English Library Paper

Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Sta. Mesa, Manila
College of Social Sciences and Development
Department of History

Changing History to Herstory:
The Rise of Women from Prejudice Filipino Society

Amosco Jr., Rosalito

In partial fulfillment for the requirements of the Writing in the Discipline Course of Professor Marissa Mayrena

January 31, 2013

Changing History to Herstory:
The Rise of Women from Prejudice Filipino Society

OUTLINE

Thesis Statement: The involvement of Constitution, enlightenment, impact of culture and tradition and influence of media opened the door of opportunities for the equality of men and women. I. Introduction
A. Historical Background 1. Pre-Colonial Period 2. Colonial Period 3. Modernization Period II. Catalysts of Gender Equality A. Constitution B. Impact of Culture and Tradition C. Influence of Media D. Radical Enlightenment
II. The Rise of Women
A. Politics
B. Education
C. Employment
D. Security
E. Health Care
Changing History to Herstory:
The Rise of Women from Prejudice Filipino Society

Women are the precious pearl of our country, women are image of tranquility and felicity, Philippines is labeled a women country because of high respect of men to them, the whole population of the Philippines is largely dominated by women but with all this good attribute that describe women of Philippines they are crowned as second to men, a perfect example of inferiority. Why are they invisible in our History? Why it is there is no such Herstory and it is always a History?
In this world of inequality and unjust, wherein everyone has title whether it is superior or not, we people always see this things unable to change. Among these inequalities which are common not only in our country but within the world is the gender imbalance, were women are subordinate in men, though women excelled in some fields they are still referred to be powerless and incapable in doing things. This kind of societal belief delivers women in abuse and violence. In early times, men see them as insignificant in developing a society. They often refer them as a material ready to be trade.
From the archives of National Commission of History, Babaylan is the source of power of Datu in Pre-Colonial Period. The job Baybaylan is commonly given to women. Moreover, Melchora Aquino aided the revolutionaries in fighting the Philippine freedom. Similarly, The Women of Malolos helped to pave way to the 1896 Revolution. Correspondingly, Filipina helped for the establishment of HUKBALAHAP in the height of supremacy of Japanese in our country. Together with the presidency of late Cory Aquino, who is also the first Filipina president of our country.
We cannot deny how women become so beneficial to the society. However society shaped the tricky minds of the community that women are inferior to men. Today it seems history is repeating itself. Women still suffer from gender discrimination. They receive fewer promotion and lesser benefits from their jobs. In addition, the slow pace of implementation of laws regarding gender equality result to the subordination of women. In spite of this, this research will provide a boundless and timeless knowledge and information regarding on how the women of Philippine rise from the prejudice society. The involvement of Constitution, enlightenment, impact of culture and tradition and influence of media opened the door of opportunities for the equality of women and men. Thousands of text written, women are yet unknown for many Filipinos. Come and sit for a while and travel back to the past wherein women struggle for their equality and how they bounce back to embrace their independence.
Thousands of History textbooks are printed every day. In one of those textbooks, if someone scanned it carefully, he/she will notice that it is a rare occasion that a Filipina is mentioned. This invisibility of Filipina in History is such an act of superiority of men that can be traced back to the early Baranggay System in the Pre-Colonial Period of our country. Around 900 BC, the early Baranggay system of Philippine society, men are afraid of women since they see them as closely related to their Gods. This ability of women to frighten men, leads men to cage them in a box wherein their main role is to be a mother, cook, baby-sitter and as sex toy (Salazar 45). Women are not also allowed to step out in their comfort zone making women stay on their house while men are fighting, invading other tribes, to be aggressive ruler and the like, reasons why men are mostly written in history. Inside their house, women believed that they can bear hundreds of male child needed by their tribe because their wombs are larger than their body range. This will explain the small number of women in pre-colonial times. It is in few occasions that females are born because they are viewed as slaves. Also, the tribe does not get anything from females because they are not capable of doing large work compared to men. Moreover, women may be written in early history but somehow scholars said it is not a woman but a man dressed only in women’s cloth.
During the 16th century, a big change happened to the position of women. It was from the writings of Antonio Pigafetta, Italian explorer, that indeed women are respected and notable in Philippine Pre-Colonial society and the evidence of it is the penile piercing of men which is called “Sagra”. Men are forced to have a genital piercing since their wife asked this for sexual pleasure and linger their communication with each other. Sagra also serves as a symbol of bravery and strength (www.philippinehistory.ph). For inexplicable reason, the tradition of women being a sex toy and slavery vanishes. Furthermore, though Sagra is a sign of respect of men to women it doesn’t follow that Filipina before are receiving such equality. There is still limitation of what women can do inside the Baranggay. They can’t rule the community (except when her Husband or Datu died) and lead an army of invaders. Their job is still revolving inside the house with such respect now. In spite of this, there is a woman who highly respected inside the Baranggay even the Datu acknowledge her existence and role in his community- the Babaylan.
Above all the women in the Baranggay, Babaylans are the most powerful. Babaylans are the center of the old Filipino or Baranggay society because of their broad knowledge in religion, culture, tradition and other theoretical beliefs which she can connect to nature. Babaylans are also considered as “proto-scientist” of their society or highest priestess that time and even the local chieftain. They lead and performed the rituals and prayers for the good harvest of their crops. They use astronomy to predict the right time to plant and harvest (45-46). Even the Datu are asking for her advice to which they believe every words uttered by Babaylans are meant to happen. The difference between Datu and the Babaylan is that, Datu is the ruler while Babaylan is his chieftaincy adviser.
Princesa Urduja is one of the examples of the many women who become chief or head of a society before the Spaniards colonized our country. These are the proofs that woman stands out in the Philippines before they came and when they arrived, they limit the woman’s freedom that causes a big revolution (48). In addition to this, based on the Mayan Family structure which is theorized where the Filipino race originated, women and men are born equal. All the privileges of men like inheritance, chieftaincy, property, politics and ranks are received by women also. This type of family structure is still prevalent in the Indigenous People, since Spaniards were not able to eradicate their culture and traditions (Borden 1-2). Scholars are always been fascinated with this kind of family organization and they once dubbed Philippines as “one of the strongest Feminist country in the world”. Likewise, the Maharlika class in social stratification in Pre-Colonial Period, which is composed of Datu and his family, his daughter which is called Bai or Binukot is perceived as highly respected the way the community respect the Babaylan and Datu. They see the Binukot as holy; she is not allowed to be seen by her tribe and is isolated in ‘kubo’. She is not even allowed to step her foot on land as they believed she will lose her purity.
A Datu has the ability to kill his wife if he had proven enough that his wife commit adultery (www.philippinehistory.com). Likewise, when the Datu commits adultery he will pay his wife before the separation and if the Datu doesn’t have enough property to pay his wife, he will be helped by his relative until he is fully paid for his debt.
Based on the Boxer Codex, a compilation of image narrating the Pre-Colonial Philippine, the natives consider a woman dishonor if she gave birth while she is unmarried. The codex likewise reveals that the Moros and the Bisayan kill the offsprings, correspondingly (www.philippinehistory.com). Though majority of women are used to having many births they still rather choose few children. If they have many children it will cause the division of inheritable wealth and each division will not be enough to make a living for their children hence when they have only child they will inherit their full wealth and leave him/her wealthy.
The native Filipino also does not have any concept of virginity whether male or female. Filipino husband do not bother if their wife is virgin or not, yet they choose female who are already “deflowered” (www.philippinehistory.com). Filipina even pay men to have sex with them. Uniquely, virginity before was a hindrance for the first few nights of newly married couple, as what the natives before believed in. Another kind of tradition that tackles female virginity was their circumcision. A slit is made to ensure there is an opening in the girl’s vagina to prepare them for less painful sexual encounter during her first sexual act.
