RIZAL, Kalinga — For years, Gemma Pullis stood at the edge of community meetings, listening but unheard.

A mother of four and a Barangay Health Worker in Barangay San Pedro, Rizal, Kalinga, Gemma balanced farming, caregiving, and raising her children while serving patients in a small and overcrowded clinic. When her husband fell ill, she became the pillar of her household, carrying both financial and emotional responsibilities.

But beyond economic hardship, she faced something deeper. As a woman from the Butbut tribe, she grew up in a culture where leadership and decision-making were traditionally reserved for men. Women were expected to listen, not lead. Their role was often confined to the home and the fields.

In 2023, her perspective began to change when the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) entered their barangay. During a data gathering activity held beside the small clinic where she was on duty, Gemma listened as Program staff explained that women had an essential role in community development.

For the first time, she saw a space where women were not just present, but heard. She volunteered and was later selected as Barangay Development Council Technical Working Group Chairperson for the construction of their Barangay Health Station. The responsibility was significant. She monitored materials, recorded worker attendance, coordinated schedules, and ensured that transparency and accountability were upheld throughout implementation.

Her first time speaking before a large crowd during their barangay assembly in 2023 was overwhelming. Her voice trembled. She questioned whether anyone would listen to an ordinary woman without a college degree or government position. Yet she stood firm.

“Babae ka lang, ano bang alam mo?” was a phrase she had heard before. But through KALAHI-CIDSS, she proved that women know enough to lead.

Under her guidance and alongside fellow volunteers, the Barangay Health Station subproject in their barangay was successfully completed in 2024. With a total cost of PhP1.2 million, the once cramped and uncomfortable clinic was replaced with a more spacious and functional facility which is set to benefit 194 households. Today, pregnant women, children, and senior citizens receive health services in a safer, more accessible, and dignified environment.

Beyond infrastructure, Gemma helped transform perception. Women in the barangay began participating more actively in discussions. Their opinions were considered. Their concerns were addressed. For Gemma, empowerment means challenging long-held beliefs that women belong only in the home or in the fields.

Today, she continues to serve as a Barangay Health Worker while encouraging her daughters and other young girls to speak up and participate in community affairs. She believes that leadership requires courage, conviction, and compassion.

This Women’s Month, Gemma Pullis embodies the call to “Lead like the Babaylans, Filipinas.” Her journey reflects the strength of women who rise beyond tradition, claim their rightful place in decision-making spaces, and lead with resilience and care. Through her voice, a new generation of women in San Pedro is learning that they are not merely observers of change. They are builders of it. #DSWD-CAR, KALAHI-CIDSS RPMO, Yvonne Gracious T. Elegado, Project Development Officer III