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THE FILIPINO WOMANS ROLE

IN THE HUMANIZATION OF SOCIAL LIFE


LINDA P. PEREZ
This marvelous creation was described as a submissive wife whose reason for
being was to love, honor, obey, and occasionally amuse her husband, to bring up
his children and manage his household. Anne Firor Scott
This in a capsule is every woman held captive by her traditional role as "Queen of the
Home."1 Yet changes brought about by the movements of "the late 1840s and early
1850s"2 and "the 60s and 70s,"3 that swept women around the world, catapulted them into
new career roles, as secretary, teacher, lawyer, manager, president of a company or of a
country. . . . To the "womens rights organizations . . . in Europe and America,"4 the liberators
of the race, our debt of gratitude: at least, now women cannot be "denied . . . the facilities for
obtaining a thorough education . . . "5 and "their conditions . . . that of a legally inferior
caste"6 will be history.
The aim of this paper is to present the multifaceted role the Filipino woman plays in the
humanization of social life as mother and housewife, as working mother, and as alternate
mother and/or alternate breadwinner. Simple, sometimes shy, usually dedicated, hard-working
and faithful, the Filipino woman is a real partner in the humanization of social life.
Before considering the Filipino womans role in the aspect of humanization, it is proper to
define some terms.
Filipino. This term refers to the inhabitants of the Philippine archipelago (called the Philippines,
a country of more than 7,000 islands and islets that lies off the southeast coast of Asia7)
regardless of racial strain or economic status.8
Humanization. It is the art or process of giving a human character or aspect; regarding or
treating as human;9 to be human (having the attributes of man - understanding, evaluating,
choosing, accepting responsibility).10
Social Life. Social is concerned with the welfare of human beings as members of
society.11 Life is the state of a material complex characterized by the capacity to perform
certain functional activities . . . growth, reproduction and some form of responsiveness and
adaptability.12
FILIPINO WOMANS ROLE
The Filipino woman plays a multifaceted role in the humanization of social life. First and
foremost, if she is married and with children, she is a mother and/or "pure housewife"13;

second, she is an "alternative breadwinner," working mother, or "career woman;"14 and third,
the single "alternate mother" and "alternate breadwinner."
Mother and/or Pure Housewife
The most important role of a Filipino woman is being a mother and/or pure housewife. She
stays at home most of the time. As mother, her primary responsibility is the care of the children
from feeding them nutritious food, bathing them, preparing them for school to supervising
them with their homework. Her secondary duty is cleaning the house, putting things in order,
doing the dishes, laundry, gardening, grocery (this is sometimes done by men because most
Filipino women do not drive) and budgeting the family income to balance with expenditures,
while setting aside some amount for future needs. This is a full-time job, but of course, first and
foremost, she is a wife, and as such she also has to attend to her husbands needs - preparing
his meals, setting the table for him (while the man reads newspapers), packing his lunch, etc. (It
may be a consolation to know that some men do work that are usually reserved for women.) All
the above and more make up the job description of the woman whose designation or
appointment (that does not come with a monetary consideration) became official during the
marriage ceremony when the priest said, " . . . Be a good housewife."
An important aide for the mother and/or pure housewife is the availability of house-help. A
well-off husband can hire a helper or maid. The presence of extended family members is also a
relief for the overworked woman.
The woman falling under this category armed with whatever education she has earned before
her marriage goes about her duties without complaining. She is the model, perhaps unlike
Griselda in patience but patience for her husband she does have, like a Penelope, for
Odysseus,15 upon his return, "did find his wife waiting for him. . . ."16
One disadvantage of this type of role is that though the woman is preoccupied with bringing up
one or more upright individuals, a humanized family ready for entrance into society, in the
process she herself is dehumanized. She is cut off, so to speak, from society. Today some of this
has changed. The mother or the pure housewife goes to parties, plays tennis when children are
in school, becomes a member of a club or two, attends meetings, goes to aerobic classes, etc.
An advantage which outweighs the disadvantages is ". . . the positive psychological impact the
mothers constant presence is believed to have for children during the latters growing and
formative years."17 This must be the reason for women, including the career-oriented ones, to
choose to stay at home and return to work when the children are in school or grown up and are
able to take care of themselves.