On the other hand, it is believed by some Feminist that the word ‘Bayani’ derived from the words, ‘bayan’ and ‘babayi’, thus society of women, correspondingly. Uniquely, we should be proud of this since this signifies the respect of our ancestors towards women (www.sunstar.com). Likewise, one can deduce that women and men are equal in traditional Filipino society from the folklores. Filipino folklore explains what community they have before science is introduced in the country since they are searching for answer on how things surrounding them originated. One of the most famous folklore in the Philippines is the “Ang Alamat ni Malakas at Maganda”. Though it seems the said folklore is too worthless to be a source but this is one of the finest works of the Philippine ancestral people. According to the legend, a huge bamboo was the son of sea breeze and ground breeze until one day, the huge bamboo was floating on the sea and suddenly the claw of an eagle stricken the bamboo and this angered the eagle so it continuously peck at it hence breaking it in half. Inside the bamboo were Malakas and Maganda. Malakas was the first to get out and Maganda was the next. One day after the coming out of Malakas and Maganda, all the animals from sea, land and air talked in what should be done for both and they all agreed that they should be husband and wife which is literally happened and their sons and daughters are all the people around the Philippines. Then what part of the story emphasizes the equality of men and women? First, why bamboo was the origin of first man and woman? Remember that our country is situated in the tropical kind of climate therefore many bamboos are observable. Making the people thought that they originated from bamboo because they arrive here in our country and bamboo is already growing. The equality in the story was that man and women came from one origin. No one was created first which means they are prioritize but they created at same exactly time frame. As Malakas was the first to emerge from the bamboo in fact is a sign of Philippine men of respect and act of gentleman. Suppose that Malakas first to get out of the bamboo to protect and helped Maganda to get out. Filipino named the first men and women because this is what depicts early Filipinos. Malakas to man because men are trained to do tough things especially for agrarian labor, so basically they are needed and become Malakas or strong. Malakas is also the word that perfectly described Philippine men not just strong in the physical attributes but also in mental and spiritual well being. Moreover, Maganda to women since Filipina are beautiful as their job was to take care of their family and that is a magandang gawain or good work. Filipina before was not only beautiful in their physical appearance but also in their attitude, character and personality.
As shown above, women are those people whose jobs are only revolving around inside the house with the exception of Babaylan, Binukot and Queen. This can be concluded that women are only in the house since this is what they are capable of. Why would a Filipina do a tough job like farming when this taught only for men? Men have this strong physique that enables them to do those agricultural jobs which needed so much strength. Facts from above can also conclude that men also respect women since they give them the proper treatment for women on their capability. Since, it is imbued in the Filipino society that father or man are the one who supply the needs and protect their family, this support the common saying, “Ama ang haligi ng tahanan”. On the balance of this, “Ina ang ilaw ng tahanan” suggest that women or mothers are doing the household chores and take care of their family. To summarize, there is no concept of gender inequality in the traditional Filipino society, no women felt inferior. Eventually, those kinds of status of women were drastically changed when the Spaniards occupy our country. They imposed their Western view of what women should be in society – inferior. This period of our history was the darkest phase for Filipina; they were forced to be servant again, mistress and even to be prostitutes. Big amount of commoner women suffered this kind of treatment unlike the women who belonged to the Maharlika class before since they turned to be the Principalia Class in the Spanish Social Stratification. The Principalia Class is the people who are closely related to the high ranks Spaniards. The Spanish occupation embedded a patriarchal culture among Filipinos where men is dominant in a family where women is subjected to many degrading position in the society, such as full-time house makers, subordinated to men and violence against women. Moreover, there is a law that says, Filipina cannot file any legal separation unlike their husband. Women needed evidence and file charges against their husband to get annulment but when their husband caught their wife cheating he can easily get a legal separation without proving it (Orozco 2-3). This law protecting men from adultery pave way for the revision of the said law. Unfortunately, Divorce Law, the last resort of women, was not been a big discussion for the law makers that time and Filipinas opinion were not even ask, leaving women a long time servant of inequality.
Women are forbidden to speak for in own, they’re not allowed to be in public office and their right for proper education was denied. This kind of treatment led to the struggle for their rights. An example of this was the women of Malolos. These women find their curriculum apprehend only in religion and household stuff, later on gave a desire to educate themselves with Spanish. The lack of education in the said language can be traced back to the implementation of 1863 Royal Decree that obliged the government to establish a primary instruction in the archipelago with the aim of spreading the knowledge in terms of the Spanish was sabotaged by the friars as they view the education as a threat to the Catholicism itself (Tiogson 162-163). This system of frailocracy continued. The opportunity of learning Spanish came to the women of Malolos upon the arrival of Teodoro Sandico who’s willing to teach them Spanish. This act only proved their disagreement in their society as they pursue their plea for the study of the said language. Though the school runs for three months only, then moved initiate other Filipinas to make an act of their own and reform the status of Filipinas in our country. Similarly women also experienced inequality in the world of work. Labor force is important for each country’s economy, men are stronger and fast worker than women, the reason why many management before and up till the present chooses men as laborers. Before, female laborers receive maternity leave which costs the management. Capitalists shaped the Labor Law that makes 60% of ₱ 1, 400 of their original salary which is ₱ 840. In the revise Labor Code, it shorten the 14 weeks maternity leave to 8 weeks, therefore, this force women to rather go back to work immediately after their pregnancy since with 8 weeks they will only earn ₱ 800 (Orozco 3-4). Basically this is unfair and a kind of discrimination. Since, the Spanish colonial period, woman has been the family treasurer, which, at least to some degree, gave her the power of the purse (Frances). Nevertheless, the Spanish also established a tradition of subordinating women, which is manifested in women’s generally submissive attitudes and in a double standard of sexual conduct. The woman’s role as family treasurer, along with a woman’s maintenance of a generally submissive demeanor, has changed little, but the double standard of sexual morality is being challenged.
Spanish domination in our country resulted to the introduction and acceptance of Catholicism. According to the Spanish Code of Roman, wife should only be in their house taking care of her family as well as giving up her life for her husband. This resulted to the lost of right of women to inherit and own a property along with her economic independence. In contrast of this, nothing changes at the rural area far from the Hispanized urban city of Manila. The lush farm of many provinces still have women who contribute to the family income through mat weaving, midwives and keepers of tradition in the village.
Be that as it may, Woman in the Spanish regime is not totally invisible; in fact, the Spanish make some laws for the protection and also for the welfare in religion of women. But the men outshined because they have many provisions than woman in the Spanish period. Yet, some of the laws which are imposed numerous restraints and disabilities on the woman’s freedom (Salazar 45-53). In terms of education, during Spanish period the courses for the girls were slightly different from the boys, the girls are required to take courses that fit to their sex unlike the boys that they have all the opportunities to take courses such as: Spanish, Geology, and History (45-53).
