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 1st 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 1st 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.”
Posts