"ALTERNATE BREADWINNER," WORKING MOTHER, OR "CAREER WOMAN"18


The second category, the working mother, career woman or "alternate breadwinner" is wellprotected by The Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. Article XIII Social Justice and
Human Rights, Section 14 on Women states:
The State shall protect working women by providing safe and healthful working
conditions, taking into account their maternal functions, and such facilities and
opportunities that will enhance their welfare and enable them to realize their full
potential in the service of the nation.19
In spite of this provision however, women still encounter a lot of problems. More often
companies are reluctant to hire married women who are of child-bearing age because of
probable disruption in the office when she applies for maternity leave. Besides, when children
get sick usually it is the woman who excuses herself from work, although the man may take
care of the child when circumstances warrant it.
In the Philippines, a woman who was working before she was married may arrange with the
husband to work even after she has children. She may be allowed to work if the husband
cannot afford to provide for the family with his salary alone; however, if he can manage, then
they may decide for the woman to stay at home. In cases of women who hold prominent or
high positions or may be engaged in scientific pursuits such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy,
chemistry (particularly those undertaking research), etc., they are allowed to continue working.
Others, such as those in teaching, are also allowed to continue, because the work entails a
shorter absence from the home. In addition, when the children attend the school where the
mother is teaching, they enjoy free tuition grants. The children studying from grade school to
the university are recipients of this privilege and this helps a lot considering that education is
expensive, especially in the university. This arrangement also enhances the prestige or position
of the family in the community. The teacher is always accorded respect and so are the
members of the family.
A disadvantage for this category may be echoed in Jeanne Frances I. Illos study "Woman and
Development: Alternative Roles and Strategies":20
A rare breed among married women, the career woman is often caricatured in
popular literature as a mother faced with delinquent children, a topsy-turvy
household, and a marriage on the rocks. Some believe that a woman must
choose a career or a marriage, since they are mutually incompatible.
An advantage of this category, however, is that the burden of supporting the family financially
does not fall solely on the mans shoulders. Furthermore, the family can enjoy greater material
comfort which contributes to their social standing in the community. Further, when the man of
the family is not able to provide for the family, there is a ready substitute or alternate to carry
on the burden such that the family members do not have to go begging.

The third category concerns the eldest girl in the family. More often than not this member of
the family stays single throughout her life because the burden of caring for the younger
members of the family falls on her shoulders. In the case of richer families, the eldest girl is sent
to good schools, gets an education, works and earns some money. She can do as she pleases
with her money and may get married if she wants to. Her counterpart in a poor or middle class
has really little or no choice at all.
This eldest child sends her younger brothers and sisters to school, provides all the financial and
psychological support, paving the way for their humanization. When the younger ones have
finished their studies and find work, they may go their own way. If however, they are not able
to find work and provide for their living, the eldest child still has to provide for their needs,
unless the parents are able to help. It is a difficult job but in a way rewarding because in the end
she will see the fruits of her labor.
Perhaps, the hardest part of this is after everything has been done, the parents are now old and
they can no longer take care of themselves. The burden of taking care of them goes to the
eldest girl. Her task does not end there. Sometimes, it goes beyond the first generation of
family members. This extends to the second or third generation. The process is taxing but this is
a practice that has been going on for generations.
CONCLUSION
The Filipino woman, then, does indeed contribute to the humanization of social life - as a
mother and/or pure housewife, "alternate breadwinner," working mother or career woman, or
as the single "alternate mother" and "alternate breadwinner."
Many may not have realized the depth of the sacrifices women have been making in
humanizing the home, the community and the world. These women like Shakespeares Viola
and Rosalind play the role of the "restorer of a natural wholeness and meaning to life."21 The
position of women in society is of such importance that according to "the laws of Manu (In
Hinduism, the rules of social relationships, based on the Vedas and, according to Tradition,
given by Manu, the progenitor and first legislator of mankind), "where women are honored, . . .
the gods rejoice: but when they are neglected, all rites and ceremonies are fruitless. Where
women do not grieve, it [society] even prospers."22 However, it is surprising to note that
women to be recognized and accorded the love, respect and esteem they so deserve have to
resort to the "parliament of the streets" to air their grievances and be heard. In short, they
have to fight for their rights. Hence the organization "Association of the New Filipina, known as
KaBaPa in the Philippines [is] . . . one of the militant womens organizations . . . [and]
consistently struggles for equality, development, independence and peace."23 This
organization was able to bring "women from all walks of life together for the delegation to the
World Congress of Women in Moscow, June 1987, such as rural women workers, professional
and intellectuals, women in government and in the media."24