There’s a striking story that change and unfold the social status of the Filipina women in Malolos. They want to erase the wrong thought of being a woman is invisibility and being powerless in many aspects. Because of the dictation of culture to their social status they force themselves to fight to study and become educated so that they can help other women who is in need. They wanted to break free from being locked in the four corners of their houses because they want to educate themselves and discover much potential. Through their resistance against the colonizers, the women of Malolos wanted to end the oppression of the country that is supported by the wring thinking toward women, because of this, they become a member of the Association Femenista de Filipinas (AFF). The main objective is the liberation of women of all classes by dissimilating the tyranny of stupidity and interrogating the laws and customs that were damaging to the interest of all women. Their involvement in social and political issues that they were succeeded they didn’t notice their leap that they made by their aspirations to broke free from the shadows of the patriarchal order by the colonizer that neglected them for centuries. By their resistance against friars, the Tiongson sisters prove that the boldness of the letter of women of Malolos that was supported by its signatories. They also supported the first revolution against Spanish, by their little help, by this event they prove their selves that they are no longer women that was in the shadows of their husband but as hero of the nation. There is a remarkable event that the women of Malolos has contributed an important chapter in the feminist history, because the activities that they sought, in many ways to erase what Joan Scott calls the “subordination, invisibility and powerless of woman”. They fight their rights against the society that judges them of being frail for the community. Through their social and political involvements, the women of Malolos succeeded, without their awareness, in taking themselves out of the shadows o the past and patriarchal order that had relegated them for centuries. In a result of this event, many women in the country have right for almost everything. In the help if the founding the first red cross by the women of Malolos affirmed a specific female contribution to the war against America.
By the same token, during the alliance of Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galang Katipunan ng̃ mg̃á Anak ng̃ Bayan ( KKK ), women plays a big role for the KKK be a secret. They are also the ones who keep the records of the members, the food, medicine and keeping the confidential documents in a safe place. They are also taking good care as nurses to the injured Katipuneros. They sewed the flag of Katipunan (Cruz 73). This is a proof that women are significant to our society and they leave a big legacy to the present. The best example of remarkable help of women in the Spanish Colonial Period is Melchora Aquino, the mother of Katipunan. Aquino was already 87 at the time when the war broke out against Spaniards. She established a store besides her house with the helped of her son, Juan Ramos. This small store become the home of many injured revolutionaries and become one of the place where the Katipunero’s refuge. When Katipuneros are taking shelter in her house, she gave them advise and motherly love. Hence she earned her name Mother of Katipunan, Mother of Philippine Revolution. Tandang Sora is the common name she is known for. Significantly, she and her son were present in the Cry of Balintawak as well as the tearing up of their cedullas. Unfortunately, the Spaniards learned about how she is helping the Katipuneros and interrogated her; asking her question about the activities of KKK, still she mum and keep her knowledge about Katipunan until she was deported from Guam. She died at the age of 107.
Overall, though Spaniards eradicate large part of our tradition, true blood Filipino still practices on what Philippine society is meant to be. Dr. Jose Rizal dream and create the image of the right attitude, personality of Filipina should be in the most loved character of Maria Clara in Noli Me Tangere. According to the said novel, Maria Clara is an epitome of humility, courtesy, beauty, fortitude, tranquility and chastity; characteristics of the traditional Filipina Dr. Rizal dream of. Until the American Colonizers overrun our country, gender equality started to rise over. Americans did not only defeat the Spaniard but they also give hope for big changes for women. After the Americans imposing and implementing education for all, women were finally receiving a seat inside the classroom as a student, which they never feel during the reign of Spaniards in the country. Americans were also shocked in disbelief that women here are able to have high position in different academic fields and aspects that was for men only, since in Western culture women cannot outwit men (Borden 3). One of the most remarkable status of women during the sovereignty of Americans, where they were able also to run a business. From the sari-sari store owner or the merchant at a stall at the market to the members of the National Chamber of Commerce and Boards of trade, Philippine women are successful businesswomen. The American Period was the turning point for women in the Philippine History because they successfully won to grant to vote during in a referendum in 1933 and in the next general election in 1935, they produce two female politicians to be elected. The recognition of women’s right to vote was a product of a 30-year long advocacy in order to fight for themselves. Dating back in 1905, two of the movement was established and began to emrge, the Ascotion Feminista Filipina (Philippine Feminist Movement) and Asociation Feminista Ilonga (Ilonga Feminist Association) in 1906. The campaign began on various forms from the individual lobby of Pura Villanueva Kalaw, an influential woman leader that resulted of a filling of a women’s Suffrage Bill in 1907. Due to lobbying, the Republic Act no. 2217 was passed and signed that allowing women to vote in 1933. To finally pushed this vote, a referendum was held and they able to gather 447, 75 affirmative votes to the question regarding women’s suffrage (www.coa.gov.ph). In fact, scholars believed that the ability to vote during elections is a sign of equality. In our present time there is still country that don’t allow women to vote, likely, Philippine women achieved an early big leap in equality during the occupation of American in our country. Nevertheless, when the Japanese started occupying our country, and the severe deprivations of World War II paved way for women traveled back to old times where they become sex slave again. The topic of rape and slavery of women are rarely talked or written in both Philippine and Japanese History textbooks. Information about this dark period of our Philippine women is obtained only from oral history-from the victims themselves. Sex slaves before are commonly called as “Comfort Women”. They come from the poorest urban provinces in the country. Poverty pushes them to go into the city and get low-paying jobs and eventually be comfort women. Later on, they formed and joined a feminist organization, the Lila-Pilipina. Inside the organization they learned their basic rights and form a protest politic and demand to the Japanese Government to apologize and rewrite their experience in textbooks. Still Japanese Government shrugged off their protest and later on, thousand of Philippine women joined the guerillas and Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (HUKBALAHAP) to fight the time in power of Japanese. Within the HUKBALAHAP women are viewed as equal to the capabilities of men. Luis Taruc, the leader and founder of HUK, respect and salute the strength and bravery of Filipina to the point he allowed them to join his communist rebel group.
Women’s main responsibilities within the group are to be a teacher, fighter and nurse. This privileges he give to Filipina proved his high respect to them (Borden 3).
Feminist stirring once again emerged in the early 1970s, the eve of imposition of martial rule. With the formal founding of the Malayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan or MAKIBAKA, women raised the stakes in the struggle for women’s specific rights and welfare. The organization’s political orientation distinguishes it from other all-women groups. Many of its members belonged to the new communist-led national democratic movement that had then split with the Partidong Kumonista ng Pilipinas (PKP) and thus carried a clear class bias for the poor majority. MAKIBAKA, however, also differed in that it was the first organization that criticized patriarchy. Perhaps its most celebrated mass action was a protest against the Miss Philippines beauty contest on April 18, 1970. Unfortunately, martial law compelled many students’ activists, including MAKIBAKA members, to go underground. In the light of the intense repression that followed, MAKIBAKA merge with the fledgling Communist Party of the Philippies. (Raquiza 174)
The Marcos years dramatically changes the options for many womens activists, particularly those who were involved in the youth movement, labor sector, church sector and those in the academe who were not left untouched by the martial law years. Women actively participated in protest actions against the Marcos dictatorship movement and its allied organizations such as the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), was then the largest and most effective oppositions to the Marcos government, many women joined these organizations. Although the main call was for national liberation, slowly women also began to organize themselves around women-specific issues. It was, to a large degree, psychologically and politically burdensome, as this was frowned upon. Women activists saw the realities of patriarchal structures and ways even within their own revolutionary organizations. ( Santos-Maranan 8)
The post-dictatorship years were a fertile ground for women’s movements and organizations to flourish as larger spaces were created for women’s participation in local and national politics. KAIBA, an all-women’s party, was formed in 1986. Although it was short-lived, it is a historically important formation because it was the very first attempt, in a highly male-dominated political arena, to establish an all-women’s political party, for women’s direct and active participation in governance and to advocate for a clear and sharply articulated women’s political agenda. It was KAIBA’s vision that may well have served as inspiration to later formations such as Abanse! Pinay and Gabriela Women’s Party. (9)
