First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos inspired a new generation of Girl Scouts on Tuesday, encouraging them to harness their potential to drive societal change.

Marcos, as the Chief Girl Scout of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP), was the guest of honor at the organization’s awards event where she highlighted the pivotal role women and girls play in transforming communities.

In her speech, Marcos stressed the immense capability of women, particularly young girls, to create positive ripples of change. She commended the 84-year-old GSP for shaping strong, empowered young women connected to its founder, Josefa Llanes Escoda.

“Empowering women, especially young girls, is key to creating change not just in our country, but across the world,” Marcos said.

The First Lady also spoke of the significance of the Chief Girl Scout Medal, the highest award conferred by the GSP on Senior and Cadet Girl Scouts. She said the medal represented growth, service, and the impact of the scouts’ community projects.

During the ceremony, three Girl Scouts were honored for their exceptional contributions to their communities.

Dianne Joy Pagsidan was recognized for her project creating a cleansing area for Muslim worshippers; Keziah Arciga for her initiative to protect coral reefs; and Samantha Alpuerto for compiling stories of the elderly.

Each received the prestigious Concepcion Rafols Gonzales Award for their impactful work.

This year, 919 Girl Scouts were awarded the Chief Girl Scout Medal, bringing the overall total number of awardees to 14,782.