With all the women movements around the world, including the Philippines, the role of the
Filipino woman as mother or housewife has distinctively changed in the course of time,
whether it is good or bad, only time will tell. Perhaps, Winston Churchill25 was right when he
said, "It will be the same, I trust, as it has been since the days of Adam and Eve."
NOTES
1. Anne Firor Scott, "The Image: Queen of the Home," The Southern Lady: From Pedestal to
Politics 1830-1930 in Women and the Politics of Culture, Studies in the Sexual Economy, eds.
Michele Wender Zak and Patricia A. Moots (New York: Longman, 1983), p. 144.
2. Ann Oakley, Subject Women (New York: Pantheon Books, 1981), p. 1. (The Declaration of
Sentiments and Resolutions adopted by the first American womens suffrage convention in
1848 summarized the outlines of womens position in many countries of the world at that
time.)
3. Claudia Wallis, "Onward, Women," Time, December 4, 1989, p. 81.
4. Oakley, loc. cit.
5. W. L. ONeill, ed., The Woman Movement: Feminism in the United States and
England (London: Allen and Unwin, 1969), pp. 109-110, as cited by Oakley, p. 1.
6. Oakley, ibid.
7. Teodoro A. Agoncillo, A Short History of the Philippines (Kalookan City: Philippine Graphic
Arts, Inc., by arrangement with New York: The New American Library, 1975), p. 7.
8. Renato Constantino, "Identity and Consciousness: The Philippine Experience" (Quezon City,
Philippines, 1974), p. 25. (One of the main papers in Symposium 3 of the VIII World Sociology
Congress, Toronto, Canada, August 20, 1974.)
9. Websters Third International Dictionary, Vol. II, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1986, p. 1101.
10. Ibid.. p. 1100.
11. Ibid., Vol. III, p. 2161.
12. Ibid., Vol. II, p. 1306.
13. Jeanne Frances I. Illo, "Woman and Development: Alternative Roles and Strategies,"
in Society, Culture and the Filipino, ed. Mary R. Hollensteiner (Manila: Institute of Philippine
Culture, Ateneo de Manila University, 1979).

14. Ibid.
15. W.H.D. Rouse, Gods, Heroes and Men of Ancient Greece (New York: The New American
Library, Inc., 1957), p. 176.
16. Ibid.
17. Women and Development: Alternate Roles and Strategies.
18. Ibid.
19. The Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, 1986.
20. Women and Development: Alternate Roles and Strategies.
21. Henry Douglas Wild, Shakespeare: Prophet for our Time (Wheaton, Illinois: Theosophical
Publishing House, 1971).
22. Ibid.
23. Magdalena B. Castro, "A Wide Spectrum of Activities," Women of the Whole World, Journal
of the Womens International Democratic Federation (January 1989), p. 30.
24. Ibid., p. 48.
25. Winston Churchill, when asked by an ardent American feminist about the future role of
women; news summaries of May 31, 1954 as compiled in Contemporary Quotations, James B.
Simpson, comp. (New York: Thomas Y. Cromwell Company, 1964), p. 295.

The Role Of Women In Philippine Society

by Carmen Araneta
The ever-changing world has forced women in greater parts of the world to evolve into a much
stronger, more resilient and more driven person to take on the responsibility and burden of a
provider and leader for her family and for her community. In this part of the world, the
Philippines, women have evolved from the 'Maria Clara' image the conservatively demure
and graceful, submissive and stay-at-home wife and mother; and the epitome of religious virtue
or of the obsession to superstition to that of the modern Filipina, whose image vary
depending on socio-economic conditions or regional scenarios.
The images of the modern Filipina in urban Philippines create a series of contrasting pictures:
from the lady senator or congresswoman debating with male lawmakers on a session of the
House; to the ultra chic and socialite shopper in posh stores in Greenbelt 5; to the working-class
Filipinas queuing their way in train stations early weekday mornings; to the dancing girls in
night clubs tucked behind wide and tall buildings where foreigners and dirty-old men spend
their money and time until the wee hours of the morning and to the housemaids and "yayas"
(nannies) who come from the rural Philippines to work for families in the cities just to send
their small salary so that their families left in the provinces can eat.
The images of the modern Filipina in rural Philippines also vary, depending on the economic
status. For the majority, a rural Filipina works in a farm with her husband, tilling the soil and
planting rice. When she goes home, she takes care of several children while doing the house
chores. For the very few, she is an "haciendera", and simply manages the ranch making sure
everything is in order. These women belong to a family that owns hectares of land properties
and have tenant-farmers working for them.
And there is an image that stereotyped the Filipina for the rest of the world, but is labeled as
"hero" back in the Philippines: the image of a Filipina working abroad or as an Overseas Filipino
Worker (OFW). She works as a caregiver or a housemaid, which leads some to look down on her
and label her as such. But earns dollars to send back to her family in the Philippines, and much
to the delight of the government, this largely helps the economy. The census done by the
Philippine Statistics Authority back in 2007 counted approximately 857,000 female overseas
Filipino heroes working abroad. Can you imagine how many more Filipina heroes we have to
this date?
These images depict the role of women in Philippine society today. Although still bound by
cultural, religious, or socio-economic factors, the Filipina enjoys more freedom and equality
than many Southeast Asian women. While males still dominate many conservative Asian
families, majority of Filipinos now recognize the female power to contribute to the finances,
1