At the start of the 18th century, the inferiority status of women slowly diminished. In the study made by the GMA News, we can witness the ups and downs of our Filipinas throughout the time. The study focused on the fields of education and employment, wherein men receive much of these privileges. First is the education and employment, wherein women were able to exercise their rights in the field from Marcos’ to Ramos’ administrations. Challenge came during Estrada’s reign wherein simple literacy rate among women started. During this administration, they only give women an ability to read and write thus unable to enhance the skills in the higher level. Chart was made then reveals that women though received a simple literacy rate only, outperform men in this activity. This result often attributed to the women’s diligence in studying. The other field was the employment, wherein men subverted women. This gender imbalance in employment was greatly opposed by Cory’s administration. She starts to prohibit the discrimination in employment (www.gmanetwork.com). The retrospection in the past five administrations only shows that our Filipinas never let these challenges to make them stay inferior. Challenges in exercising their rights make them stronger and serve as a motivation to out thrown their submissive title. Under those above circumstances, women did not effortlessly achieve the equality and independence they have been fighting for in just a blink of an eye but it was a long grim progressive story. Where people can witness their hardships, misery and suffering despite all of this they resist against their inferiority status and little by little they taste what they have been dreading for – Equality. The long road of equality is not just a stone throws away but a hundreds of year to reach. There were many events in Philippine history that pave a way for this significant event such as the Constitution, country’s culture and tradition, media, enlightenment respectively. Then again, it is confusing what are the main roles of the four catalysts for getting the wishful thinking equality?
Women enter politics where the primary place to form bills and rights to protect them from the society who made them like an arid leaf on the ground. Talking about politics, Constitution will be one of the most common words that will hit our mind. Constitution is the list of all the bills, act and rights that lawmakers have done since the start of governance in any specific country. There have been four constitution recognized in our country, 1935 Commonwealth Constitution, the 1973 Constitution, the 1986 Freedom Constitution and the 1987 Constitution. Currently the effective constitution in our country is the 1987 Constitution which had been effective during the presidency of late former President Corazon Aquino.
Former President Cory Aquino appointed new 48 members for the second Constitution of 1987, product of Constitutional Commission after the 1986 EDSA People Power. As a matter of fact, woman is the first president of it – Supreme Court Justice Cecelia Munoz Palma. The 1987 Constitution is important for the equality of women and men, it has many laws tackling about women. Article II, Section 14, of the 1987 Constitution provides that "The State recognizes the role of women in nation-building, and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men (www.coa.gov.ph).
Secondly, 1987 Constitution enshrines the representation of marginalized sectors, including women, through the sectoral representatives and the Party-List System. Thirdly, it institutionalizes the role of nongovernment organizations and people’s organizations.
The National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW), now known as Philippine Commission of Women, was establish because of the call of United Nations to Philippines to make a developmental action about gender equality. This also made a legislative agenda about the problems commonly faced by Filipina in the society such as - gender and development, gender equality, women’s reproductive health, the indivisibility of women’s rights and human rights, action on various forms of violence against women - rape, sexual harassment and trafficking in women, and the protection of an increasing number of women in overseas contract work. Still the downfall of this is that it took almost 3 decades for these laws to be passed. Likewise, these highlight the persistence, unity and artistic quality of women legislators for the said bills to be passed. This is also a result for the establishment of a Committee on Women and with its own secretariat staff (Bercilla 65).
The Eighth Congress was outstanding for a number of things but one of the most notable was for giving women a day for celebrating their achievements - the Women’s Day Law (RA 6949) which was sponsored in 1990 by Senator Santanina Rasul. The Eighth Congress also passed the Women in Development and Nation-Building Act of 1995 (RA 7192) which recognizes the role of women in nation building; gives women the right to enter into contracts without having to seek their husbands’ permission; opens the Philippine Military Academy to women; and reserves for women’s projects 5% of the budget of government departments (www.coa.gov.ph).
Every year the Congress always make a legislative plan for the betterment of women, the most famous of are the increasing maternity benefits for women in the private sector (RA 7322) in 1992, the Accessibility Act filed by the late Rep. Estelita Juco on behalf of the disabled, the Women in Small Business Enterprises Act (RA 7882) in 1995, Anti-Sexual Harassment Law (RA 7877) and the Overseas Workers’ Rights Protection in 1996, the Anti-Rape Law in 1997 (RA 8353) , the Child and Family Courts Act, the Rape Victim Assistance and Protection Act and the National AIDS Policy Act - all in 1998 (www.coa.gov.ph).
All these laws have limitations. It does not follow all the women in the Philippine Society. Those laws had been carefully made by Oversight Sub-Committee of the Committee on Women of the House of Representatives. For instance, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law applies only to employer-employee situations in office and school settings but not to colleagues. The Anti-Rape Law implicitly recognizes that rape may occur within marriage but its forgiveness clause absolves husbands of the crime of rape once they are forgiven by their wives(www.coa.gov.ph)..
Though the above Law does not apply to all neither it takes decade for it to be pass, this is a live proof of the triumph of women. The National Commission on Women bill, the new population policy bill, a comprehensive program on wife beating, the bill against the trafficking and commercial exploitation of women, the Women Empowerment Act of 1993 reserving for qualified women at least of third of appointive positions in national and local government; and an enabling bill for elections to local board and this bill could not be pass without its vigilance and industrious members(www.coa.gov.ph).. List of Some Laws Protecting the Rights of Women Republic Act No. 6949 | "An Act to Declare March Eight of Every Year as a Working Special Holiday to be Known as National Women 's Day" | Presidential Decree No. 633 | "Creating a National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women" (NCRFW) | Republic Act No. 7192 | "An Act Promoting the Integration of Women as Full and Equal Partners of Men in Development and Nation Building and for Other Purposes" | Commonwealth Act No. 647 | "An Act to Grant Maternity Leave to Married Women Who Are in the Service of the Government or of Any of Its Instrumentalities" | Presidential Decree No. 148 | "Amending Further Certain Sections of Republic Act Numbered Six Hundred Seventy-Nine as Amended, Commonly Known as The Woman and Child Labor Law" | Republic Act No. 1564 | "An Act Granting Maternity Leave to Women in Government Service Under Temporary Appointments Who Have Rendered Less Than Two Years of Service, by Amending Commonwealth Act Numbered Six Hundred and Forty-Seven as Amended | Republic Act No. 2714 | "An Act to Establish in the Department of Labor a Bureau to be Known as Women and Minors Bureau" | Republic Act No. 6237 | "An Act Further Amending Republic Act Numbered Six Hundred Seventy-Nine, as Amended by Republic Act Numbered Eleven Hundred Thirty-One (re: Woman and Child Labor Law)" | Republic Act No. 6657 | "An Act Instituting a Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program to Promote Social Justice and Industrialization Providing the Mechanism for Its Implementation, and for Other Purposes" - This act guarantees and assures equal rights to land ownership, equal share on farm produce and representation in advisory or appropriate decision-making bodies to qualified women | Republic Act No. 6725 | "An Act Strengthening the Prohibition on Discrimination Against Women With Respect to Terms and Conditions of Employment, Amending for the Purpose Article One Hundred Thirty-Five of the Labor Code, as Amended" - This act strengthens the prohibition of discrimination against women in employment, promotion and training opportunities. | Republic Act No. 7322 | "An Act Increasing Maternity Benefits in Favor of Women Workers in the Private Sector, Amending for the Purpose Section 14-A of Republic Act No. 1161, as Amended, and for Other Purposes" - This Act increases maternity benefits of women workers in the private sector from a 45-day to 60-day benefit equivalent. | Republic Act No. 7882 | "An Act Providing Assistance to Women Engaging in Micro and Cottage Business Enterprises, and for Other Purposes" - This provides assistance to women, particularly those who own small businesses and those who have proven themselves to have good track records in their respective businesses, in order to fully harness the talents and skills of our female labor force. | Republic Act No. 8042 | "An Act to Institute the Policies of Overseas Employment and Establish a Higher Standard of Protection and Promotion of the Welfare of Migrant Workers, Their Families and Overseas Filipinos in Distress, and Other Purposes" - This Act authorizes the granting of small loans to women for the purchase of necessary tools or equipment for the businesses of their choice, and provides free technical training under the National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC), now