Labor in Building Social Infrastructures

The dignity in Emotional Labor is seldom appreciated

Yes, everything you see around physically is a result of someone's labor but examine also the emotional labor spent

in Advocacy Work,

in promoting human rights & women's rights as human rights,

in promoting harm reduction as health care for person's deprived of liberty in jails,

in the emotional labor in mentoring & teaching,

in community organizing,

in building social infrastructures, social capital & social relationships.

What people see are physical monuments & physical infrastructures.

Take a look again, & indeed "what is essential is invisible to the eye"

Have a dignified Labor Day

Davao City Justice Zone under the EU Go- Just Program

Women & Men in Politics & Governance at the Ateneo de Davao Community Center

Sisterhood: PILIPINA - Davao

Kaye S. Antonio at the UN in Geneva

with Hon. Pilar Braga at Sangguniang Panglunsod 

Ma. Iris Melliza, Ed.D.: Portrait of a Woman as An Educator

Iris is a teacher, a feminist, a consumer activist, a school administrator & director of various social development organizations. As one of the founding leaders of PILIPINA - Davao, she has inspired and mentored many young women in the women’s movement. 

Most of all, Iris has been the political head & heart of PILIPINA Legal Resources Center, Inc., as she serves as our center’s Chair of the Board of Trustees for decades now & gratis et amore.  

In 2023, she was awarded the 2023 Catholic Education Association of the Philippines (CEAP) Catholic School Heroes Award. Iris is also a Datu Bago Awardee.  

 Oct 8, 2025: Iris on her 85th birthday with Fellows of PILIPINA Davao
        & PILIPINA Legal Resources Center, Inc. 

Iris, as we fondly call her, has been an educator for about 50 years now.
She worked in schools that to her would best fit her ideology like Assumption College of Davao and the Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC). She is also very passionate about her involvements with select NGOs, the cultural arts, feminist and consumer movements.

At Assumption College of Davao, she embarked into alternative education or education for social transformation, which was informed by the basic tenet of the Vatican II Papal encyclical which is “integral evangelization.” Iris thinks a bug bit her that has since then directed her life. Assumption College of Davao and Iris just synchronized together in the beautiful discovery that real Christianity and real Christian education should be an education that addresses both spiritual and temporal needs.

Iris thinks every human being deserves to live a dignified life and that is what the phrase “integral evangelization” means to her. Integral evangelization by Iris radiates to all groups that she belongs to, starting with her family, with her workplace, with involvement with her sisters and brothers in the parish, in the school, wherever she is.

Iris is happy that Assumption College of Davao is still one of the few schools which has really committed itself to education for social transformation. With this trailblazing work in the academe, it was not difficult for her successors and the congregation to consider feminist education as feminism was already in the curriculum.

This feminism in academe gave way to a funding grant from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for a project of making modules that focus on human rights especially on feminism & integrating it in the curriculum for the Sunday school. Iris would say that blessed is the Sunday school of Assumption College of Davao and until now she has not yet heard of any other Sunday school whose curriculum is as feminist and as oriented to human rights as that of Assumption College of Davao.

When she came to Holy Cross of Davao College, her appointment’s mandate is to bring accreditation to Holy Cross which is an indicator of what a good academic institution should be. Since then, Iris has been in the roster of accrediting institutions. Archbishop Mabutas during the appointment said “Bring development as well as the integral evangelization aspect of Assumption College to Holy Cross of Davao College.”

Iris has brought feminism to the academe through various projects.
During her stint as President, HCDC was in consortium with the Mindanao Working Group at the Ateneo de Davao University on reproductive health rights program.
It was an integration program using modules to integrate feminism in the college curriculum.

Through Iris, HCDC is one of the first schools which complied with the requirement of drafting school guidelines for the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act as required by law.
They have addressed sexual harassment cases already according to the spirit of the law. Another project by Iris in HCDC was the BEAM project, an Australian funded project for basic education in the pre-service component.
The BEAM project much like the Ateneo consortium project also involved the integration of feminism in the school curriculum. The College has orientation for students on feminism under the HCDC guidance program which is given to all students of Holy Cross of Davao College.

The latest passion of Iris is with the Culture and the Arts. She has been the Vice-chair of the National Committee on Museum and has been the President of Mindanao Associations of Museums. Through Iris, Holy Cross of Davao College has its own museum now.

This new endeavor for the Arts and Culture is towards peace, harmony and for blending with nature.
The art by Iris is inspired by her concern for Mindanao.
Iris says “If we truly believe that there should be pluralism of cultures, then we have to live it in anything we do, in any group where we are in and in the consciousness that plurality can thrive with harmony and unity of purpose.”