http://www.philippine-islands.ph/en/the_role_of_women_in_philippine_society-aid_34.html

education, and over-all well-being of the family unit. In fact, the womans share of work is no
longer an option but a necessity, mainly because of the growing inflation and cost of living, not
only here in the Philippines, but throughout the world.

Cultural and Religious Factors


Much of our culture and religion came from 300 years of Spanish rule. The Spanish influence
taught us that women should go to church every Sunday and pray, have as little education as
possible, and when grown up: get married and have kids wherein the womans job is to take
care of the family and household while the man is the sole breadwinner. Although this
influence is no longer prevalent in urban Philippines, this is still applicable to many rural
Filipinas. But underneath that submission is subtle leadership like when the Filipina employs
to indirectly run a small "sari-sari" (variety) store or influences family decisions. She is the one
who teaches the value of faith in God and helps educate her children to respect, honor and
obey elders. Even today, the modern Filipina has taken the task of nurturing and protecting her
children and managing her household all of which society and culture dictates while still
managing to be good at her job and thus helping her husband with their finances, until that
time that he leaves her, in many cases.
One of the greatest issues in Philippine culture and religion is divorce. As a predominantly
Christian nation, the Philippines struggled for so long to provide a legal "way out" for many
women, and men, from their marriages. Today, the Family Code, which was implemented in
1988, allows annulment of marriages on grounds of psychological incapacitation of a marital
partner. Hooray for women who suffer marital abuse, but sad for those women whose
husbands want to leave them for the other woman. However, the majority of Filipinos who
belong to the lower middle class and even below that, cannot afford the high cost of filing
annulment. Thus, they are left with no other option than just break away from the marriage
and make another family. Whichever way it goes, the end result would be for the separated
Filipina to assume the role of breadwinner, and both a mother and a father to her kids.
Statistics show that there were about at least 8,000 cases of annulments filed in the Philippines
in 2010. If we add those undocumented separations before 2010 and those in present time,
imagine how many women are out there struggling to make ends meet in order to raise a
family.
Socio-economic Factors
In a nation of 96.71 million people and still growing, poverty is the greatest socio-economic
problem it is facing today. As per the data given by the National Statistical Coordination Board
as of the first semester of 2012, more than a quarter, or specifically, 27.9% of the population is
below the poverty line. Poverty is the reason why many women are into prostitution, why they
succumb to fictitious job offers abroad, why they marry foreigners and why they enslave
themselves to work here and abroad. Sadly, we point our religious fingers at them without

