A powerful word exists in the Ibanag/Itawes language: Pagiddu — a love so fundamental it becomes the very definition of care and heart. It is the quiet engine behind every woman’s journey.
With every woman who is recognized in her full truth, a real story of continuity, resilience, and purpose begins to unfold.
You only have to watch her walk to see the whole story. The way a woman carries the world is never invented on the spot; it’s a posture practiced through generations. When you see her smile, you’re not just seeing the mother — you’re seeing the shadow of the girl she once was, the promise of the strength she is becoming, and the legacy of the women in our lives who taught her how to stand tall.
It’s such a simple, beautiful truth: mothers were girls, and girls will be mothers.
This entire cycle of becoming — this quiet, powerful alchemy of innocence hardening into wisdom — is the only real source of community power we have. It’s why we don’t talk about giving power. You cannot gift a river its current. The current is already there — deep and undeniable — born from the continuous flow of Pagiddu.
The energy that filled the room for “Pagiddu Anna Gakko na Yena” wasn’t just noise; it was an echo of gratitude. This project’s initiative was the visible outcome of a deliberate choice to care — a decision rooted deeply in Pagiddu — giving back essential love, appreciation, and opportunities for empowerment to the women and mothers in our lives.
We sometimes get caught up in big words and extravagant gestures. But the real work of empowerment and meaningful service, which the Rotaract Club of Tuguegarao strives to uphold, is to honor that quiet, undying love. It means ensuring that the girl of today doesn’t have to fight the same battles her mother once did. It means protecting her potential so that the woman she becomes can stand fully in her own light.
When we empower her, them, and all those who are mothers, we aren’t just changing one life — we are sustaining the continuity of hope for the next generation. That is the only promise that truly counts.
Ybanag (Local Dialect) Snippet
Pagiddu in Ybanag means love, and Gakko na Yena means embrace of the mother.
Yô project y Rotaract Club of Tuguegarao na “Pagiddu Anna Gakko na Yena” ay proyekto na agal na aya yaw ay tapenu mapasikan ngamin y babbay kunne gapa tu ma-baling ira nga mangirollu ta panguli na komunidad/tanga-ilian.
Translation: The project of the Rotaract Club of Tuguegarao entitled Pagiddu Anna Gakko na Yena aims to provide women with knowledge on health concerns and empower them to become agents of change in their community.
Facebook Page: Rotaract Club of Tuguegarao
Video Highlights: Watch the recap here. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17YK63kCgT/