Her life has come to a level where she thinks she seems to blend with all quietly. Her passion for human rights and women’s rights is evolving towards harmonizing groups. At this juncture in her life, Iris is reflecting on the highlights of her life.

Her empathy for others springs from having lived in a small town, close to nature & simple lifestyle and having had originated from a lower - middle - class family with some deprivations and limitations. Life has given her passions which are very positive drives for her to continue to live simply and not to be enslaved by wants.

Over the years, Iris says her needs are becoming fewer and fewer. Iris is happier with meeting fewer needs knowing the limitations and the deprivations of a large number of our people. She attributes her formation to pre-Vatican II & the Christian Perfection in the early 70’s which was a kind of renaissance: to work for the dignity of people. 
Catholic education, then, meant conflating learning outcomes with the goals of the 2nd Vatican Council which were to address the connection of the Church & the post - modern world.
Iris shares that all these have now evolved to Synodality (communion, partnership & mission).

And now, she is going into another level: blending activism with the culture and arts because of the belief that there is unity in diversity. On earth, Iris says, one can reach Christian perfection by harmonizing, by unifying, and by building and not destroying.

Iris has two wonderful children, Jojo who works in the corporate world in Manila & Riza who is with the Teresian Association of Lay Missionaries which runs POVEDA, a private, Roman Catholic co-educational school in the heart of Metro Manila's Ortigas Business District in Quezon City.  

Finally, without any hesitation, she would say that the crowning glory of her life is being a grandmother because she thinks she did her best in her parenting but now she knows this new cycle & phase in her life can be lovely by grand parenting her grandchildren.

Iris is also so glad to note that if kids are brought well at home, they can have good manners, they can be very sensitive, they can love nature, they can avoid junk food, and they have graceful language.

Iris is discovering all of these grandparenting again in her grandchildren.
And how she wishes they would continue to be such a lovable human beings and persons as they grow up. Iris says, “It’s really learning from my mistakes as a parent and then doing better parenting to my grandchildren. I have three boys and one girl, all very lovable.”

                                            Portrait: Iris & Riza Melliza

 

Isabelita Solamo: EKRAN BERHAD/SLS (San Remegio, Libertad, San Isidro) Cooperative: A STORY in PROGRESS at the Island Garden City of Samal Islands

                                                   The Ekran Berhad Resort in the nineties 
                                                                                   Photo credit: Rene Lumawag 

Back Story

In the late nineties, 839 hectares have been covered by the Dept of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR’s) Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) & given to farmer beneficiaries with some retention in terms of hectarage to the original owners (Fernandez Hermanos Corporation).

At that time, since lands acquired thru Agrarian Reform may not be sold or transferred or conveyed for a period of ten years, the farmers have formed into a cooperative & leased such lands to a Malaysian corporation (EKRAN BERHAD) which has developed such tract of land into a resort estate in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT).

A casino resort complex is in place except that it has ceased operation.

Earlier on, one of the first steps taken was to declare the land unfit for agriculture even if, ironically, the farmers have been tilling the land since time immemorial.

The awarded land now belongs to the SLS (San Remegio, Libertad, San Isidro) cooperative.

At the start, it was a common - ownership & so each beneficiary then could not claim title to a specific area. But, now, some have sold their areas of occupancy. These areas of occupancy which were sold out have had lot - technical - descriptions & segregated from the larger undivided common area.

During the stage of resort construction, many of the farmers were employed as construction workers & when the resort was done, farmers found themselves unemployed & with no land to till. The beneficiaries’ share of the lease payments from EKRAN BERHAD has been spent a long time ago. Over the years, this Malaysian corporation has not paid taxes to the Island Garden City of Samal.

An Imagined Future for the SLS Community

Security issues beset the community now.

Non - beneficiaries have occupied some areas not their own.

Still, there is a humane process of ejection: notice & hearing and more.  

And yes, there are laws & Cooperative Rules that must be followed.

Making the SLS community productive will need finance which can be outsourced from both the public & the private sector.

The Agrarian Reform (AR) beneficiaries will also need technical assistance for their projects.

The 839 hectares less the retention of the original owners can be turned into many projects: a district hospital, housing, farms. After all, the community has formed into a cooperative.

Also - the LGU needs to collect taxes from Malaysia's Ekran Berhad – an added income for the city. The Samal LGU may use some of its 20% development fund from its 1.3 billion budget this year for touristic projects in this community.

Most of all, the SLS community itself does not lack imagination on how to turn their dreams into reality with the help of the Samal Island Local Government Unit & private investors.