TESDA. | Republic Act No. 8187 | "An Act Granting Paternity Leave of Seven (7) Days With Full Pay to All Married Employees in the Private and Public Sectors for the First Four (4) Deliveries of the Legitimate Spouse With Whom He is Cohabiting and for Other Purposes" (Also known as the Paternity Leave Act of 1996) - This Act allows every married male employee in the private and public sectors to not work for seven days but continue to earn compensation on the condition that his legitimate spouse has delivered a child or suffered a miscarriage, for purposes of enabling him to effectively lend support to his wife in her period of recovery and/or in the nursing of the newly-born child. | Act No. 3753 | "Law on Registry of Civil Status" | Executive Order No. 209 | "The Family Code of the Philippines" | Presidential Decree No. 1083 | "A Decree to Ordain and Promulgate a Code Recognizing the System of Filipino Muslim Laws, Codifying Muslim Personal Laws, and Providing for Its Administration and for Other Purposes" | Republic Act No. 8171 | "An Act Providing for the Repatriation of Filipino Women Who Have Lost Their Philippine Citizenship by Marriage to Aliens and of Natural-Born Filipinos" | Republic Act No. 8369 | "An Act Establishing Family Courts, Granting them Exclusive Original Jurisdiction over Child and Family Cases, Amending Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as amended, Otherwise Known as the Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980, Appropriating Funds Therefor and for other Purposes" | Republic Act No. 8972 | "An Act Providing for Benefits and Privileges to Solo Parents and their Children, Appropriating Funds Therefor and for Other Purposes" (Also known as Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2000) | Act No. 4112 | "An Act to Amend Section Four Hundred and Thirty-One of the Administrative Code, As Amended, By Granting the Right of Suffrage to the Women and Making Them Eligible to All Public Offices, and for Other Purposes" | Commonwealth Act No. 625 | "An Act Providing the Manner in Which the Option to Elect Philippine Citizenship Shall Be Declared by a Person Whose Mother is a Filipino Citizen" | Republic Act No. 7160 | "An Act Providing for a Local Government Code of 1991" - The Local Government Code has been amended to provide seats for women in all of the 1,600 local legislative assemblies nationwide. | Republic Act No. 7941 | "An Act Providing for the Election of Party-List Representatives Through the Party-List System, and Appropriating Funds Therefor" - Provides for the election of party-list representatives through the party-list system and the inclusion of women in the sectoral party list. | Republic Act No. 3835 | "An Act to Establish the Women 's Auxiliary Corps in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, to Provide the Procurement of its Officers and Enlisted Personnel, and for Other Purposes (As Amended by PD 1043)" | Republic Act No. 6955 | "An Act to Declare Unlawful the Practice of Matching Filipino Women for Marriage to Foreign Nationals on Mail-Order Basis and other Similar Practices, Including the Advertisement, Publication, Printing or Distribution of Brochures, Fliers and Other Propaganda Materials in Furtherance Thereof and Providing Penalty Therefor | Republic Act No. 6972 | "An Act Establishing a Day Care Center in Every Barangay, Instituting Therein a Total Development and Protection of Children Program, Appropriating Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes" (Also known as the "Barangay-Level Total Development and Protection of Children Act") - This Act establishes day care centers in every barangay to free women for other activities such as taking a job or going back to school. | Republic Act No. 7600 | "An Act Providing Incentives to All Government and Private Health Institutions With Rooming-In and Breastfeeding Practices and for Other Purposes" (Also known as "The Rooming-in and Breastfeeding Act of 1992") - This Act provides an environment where basic physical, emotional, and psychological needs of mothers and infants immediately after birth are fulfilled through the practice of rooming-in and breastfeeding. | Republic Act No. 7688 | "An Act Giving Representation to Women in the Social Security Commission, Amending for the Purpose Section 3(a) of Republic Act No. 1161, As Amended" - This Act gives representation to women in the Social Security Commission. | Republic Act No. 7875 | "An Act Instituting a National Health Insurance Program for All Filipinos and Establishing the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation for the Purpose" - The NHI Law establishes the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and also aims to improve the implementation and coverage of the old Medicare program by including the self-employed and the poor who cannot otherwise avail of health insurance. This law sets priority for the needs of the underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children. | Republic Act No. 7884 | "An Act Creating the National Dairy Authority to Accelerate the Development of the Dairy Industry in the Philippines, Providing for a Dairy Development Fund, and for Other Purposes" (Also known as the "National Dairy Development Act of 1995") - This Act encourages the participation of women’s groups in dairy and dairy-related projects including dairy animal health care, village nutrition schemes, community-based processing and marketing of milk and dairy products. | Republic Act No. 8353 | "An Act Expanding the Definition of the Crime of Rape, Reclassifying the Same as a Crime Against Persons, Amending for the Purpose Act No. 3815, as Amended, Otherwise Known as the Revised Penal Code, and for Other Purposes" (Also known as the "Anti-Rape Law of 1997") - This reclassifies rape from a "crime against chastity" to a "crime against persons." | Republic Act No. 8505 | "An Act Providing Assistance and Protection for Rape Victims, Establishing for the Purpose a Rape Crisis Center in Every Province and City, Authorizing the Appropriation of Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes" (Also known as "Rape Victim Assistance and Protection Act of 1998") | Republic Act No. 8551 | "An Act Providing for the Reform and Reorganization of the Philippine National Police and for Other Purposes, Amending Certain Provisions of Republic Act Numbered Sixty-Nine Hundred and Seventy-Five Entitled, 'An Act Establishing the Philippine National Police Under a Re-Organized Department of the Interior and Local Government, and for Other Purposes '" (Also known as the "Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998") | Republic Act No. 9208 | "An Act to Institute Policies to Eliminate the Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Minors, Establishing the Necessary Institutional Mechanism for the Protection and Support of Trafficked Persons, Providing Penalties for its Violations, and Other Purposes" (Also known as the "Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003") | Republic Act No. 9262 | "An Act Defining Violence Against Women and Their Children, Providing for Protective Measures for Victims, Prescribing Penalties Therefore and for Other Purposes" (Also known as "Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004 '") |
Source: http://pcw.gov.ph/laws?content=&term_node_tid_depth=All&tid=All Generally, the laws listed above are just tips on an iceberg and these laws are the most common law, we heard protecting the basic rights of women. Even though lawmakers made those laws yet thousand of Filipina’s are suffering from different kinds of abuse namely rape, assault, prostitution and the likes due to lack of implementation of these laws and we can witness that kind of treatment to women in the television programs like Face to Face by TV5 and Personalan by News TV. These are only merely written in the Constitution but there is no widespread of knowledge for women to know that are their rights letting them self caged from what they used to be. However, though they receive such animal like treatment those laws will put to justice the men who did that kind of behavior to them. Filipinas have their safe haven. At the same time, the culture and tradition of Filipinos helped women to see the light in spite of lack of implementation of laws protecting their rights. It stated earlier in this paper that before the colonizers reign in the Philippine, it has been noted that men have high respect for women. Remember, Filipino value much of its culture and tradition. During the early Spanish Era, “Harana” is the best formal way to show the affection of a man to woman. “Pamamanhikan” is the next stage where the man will the do the household chores commonly do by the father of the woman to show how devoted the man to the woman he is courting. For this reason, this only suggests how man gives value to woman. They will sacrifice themselves to be with the woman they love and, how this is related to the gender equality? The answer is simple – respect. Filipino men are educated on how to respect and love his mother and this is visible on how he also treats his wife. Giving them opportunities to excel and support them in their different endeavor and the reason why the gap between man and woman is not distant to each other. As can be seen, Philippines is largely dominated by Christian which is 92% and while the other 5% are Muslim and the later 2% are the other religions. Nevertheless, men see women as the Birheng Maria, which they must be treated properly like how Christ respects his mother. Being a Christian country signifies how Filipino does moral behavior and gives importance to doing the right thing and charitable act. On the other hand, though Muslim is allowed to marry how many woman they want as long as they can provide their needs, is just other reason for such equality. According to the Muslim tradition, man only marries other women aside from his original wife because men have the responsibility of helping