NOV.

26, 2014

NR # 3662B

Belmonte highlights indispensable role of women in national development

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr., today underscored the indispensable role of Filipino
Women in the nations march towards inclusive socio-economic development and political
stability.
The House leader stressed this point in a speech, read in his behalf by Deputy Speaker
Henedina R. Abad, welcoming participants to the forum dubbed Moving Forward with Womens
Rights: A Forum with Legislators held at the Speaker De Venecia Confrence Room, South Wing
Annex, Batasan Pambansa complex.
Abad echoed the Speakers elation over the persistent efforts of the womens sector, led by
the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) chaired by Ms. Remedios Rikken, the Association
of Women Legislators Foundation, Inc. led by its President, Rep. Gina P. De Venecia, and the
Gabriela Womens party-list represented by Rep. Luzviminda C. Ilagan, and the House
Committee on Women and Gender Equality chaired by Rep. Linabelle Ruth R. Villarica, in
championing womens empowerment and gender equality.
The House Speaker, who was unavailable due to a conflicting schedule, voiced strong
support for the efforts pushing the Womens Priority Legislative Agenda. Belmonte cited the
PCW for its pivotal, continuing work as the primary policy-making and coordinating body on
women and gender equality concerns.
The promotion of a Womens Priority Legislative Agenda is a laudable goal and
admittedly, the measure is long overdue, Belmonte said, adding that the PCW is a powerful
voice of our Filipino women.
He even noted the World Banks Women, Business and the Law 2014 Report which stated
that in the past 50 years, womens legal status remarkably improved throughout the world.
Belmonte pointed out, however, that many laws still make it difficult for women to fully
participate in economic life whether by getting jobs or starting businesses.
Moreover, discriminatory rules still bar women from certain jobs, restrict access to
capital for women-owned firms, and limit womens capacity to make legal decisions, he said.
Despite great progress in recent decades towards removing legal restrictions that hamper
women from fully contributing to national growth, Belmonte admitted that we still have an
unfinished agenda of legislative reforms on womens rights.
Likewise, the Speaker noted that the country is quite active in the area of policy reform,
citing very important laws passed under his watch the Responsible Parenthood and
Reproductive Health Act of 2012 and the Magna Carta of Women to safeguard and protect the
rights of Filipino women.

He proudly noted that the Philippines has maintained its position as Asias best
performing country in closing gender disparity.
This is according to the Global Gender Gap 2014 report of the World Economic Forum
where the Philippines placed 9th among the 142 countries surveyed, Belmonte said, adding that
in Southeast Asia rankings, the country is followed at a far distance by Singapore at 59 th place,
Thailand at 61st, Vietnam at 76th, Indonesia at 97th, and Brunei at 98th place.
The report touched on four gender-related areas economic participation and opportunity,
educational attainment, political empowerment, and health and survival.
On the legislative front, the Speaker said legal incentives encouraging women to work
must be put in place and gender-based restrictions on womens legal capacity and property rights
must be reduced and eventually, eliminated.
Indeed, laws constitute a powerful tool by which women can be empowered. This is why
I commend the PCW for its formulation of a Womens Priority Legislative agenda, which seeks
to amend or repeal the discriminatory provisions of existing laws, and which moves for the
formulation and adoption of new legislation that promotes womens empowerment and gender
equality, Belmonte declared.
The Agenda includes measures that: a) expand the coverage of the Anti-sexual
Harassment Law and redefining sexual harassment; b) amend the anti-rape law, redefining it by
spelling out specific and clearer instances, and putting the element of lack of consent at its center;
c) Provide for a Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Economy, majority of whom are
women; d) enacting the anti-Prostitution Law to address the problem in the Philippines by
providing legal protection and support services for victims, and shifting the criminal liability to
those who exploit people in prostitution; and e) remove inequities in the administration and
enjoyment of community property or conjugal partnership under the Family code.
Likewise, the he cited a few more measure in the legislative pipeline. These include the
adoption of HR 134, which strongly urges media and entertainment personalities to exercise at all
times and in all their public performances, the highest degree of sensitivity and tact towards the
plight of women who are victims of violence, such as rape.
Another is HR 1512, (already with a Committee report) which expresses the support of the
Committee on Women and Gender Equality and the entire House of Representatives, for the
families of the girls abducted by Boko Haram in Chibok Town in Borno, Nigeria, and urging
their safe and immediate return.
His message also noted, among other measures, a bill establishing resource development
and crisis assistance centers for women and children in every province and city, and a bill
protecting women against unscrupulous individuals operating in the internet who are engaged in
matchmaking activities and similar schemes, purportedly for marriage to foreign nationals.
As Speaker, I assure you that the 16 th Congress will support a rich legislative agenda that
will help ensure that our womens rights and welfare are protected and promoted, Belmonte
concluded. (30) dpt