P-Noy pays tribute to women at APEC meet

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino paid tribute yesterday to women for their contributions to different sectors of society aside from family, and joked that it was no surprise “if the common Filipino male never questions the authority of Filipinas.”

Aquino noted in a speech at the Public-Private Dialogue on Women and the Economy of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Women and the Economy 2015 meeting that women are still facing a number of pressing issues and gender equality would call for continuous reflection and corresponding action.

“For this reason, we must always approach our jobs and even our smallest interactions with people, with the empathy, consideration and respect necessary to create a truly inclusive society. Rest assured, the Philippines will remain your partner in expanding opportunities for women, and I am hopeful that your discussions… will continue to move us closer to a world where no one is left behind,” the bachelor Chief Executive said.

Aquino said Congress passed laws expanding the horizon of opportunities for women and, most prominently, in 2011, the government repealed antiquated provisions of the Labor Code prohibiting women from working at night.

“It comes as no surprise, then, that according to the World Economic Forum, the Philippines is the only Asian country in the top ten in terms of closing the gender gap. Our performance in this index will not stop us from pursuing even more progress,” Aquino said.

The President said he was no stranger to the strength of Filipino women and countless stories of their fortitude, resilience and love for country that could be found in the pages of history books and in the ordinary and daily heroes in everyone’s lives.

“There is Gabriela Silang, one of our nation’s most renowned heroes, who led the revolt against our colonizers after her husband’s assassination. There is Tandang Sora who put up a refuge for wounded soldiers during yet another revolution against the Spanish occupation.

“Of course, a more recent and much more personal example is my mother (former President Corazon Aquino), who I watched firsthand as she courageously took a stand against a vicious dictator and led the country to reclaim our democracy,” Aquino said.

“Make no mistake: the willpower these Filipinas showed is not a rare trait; it is something we see every day,” the President said.

Aquino shared a story back in 1984, when his mother was leading the movement against the dictatorship, about a woman in Cebu who always joined their rallies in the province because she was so passionate in the struggle against then President Ferdinand Marcos.

When everyone was clamoring for Marcos to resign, Aquino said the woman was literally calling for the head of the dictator and that another thing that set her apart was that she always carried a basket with her, containing clean underwear, a toothbrush, some instant coffee and other essential items because she was ready to be arrested anytime.

“That woman’s dedication has burned itself into my memory as one of the clearest examples of conviction for one’s beliefs,” the President said.

In the modern era, Aquino said the country would not have any shortage of excellent women leaders dedicated to uplift the lives of others.

He also cited Marife Zamora, one of the leaders of a well-known information technology-business process management firm as another example.

Aquino said Zamora offered to join government when he started in office to help with reform efforts, and he told her she could help more by staying in her sector and aiding the economy by expanding the workforce.

“At the time they had around 20,000 employees, and my request was to increase it to 30,000 before our term ends. Now, five years into my term, their company is providing not 30,000 jobs but 60,000 jobs to Filipinos,” Aquino said.

The President said he was told recently that the only limiting factor to the jobs that Zamora’s company could provide was the amount of office space available in their building along EDSA. “Her company’s performance makes me very glad that I declined her offer to move to government,” Aquino said.

He said there were so many women more strong-willed and capable than men and that it had become intrinsic to society to see women as superior in many aspects, including prudent budgeting and focusing on the advancement of the family as a whole.

“There is Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, Secretary Leila de Lima of the Department of Justice, Secretary Dinky Soliman of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Secretary Janette Garin of the Department of Health, Secretary Lilia de Lima of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Commissioner Kim Henares of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, former head of the Commission on Audit Grace Pulido-Tan, amongst many others,” Aquino said.

“They are pillars of our administration’s reform agenda and they are living proof to young people who wish to enter public service that they will not be defined by their gender, but rather by their integrity, their work ethic and their willingness to serve,” he said.

The President said contributions of women to Philippine society had gone beyond the public sector and helped spur remarkable economic growth these past years.