vulnerable women. In this way he can help and provide the basic needs of those women but this tread doesn’t always happen. Consequently, Filipino values a lot their family. They will do everything just for their family to be intact and happy. They solved the conflict as early as they can between the wife and husband. Making husband to care for his wife and do everything he can to sustain her needs. Filipino men have a pride that they should only get a job and produce earnings for their family and their wife should only be taking care of their family. In short, they do not want their wife to be stressful or be the one taking his responsibility, yes, this may not be a big part of getting the gender equality but this can help women to build up confidence and self-esteem. Though this modern time, it is normal for women to land a job. As a matter of fact, the influence of media gives the enlightenment for women to resist for their rights. One of the most important inventions of human today is the printing press. Printing presses make the possibilities of newspaper and other printed materials we are seeing in the rack at the bookstore. What is the connection of printing press and newspaper for gender equality? Basically, during the 14th century Europe, the monarchy was abusing its power without knowing of the peasants in Europe’s Feudal system until Johannes Guttenberg invented the printing press and newspaper was made making the knowledge spread within the whole country. This made the possibility of the commoner and peasants to know the corruption and the improper treatment of the monarchy and the land lord to them. At the same time, they made the resistance against their government and eradicating the Feudal System within Europe. Significantly, this is the power of media – news. They change manipulate and change the ideology people or a nation. Here in the Philippines, during elementary and high school, students are thought how La Solaridad, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo open the minds of Filipinos of the oppression of Spaniards to them. This kind of event is most likely how the ability of Feminism in country spread. One of the pioneering women for the spreading of Feminism in the country is Josefa Llanes Escoda who established the “The Girl Scouts of the Philippines”. She is also the secretary of Women’s Clubs, which organized the fighting for women’s right and encouraging Filipina to fight the inequality in the society. Along with Pilar Hidalgo Lim, the club’s president, they campaigned for the rights of women by writing articles in Liwayway and Taliba (www. sunstar.com). Those written articles help way for women to be enlightened. With the radical philosophy and ideology from Europe brought by the Ilustrados back in the country it started a wild spread of what a society should be. Women little by little knew what they should be and who they should be, starting the protest of different kind of women to Spaniards for giving their basic rights specifically the Education. Though they are not successful for their many trials for fighting for their rights it was at the end of Spanish regime and the introduction of American reign, progress starts to emerge in the society and women starts to embrace their independence. Until today, they are enjoying what they have struggle for equality.
After hundreds of years fighting and resisting for their basic rights, Philippine women reached the point of their opposition that men and women are not far from each. It looks like what women are starting to achieve what men accomplished. As a matter of fact, all of the programs and laws made to produced the country as a ‘woman friendly’ has really paid off after the World Economic Forum listed the country as no.1 in Asia-Pacific Region in terms of gender equality while 8th besting out other 135 countries. According to its Global Gender Gap 2011 report, on a scale of 0 as inequality and 1 as equality, the country got a perfect score of 1 in educational attainment and health and survival. 'The Philippines stays the highest-ranking country from Asia in the Index. It ranks first on both education and health and is also among the top 20 on economic participation and political empowerment (www.ph.yahoo.com).
Based on The World Bank study, ' 'Toward Gender Equality in East Asia and the Pacific, ' ' they ranked the Philippines sixth of 129 countries in gender equality, gender equality has gone a long way in the Philippines as Filipino women now have high levels of autonomy in terms of financial decisions, literacy, economic opportunity, and even in politics (www.ph.yahoo.com).
Talking about politics, the participation of women in politics is remarkable because of the rapid growing female population in the Philippines, From 36,684 in the year 1970 to 73,329,000 in the year 2000. In a Philippine report, in 1995 national and local election there was a 71.0% turn out rate for women while 70.3% for men (Mies 3). Not significant enough to conclude that it was a breakthrough for women in the country because in the early times, woman is prohibited in joining in such political involvement, such as running for a position, participating in government organizations.
During the Third and Fourth Congress, only one woman senator has been elected – Educator Geronima Pecson and Social Worker Pacita Madrigal-Gonzales. The number of Senator increased in Congress in the persons of Honorables Eva Estrada-Kalaw, Maria Kalaw-Katigbak and Tecla San Andres-Ziga, the first Filipina bar top notcher in the Philippines and re-elected congresswoman throughout the Sixth Congress on 1965 to 1969. Two additional Filipinas entered the Senate, namely Magnolia Wellborn Antonio and Helena Zoila Benitez. The Eight Congress resumed after the rule of Marcos, wherein more Filipinas entered the Senate. More women was further elected until the present time and exercise their right to be a leader and a part of nation building. (www.coa.gov.ph)
Equally, in the House of Representative, female legislators worked together into a caucus called Philippine Organization of Women Elected Representatives, Inc. (POWER). The main goal of POWER is to be a place where female lawmakers could discuss social matter affecting today’s Pinay, plan a law addressing the necessity of women and to support bills to promote women’s welfare. In the two-chamber Congress, the senate (Upper House) has 17.4% women membership (4 out of 23 seats) which the House of Representatives (Lower House) has 12.4% (27 out of 217 seats. The first party-list elections in 1998 – wherein sectoral groups like women competed to get a maximum of 3 seats per party in the House of Representatives—resulted in the winning of one seat for a single women’s party. Five other women’s party did not make the minimum votes required (Anonuevo).
One of the greatest leaps in the Feminist movement in the country was the Article VI of the 1987 Constitution, Section 5.2 that says “for three consecutive terms after the ratification of the constitution, one half of the seats allocated to party list representatives would be filled, as provided by law, by selection or election for the labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous, cultural communities, women, youth, and such other sectors as may be provided by law, except the religious sector”.
There are more women than men in the government bureaucracy, with women accounting for 53.81% of the total 1.38 million government personnel in 1997. This figure is 0.51% lower than the 1996 figure of 54.32%. Women dominate only the second-level positions with 72.26% in 1997. At the first level, there were 34% women and the third level, the highest, they form 32.5%. There are also more men holding contractual/casual positions with 62.5% leaving women with only 37.5%.
The cabinet includes 2 women (12.5%) heading the social welfare and tourism departments. The number of women heads of the constitutional commissions increased from 3 in 1990 to 4 in 1996. Women comprised 17.8% of the total incumbent judges in the Philippine courts in 1997 or 301 out of the total 1,694 incumbent judges. In 1990, the Philippines had 3 women members of the Supreme Court. However, after two of them retired, male justices took their place and today, only one woman sits in the 15-member court of the fifteen incumbent justices in the Sandiganbayan, 3 are women. However, the Court of Tax Appeals (with 3 justices) has remained all-male and so have the three Sharia District Courts. Women comprised 29% of the country 's 121 State prosecutors in 1995. In 1995, there was total of 138 women diplomats. They accounted for 41.6% of the total number of diplomatic posts. Of the 138 women diplomatic service personnel employed in 1995, 37 were Chiefs of Mission with the rank of Ambassador, 21 were Minister-Counsellors, and 80 were holders of Foreign Service Officer position.Out of the 147 Philippines Military Academy graduates in 1997, 7 were women. As of 1995, women police officers comprised 3.1% of the total 2,658 police force (www.coa.gov.ph).
Women have also become active members of labor unions. Almost 60% of registered members of the public sector labor unions between 1994 and 1996 were women.· 41.4% of the total labor union membership of 858,900 in the private industries in 1993 were women. Women 's share of union leadership was registered at 20.7% of the presidents of 314 registered public sector unions for the same period. In spite of these gains, women 's share in decision-making positions remains low. This pattern is also true in other institutions in both government and private sectors where women 's participation also decreases as the position level goes up.
Table 1 Based on Table 1, every administration are addressing the necessity of women for education. These are also the attempts of each president to improve the quality of education before. There are also more women who finish secondary education than men.
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Table 2