~ with Incoming Mayor Toto Reyes
  Kay Antonio
 SLS Coop Chair, Presie Negro, Atty - in - Fact, Helen S. Perez
Kgwad Gen Rockvoy, SamalBorn Shamo

 

 

 

 

KAY Solamo ANTONIO: Keynote Speech at Davao City 25th Women’s Summit. March 4, 2025

Theme: BABAYE Sa Tanang SEKTOR: Nagpaniguro sa Malambuong Kaugmaon  

Distinguished Guests, Women & Men gender advocates from LGUs, Local & National agencies, NGOs, POs, & all sectors of Davao City

HAPPY Women’s Month!

A) On Women’s Organizations as an effective machinery for promoting women’s rights today & tomorrow

I am current Chair of PILIPINA- Davao, a feminist organization which is 43 years old & established before I was born.

We define feminism as: being aware that there is inequality not only between women & men but it is also about the social, economic & political inequality between social classes in our society AND doing something to address this inequality through ACTION. But, to be able to translate all these into action or programs, we must have a correct reading of the issues & concerns of women & men from all sectors.

 In a few words: to be a feminist, we have to be aware, reflect & act.

As programs, feminism has been conceptualized & implemented as Gender & Development programs for all sectors.

And, women are not just a sector but half of all the sectors. 

We cannot do the work of feminism or promotion of Gender & Development ALONE in our individual capacities & which is why we need women’s organizations as the mechanism or the machinery  for promotion gender equality & development for all the sectors

One of the success stories of our women’s movement is that it is preparing successors – so that we can go on.

We call this sustainability or mechanisms for continuity towards a successor generation so that the work of our elders goes on.

That we have successors, is making sure that our tomorrow is taken care of: BABAYE Sa Tanang SEKTOR: Nagapaniguro sa Malambuong Kaugmaon  

In the barangays, these are our Barangay Women’s Council including the Barangay Development Council or membership in the City Development Councils.  

B) Policies, Ordinances & Laws for Women, Men & Development as Basis for Programs that will ensure implementation

Another way of ensuring that our tomorrow is taken care of is making sure that current policies address the issues of women that are constantly updated to be gender responsive always.

Aside from our women’s movement which is PILIPINA Davao, I am also a fellow of PILIPINA Legal Resources Center, a social development agency which implements programs for women, men & development.

Our center started giving direct legal services to victims of rape & violence against women in the mid eighties: 1985 to 1995.

It turned out that legal center for women was swamped with many women reporting domestic violence; and many only wanted us to hear their stories. So, the legal center also  engaged the services of a psychologist.

From then on, the work of our center shifted to advocating for laws that will address these complaints of women.

A piece of ordinance or law affects all; changes behavior & imposes penalty for violation.

So, in 1990, Atty Emelina Quintillan drafted for a bill for Senator Shahani to reform the RAPE Law: & basically changing the language of rape from crime against chastity (women may suffer in silence to so called preserve the family’s honor to naming Rape as a crime against person or a crime against the People of the Philippines.

Then, in 1992, the national women’s movement PILIPINA decided that one of its goals should be putting women in positions of power & authority. Thus, PILIPINA entered politics & so ABANSE!PINAY was created as a party list & Congresswoman Patricia Sarenas, one of our center’s director won as our party’s representative. In Congress, our center’s director was the main author of Anti Violence Against Women & Their Children Act

(RA 9262).

This was also about the same time that the DAVAO City Women’s Development Code was passed in 1997 & its Implementing RULES was also passed in 1998.

Along with various women’s groups, both PLRC & PILIPINA Davao were part of its drafting.

Then, in 2020, the DAVAO City Women’s Code was updated or amended in order to localize national legislations such as the Magna Carta of Women.

The Davao City Women’s Movement has always classified our Women’s Code as an ordinance which is about the economic, social & political participation & empowerment of women & everyone.

B1. Economic Empowerment of Women

Our 1997 Davao City Women Development Code as amended in 2020 says that women has the right to

LIVELIHOOD, CREDIT, CAPITAL & TECHNOLOGY.  Developing programs for these should be within Davao City’s 6% budget for women probably the highest in the country as most LGUs use the 5% indicative budget in the GAA.

The Davao City Women’s Code, in particular has legislated a socialized Lending for Women: All banks & Money lending institutions shall open special windows for lending to women & a certificate of income generating activity from the barangay captain will constitute access to these loans.

Let me highlight these agenda promoted by the Davao Women Leaders’ Forum (DaWoLF) of which I am also a member.

B1a) Support the creation of sustainable industries that will generate equal employment opportunities

         for women and guarantee equal pay for the work of women  and financial independence;

B1b)  Invest in women credit unions and women-led and managed social enterprises in

          transforming the local economy;

          An example which has been presented in the recent Davao City Women’s Summit

          is the GOLDEN UNICORN Savings & Credit Cooperative;

         For membership or for training, you may get in touch Ms Patmei Ruivivar through

         the Integrated Gender & Development Division  at Davao City Hall (IGDD)

         

B1c)  Promote sustainable development, use  of renewable energy sources and

          environmental justice.

