Garbed in Filipiniana fashion, women lawmakers on Monday dominated the House of Representatives as they attended in full force in presiding over the all-women session held by the House to celebrate National Women’s Day.
“FM” Romualdez (2nd from right) poses with 101 year-old former Lady Senator
Helena Benitez (seated on wheelchair) during the plenary of the House of
Representatives. Benitez was conferred with a commendation for her role in uplifting
the status of women in the Philippines. VER NOVENO
“Women power is well and alive in Congress”, said Pangasinan Rep. Gina de Venecia, who served as the official House Speaker for the day.
De Venecia is the President of the 79-strong Association of Women Legislators Foundation, Inc. (AWLFI), composed of all the women lawmakers at the House.
“Ours is a matriarchal nation, that’s why the gender gap here is slim, as evidenced by the number of female leaders who hold positions of power in practically all spheres of society—from the judiciary, the Cabinet, the business sector and even the military. And while the women lawmakers at 79 is but a third fraction of the entire House membership, “women legislators are on par with our male counterparts, in terms of lawmaking competence,” De Venecia said.
Several women lawmakers took turns conveying their messages in the celebration of the women’s month through privilege speeches tackling issues on women during the all-women session.
Zamboanga Sibugay Rep. Ann Hofer stressed the “the Power of the Feminine, to care, to love, to nurture, to listen, to be quiet, to nourish the soul and, consequently, to create harmony and peace.”
Pangasinan Rep. Rose Marie Arenas talked about armed conflict; Batangas Rep. Elenita Milagros Ermita-Buhain on entrepreneurship; Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan on the plight of women workers; Masbate Rep. Elisa Kho on pioneering women in medical practice; Gabriela party-list Rep. Emmi de Jesus on the women’s voices for truth and accountability; Bulacan Rep. Linabelle Ruth Villarica on the fundamental equality between men and women by Rep. Linabelle Ruth Villarica and Batanes Rep. Henedina Abad on paying tribute to women as peacebuilders.
Another highlight of the all-women session was the presentation of a House commendation honoring Dr. Helena Zoila Benitez, whom De Venecia describes as “a woman of many firsts.”
De Venecia, wife of former Speaker Jose de Venecia, authored House Resolution 1956, which honored Benitez as first Filipina, the first Asian, and the first woman international academic and legislative leader inducted into the Democracy Hall of Fame International in 2003.
In the Philippines, March was declared as Women’s Role in History Month through Proclamation No. 227 in 1988 while March 8 was proclaimed as National Women’s Day with the enactment of Republic Act 6949 in 1990. HREP’s Women’s Day celebration is jointly sponsored by AWLFI and the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality.
In January, the International Labor Organization’s Bureau for Employers’ Activities reported that the Philippines bested other Asian countries in terms of the proportion of women among managers. The Global Gender Gap report in 2014 also claimed the Philippines is number one in Asian nations when it comes to gender equality.