Behind every successful and thriving community is a story of people helping one another, opportunities being brought closer to those who need them the most, and programs that allow families to hope, dream, and work toward a better future. For many Tagumenyos, especially those belonging to grassroots communities, solo parents, women, persons with disabilities (PWDs), indigenous communities, and other marginalized sectors, even a simple opportunity can become the beginning of a meaningful transformation. A new skill learned, a livelihood started, or a small assistance received can open doors toward self-sufficiency, confidence, and a renewed belief that every person has the ability to improve their circumstances when given the right support.
This is the heart and purpose behind the leadership and service of Vice Mayor Atty. Eva Lorraine “Lingling” E. Estabillo as she continues to champion the message of “IBA si Eva: Inahan, Babae, Abogada; Katawhan ang Bida, Serbisyong Puno sa Gugma.” More than just a slogan, it represents a commitment to a kind of public service where ordinary Tagumenyos remain at the center. It reflects the belief that government programs should not only provide temporary assistance but should also create lasting opportunities that empower people to learn, earn, and build better lives for themselves and their families.
Throughout her years of service, Atty. Lingling has supported and developed initiatives focused on bringing opportunities closer to communities. These programs were created with the understanding that true empowerment does not come only from giving immediate help—it comes from providing people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to create their own path forward. At the center of these efforts are livelihood programs that continue to reach different barangays, puroks, organizations, and sectors across Tagum City, proving that meaningful change begins when communities are given the tools to grow.
Bringing Livelihood Closer to Every Purok and Barangay
For many families, especially those with limited sources of income, livelihood opportunities serve as an important bridge toward stability and a more secure future. Understanding the everyday realities of ordinary households, livelihood initiatives supported by Atty. Lingling focus on providing practical, accessible, and sustainable skills that Tagumenyos can use to create additional sources of income. These programs recognize that not everyone has the same opportunities, which is why bringing trainings directly to communities helps ensure that more people, especially those at the grassroots level, are given a fair chance to succeed.
Through various livelihood trainings, residents have been introduced to income-generating activities such as dishwashing liquid making, meat processing, food preparation, and other small-scale business opportunities that can be started even with simple resources. These trainings have reached mothers, solo parents, women’s organizations, persons with disabilities, and individuals looking for ways to support their households. Beyond learning the technical process of creating products, beneficiaries are also encouraged to develop confidence, creativity, and an entrepreneurial mindset that can help them transform these skills into sustainable sources of livelihood.
For a mother who wants to contribute to her family’s needs, a livelihood training can become the beginning of a small business. For a solo parent carrying the responsibility of providing for their children, these programs represent hope and another chance to move forward. For community organizations, these initiatives become opportunities to strengthen cooperation and create collective progress. More than just teaching people how to make products, these programs remind every Tagumenyo that they have skills, talents, and potential waiting to be developed.
Panginabuhian sa Kapurokan: Small Beginnings Creating Bigger Opportunities
One of the livelihood initiatives that has created an impact among grassroots communities is the Panginabuhian sa Kapurokan Program, a community-centered project designed to bring economic opportunities directly to the purok level. Built on the idea that progress begins within the smallest units of society, the program allows communities to participate in livelihood activities that promote cooperation, responsibility, and sustainability.
Through the Bigasan sa Kapurokan Program, residents and community groups are not only provided with assistance but are also encouraged to become active participants in improving their own communities. The initiative strengthens the spirit of bayanihan by allowing neighbors to work together, manage opportunities together, and create benefits that can continue beyond the initial assistance provided.
Instead of focusing only on short-term solutions, the program aims to inspire independence and community involvement. It shows that when people are trusted, supported, and given opportunities, they become partners in creating progress. From small beginnings at the purok level, these collective efforts contribute to building stronger and more resilient communities.
Continuing a Legacy of Women Empowerment Through the Rural Improvement Club
The commitment to uplifting women and families is a legacy deeply rooted in years of community service. Long before these initiatives continued to expand, the foundation of women empowerment within the Estabillo family was strengthened by the late Eva Estrada Estabillo, the mother of Vice Mayor Eva Lorraine Estabillo and the former First Lady of the City of Tagum.
Eva Estrada Estabillo played an important role in initiating and supporting the Rural Improvement Club (RIC) in Tagum City, an organization created to help women become more productive, skilled, and actively involved in improving their families and communities. Through RIC, women were encouraged to discover their abilities beyond their traditional roles by participating in livelihood activities, skills trainings, and community programs that allowed them to become contributors to local development.
Carrying forward this meaningful legacy, Atty. Lingling continued supporting the Rural Improvement Club and other women’s organizations by strengthening programs focused on livelihood, skills development, and empowerment. The continuation of these efforts reflects the belief that when women are given opportunities, they do not only improve their own lives—they uplift their families and inspire their communities as well.
Today, RIC remains a symbol of women helping women. It represents mothers, homemakers, and community leaders coming together not only to create additional income, but also to share knowledge, build confidence, and prove that empowered women create empowered communities.
Empowering Women, Solo Parents, and Marginalized Sectors
Guided by the value of being a Babae, Atty. Lingling’s initiatives have consistently placed importance on sectors that often experience greater challenges in society. Women, solo parents, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, indigenous communities, Muslim communities, and vulnerable families continue to be among the focus of various programs that aim to provide them with support, opportunities, and recognition.
Through livelihood assistance, trainings, seminars, and community-based activities, these sectors are given platforms where they can participate, develop new skills, and become more empowered members of society. These efforts are anchored on a simple but powerful belief: no Tagumenyo should be left behind.
The commitment to empowering communities also extends to programs that promote awareness, protection, and welfare. Through discussions and seminars on important laws such as the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act (VAWC), child protection laws, and other rights-based initiatives, essential information and support are brought closer to the people who need them.
A Service Where the People Remain the Priority
At its core, every program under the leadership of Atty. Lingling Estabillo shares one purpose—to create opportunities that allow Tagumenyos to move forward with hope, dignity, and confidence. Whether through livelihood trainings, women empowerment initiatives, community programs, legal assistance, or social welfare services; the focus remains on improving the lives of the people and creating programs that respond to their actual needs.
Because genuine service is not measured only by the number of programs created, but by the lives changed along the way. It is seen in the mother who earns from a skill she learned, the solo parent who discovers a new opportunity, the community that grows through cooperation, and the families who are given another reason to believe in a brighter future.
This is the heart of service rooted in compassion and love. This is what Vice Mayor Atty. Eva Lorraine “Lingling” E. Estabillo meant when she championed the slogan “IBA si Eva.
Inahan, Babae, Abogada. Katawhan ang Bida, Serbisyong Puno sa Gugma”!