         For example: Davao City is studying the application of  a proposed 50 megawatt

         Solar Plant in Baguio, Calinan  District of Davao City.

         The project is undergoing compliance with national requirements; It has also been

          referred to the Local Zoning Board for permit to “allow use” as a solar farm.

         For the shift to renewable energy, those vulnerable sectors affected must have

         protection.

         The poor must not bear the cost of the transition from dirty energy to renewable

          energy.

         Social Preparation of community & consumers is crucial to Just Energy Transition:

         examples: government subsidy in the development

         & management of the required cooperatives in Public Utility Vehicles

         Modernization Program (PUVMP).

B2   Social Protection for the BASIC SECTORS

         I filed for candidacy as City Councilor for the Island Garden City of Samal &

        one of my proposed policies is localization of the Magna Carta for

        the Poor through allocation of budget for these programs.

        I have been sharing to communities that the budget of the Samal LGU is 1 Billion

        & 340 million & that 20% of that is for social development.

        In Davao City, the budget is  P14.3 billion  & it is to the credit of the Davao City

        women’s movement that the budget for Gender &

       Development is 6% of the total annual budget & which for  2025 amounts to

       PhP 840 million, probably the highest %  in the country as most LGUs use the 5%

       indicative budget in the GAA.

      Who are the sectors? Our 1987 Constitution lists the Ff under the Party List

      system: labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities,

     women, youth.

     The Law for the Urban Poor (NAPC) lists 14 basic sectors: Small farmers and rural

     workers, Fisherfolk, Urban poor, Workers in the formal economy,

     Workers in the informal economy, Migrant workers, Indigenous Peoples, Moro,

     Children, Senior citizens, Persons with disabilities, and Solo parents.

     Our Magna Carta of Women whose main author is our own Ma’am LUZ Ilagan:

    defines marginalized sectors as groups of people who are

     vulnerable, or disadvantaged.

     These groups are often in poverty and have limited access to resources and services. 

     The Magna Carta of Women has also defined Women in Especially Difficult

    Circumstances: as women who have experienced abuse, trafficking,    

     including women in detention or women deprived of liberty

     Our current advocacy project with PILIPINA Legal Resources, PHILSSA,

     UN Women, Davao City Justice ZONE & women’s groups like Kyabaan &

     the GWP is about the Dignity & Rights of Women deprived of Liberty.

     When passed soon, our proposed local ordinance whose main author is

     Councilor Pilar Braga ~  will be the 1^st in the country & a model at the ASEAN level.

     While the national proposed legislation on the DIGNITY of Women Deprived of

      LIBERTY by the GWP as already been approved at the  Committee on Justice at the

      House of Representatives  

B3: Finally: On Women’s POLITICAL Participation in this season of the mid term elections.

The provision on the seats for women in positions of power & authority under Davao City Women Development Code is the 1^st in  the country &

 I will endeavor to also pass this a part of the Gender & Development Code of the Island Garden City of Samal when elected.

1. Legal Candidate Quota: Political parties joining in local elections are encouraged that women are at least 40%

2. Davao City LGU  is encouraged that at least 40% City Legislative Council (Sangguniang Panglunsod) are women; so it can be more.

3. Davao City & the Punong Barangay must ensure that in the Barangay Development Council: 40% of members are women (Based on the Local Government Code)

4. The City Development Council: 40 are women (based on the Magna Carta of Women

5. Under Law Enforcement – 50% of the positions are held by women (Based on the Magna Carta of Women)   

Let me end this keynote speech with a poem by Emily Dickinson on HOPE

 

"Hope" is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the Gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I 've heard it in the chillest land,

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.”

     

Wielding my thoughts for 2022 with deep resolve

 

Dear friends, You all have made my 2021 bearable in many ways.

The past two years have been dystopic for most of us.

Covid 19 altered many ways of doing things: ways of formal learning, conduct of careers, livelihood, travel & leisure took a backseat.

Many of us are into a work from home set- up which is mostly done digitally.

Group meetings & conferences are being done online;

food & basic necessities are being ordered online, too.

But, there are really many things like services which cannot be downloaded online.

To keep our sanity, we planted greens & flowers, watched films & shared notes on what K dramas to watch on Netflix;

reading or entertainment is the escape mode.

Covid 19 is forever mutating & as I write this, new variants are emerging, along with Omicron.

It seems that we will have to live with this virus & mutants for a long time.

