Leadership is often talked about in terms of position, but in practice, it is learned by watching how others handle pressure, setbacks, and responsibility. For many women, that kind of learning often comes from examples set by other women, a point that came through during JCI Manila’s March 24 event.
Held at Citadines Bay City Manila as part of National Women’s Month, the Joint General Membership Meeting brought together leaders from the government and business sectors, including Senator Risa Hontiveros and Representative Leila de Lima, alongside members from JCI Manila and its sister chapters.
Hontiveros spoke about leadership through experience, particularly the kind shaped by failure.
“I know what it means to lose twice. But I also know how to return,” she said, referring to her early Senate runs. “Sometimes, losing teaches you things that winning can’t. It teaches you humility. It teaches you endurance.”
Speaking to younger members in the room, she emphasized the importance of staying in the fight despite setbacks.
“Please do not ever underestimate yourselves… Keep going, even after disappointment, even after loss, even through difficulty.”
While Hontiveros spoke about persistence, De Lima pointed to what sustains it over time. “Resilience is the ability to remain human while institutions try to reduce you to a case number, a headline, or a label,” she said, reflecting on her nearly seven years in detention.
From there, she moved to a broader concern—how institutions affect the way people experience fairness, safety, and accountability.
“When institutions degrade, women pay early and pay long,” she said. “That is why I say that the fight for women is a fight for Filipino institutions.”
She broke that down into two parts: what leaders build within themselves and what they build within systems.
“Build inner strength… your capacity to remain compassionate. Then build institutional strength—your ability to keep records, to demand clarity, to make accountability measurable.”
Both speakers returned to the idea that leadership is shaped by consistency and by the choices people make in moments that count.
“Leadership is not about being the loudest person in the room,” Hontiveros said. “It is about being willing to stand your ground when it counts.”
De Lima emphasized that the need is not just for strong voices but for leaders who can stay grounded and consistent over time.
“The Philippines does not only need louder voices,” she said. “It needs steadier ones.”