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It is astounding to know that women have a higher Literacy rate than men. Simple Literacy Rate (SLR) indicates a person’s 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 result of this, women received better education and academically competitive than their gender counterparts. According to the data on MDG indicators in the Philippines from the data base of the Department of Education and the Commision on Higher Education, compared to the base year of 1993, the latest indicate that more females are able to complete secondary school compared to their male counterparts. Literacy differences between males and females are also statistically insignificant over the past periods of examinations beginning 1990-2003. However, an alarming trend according to the Philippine Commission for Women, “Literacy rates of both sexes dropped significantly in 2003. Unlike the previous survey results, the 2003 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey ( FLEMMS) reported lower functional literacy rate compared to men. , although women still have a higher literacy rate compared to men. in 2003, female literacy rate stood at 86.3 while the male literacy rate was at 81. 9. Simple literacy rates were registered at 95. 5 perecents for women and 94 percent for men.” (Dator-Bercilla 63) In contrast above, though women beat men in literacy, employment is another topic to be sad about for women. Men still have dominated the labor force in the country. Philippines is a agricultural and newly industrialized country, meaning, farming is one of the staple job Filipino’s can get which needed too much force and the job perfectly fit for men while industrialization therefore there will be construction boom within the cities which is a job perfectly fit for men. Though women are much more educated than men according to the statistics different firm chooses men than woman. Table 3
Data’s on Table 3 is not appalling. Since decades ago women are always behind the back of men. What confusing about the data is that, if women are academically competitive why there is such a
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big gap between men and women when it comes to employment? It might be since nowadays, women cannot divide her time between work and family. The increase of working mother and a number of abuse women on the country is root of article XII if the constitution of the republic of the Philippines in section 14 on women states. It states that the country must protect the working women in any category of abuse such as slavery and other law breaking provisions of one’ company. It also states that a company must take the health of his/her employees such as a maternity leave among women in order to maintain their health and wellbeing to their full possible effort to serve the nation. But despite the approval and implementation of the law, many women suffer discrimination in work. Particularly in companies, some companies are reluctant to hire married women who are in child-bearing age because there is a disruption on work in the company, when a mother files a leave of maternity. And many times when her child got sick, usually the mother takes care of them until the recover from the illness. Although man may take care of the child when he want do it (www.gmanetwork.com). The labor force statistics show also mixed picture. Since there was a notable feminization of the workforce in the past years, July 2000 figures showed that there are 1.942 million unemployed women are taken while there are 2. 631 million unemployed men. however, more women are taken in for labor flexibility arrangements especially in the big services sector like in retail trade. This leaves them exposed to employment insecurity and unfair compensation schemes. (Anonuevo 2) Nowadays, women or in other words is also working in the family for the benefit of her family. The increase of working mother and a number of abuse women on the country is root of article XII if the constitution of the republic of the Philippines in section 14 on women states. It state that the country must protect the working women in any category of abuse such as slavery and other law breaking provisions of one’ company. It also states that a company must take the health of his/her employees such as a maternity leave among women in order to maintain their health and wellbeing to their full possible effort to serve the nation. But despite the approval and implementation of the law, many women in the country suffer a lot of problems. Particularly in companies, some companies are reluctant to hire married women who are in child-bearing age because there is a disruption on work in the company, when a mother files a leave of maternity. And many times when her child got sick, usually the mother takes care of them until the recover from the illness. Although man may take care of the child when he want do it. (Frances 2) According to Dolan, Roland “in the early 1990s women were found in more than a proportionate share of many professions although they predominated in domestic service (91 percent), professional and technical positions (59.4 percent), and sales (57.9 percent)”. The statistical records only show the fruits of endeavors that our Filipinas fought for years. Nowadays we can feel the presence of women dominating our society. Local television shows, broadcasts women doing the work of men, winning sports that were once played by guys and entering the political arena. Women who have once been submissive in our society started to gain the privileges to rise again and gain the opportunity that once have been denied (Doland). Table 4.
During Martial Law, a large spread of 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.
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 (www.gmanetwork.com).
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 Estrada’s term was short-lived, as were, regrettably, the terms of the PopCom board members. More ambiguous were President Arroyo’s policies on family planning as a means to curb population growth. Although she acknowledged the problems of uncontrolled population growth, her administration’s 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 (www.gmanetwork.com).
Because women 's health is affected by factors other than physiology -- by family relationships, by living conditions in their home and communities, by political activities -- the WHCF has developed strategies to address women 's health from vantage points outside the clinic. WHCF has a strong community outreach program, which includes training of local residents to provide health care information to their neighbors; a political advocacy effort, which includes lobbying for health care reforms that affect women; and networking with nongovernmental organizations and grass-roots groups that have similar interests in women 's health and rights. The result is that the WHCF has become not only a point for delivery of a wide array of health services, but a source of health care expertise in the Philippines. (http://www.fhi360.org)
To sum up all the information listed above, it will create a timeline of events how women rise from the prejudice Filipino society. Women where never been an image of slave in our Filipino ancestry but when the colonizers took our land it is the start of status of women in the society start. Up till this 21st century, women were able to bring back the old picture of what they are in society – respected. Though there are still inequality and discrimination, we cannot eradicate that fact since women are still bouncing back and healing from their gloomy days in our history. This paper suggests that we do have gender equality know because women are able to have higher position in their chosen fields in the society and the best example of this was the presidency of late Corazon Aquino. We can now again call our country as what is used before “one of the strongest Feminist country in the world”. We are still facing the continuing challenge of gender equality and inequality and time can only tell when this fight will be close.
Scholars say that there is no such thing as equality. Equality will never happen since the world is destined to have inferiority and superiority. Well, it may be one of the hardest thing to achieve in the modern time we have today but woman doesn’t want a total equality but a world where every human with different genders, races and ideologies can live in this harmonuis world they are stepping in. when this happen, everything will follow, every dream of Filipina who struggle for their basic rights not just be a surreal imagination but a splendid reality.
Since this paper tackles about Filipino women, but what actually Filipina is? Former First Lady Imelda Marcos has her definition and characteristics what Filipina should be. In her speech in a 1969 speech at Philippine Women’s University:
“This new Filipina represents a flowering of the cultures that have taken root and grown in the fertile soil of our islands; she is the daughter of those ancient Filipino women who long before the strangers came to these shores worked side by side with their husbands. Active, industrious, even aggressive; te kind of woman Rizal eulogized in his letter to the women of Malolos, in fact, the kind of woman Rizal’s mother was. At the same time, she is also the daughter of Maria Clara, refines, intellectual and self-sacrificing. Thus, without abandoning her ancient heritage…she is nevertheless a woman of times, equipped intellectually and culturally to meet challenges.
Today we need such Filipino women, women whose character and education will prepare them to be the intelectul equal and closest friends of their husbands, women who will not look on marriage or motherhood as coterminous with their maternal role, women who want…to be wives and mothers but who would rather serve their families and husbands and the world by the highest possible self-development and fulfillment (Borden 5).” Nevertheless, when they realize their capabilities and who they really are, no one can treat them inferior but a human being who has gained full wisdom tested by time and history