considering the acidic pain that an empty stomach can bring and the dirt and the scum of really
frugal living conditions that they endure in order to survive.
The average Filipino therefore struggles to get an education, no matter how inconsiderately
high the prices of tuition. The hope is that through this education, he is able to find relief from
the mire that he woke up in to a better life ahead. This is the primary goal of a Filipino parent
for his children to be able to give them an education as a legacy that would last forever.
Where does the Filipina fit in all of these? Well, she helps in bringing all these to pass. She
works without hesitation; she finds ways and means for advancement and she saves and
budgets her hard-earned income in order to achieve this dream with her family. It is good to
know that she has the equal opportunity as men in today's world and she manages to get the
job done even if "she is just a woman", as most people put it.
Insights
In order to give you a better picture, let us look into the lives of three Filipinas who are
somewhat connected because of one place: "The Good Shepherd Bazaar", commonly called as
"Ruins", located at the heart of the commercial area of BF Homes Paraaque. It is composed of
various stalls selling different items at really good and discounted prices.
Our first story is about Leni, a 24 year old married woman with a five-year old son. She works as
a sales lady in one of the clothing shops in Ruins from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. She earns 150 pesos a
day, plus an average of 50 pesos as incentive. She rents a small room in a squatters' or slums
area, about 15 minutes riding time away from the bazaar, with her husband who earns the
minimum wage of 400 plus pesos as a contractual construction worker. With all the expenses
for rent, food, transportation and other basic necessities, almost nothing is left of the money
they earn. Whatever little amount they have, if theres any, they save for the future of their
son. Yet, in spite of all these, Leni is an effective sales lady; always smiling and caring for her
customers, taking care of the store as if it were her own, being honest with her sales accounts
to her boss, Melanie.
Melanie lives inside the BF Homes subdivision, legally annulled, mother of two kids and has
another business in Makati with her live-in partner, Jason. They could not get married simply
because Jason is under petition for migration to the United States which gets approved more
easily when you are single. Although financially endowed, she is unhappy because she is being
persecuted by the church she attends in by condemning her relationship out of wedlock. Yet,
everyday she manages to work and run her business at daytime. Before going home, she goes
to check on her store in the Ruins and to also bring dinner for Leni and her kid. Leni doesn't
know that Melanie has provided a sum of money so that her son can enroll in the next school
year.
A few stalls away is a store that sells pirated CDs and DVDs camouflaged by the many t-shirts
for sale, hanging on display. Fatima (pronounced as 'Fa-tee-mah'), a young, single Muslim
Filipina, who works as a sales lady in that store owned by another Muslim couple, has decided

to resign. Other than the stores similar to the one she works in is plagued by constant raids by
the Movie and Television Regulatory and Classification Board (MTRCB), the regulatory body that
monitors licenses for DVDs and CDs, Fatima decided to heed the demands of her family for her
to marry a much older Muslim man in Mindanao. She has the image of the modern Muslim
Filipina wearing jeans with long-sleeved blouse even in the heat of summer, but still wears a
veil that covers her hair and neck indicating that she is a Muslim. With tears falling from her
beautiful face, she says good-bye to Leni, her friend, and to her other sales lady-friends, to
venture into family life with a man she never knew, yet, bound by family traditions to marry.
These are three different stories filled with drama of three different women. They are different
in their socio-economic status and different in cultural backgrounds; yet exhibit the same drive,
the same resolve, and the same outlook in life trying to keep the peace and harmony and
contributing to the family's well-being and of others. These stories prove that the Filipina has
the ability to adapt to the dictates of culture and religion, while still strong enough to stand on
her own two feet when driven to a wall. Whether she is a wife, a mother, a friend, a
businesswoman or a factory worker, a politician or a street sweeper, a housemaid or an
overseas worker, a farmer or land owner, an entertainer or a prostitute, the Filipina is a force to
be reckoned with. No matter what, I am proud to be a Filipina.

Women in the Philippines: Inspiring and Empowered


Here in Asia Society Philippines, positions are held mostly by women. This is somehow an
affirmation of the 'women-friendly' societal conditions of the country. Although this is only a
small portion of a large and competitive professional community, reflections of the nation's
recognition of the role and importance of women are evident on aspects such as justice,
education, economics, politics and health. The last is still a debatable topic, with the current
issue of the Reproductive Health Bill in the Philippine Congress. Nevertheless, the country has
evolved from depicting women as only subservient and modest individuals to powerful nation
builders and leaders. It would be an understatement that this could all be attributed to the
efforts of the government, but it could not be denied that a democratic state stamped the
gateway of the formalization of women protection through the Constitution and its supporting
statutes.
Justice. This is characterized, according to Newsweek, by 'laws protecting women from
domestic violence, adolescent marriage and marital rape, and also womens access to land and
bank loans'. The Philippines has a handful of legislations that address the problems of abuse
and violence against women. One of these is Republic Act No. 9262, known as the "AntiViolence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004", that provides the penalties for such
offenses. The 'Anti-Rape Law of 1997' is also a good example. One of its key components is the
concept of 'marital rape', which protects married women from sexual abuse by their husbands.
In short, the Philippines has, not enough but, ample number of laws that ensure the protection
of women. There is still a need to solidify policies for prostitution, cyber and media exploitation
of women, but this does not mean that no such laws exists to protect them. The challenge is to
effectively improve and implement them.
Education. This is probably one of the areas that women have excelled on in the Philippines.
Education has been, for a long time, open to all gender since the American Thomasites have
started their academic institutions, which the Spanish tradition of primarily accepting male
students. Not only are the girls in this contemporary period enjoy equality but also outshines
their biological counterparts. According to the National Statistics Office of the Philippines (as of
2003), the basic and functional literacies of women in the country are 90.4% and 86.3%
compared to the 80.6% and 81.9% of that of the males. This does not imply a somehow 'battle
of the sexes', but shows that the Philippines hosts a sphere of gender equality for a healthy
academic competition.
Economics. Business and industries are still male-dominated fields, but this does not mean that
the women in the Philippines are just on the sidelines. Females in business are actually on the
rise. Some companies in the Philippines actually prefer to hire females due to their consistent
work ethic and professionalism. There are also top female business executives, like members
of the Asia Society Philippines' Board of Trustees: Ms. Tessie Sy-Coson and Ms. Doris
Magsaysay-Hoy. The former is a 'retail royalty'. She is the vice-chairman of SM Investments
and hailed by the Fortune Magazine as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in the World. The
latter, on the other hand, is a 'shipping heiress'. She is the head of the Magsaysay Maritime,
the largest manning company in the Philippines. A lot of women are now making their way up

