Submitted By: Anonymous on 2007-11-15
About the video: Lidinila R. Reyes, an Educator, a Management Consultant, and a Lawyer Of Muslim-Chinese-Christian parentage, Atty. Reyes belongs to the affluent Barrios-Macrohon clan of Zamboanga City on the maternal side and the Abubakar-Rasul-Asda clan of Jolo, Sulu on the paternal side who traces their lineage to the Royal Sultanate of Sulu whose proprietary claim over the Federated Malaysian State of Sabah is still the controversial issue in Philippine History.

Her career is as colorful as the 10 years she served as the veritable "Girl Friday" of Rear Admiral Romulo M. Espaldon, Southern Command Commander. She was the first and only civilian woman "lawyer of choice" to litigate criminal cases in Court Martial proceedings before the Department of Defense Military Commission No. 29, Armed Forces of the Philippines. As Executive Assistant and member of the personal staff of the Commander, she saw many exciting days of "rebel surrenders" and "peace talks" on land and on board Flagship "RPS 69" as it traversed the uneasy waters of Sulu and Basilan at the height of the Mindanao conflict. Her membership in the Special Military Staff Support Group during the "Zamboanga Peace Talks" afforded her full exposure to the peace efforts during Martial Law.

Much of Atty. Reyes NGO activities result from her being Founder & Executive Director of the Regional Youth Center Foundation, Region IX's arm in Youth Leadership & Community Involvement which was highlighted in 1990 by the establishment of a CAD-CAE Advanced Computer Training School in a joint venture with Advanced Technologies & Solutions (ATS) of Singapore, and the sponsorship of "Miss Philippines for 'Miss-Asia London' 1989" International Beauty, Culture & Trade Pageant, which proceeds went to the RYCF support projects for the care, training and development of abandoned, orphaned and mentally-retarded children in Zamboanga City.

Atty. Reyes' stint as Founding Chairman of Habitat for Humanity Affiliate in Zamboanga City saw the active participation of RYCF student volunteers in the building of the "New Hope" homes at Mampang CDCP resettlement project of the City Government, the first Muslim "Habitat" village in the world for which Atty. Reyes was awarded the "Top of the Year 2001" Award for Human Concerns for advocacy in the concept of "Shelter for the Homeless".

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