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Tiongson, Nicanor G. The Women of Malolos.Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila Press. 1994.
Salazar, Zeus, et. Al. Women’s Role in the Philippine History: Selected Essays, 2nd ed. Quezon City: UP Press, 1996.
Articles in Journals, Magazines and Newspaper Bercill, Jessica Dator. “Facing the Continuing Challege of Gender Inequality and Inequity. Social Watch Philippines. (2006): pp 61-64
Electronic Sources

www.coa.gov.ph. June 25, 1998. Commision on Audit. December 05, 2012. http://www.coa.gov.ph/gad/articles/celebration_of_herstory_052006.htm www. fhi360.org. 2012. Women’s Health Care Foundation. January 12, 2013 http://www.fhi360.org/en/rh/pubs/wsp/casestudies/philippinescasestudy.htm

www.gmanetwork.com.October 3, 2012. GMA Network. December 6, 2012 from http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/276661/news/specialreports/the-status of-women-in-the-philippines-a-50-year-retrospective.

www. Yahoo.com. November 04, 2011. Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom. December 11, 2012. http://ph.news.yahoo.com/ph-is-best-in-gender-equality-in-asia--says-study.html

www.philippinehistory.ph.September 19, 2009. University of the Philippines-Diliman. December 01, 2012. http://philippine-history.ph/tag/women-slavery-in-the-phiilippines/.

www.sunstar.com. March 13, 2012.Sun Star Cagayan de Oro. December 1, 2012. http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/lifestyle/2012/03/13/filipina-s-role-equality-211056 www. ph.yahoo.com. November 04, 2011. Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom. January 12, 2013. http://ph.news.yahoo.com/ph-is-best-in-gender-equality-in-asia--says-study.html

NARRATIVE REPORT
Writing all the workable topics
Brainstorming

Each member of the group was assigned to formulate three workable topics before the day we are tasked to show what topic we will be running on. We stumble upon and confused on what topic we should choose between Plagiarism and Women of History. Our group chose the Rise of Women in the Philippines as our main topic from the other topics that we are deciding from. We choose the Rise of Women since basically we are History student this would give us an edge from our future lessons and we already have sufficient sources we can work out for our research. Our leader gives each member homework, to have different narrowed down from the topic we have chosen from. After class, our leader instructs us to find more book and other materials for our research in the library for the reference. Afterwards, we go to the school library to find the books related to our topic the rise of women. Our leader said that we can choose any book we want as long as there is a bibliography of the book for the documentation purposes. Luckily, we found all the materials in the school library we think we need in our research thus we do not need to go to the National Museum to find more sources. Uniquely, having many sources would only make our research tougher since their many facts to work for and we are not yet in that stage of researching. The next meeting, our professor said that we have to give 10 questions about our topic that have to answer. Afterwards, we come up with the 10 Listening to our prof’s instruction questions and our professor approved it. In order to work fast, our leader assigned two questions per member and able to answer the said task. Again, we go to the library to look for the books to answer the assigned questions to us. Finding the book is very crucial that time because the library is about to close in not less than an hour. So we hurry to find a bibliography of the book to find them on the internet to go on the research. But we failed to find the books on the net because some of the sources is not reliable enough to be a reference for our library research paper, but we find an alternative way in Talking about the preliminary steps of the first draft finding a source and able to do the questions. For now, we focused in the articles the Christmas vacation, our professor set the deadline of passing of the first draft. No time to waste, after that we rush in the making of the first draft. Our leader said that we must finish that befor
Making a rough draft of our first draft
Reviewing our First Draft
Friday. We are all assign to do the introduction of our first draft, but before that, our professor assigned us to make a thesis statement which will summarize our whole research. The thesis statement should answer one of the ten questions we come up. After our brainstorming we are able to make our thesis statement “The involvement of constitution, enlightenment, impact of culture and tradition and influence of media opened the door of opportunity for men and women to be equal”. Our profeesor approved our thesis statement we work on the outline of our research. This was the hardest part of making our research paper. Our preliminary outline was rejected for two times. In spite of that,we still continue making the first draft of our paper. Our leader assigned us different task to send all our Our materials and sources note takes on his facebook account. On net, we all pass the requirements of our leader for him to finish the first draft. Friday, the moment of truth our leader finish it smoothly being first group, our darft was the first one to be checked. Luckily we obtain a high grade from our professor and a little error about the task that we accomplished. We are all thankful for our leader because he was the one who typed the whole first draft and compile the all the information needed to finish for our first draft. We are all also thankful for the accomplishment of each other’s work because with each other we will not be able to finish early our first draft leaving us a peaceful Christmas vacation. Until January, we are all shocked that the final draft of our research will be pass. We review the work that we have done and our leader said to add a Our first draft little more note taking for the final draft. We submitted to him the note takes he needs for the editing of the final paper of the library research paper. When we received the revised final draft of our paper we are all shocked that we got the highes grade, 1.0. All the hardwork and hardships we’ve been through has been paid off. We really are blessed. We are now getting prepared for our field research.

Cited: Philippines: Friedrich Ebert Stiffung, 2000. Cruz, Romeo V., et. al. Women’s Role in the Philippine History: Selected Essays, 2nd Ed. Quezon City: UP Press, 1996 Borden, Karen Wells Dolan, Roland E. ed. Philippines: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1991. Fernandez, Albina P. Review of Women Studies: Babae, Bawiin ang Kasaysayan at…Manila: RoMa Graphics & Co., Inc., 1998. Ferrer, Miriam Cortnel. Civil Society Making Civil Society. Quezon City: Third World Studies Center, 1997. Frances, Jeanne I. Women and Development: Alternative Roles and Strategies, in Society, Culture and the Filipino, ed. Ateneo de Manila University: Institute of the Philippine Culture, 1979. Mies, Maria, Veronika Bennholdt-Thomsen, and Claudia von Werlhof. Women- The last Colony. New Delhi: Pauls Press, 1988. Orozco, Wilhelmina L. Philippine Women in the World of Work. Manila: Up Press, 1983. “Philippines: the role and status of the Filipina”. Encyclopedia of the Nations, 1991. Tiongson, Nicanor G. The Women of Malolos.Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila Press. 1994. Salazar, Zeus, et. Al. Women’s Role in the Philippine History: Selected Essays, 2nd ed. Quezon City: UP Press, 1996. www. fhi360.org. 2012. Women’s Health Care Foundation. January 12, 2013 http://www.fhi360.org/en/rh/pubs/wsp/casestudies/philippinescasestudy.htm www.gmanetwork.com.October 3, 2012. GMA Network. December 6, 2012 from www. Yahoo.com. November 04, 2011. Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom. December 11, 2012. http://ph.news.yahoo.com/ph-is-best-in-gender-equality-in-asia--says-study.html www.philippinehistory.ph.September 19, 2009 www.sunstar.com. March 13, 2012.Sun Star Cagayan de Oro. December 1, 2012. http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/lifestyle/2012/03/13/filipina-s-role-equality-211056 www