in the ladder of corporate bureaucracies. This is shift from the stereotype housewives to
emerging group pf professionals.
Politics. Since the Commonwealth, Filipino women have been enjoying the right to suffrage
and eligibility to public offices through the Act No. 4112, approved by then Pres. Manuel L.
Quezon. Although men mostly hold public offices, women have likewise made their presence
felt. It is the Philippines who produced the first female president in Asia-- Corazon C. Aquino.
Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was its second. The Senate and the House of
Representatives also have its women legislators, like Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Pia
Cayetano and Loren Legarda. The "Party-list System Act" also open doors for more awareness
about the needs of women in the Lower House. Gabriela, a party-list group forwarding the
interests of women, has consistently won a congressional seat in the past elections. The
participation of women in Philippine governmental processes is predominantly a growing
spectrum.
Health. This is probably, among the other aspects, the waterloo of the Philippines. In
theNewsweek list, the country received only a 57.0 mark. This is relatively low compared to
education, politics, justice and economics. This may be attributed to high death rates of
women giving birth. The Reprodructive Health Bill is presently the most controversial topic in
the country. WIth the country's deep Catholic faith, the whole nation, specifically the
Congress, is divided whether this is beneficial to women or not, particularly. The future of this
bill, if it will be promulgated into a law, is still unknown since debates are on-going.

Although the Philippines still has rooms for improvement in addressing issues concerning
women, it is by-far a great place to become a woman. One of the best things that your country
could probably give to you is the chance to aspire and create your own future without unfair
limits. The Philippines could set an example to its Asian neighbors on how to move-on from
traditional mindsets and accept that everyone deserves equal opportunities and treatment
regardless of appearance, size, color, age and gender.

The status of women in the Philippines: a 50-year retrospective


By LILA RAMOS SHAHANI October 3, 2012 4:03pm

Looking back at the past 50 years, how do we assess the status of women in this country,
particularly in light of recent debates on the reproductive health (RH) bill? While women make
up over half of the population and their contribution to society has clearly been incalculable, a
disparity remains between the fulfillment of their needs, on the one hand, and the services and
protections afforded to them by the state, on the other.
Without a doubt, the institutional empowerment of women can be traced as far back as the
Marcos era, with the establishment of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women
(now the Philippine Commission on Women) in 1975, which served -- and continues to serve -as the national machinery for integrating women into the economic and socio-cultural fabric of
the country.
Later administrations followed suit in acknowledging women as a priority, with President
Corazon Aquinos (Cory) Philippine Development Plan for Women; President Fidel V. Ramos
(FVR) Gender and Development Budget and his administrations grant of full representation of
women in the Social Service Commission; President Estradas (Erap) Philippine Agenda for
Women Empowerment; and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyos (GMA) Framework Plan for
Women and Magna Carta for Women.
A fresh analysis: education, employment, violence against women and health
At the outset, it bears mentioning that a significant problem in this country has often been not
only the paucity of data but comparing data across time. In this case, each administration has
tended to emphasize different indicators over others, and part of the challenge in assessing the
changing status of women has been to find a common set of measurable indicators that remain
meaningful in a comparative sense.
Despite these limitations, what follows here is a brief examination of each presidential
administrations attempts to improve the welfare of women with respect to specific indicators
of critical importance: education, employment, violence against women, and health all of
which demonstrate, in deeply fundamental ways, the integral part that gender has played in
the developmental strategies crafted by each administration.