As determined by Charles Darwin, ages ago, adaptation to these changes (& of course preparation) are the ways to go to survive.

We had worst moments, too: not only that our homes were destroyed by changing climates & human folly but lives were lost, too, in the name of laws & enforcement that are unjust and inhuman.

My wishes for 2022 are focused on the May elections & electoral - agenda - compliance - monitoring after the elections which should be part of our duties as citizens towards our common causes.

I hope that from here-on, we think seriously of the May 2022 elections & choose well our next leaders.

Surveys in the run up to elections, which are pictures at points in time, can still change. There is plenty of time.

The campaign period still has to start in February 8, 2022, for national candidates.

Messages can be manipulated in a way that the masses of voters who are earning less than the minimum wage can believe in some fake “golden” promises.

Machinery, money, & mind manipulation in media & even in academia can make an incompetent win.

For now, each voter thinks that her/his vote cannot win a candidate. Or that whether or not, s/he condones vote buying will not matter as governance will go on, whoever wins.

Which is why, it is important to look at the background & track record & competencies of candidates.

Let us choose the best candidate who can represent us & who can deliver what we hold dear in our hearts: our children’s future, employment & livelihood for all, policies & programs which will ensure the enforcement of our basic social & economic rights.

The good governance narratives are well known to the literati in academia & in the world of social development.

I hope that these narratives are translated to policies that will have impact at village levels. Cheers, I. B. Solamo

Isabelita Solamo: The Philssa project* on Women's Access to Justice: Women In Conflict With The Law (WICL) & Evolving Interventions In The Time of The Pandemic

Introduction 

What was the message of PHILSSA and implementing partners on Access to Justice & Women in Conflict with the Law (WICL)?

There are constant messages which pertain to fundamental human rights but our interventions will have to adapt to the onerous conditions experienced by women in conflict with law in the time of this COVID 19 pandemic.

On Nov 20, 2020, there was a whole team workshop which initially discussed the meaning of WICL & which was pursued by sharing the project documents to the whole team such as the call for proposal by UN Women & other documents. PILIPINA, an implementing partner of this project shared to us that there is a provision in the Magna Carta of Women that includes women in detention under the section on Women in Especially Difficult Circumstances.

Community profiles on WICL in target communities were empirically obtained through a study led by JJCICSI, the project’s partner on Research, Advocacy & Monitoring. PILIPINA, the project’s local implementing partner in Metro Manila & Tambayan, the local implementing partner in Davao City mobilized the target communities for data collection.

These community profiles enriched the meaning of WICL, which became the project’s empirically verifiable message on WICL and which was shared to stakeholders & appropriate government agencies.

The project’s template for gathering data on the community profiles pertaining to women in conflict with the law (WICL) was designed to provide a picture of the actual conditions of WICL in nine (9) communities in two metropolitan Ph cities.

These community profiles were some of the major messages communicated during the March 10, 2021 national project launch as well as our March 23 local launch.

As well, in that forum on WICL, SALIGAN, the project’s implementing partner for Legal Literacy & Legal Services shared both the content & method of training women as paralegals, which will be the community advocates for WICL.

All the above implementing partner organizations have activity plans which outline expected output, methods & messaging which are discussed with the whole project team. 

Initial Conversations about WICL

The messages below were sent to the whole team of Philssa – UN Women A2J Project on Nov 26, 2020, after the Nov 20 whole team workshop, which saw the need to clarify the meaning of WICL as a project team.

The meaning of Women in Conflict with the Law, (WICL) as currently used in development circles is that it is a concept used in in relation to women's - access -  to justice, as a right itself & access to justice programs are some of the development interventions. 

The right of access to justice as based in UN CEDAW is a fundamental component of the rule of law, good governance, & human rights guarantees.

From the UN Call for our current A2J proj (CFP No. CFP-PHL-2020-001)
we found the following: 

 

Activity 1: Increase awareness of women’s rights among women and communities

This activity will focus on supporting women to navigate the formal and informal justice systems available to them in the context of women in conflict with the law. (underscoring mine) 

The project is underpinned by empowerment objectives which mean that approaches will not be prescribed for the women and there will be no control over how women choose to use the information received.
Instead, tools and activities to support women’s legal literacy will be developed.
These may include awareness raising tools to support women’s understanding of their formal and informal justice options after being charged with a drug crime from interactions with law enforcement and preliminary hearings through to plea-bargaining and post-custodial rehabilitation options.
(underscoring mine)

▪ Provide high-quality legal literacy and access to justice services to women in conflict with the law including in the context of drug crimes. The legal literacy services should bridge formal and informal justice sectors and incorporate psychosocial support for women. 
Source: https://www2.unwomen.org/-/media/field%20office%20eseasia/docs/tor/2020/01/20200110_phl_cfp_a2j.pdf?la=en&vs=3309

Another conceptual & contextual meaning comes from oh.chr.org: 

"....the standards and norms that are applicable to ensuring that women in conflict with the law are not denied justice services at any stage of the justice chain.

