From Crossroads to a Path Less Traveled: What Makes Louise Montenegro One of Baguio’s Outstanding Young Women
“Pero kung ako naman, kung sa pinili ko, parang everyday struggle din naman siya na pag-come to terms na yung pinili mong landas ay hindi necessarily yung typical na landas na pinipili in this society. Pero, at least yun nga, may nagagawa ka towards changing kung ano yung mga mali sa society, at hindi rin naman siya madali.”
In a tourist hotspot destination hosting almost 400,000 people, there is roughly a 0.0025% chance where I would get to cross paths with one of Baguio City’s 10 Outstanding Young Women. Being subject to exceptionally slim odds, perhaps meeting a humble Deanna Louise Montenegro somewhere in a quaint cafe along Mabini St. might just be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Just last April 22, the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation of Baguio recognized 10 individuals for their remarkable contributions to the community, particularly in “youth participation, women empowerment, and gender rights advocacy”, as mentioned by the city Public Information Office (PIO).
Their post enumerated the list of the acknowledged women, including Louise who acts as a leading figure in youth organizations — Louise, who also turns out to be an alumna of the University of the Philippines Baguio (UPB).
“Kung sa akin, yung pagiging outstanding is yung conscious decision mo to choose kung saan o ano ba yung tama, kung sino ba yung papanigan mo in this society,” Louise asserts, responding to the query about what makes an outstanding person.
“Kasi yun, naniniwala din naman ako na talagang gano’n siya, kailangan mo talagang pumili kung saan ka papanig… Either way, kung ano ang gagawin mo, lagi’t-lagi kang pumoposisyon,” she added, also touching on to the conscious choice of standing with the people.
Months after Louise graduated in 2018 with a degree in BA Communication (Major in Speech Communication, Minor in Broadcast Communication), she began volunteering in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), particularly the Cordilleran Youth Center (CYC).
She also became part of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) and Kabataan Partylist Cordillera as a Regional Coordinator/Spokesperson. Presently, at the young age of 26, she is the Regional Coordinator of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Cordillera. Over the years, Louise, alongside other groups, has lobbied several ordinances such as the pending Human Rights Defenders Ordinance and the Health Workers Day Ordinance, among others.
When asked about advocacy work, Louise acknowledged that volunteering is not about financial gain. Rather, it’s more of a passion-driven act done to push change in society — a labor of love, as most would put it.
“Syempre may mga days pa rin naman na parang nakikita ko yung iba kong batchmates na yumaman na sila, na parang, ‘ay bongga’,” Louise responds, laughing softly.
“Pero kung ako naman, kung sa pinili ko, parang everyday struggle din naman siya na pag-come to terms na yung pinili mong landas ay hindi necessarily yung typical na landas na pinipili in this society. Pero, at least yun nga, may nagagawa ka towards changing kung ano yung mga mali sa society, at hindi rin naman siya madali.”
Realistically, Louise also recognized that passion may not always be consistently present when doing this line of work. Nevertheless, even in the face of burnout, the commitment in serving the people lingers. “Fight,” as she likes to say.
According to Louise, her nomination, as well as the recognition, initially came across as a surprise. Tending to the requirements was also something she was nervous about, considering that she, alongside one other nominee, appeared to be more progressive than the rest.
Thus, upon receiving the e-mail confirming her victory, Louise, as she narrates, was mostly thankful. After all, this triumph somewhat peels away the negative misconceptions surrounding activists, all while suggesting that their actions are recognized as essentially significant to the community.
“Feel namin it’s a good sign, na parang naging outstanding young women ang mga aktibista,” she shared. “Nava-validate niya na may mga tao rin talagang pumipili ng ganoong landas, and at the same time, it’s a valid occupation (e.g. coordinating with people’s organizations), na work,” she added.
Louise also recalled a handful of experiences from her life in UPB and how they have helped in shaping her identity as an NGO worker — from joining organizations like Tanghalang Bayan ng Kabataan sa Baguio (TABAK-Baguio), League of Filipino Students (LFS) and the Alliance of Concerned Students (ACS-UPB), to being a part of the student council in her senior year. As she sees it, this allowed her to have access to a wider range of information, in addition to diverse opinions and analyses on situations which one usually won’t get by taking courses alone. Essentially, it was a step towards a path less traveled, but not any less meaningful.
Despite the occasional what-ifs and the threats associated with being an activist, Louise answers with certainty that she has no regrets in the life she chose to lead — a life that started from standing at a crossroads, and has since been trodden on with the drive to make it a fulfilling one.
