UPOU BES Student, Ivy Funtalba, bested 26 other finalist teams from 14 countries in the 2016 International Girls' Health Student Writing Competition.Ms. Ivy A. Funtalba, a student in UPOU's Bachelor of Education Studies (BES) program, won the grand prize in the 2016 International Girls' Health Student Writing Competition organized by the Ewha Womans University Institute for Development and Human Security for her paper titled "It's a Post-Typhoon 'Girl Thing': Menstrual Health Management in Evacuation Centers in Sorsogon, Philippines."
Ms. Funtalba bested 26 other finalist teams from 14 countries at the competition's final round held at the Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea on 7 June. During the first round, which took place in February 2016, papers focusing on girls' health issues in developing countries and potential solutions submitted by students from around the world were evaluated based on quality of work, significance of the contribution, and clarity of written presentation. During the final round, the finalists made an oral presentation to a panel of experts from various sectors.
Ms. Funtalba received her award during the 2016 International Conference on Girls' Health held on 8 June. She joined other competition participants in reciting the global declaration for "Girls for Girls" in their traditional costumes and in witnessing the unveiling of the "Girls for Girls" official emblem.
Ms. Funtalba was inspired to join the writing competition after taking EDS 107 – Gender and Education, a course in the BES program. "The course inspired me to read more about gender, especially on women's issues and girls' education," she said. She requested Faculty of Education Dean and EDS 107 faculty-in-charge (FIC) Prof. Patricia B. Arinto to be her adviser in the competition.
