COWCP calls for nominations for the 2026 Gawad Josefina Bakhita Diamond Edition

By Natalie Hazel Quimlat

Slated on July 26 at the Archbishop Legaspi Hall of the Basilica Minore de Peñafrancia, the Gawad Josefina Bakhita 2026: A Diamond Legacy of Championing Safety and Protection of Women and Children aims to showcase the initiatives and groundwork of those deeply committed to promote and defend the safety, dignity, healing, and protection of women and children. 

According to its organizer, the Caceres Office for Women and Children Protection (COWCP) headed by Fr. Jhonan’z Vibar, the Gawad “seeks to celebrate courageous service, compassionate accompaniment, survivor-centered ministries, and community-based protection programs that embody the Church’s mission of justice, care, and human dignity”.

Awardees may be individuals, parishes, institutions, organizations, and advocates. 

Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon of Caceres supported the initiative, saying that it “is a profound expression of the Church’s unwavering commitment to uphold the dignity of every human person”, especially women and children prove to be among those most vulnerable in society.

Alarcon added that the initiative will also highlight the work of those who continue to “build spaces of safety, healing and hope”. He wishes that efforts and initiatives for safeguarding and anti-human trafficking will be sustained and that through this program, greater collaboration for such advocacies will be strengthened within the local Church of Caceres.