"Using the three programming entry points outlined in the Introduction and Module 1
(creating an enabling environment for women’s access to justice; creating effective, accountable and gender-responsive justice institutions; and legally empowering women), it highlights how these standards and norms can be applied in practice through crime prevention, protection while in detention or prison...." 

Source: Women in Conflict with the Law


The Project Method

The ff. common strategy  as written in the Philssa project design submitted to UN Women was cascaded to communities in both Quezon City & Davao City in implementing an access to justice project as an intervention to address the fundamental rights of women in conflict with the law: 

1. To empower whole communities thru paralegal training, legal clinics, & connecting communities with a pool of advocates & service providers such as health services, i.e women on probation report to health centers, economic opportunities, & their reintegration to community life. 

2. To engage with justice actors (formal & informal) & legislators at local & national levels for changes in the policy arena for wide impact that will cascade thru line agencies at village/barangay levels &

3. To demonstrates how women, WICL & communities can access justice, engage with justice actors for empowerment through policy advocacy & community based strategies -  in the time of the pandemic ( an added strategy in the time of the pandemic) 

The Community Profile: Data on WICL shared by Isabelita Solamo during the March 23 Davao City Local Launch
Source: The DATA on WICL comes from the PHILSSA - UNW Project.  
JJCICSI, an implementing partner of the project, developed the research design. PILIPINA & Tambayan helped develop the template & mobilized data collection in the communities of both Davao City & Quezon City.

a) Common Offenses as gathered by the project partners & shared during the
    national WICL Forum in March 10 & during the Davao City launch on March 23, 2021

1. Among the 5 barangays in Quezon City and the two barangays in Davao, the most number of women reported to have committed an offense or violated a law were involved in quarantine violations.  

2. With a total of 772 cases in only 4 out of the 7 barangays, this suggests that the way the government has responded to the pandemic has put many women at risk of getting in conflict with the law.   

3. A far second was physical injury

4. The third most common offense was drug use or possession, theft and swindling (or estafa).  A few cases of child abuse, rioting, vagrancy and adultery were reported

b) Offenses Settled in Barangay

Alleged offenses committed by women which have been settled by the barangay are: physical injury, theft, swindling, collection of debt, rent or money, cyberbullying, harassment, or practically all forms of offenses with the EXCEPTION of drug abuse or possession, and child abuse. 

c) Drug Watch List Women comprise a significant proportion, or 11%, of persons in the barangay drug watch list since 2016. 

In a barangay in Quezon City as much as 50% or half of those on the barangay drug watch list are women.  This suggests that the anti-illegal drug campaign of the government has also put many women at risk of coming into conflict with the law. d) Government Programs

Government programs that aim to assist families and children of women who either get detained or killed due to the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign include: financial assistance, provision of food support, livelihood training and, in one instance, educational scholarship through the city’s partnership with a private educational institution.

e) Women in Detention The number of women who had been in detention for at least a day during the past 12 months ranged from a low of 4 (in 2 barangays) to a high of 14 (also in 2 barangays).  

In Maa City Jail, a total of 259 women are detained in the facility, 8 of whom have received a conviction and are awaiting transfer to the BJMP.  This suggests a big number of women who are detained as their cases are still undergoing trial. The youngest detainee is 20 and the oldest 71.

In a meeting with the Ph representative to the Asean Commission for the Protection of Women & Children (ACWC), Undersecretary of DSWD, PCW, et al., the following was the tenor of the messaging by Isabelita Solamo, representing Philssa as Project Team Leader:

Women in Detention is mentioned in the Magna Carta of Women under Women in Especially Difficult Circumstances.

The data pertaining to congestion at the Correctional Institute of Women (CIW), which is under Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) & Dept of Justice (DOJ) were presented.

Women in CIW are serving their sentence. 

As well, women undergoing trial & waiting for the court decision are detained in jails such as the Ray of Hope Village Jail for women in Davao City, which is under BJMP & DILG.

PCW was exhorted that it is best to engage with both the DOJ & DILG on these concerns of congestion.

After the 2 min video presentation about the Ray of Hope Village, it was  mentioned that:

a) this jail was made possible in implementation of the Davao City Women & Development Code &
b) that the jail is also a project of women’s groups, particularly, WomeNet & the Transformative Justice Institute (TJI) & the City Government of Davao.