Education
Following the definitions set by the National Statistical Coordination Board, Simple Literacy
Rate (SLR) indicates a persons ability to read and write while understanding a simple message
in any language or dialect, while Functional Literacy Rate (FLR) assumes a higher level of
literacy, including a grasp of numeracy, encompassing the overall ability of a person to use
written communication in carrying out important activities in his/her life.
In the charts above, a striking pattern emerges, that of women's ability to outperform men in
the acquisition of both simple and functional literacy. This has often been attributed to
women's greater diligence in the primary and secondary years, and the tendency of boys to be
involved in games, truancy, gangs, and other forms of social violence. However, additional data
demonstrates that, in tertiary education, the gender disparity narrows because these also
happen to be child-bearing years for many young women.
Employment
In the chart above, we observe a startling reversal. Women's consistent edge in literacy over
men is subverted in the area of employment. Over time, women tend to lag behind men in the
work force. How do we explain this persistent gap between the genders in employment rates
through each administration? In addition to gender discrimination in many institutions,
particularly in higher paying jobs, there are often inadequate facilities that would enable
women to combine work and family responsibilities. Mismatches between education and the
job market; forms of work-place inequities that keep women in and from certain kinds of jobs;
high maternal and neonatal mortality rates; and cultural and economic pressures that compel
educated women to stay at home and care for the family are among some of the oft-cited
reasons.
Under the Cory administration, a significant piece of legislation to address this gender
imbalance came from former Senator Leticia Ramos Shahanis amendments to the labor code.
These were intended to strengthen the prohibition on discrimination against women with
respect to terms and conditions of employment, which meant that a woman should not be
discriminated against in terms of pay, training opportunities, and promotion. Under FVR, the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)s Womens Center was
established to train and strengthen women's proficiency in fields usually dominated by men.
TESDA also sought to expand opportunities for community-based employment for girls who had
only completed primary and secondary education. During the Estrada administration, the
Philippine Agenda for Women Empowerment was inaugurated with a grant of PHP 3 billion to
encourage women entrepreneurs. In line with this, President Arroyo duly highlighted the need
to fight sexual discrimination in the workplace with the Magna Carta for Women, in addition to

establishing a partnership with the Departments of Labor and Employment and Social Welfare
and Development to deliver necessary services for female migrant workers. Still, despite all
these measures, the gender gap in employment rates unfortunately persists as of this writing,
presenting a continuing challenge to current and future administrations.
Violence against women
Without doubt, the most vexing area of study has to do with actual violence, which women
have to contend with on a daily basis. The Martial Law era was particularly notorious for many
unrecorded cases of political imprisonment, torture, rape and killings that included countless
women that remained nameless and faceless to this day. Violence against women included
arrest without warrant, confinement, deprivation of basic needs, sexual harassment and abuse.
In the wake of Marcos years, the Cory administration released political detainees, restored the
writ of habeas corpus and created the Commission on Human Rights. During the Ramos
administration, the groundbreaking Anti-Rape Law (R.A. 8353) was finally passed (after eleven
long years), with former Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani as its principal author. Prior to this law,
rape had been defined as a crime against chastity, presenting daunting obstacles for women
who hoped to press charges against their attackers. The new Anti-Rape Law reclassified rape as
a crime of violence against persons, making it possible for anyone male or female, gay or
straight, virgin or not -- to lodge criminal complaints against their attackers. Under Arroyo, a
new law (R.A .9262) further strengthened the law by adding children to the list of victims, and
increasing the penalties for rape.
More recently, the passage of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act in 2003 has had a significant
effect in curbing illegal recruitment schemes. Seeking to halt the abuse and sexual exploitation
of women, children and even men, this law has sought to abolish trafficking and sexual slavery.
The graph above demonstrates the Department of Justices growing efforts to apprehend and
convict persons guilty of trafficking offenses since 2004.
Health
The focus on women's reproductive health has varied from one administration to another,
particularly with respect to the issue of fertility reduction. Under Marcos, Presidential Decree
79 established the National Family Planning Program that sought to respect the religious beliefs
of individuals. However, the Cory administration was heavily influenced by the doctrines of the
Catholic Church, which opposed artificial birth control. Cory thus tended to focus primarily on
maternal and child health issues at the expense of fertility reduction.

