Up Close And Personal With A Co-Mother, A Leader – Congresswoman Florida Robes

It was not an ordinary day indeed for us mom bloggers when we met Congresswoman Florida Robes last week. It was different when we were just looking at the photo of this beautiful woman than when we’ve actually seen her and heard her talk about her projects for the city of San Jose Del Monte Bulacan.

Ate Cong, as how most citizens of SJDM call her, is a tireless and passionate leader and mother to almost 1 million residents. The moment she started talking to us, her thoughts and ideas flowed non-stop. Whenever we threw her a question about any of these projects, she answered straight from the heart.

One thing that we noticed though is that in most of her projects, if not all, shows her maternal compassion. First was her initiative for the construction of the Saint Bernadette Children and Maternity Hospital. To be erected at Barangay Graceville, the hospital will have a hundred beds and will offer such services as pediatrics, obstetrics, general medicine, gynecology, surgery and psychiatry, mainly for the residents of the city. This project has been her top priority in order to give medical services for the families of San Jose.

Another project of Ate Cong, as she fondly told us herself, is her ongoing effort to increase her constituent’s mental health. Her House Bill 3433 seeks the establishment of a mental health center to cater to the psychiatric needs of the residents. This is such an endearing project because we know how prevalent depression is and that there is an increasing number of cases of suicide in families belonging to both rich and the poor.

Apparently, Congw. Robes has a heart even for the animals as the first ever veterinary hospital in the Philippines is now in place in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. This hospital will be of great help for the residents in taking care of their pets without spending too much, manage where they are located and help stop dog euthanasia by the dog adoption program.

Lastly, from our intimate meet-up with Ate Cong., the one that we are all looking forward to from her projects is the first breastmilk bank in the city. Another pioneering move for the city of San Jose Del Monte Bulacan, this milk bank will be patterned after existing milk banks that the congresswoman had seen functioning in the countries that she had visited. In the country, UNICEF supported the establishment of the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) Human Milk Bank in Tacloban City, Leyte. Through Congw. Robes initiatives, the breastfeeding mothers of SJDM will have ready stock of mothers’ milk any time, most especially in times of calamities and for those mothers who doesn’t have the capacity to feed their children with enough milk.

The list of government projects that were already accomplished, those which are currently being built, and the projects that are in line, are definitely endless. We asked Ate Cong on how she manages to accomplish all these tasks that she does every day. Her answer is somewhat typical to all of us moms. She starts her day with a prayer, dons a simple pair of shirt and jeans if she is not attending a special occasion, and attends to her constituents as  they come. At the end of the week, she and her family tries to attend the Sunday mass regularly. Very typical. But what’s outstanding in her is that she has that sincere drive to improve the lives of others and think of herself less.

From the thousand words that she might have had spoken that day with us, there was never a single word about her or her wishes, except when she told us the story about her sick mother, segueing on how we should all take care of ourselves, no matter how hard we need to work for our families.

Our day with Congresswoman Florida Robes was short but sweet and she left us all that longing to meet with her again and see yet again another one of her babies, the milk bank project, already in place. Truly, the city of San Jose Del Monte Bulacan is fortunate to have her as their mother.

References:

Facebook : Congw Rida Robes
Saint Bernadette Children and Maternity Hospital
House Bill 3433 Mental Health
Background on milk bank
People Behind Rising City San Jose Del Monte Bulacan
The Rising City of San Jose Del Monte