The policy proposal is that sensitizing the bureaucracy through PCW towards humane conditions of women in detention is in line towards the full implementation of the Magna Carta of Women.

And one way to do this is mainstreaming into local policy through LGUs the provision on Women in Especially Difficult Circumstances found in the Magna Carta of Women.

Part of the message was that Davao City has legislated “Support to Women in Detention” as a provision in the Women & Development Code of Davao City with Implementing Rules. (Section 68, Article 1X, City ordinance #5004 & EO #24. 
Therefore, other LGUs may also have the above provision in their GAD Code/Ordinance.

An inquiry was forwarded on what support systems are ready & enforceable at the DSWD for women in detention. USEC Luz Ilagan said that, yes, there are support systems but these benefits must be demanded/requested by women in detention.
And for this, USEC Luz Ilagan offered to discuss this in another meeting.

The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Response

1) The Ray of Hope Village Jail in Davao City has already been chosen by PCW as one of PCW’s Local Learning Hubs & that some PCW staff have visited this women’s jail.

2) Anette Estrera-Baleda, Chief of PCW’s Policy Development, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (PDPMED) shared that PCW has recently made initial initiatives in addressing issues of women in detention.

PCW has coordinated with appropriate agencies to promote observance of the UN Bangkok Rules for the treatment of prisoners & non - custodial measures for women offenders.

PCW has also recommended to the Working Group Finalizing the UN Joint Programme with the Philippines, the inclusion of the BJMP and other law enforcers in capacity development to enable them to address with gender-responsiveness the needs and concerns of women deprived of liberty.

The policy formulation was drafted by Philssa & based on the UN Rules for the treatment of women prisoners & non - custodial measures for women offenders.
(Bangkok Rules)

Likewise, formulation was also vetted by PCW through Ms Anette Baleda, head of PMED, PCW.  

The proposed policy recommendation was sent to the Ph representative to the Asean Commission for the Protection of Women & Children:

1)The Ray of Hope Village Jail in Davao City has been chosen by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) as one of PCW’s Local Learning Hubs, but to date, the jail needs improvement & attention by both BJMP & DILG.

2) For PCW to coordinate with both DOJ & DILG  to promote observance of the UN Bangkok Rules for the treatment of prisoners & non - custodial measures for women offenders.

3.) For the Philippine government to pursue the PCW recommendation to the Working Group Finalizing the UN Joint Program with the  Philippines, the inclusion of the BJMP and other law enforcers in capacity development to enable them to address the needs and concerns of women deprived of liberty
   with gender – responsiveness.

The above results of the meeting with ACWC, PCW, DSWD & Philssa were shared to the project whole team & to Ms Jona Ang of UN Women Update as of July 24, 2022: Women in Detention is now a project of the Asean Commission for the Protection of Women & Children (ACWC) which was promoted by Dr Lourdesita Chan, the PH Rep to the ACWC as a result of the sharing of this our UN Women - Philssa project on Access to Justice for Women.

A local advocacy pitch in Davao city through PILIPINA- Davao

At the level of Davao City, Isabelita Solamo, as Philssa's Project Team Leader & as Chair of PILIPINA Davao, convened a meeting with our group & Davao City Councilor Pilar Braga last Friday to among others discuss about the deteriorating condition of the Ray Of Hope Village jail since 2016 & as per the research of Dra Jean Lindo's Community Medicine class.

There was a positive response from Councilor Pilar who said that she will meet with Davao City Mayor Sara & she will mention this concern. 

Tambayan Center was mentioned as the project’s local implementer in Davao City.

The PILIPINA Davao members, & particularly an Execom member who was active with Tambayan then & one of the founders of the Child Rights Network, are keen to pursue this with Tambayan.

The office of Davao City Councilor Pilar Braga who said that Davao City has funds for this, is also recommending that the project get data from the warden of the Ray of Hope Village Jail on what needs to be fixed particularly on how to address the current congestion, health & sanitation problems at the city jail as determined by the research of the Community Medicine class of Dr Jean Lindo.  Local & Executive Policy Advocacy: Protecting the Rights of Women In Conflict With The Law & Women Deprived of Liberty Through the Implementing Rules & Regulations (IRR) of a local ordinance (The 1997 Women’s Development Code of Davao City as amended in 2022) 

There was a July 23, 2021 Consultation Meeting Convened by the Davao City Integrated Gender & Development Division (IGDD) & the Chair of the City Legislative Committee on Women & Children

Our A2J project proposed formulation for the section on Women Deprived of Liberty were presented &  ‘screen shared’ today during the consultation on the
Implementing Rules & Regulation (IRR) of the Amended Women's Development Code of Davao City.