During Ramos tenure, the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan was launched, directly
addressing the issue of population growth, as well as the improvement of maternal and child
health. In addition, the Department of Health released Administrative Order No. 1-A, detailing a
comprehensive 10-element Reproductive Health Program.
Under Estrada, family planning had originally taken a back seat. Erap was quoted in the
newspapers as having said that he was against family planning, extolling the advantages of
having a large family. Certainly, the Medium-Term Development Plan of 1999-2004 did not
include strong policies to moderate population growth, nor did the implementation of a family
planning program address fertility reduction. To address this, National Economic Development
Authority Director-General and Commission on Population (PopCom) Chair Dr. Felipe Medalla
and Department of Health Secretary Alberto G. Romualdez, Jr. took the initiative to reshape the
Philippine Population Management Program for 2001-2004 to include a more robust family
planning policy. But Estradas term was short-lived, as were, regrettably, the terms of the
PopCom board members.
More ambiguous were President Arroyos policies on family planning as a means to curb
population growth. Although she acknowledged the problems of uncontrolled population
growth, her administrations family planning program focused less on fertility reduction and
more on neo-natal and children's health care, as well as natural family planning methods.
What remains to be done?
Clearly, although significant progress has been made in the status and welfare of women over
the last fifty years, many challenges remain.
Gender equity in education continues to improve, with records from the Commission on Higher
Education noting a comparison of 57.44% female graduates (269,748) versus 42.56% male
graduates (199,906) in the Academic Year 2009-2010. However, women still lag behind men in
employment despite a rise in the percentage of professionally licensed women in 2010 at
63.7% over mens 36.3%, mens employment in 2012 is still significantly higher at 78.4% over
womens 50.4%. The socio-cultural explanations for this astonishing reversal have already been
discussed above. But what this trend clearly underscores is the fact that our educated women
remain seriously under-tapped in this growing economy.
An even more pressing concern is the continued violence against women throughout the
country. A laudable achievement, however, is that the Philippines is now at Tier 2 Status in the
Global Trafficking in Persons Report, no longer in the notorious Tier 2 Watch List Status, which
means our international partners now recognize the vigorous efforts both government and civil
society have made to combat human trafficking at home and abroad. Another positive

development has been the passing of the Kasambahay Bill (H.B. 6144) in the House, which
protects the rights of the 1.9 million domestic workers in this country.
But a recent law decriminalizing vagrancy (R.A. 10158, or the revision of Article 202 of the
Revised Penal Code), sponsored by Senator Chiz Escudero and Representative Victorino
Socrates has had unintended consequences on women. Regrettably, female prostitutes (unlike
male prostitutes and vagrants) continue to be criminalized, while men who participate in their
exploitation are not held liable for prosecution. This lack of protection afforded to female
prostitutes is in conflict with the Magna Carta for Women and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons
Act, which mandates the protection of women from abuse and violence. A more nuanced AntiProstitution Bill that targets the demand side by criminalizing those who exploit and engage in
prostitution and human trafficking would have a far-reaching impact in the protection of
women from violence. As of this time, there are pending versions of this bill in the House and
Senate, which greatly needs public support.
In terms of health, our maternal mortality ratio remains high at an alarming 221 per 100,000
live births, while HIV rates have been increasing with a 37% rise of documented cases in the
past two years.
And, last but not least, the Reproductive Health (RH) bill has become absolutely critical for this
nation. Passing the RH bill would empower women, especially those in the poorest sectors with
the highest fertility rates, allowing them to make all-important choices for themselves and for
their families. Indeed, the Aquino administration has been unwavering in its support of
reproductive health and responsible parenthood, regarding these as crucial elements in the
pursuit of national development.
In the final analysis, reproductive health empowers a woman in deeply significant ways since
the proper interventions could determine whether she will finish tertiary education or not, can
get better jobs in the job market, can combine home and work, will ever break the glass ceiling
if she is genuinely gifted, will survive childbirth, and can live a life free from violence. Which
means that reproductive health is not only a health measure, in the end, but an anti-poverty
strategy that ultimately hopes to empower women and set them free.
Assistant Secretary Lila Ramos Shahani is Head of Communications of the Human Development
and Poverty Reduction Cabinet Cluster, which covers 26 government agencies dealing with
poverty and development.

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