas Resort, Sharpie, Vedette, CBTL, Bayani Brew, BG and Serenitea.

Formal program begun with the Keynote Speaker Ms. Amina Rasul-Bernardo, President of Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy and an International Women's Advocate. She talked about the Mindanao conflict, of Islam and democracy.

"Literacy is a bridge between misery and hope" - Kofi Annan

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Plenary 1's first speaker was Ana Santos. She was really set to perform and inspire modern Filipinas.

Ana Santos is an internationally-awarded journalist and an advocate of Reproductive Health, Gender, Population and Development. One of her best articles awarded her an international reporting grant by the Pulitzer Center in WDC about the series of stories of Filipino nannies working in Dubai, entitled, "Who Takes Care of Nanny's Children?"

What I like about Ana? She's a straight-forward, practical, smart girl. Her job as a sex columnist has a lot of occupational hazard (if you know what I mean) and despite the shame slamming and awkward instances, she was never silenced.

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Booth Hop: G Stuff, DAWN, Rappler

 

G Stuff

Facebook: gstuffph

Website: gstuff.ph

Tejo

Facebook: TejoThreads

Website: tejo.ph

World Vision

Facebook: wvphilippines

 Website: worldvision.org.ph

The Spark Project

Facebook: sparkprojectHQ

Website: thesparkproject.com

Development Action Network on Women (DAWN)

Facebook: dawnphilippines

Website: dawnphil.org

Grace to be Born

Facebook: GraceToBeBorn

Website: lightfarm./com/index.php/ministries/grace-to-be-born

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Working Towards Financial Freedom Inspire Speaker was Myrna Padilla and the Act Speaker? Salve Duplito. Salve exceeds my expections, I just can't get enough of her financial wit. What she does? Aside from inspiring, she's pushing women, mothers in particular, to act wisely when it comes to their finances -that brought tears to them and her, too. Salve is a TV Anchor and writer, ABS-CBN News Channel and an award-winning print and broadcast financial journalist. She pushed for cultural revolution on how people should handle their finances including the wise ways of getting of debt.

 

Women's Financial Action Plan should include learning finance with friends and family, starting financial Saturdates with your SO (Significant Other), Buy luxury item if you can afford 10 of it, Say no to bullying (from your kids or the sales representatives), Invest in yourself.

How women feel about financial matters?

92% are eager to learn about financial planning

47% only are confident talking money and investments with a professional

8 out of 10 confess they have refrained from having financial conversations

60% worry about having enough money to last through retirement

74% are proactive about saving for the future

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Aside from the talks, this was a hair-raising, really moving special performance.

Up Manila Varsity Dancers

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On Finding the Courage to Lead, Myrza Sison talked on dealing with fear.

People buy so many things with money they don't have to impress people they don't like.

#youwanttowantitbad

Courage is resistance to fear. Mastery of fear, not the absence of fear. - Mark Twain

Myrza Sison has been the editorial Director of Summit Media for more than a decade, won a Palanca Award in 2006  for her short story "Sink or Swim". And I believed her when she admitted that she's the queen of quotes. There is power in soft strength. How to deal with fear?

1 Name the Fear (Self Assessment) - What is your fear? Criticism? Disapproval? Failure? Success? Being found out? Working hard?

If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough.

2 Face the Fear (Recognize the Problem) - FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. All problems are illusions of the mind.

3 Stop the Fear (Solution) - If you have to go against the flow, do it. As long as your dignity is intact and you are not stepping on someone else's foot.

Other speakers includes Risa Hontiveros' daughter, Myrna Padilla - an OFW turned into Businesswoman, Josephine Bundoc - Leni Robredo's sister-in-law, and Plenary 4: Nurturing Passions to Inspire Good Speakers, Susan Afan of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya foundation and Jen Santos of G-Stuff.

With the program host, Atom Araullo

Too bad I didn't finished the entire program, bellas who finished the whole day got a certificate. I really enjoyed learning from these inspirational women. Now, in my own little way, I'm ready to help other women while helping myself, family and friends along the way.