The Empowered Crucian
She is not just the rose among the thorns. She is the only rose in the garden.
For decades, Holy Cross College alumna Ms. Aida Dizon has excelled in a field dominated by men. In her career, she is different than most, but this doesn’t stop her from standing out. She became even more empowered to shine and beat gender stereotypes.
In a patriarchal society, she proves women can rise from the ranks and be transformational leaders, even better than her counterpart.
For more than four decades, Ms. Dizon outshined her peers in the seaports industry. She marked her stay in the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) with many firsts. A trailblazer, Ms. Dizon set the benchmark for exceptional leadership through her various accomplishments and accolades in the field of management.
She is PPA’s first female Department Manager. She led both the Management and Information Services Department and the Controllership Department. She is also PPA’s first female Asst. General Manager for Finance and Administrative Services, a position she held for 12 years.
Ms. Dizon also served as the Vice-Chairperson of Women in Maritime Philippines from 2007 to 2010.
“Work in seaports is dominated by men, but to this date, I still hold the record of being the longest-serving assistant general manager – 12 years spanning the administration of Ramos, Estrada, and Arroyo. But being a woman is not an excuse to get special privileges,” Ms. Dizon said.
Under her leadership, PPA was awarded Most Outstanding Accounting Office by the Association of Government Accountants of the Philippines. This is thanks to her Gender and Development projects that helped improve the working environment at PPA.
She was also among the five semi-finalists of the 2006 Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award. This is an award from the Civil Service Commission, in which outstanding employees from government offices all over the county are recognized for their valuable contributions to society.
She is a recipient of various local and international awards like the DOTC Kapwa Award in 1998, Soroptimist International of Pampanga, and Woman of Distinction in Administration and Management Award in 2001.
In addition, Ms. Dizon was the only woman in her class in Antwerp, Belgium. For more than ten years (10), she was the only woman attending the conferences of the ASEAN Ports Association.
Ms. Dizon proves that women do not only get the job done, but they do so efficiently and effectively. This is why she also works extra to protect, inspire and empower other women.
“But until you show how competent you are, you have to battle the cultural biases against women, especially in other Asian countries. This has led me to be very active in the GAD movement, co-founding Women in Maritime, Philippines, and AGAD-FPPI,” she added.
In 2008, she presented her research on the Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women (VAW) initiatives of the PPA in the First Woman Shelters Conference in Edmonton, Canada. This research paved the way for discoveries and opportunities to develop programs for women’s safety and protection, especially in the workplace.
Ms. Dizon is also a former college instructor at the Philippine College of Commerce, now known as the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. She is currently the President and Chair of the Board of Port Community Savings and Loans Application. She is also a founding member of Santos, Carlos and Associates Consultancy, Inc.
She has proved, time and again, that women belong in all places and positions; and they can do anything they put their minds to.
Ms. Dizon’s strong personality and leadership are rooted in her foundations of education. She graduated Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Business Administration at the University of the Philippines, Diliman.
She graduated from Holy Cross College in 1964, and now she is a member of the school’s Board of Directors who continuously lead the school with a heart through these challenging times. Before this, she was the school’s Corporate Secretary from 2003 to 2008 and ASsistant to the President from 2009 to 2020.
Ms. Dizon is successful in her career, but her world does not revolve around her profession. She is also an acknowledged Catholic formator in the community. Her family incessantly supports local parish and school activities. She has been the Corporate Secretary of Class ’64 “Saup-Malam” Foundation, Inc. since 1999.
The alumna is a witness to how Holy Cross College shapes the future leaders and minds of the country. She is also a living example of this fact.