Speech
of
His Excellency Fidel V. Ramos
President of the Philippines
During the International Women’s Day and National Women’s Day

[Delivered at the Heroes’ Hall, Malacañang, March 8, 1993]

The rights of women

OUR CELEBRATION dates back to a very emotional day in March 1911, when thousands of people marched in silence to bury 146 female textile workers of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York. The women who died and the women who later marched in outrage and sympathy could not at that time vote; neither could they hold public office. They could not even own property, and their career opportunities were limited to menial work in sweatshops that were also firetraps. Much, of course, has changed since that horrible Triangle fire in New York 82 years ago. Women have come a long way in their struggle for equal rights. And in the process, they and the men who listened to them, worked with them and supported them, have humanized modern society and have opened it up to those who, like the women of old, have limited claims for their rights.

Public awareness of women’s rights

I refer to the poor, the handicapped, the rural people, minorities and children. By upholding the rights of women, their advocates made us also aware of the rights of other marginalized sectors in our society. Here in the Philippines, women have led the march toward a greater level and a greater status for themselves. And I dare say that the Filipino women have made their mark in the international arena in fighting for women’s rights.

We must continue to build on these gains, we must still increase public awareness of women’s rights in particular and of people’s rights as a whole. And I am happy that our women public officials have taken the lead in this matter. And we see before us an entire array of outstanding Filipino women in officialdom.

In 1988 President Corazón C. Aquino issued Proclamation 224, which declared the first week of March of every year as Women’s Week and March 28, 1988, and every year thereafter as Women’s Rights and International Peace Day. An initiative from the late sectoral representative for women, Estelita Juco, resulted in Proclamation 227, which provides for the observance of March as Women’s Role in History Month. The objective was to make all members of Congress take steps to discover the unsung heroes of their districts, the unsung heroes among the womenfolk in our communities.

In 1990 Representative María Consuelo Puyat Reyes and Senator Santanina Rasul helped push Republic Act 6949, declaring March 8 of every year, among others, as a special working holiday to be known as National Women’s Day.

Legislating National Women’s Day

The Philippines was the first country in the world to legislate a National Women’s Day. This law not only allows us to celebrate Women’s Day but also obligates employers to allow female workers to attend or join celebrations wherever these are found.

Increasing public awareness of women’s rights is only one aspect of empowering Filipino women. At the same time and even more important, we have taken direct steps to advance their welfare.

During the presidential campaign, I signed a covenant with women, authored by Imelda Nicolas of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, which bound me to give priority to women’s needs and interests. The idea was to create a level playing field for men and women in all sectors of society. Equal opportunities bring more women into the mainstream of development. And when it comes to equal opportunities, I consider myself living proof of my covenant with women. My wife, Ming, has always earned more than I have ever earned. And I am always proud to admit this.

One of my first meetings when I assumed the Presidency was with the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women. I wanted to find out how my Administration could help advance the cause of women. In particular, I asked the National Commission to monitor my Administration’s economic planning and to make sure that our Medium-term Philippine Development Plan for 1993-98 incorporated gender concerns in all these strategies. This in effect enhances the Philippine Development Plan for women set up during the Aquino Administration by your National Commission under its chairperson Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani to influence that Administration’s national planning processes.

Pushing gender concerns

Under Executive Order 348, the Commission was mandated to create institutional mechanisms in all Government offices to see to it that national plans for women’s development are carried out. It was also directed to provide training of gender development in the bureaucracy.

Let me put on record that the passage of Republic Act 7192, sponsored by Senator Rasul and former Congressman, now Senator Raul Roco, adds additional clout to the Office of the President in pushing gender concerns especially in the development programs and projects of Government. To give teeth to this new law, I approved on November 18, 1992, the implementing regulations for Sections 2, 3 and 4 of Republic Act 7192.

These have been published largely through the efforts of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) and have been disseminated for implementation to Government offices. These guidelines were the subject of many discussions among NEDA officials and staff as well as representatives from other Government agencies and the women’s movement and other concerned NGO’S in our communities.

There have been positive developments since we released these implementing guidelines. The Home Development Mutual Fund, for instance, has agreed to provide coverage for PAG-IBIG members who are managing households on a full-time basis.

Directives

The Government Service Insurance System and the Social Security System have also started formulating similar regulations. Now that we have the details to backstop our law, I hereby direct the NCRFW and NEDA to require other Government agencies to carry out this law and to put in place a reporting mechanism to Congress.

I also direct the Department of Budget and Management to consult with NEDA and the NCRFW on possible strategies to incorporate the budgetary requirements to implement R.A. 7192. In addition to this, I am sending out today directives to various officials of Government to carry out special concerns of the NCRFW.

First of all, a directive to the chief of the Philippine National Police and to the NCRFW itself for the establishment of women’s desks in priority areas starting in our police stations.

A directive to the Secretary of Labor and Employment, Nieves Confesor, for the intensified protection of our women overseas contract workers. And to set priority on the assignment of women attachés to countries where the majority of Filipino overseas contract workers are women.

A directive to Agrarian Reform Secretary Ernesto Garilao to carry out the CARP especially in land acquisition and land distribution and to extend assistance to certain special groups that have been very effective in carrying out CARP. To start with, the Cabapa National Council in Lubao, Pampanga, that is in the forefront of the resolution of land disputes and problems related to land grabbing.

A directive to all livelihood implementing agencies, which includes five departments of Government and two Government corporations. And this is to enhance access of small- and medium-scale women entrepreneurs to livelihood programs.

As you know, the Magna Carta for small- and medium-scale entrepreneurs, authored by Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani, has been carried out by establishing a small business guarantee and finance corporation, and the Guarantee Fund is now very active because of the access of small- and medium-scale entrepreneurs to easier credit.

And a directive to the director general of the Kabisig people’s movement to work with the media especially in regard to the branch of Government to promote decent and wholesome entertainment to be publicized in the media, in line with the moral recovery program of the Government, of which Kabisig is the principal action agency.

Last but not the least, the provision of health services for the urban poor, again giving intensified focus on the health of women and children. This is addressed to Secretary Juan Flavier of the Department of Health.

All of these directives have a target date of March 31 this year to submit progress reports on ongoing programs.

Celebrating women’s rights

The rights of women are founded not on the natural fact that they are supposed to be the weaker sex (although in my household, I am reminded constantly that this is otherwise) but on the fact that all human beings have inalienable rights, the rights of individuals to grow out of their moral stature.

And as persons have the same moral nature and moral stature, they do essentially have the same rights.

The mere circumstance of sex does not give to men rights and responsibilities greater than those of women.

On this day, therefore, International Women’s Day and Philippine Women’s Day, I ask all of you, men and women, to help me fulfill the commitment that this Administration has made for the welfare of all Filipinos, especially those of the marginalized sectors of which the women are in the majority. We have gone a long way from the sweatshops of old. Today we recognize, uphold and celebrate women’s rights. But our quest to realize these rights to improve the access of women to quality education, good health, equal opportunities and an efficient future continues with undiminished commitment.