Our language map on the issue of Women in Conflict with the Law (WICL) will still have to be approved by the Davao City Legal Team since, this is an IRR and WICL as a term is not yet found in the amended Women's Development Code.

But, the lawyers of the teams today (IGDD & Legislative Committee on Women & Children) say that if WICL is part of the definition of terms then it is one way of introducing WICL as part of the IRR on Women Deprived of Liberty.

Another track offered by Councilor Richlyn Justol (Chair of Davao City Legislative Committee on Women & Children) is a separate ordinance on WICL.
This is a welcome move. Still, since ‘Women in Detention’ is already in the provision of the 1997 women’s code/ordinance, an IRR on it is already a must.

In one of the concluding remarks at the end, our proposed formulation was officially commended by Dr. Lourdesita Chan, Phil. Representative to the Asean Committee on the Protection of Women & Children (ACWC) who said that our proposal on women in detention & incarceration (her words) has undergone a process among local women leaders & has been elevated to higher government institutions already. (cf. Phil. Commission on Women (PCW) & Bureau of Jail & Penal Management/ BJMP)

The Proposed Formulation:

Protecting the Rights of Women In Conflict With The Law & Women Deprived of Liberty

a) The rights of all women in conflict with the law (WICL) shall be protected throughout the justice continuum, including the pre-trial stage, arrest, detention or imprisonment, and re-integration in the community and society.

b) Speedy trial   of   their   cases   shall   be   ensured   by   all concerned. To
    ensure speedy trial of their cases, free legal  
   and adequate services, if opted by the detainee, shall be
   given to her by the local government.

 Alternatives to pre-trial detention shall be employed at an early stage as possible.

c) To adequately address the needs of WICL, especially those
    deprived of liberty, an appropriate program shall be
    designed to respond to their   specific   needs   and   
    issues.

This program for women deprived of liberty shall be guided  by international human rights standards such as the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (“Bangkok Rules” & the “Nelson Mandela Rules”)
 
Specifically, the program shall address the following concerns:  

(1) admission requirements  

Prior to or on admission, women with caretaking responsibilities for children shall be permitted to make arrangements for those children, including the possibility of a reasonable suspension of detention, taking into account the best interests of the children.
Pregnant women shall also be afforded the same option for suspension of detention.
If upon medical examination the woman is found to have a health condition, she shall be provided the necessary medical services and facilities for treatment and/or rehabilitation.

(2) Health, sexual and reproductive health (SRHR) services

Women deprived of liberty shall be provided access to services and facilities that respond to their gender-based SRHR needs. These include provision of adequate underwear and sanitary pads, hygiene items, gynecological exams, prenatal and perinatal care and treatment, as well as nurseries and breastfeeding facilities for mothers.

(3) living space

     Women and men shall be detained in separate structures and spaces.

(4) Issues of congestion & situation of vulnerable populations (including pregnant women, women with comorbidities, women with disability, and elderly women) within detention facilities

(5) food
This includes proper diet for pregnant or breastfeeding women prisoners under a qualified health practitioner’s program.

(6) water and sanitation

(7) safety and security
 a) In a prison for both men and women, the part of the prison set aside for
     women shall be under the authority of a responsible woman staff member who
     shall have the custody of the keys of all that part of the prison.

 b) No male staff member shall enter the part of the prison set aside for women unless accompanied by a woman staff member.

 c)  Women prisoners shall be attended and supervised only by women staff

       members. (except for male staff members, particularly male doctors and male
                            teachers)

(8) Reintegration

This includes education, skills training, and other similar services given to women deprived of liberty while they’re waiting for or serving their sentence, as well as facilitation or provision of employment or livelihood opportunities while in the facility, & continuing with community-based support for reintegration after detention or imprisonment. (with inputs from Ms Jona Marie Ang & Luz Canave)
Concluding Remarks

Women leaders in the communities which will be trained as paralegals will be the front liners in the defense of women in conflict with the law.

Empirically verifiable data from the communities are crucial in appropriate messaging & promoting policy recommendations to the Philippine bureaucracy.

The project’s study indicated that the majority of the women in the target communities who were reported to have violated a law were about quarantine violations. A simple analysis will point to the reality that women need to work & being locked in quarantine facilities denies them their daily subsistence.

There is a need to conflate socio – economic variables to the plight of women in conflict with the law.

The messaging about WICL based on realities on the ground will be an important ingredient in engaging with government agencies: DSWD for support services as one of the desired interventions for WICL & for the PCW to exhort CHR, DOJ & DILG in charge of jails & detention centers to observe the Bangkok Rules in the treatment of prisoners & for developing mechanisms for non – custodial measures for women.
* Isabelita B. Solamo, J.D. was the Team Leader of this PHILSSA project which was supported with funds from UN Women