Sealed with Dakis

25/11/2023

Nurse sheds off scrubs to nurse society’s gender diversity gap

“I am learning every day from the government agencies I got the opportunity to serve. I was able to navigate the vast operations of [the] Philippine government and got to witness a glimpse of the complicated bureaucratic structures we have.”

HIS “strenuous and rigorous” training in nursing school has made Alvin Cloyd Dakis resilient in his profession.

“Nursing made me resilient to be able to be effective in my professional endeavor,” Dakis told The Manila Times. “While in nursing school, the subject that piqued my interest the most was Community Health Nursing and Nursing Leadership. Those subjects instilled in me my deep passion for service and leading social change.”

When people ask Dakis if he has turned his back against nursing, he subtly corrects them.

Alvin Cloyd Dakis, President and Chief Executive Officer, Strategic Leadership in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity (Stride) Solutions

“I tell them that I am still a nurse — not just by license, not just by passion — but of my work.”

“My current work enabled me to apply the core principles of nursing care in a level not of an individual patient, but of organizational systems.”

In 2015, Dakis started to work as a certified gender trainer of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) National GAD (Gender and Development) Resource Program.

He was a nurse by profession and was interested in development work early in his career.

Alvin Cloyd Dakis together with personnel of the Office of the Vice President who underwent training on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

“I became active in HIV Awareness and Sexual Health advocacy,” Dakis admitted.

Then, as a former president of a nursing interest organization, I was appointed by then-Health Secretary Enrique Ona as one of the members of the technical working group that was drafting the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act in 2012.

“That work of mine revolving around sexual and reproductive health caught the interest of the Philippine Commission on Women and invited me to be certified as one of the members of the PCW National GAD Resource Pool.

Alvin Dakis is one of the most sought-after subject matter experts in gender and development. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

“I was then the first health care professional certified by the PCW. Thus, most of my technical assistance was focused on public hospitals and health care government agencies.”

Dakis, now president and chief executive officer of the Strategic Leadership in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity (Stride) Solutions, has been a subject-matter expert on gender equality, diversity and social inclusion to about 150 government and private agencies.

“I have been doing this work for close to a decade already,” he admitted. “I am loving every bit of it even until now. I got to learn a lot since the concepts in this line of work were not taught in my undergraduate course.

“Having to understand this complexity in a short amount of time in the provision of my technical assistance is the most challenging part of my job.”

Dakis also has international connections for his work as one of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion advisors at the International Sociological Association in Spain and the former Lead of Strategic Partnerships at the Society of Gender Professionals in the United States. His affiliations undeniably help his professional career.

“My extensive work in the Philippines as a Gender Consultant enabled me to have connections with colleagues internationally,” he attested. “I witnessed how gender inequalities have different facets per culture and context.

“My colleagues from these international societies helped me widen my perspective on how inequalities affect an individual to societal levels and that they intersect with other social inequalities of race, age, religious affiliations, economic status, and more.”

World-class Filipino

Dakis was awarded as one of the world-class Filipinos in the field of government consulting by the World Class Philippine Council. He received many other awards and citations that gave him fulfillment through the years.

“Awards and citations are, of course, a testament of our work,” Dakis said.

“However, the greatest fulfillment I received was when the organizations I have assisted have exhibited genuine interest to address inequalities, not just as compliance to regulatory standards but because they have now truly understood what this work is really about — that the persistence of inequalities and inequities would be the eventual downfall of any organization.

“When I see the leaders of the organizations, I assisted to proactively take action — even years after our initial engagement — gives me a renewed hope that I am doing worthwhile work.”

Dakis finished his Master Degree in Health Social Science.

Instead of pursuing Medicine, he is presently taking his Doctorate in Philosophy in Development Administration at the Philippine Christian University.

“I took the Master’s Degree on Health Social Science for two reasons: first is that it complimented my current profession which is highly a work of social scientists, and second because I got accepted to a full scholarship under the Ford Foundation in the US to pursue that course.

“At that time, I was very grateful because I was in a time when I was financially challenged. Most people who knew the history of my work would often ask why I did not proceed to Medicine — for which I would quip, ‘Why would I not be a nurse? I am proud to be one.

“Perhaps, I will never know how my career would go had I pursued Medicine. But I never regretted any of my experiences — personal or professional. I am currently taking my PhD on Development Administration to complement my current work.

“My present job is highly focused on providing technical assistance in administering strategic organizational directions and interventions toward the development of the clients of these organizations and eventually the society’s development at large.”

Dakis describes his work as “very interactional” — through in-person training, technical consultations and meetings.

“When the pandemic hit and all in-person training and consultancy operations ceased, it drastically affected my work,” he disclosed. “I had lost my main source of income and was literally jobless for months.

“But the pandemic offered an opportunity for many of the people with the same work as mine — the introduction of virtual training. I have to learn navigating new learning platforms, re-adjusting my teaching strategies and re-designing most of my modules to adjust to the new learning platforms.”

Dakis previously ventured into a small eatery business which was managed by his sister, who is a cook.

“That business turned sour during the pandemic,” he said.

“I believe that I have not maximized my business model: I intend to operate as a full-scale consultancy firm in the future with consultants utilizing the framework I designed, which will be used to assist not just government agencies but the private sector as well.

“After my PhD, I intend to write several workbooks and diversify my income stream through other business ventures. I was one of the few PCW consultants who made this consultancy work into a business model and ventured into looking at the subject of Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) as a potentially profitable profession.

“Some advocates would raise their brows, but I believe that for any of my work to be sustainable and profitable [not just financially], I have to learn the ropes of running a training consultancy firm.”

When Dakis was younger, he was engaged in the performing arts — stage acting, singing, hosting and extemporaneous speaking.

“That even led me to perform professionally as a front act artist for Manila celebrities, served as mainstay host of local mall shows and was for a time, a vocal coach for kids.

“I even joined competitions in singing and arts. Perhaps that was one of my other sides I wished to pursue — but I made a different path from it. I do not consider myself sidetracked from pursuing an ambition I had when I was younger, but consider it part of my journey.”

Dakis was in Mindanao training some physicians prior to the lockdown.

“I returned to Manila where I spent for the rest of the entire community quarantine. If there were places I wish to visit in the practice of my current profession, [it] is to go back to Batanes and to visit Tawi-Tawi.”

To unwind, Dakis plays video games when time permits.

“Sometimes, I practice my singing skills as well by abusing the videoke,” he said. “I think I would like to go back into drawing anime.

“My family is in Cebu, and I am currently based in Manila, so I only get to visit them every once in a while. But when I’m with them, we like to hang out singing together and going to the beach. Though I do not swim, just the sounds of the waves and the blow of the beach breeze is something I love to do.”

His normal day is spent mostly working. “Or if in my down time, I recently play video games,” he said. “I try to go back to the gym during weekends but that is a struggle for another story.

Dakis is proudly raised by two moms. “Which I am so proud of,” he beamed. “They usually give me advice, especially in the areas of my life where I am not too sharp — love life.”

Surprisingly, Dakis does not have a singular role model.

“But honestly, I learned a lot from my ‘terror’ teachers and ‘strict’ bosses before,” he admitted. “I learned the value of time, quality engagements, never to burn bridges between people but distance from toxic ones, and appreciate the small wins equally with the major ones.”