All winners.

(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Byline: Rina Jimenez-David

BEFORE THE JUDGING for the Well Family Midwife Clinic Diamond Awards, verification teams went around the country to evaluate all the midwife-nominees, visiting the clinics, talking with their clients, staff, colleagues and employees of the national partner NGOs who provide support and advice to the midwives.

Fully 80 percent of the weight given to the scores of each finalist was determined by the verification results, with the final evaluation and interview of the judges making up just 20 percent of the final score. Even so, the interview process was enlightening and illuminating, at least on the part of the judges, though I don't know how much of an ordeal it was for the midwives.

The finalists were vying for four awards: the Mountain of Light Diamond Award for Excellence in Family Planning Initiatives, the Centenary Diamond Award for Excellence in Business Management, the Regent Diamond Award for Excellence in Leadership, and the Earth Star Diamond Award for Excellence in Patient Care.

I was one of six judges invited to sit in the final phase of the selection process, together with Population Commission Executive Director Tomas Osias, the Association of Foundations' Marissa Reyes, Integrated Midwives' Association president Alice dela Gente, business professor Dr. Benjamin Espiritu, and obstetrician-gynecologist and head of the Midwifery Exams board Dr. Rogelio Mendiola.

As recounted in yesterday's column, we were asked to sit on two panels each, reviewing the findings of the verification teams and the testimonies of the respondents, then "grilling" the finalists on their life and work as midwives and owners of their own clinics, as well as community leaders and educators.