PCG: President Rodrigo Duterte is set to bestow award to the 10 outstanding females in the field of law enforcement and national security in Malacañang Palace today, March 11, 2019.

For the Philippine Coast Guard, Commander Perlita Cinco, the first female ship skipper in the PCG and now the Commander of Coast Guard Station Antique was chosen to receive the award.

Commander Cinco was born on August 27, 1978 in Antique and became a licensed Civil Engineer in 2000. CDR Cinco joined the PCG in 2001 and performed various tasks including being an instructor of the Coast Guard Education and Training Command (CGETC) who handled the training of first female non-officer recruits. Eventually, she worked her way to the junior billet aboard ship, her executive officer billet, and as commanding officer (ship's captain) of category I vessel.

She was the Executive Officer of Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas Nueva Vizcaya and BRP Corregidor before becoming the Acting CO of BRP Nueva Vizcaya from 2015-2018. During those sea duties, she took part in patrolling the West Philippine Seas, areas of region VI, region VII, region VIII, Visayan Sea, and NCR to prevent illegal fishing activities.

She also conducted various search and rescue operations and took active role in saving lives of many Filipinos and foreigners distressed at sea. CDR Cinco was awarded medal for the rescue of capsized Malaysian ship crew off Negros Island.

The OWLENS winners are:

Police Superintendent Olivia A Sagaysay of the Manila Police District , Captain Jovita G Buclat of the Army Mechanized Brigade, Captain Jennylyn S Tamacay of the Army Field Artillery Battalion, Major Nancy R Dacanay of the 15th Strike Wing Philippine Airforce, Major Gemilyn A Mendoza of the 15th Strike Wing Philippine Airforce, Major Maria Ghirly A Solis of the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing Philippine Air Force, Commander Perlita P Cinco of the Philippine Coast Guard, Senior Police Officer II Sonia A Corpuz of the Philippine National Police Maritime Group, Traffic Aide 1 Rowena DT Capistrano of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and Atty Noreen Bernadette A San Luis-Lutey of the Land Transportation Office.

The awardees were chosen through several screening and selection stages from nominees submitted by the agencies tasked to enforce the laws of the land and soldiers in defense of the motherland. Project OWLENS Philippines is all about women and aims to motivate and inspire women law enforcers and soldiers to excel in their chosen profession.