Women empowerment and gender equality are only two of Sittie Aisah "Nancy" Tomawis-Adiong's advocacies as she leads the people of Tangcal, Lanao del Norte to a more empowering and productive future as its new mayor.

As her mother, former Tangcal mayor Fatima Mutia Tomawis, has stepped down after serving the municipality for three prosperous terms, Mayor Nancy found hope in her mother's legacy and decided to carry the torch that served as a beacon for the place.

Responding to the needs of the city and the shoes that needed filling, Mayor Nancy promises the people a local government unit that is "participatory, consensus- oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective, efficient, equitable and inclusive.

"My priority is to carry out reforms that were started by the past administration and we will exert more efforts to attain and sustain growth and development in Tangcal," she said.

Mayor Nancy champions an expansive range of social causes, especially those concentrated on the protection and upholding of the rights of women and children, gender fairness, and economic empowerment of women.

"I always spearhead sustainable and inclusive actions towards gender equality and women empowerment because I, as a woman, recognize that women thrive, innovate," she said. "I can see that more women are conquering inequities and creating opportunities across all aspects of life in our communities in Tangcal."

With her leadership the municipality, the local government unit of Tangcal leverages the capabilities of Civil Society Organizations, private organizations, youth groups, and non-governmental organizations to facilitate a safer environment for the most vulnerable sectors affected by the pandemic outbreak.

A few months after being elected, she already tapped and affiliated organizations that carry her advocacies. These organizations aim to bolster women and child protection response strategies during the pandemic. They also helped in cases such as legal matters, medical needs, and shelter/transition homes amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Daughter's inspiration

Experiencing firsthand how her mother's administration transformed the war-stricken municipality with improvement and growth evident in notable sectors in her constituency inspired Mayor Tomawis-Adiong to maintain the triumphant legacy cultivated by her mother.