Women take charge at House

MANILA, Philippines - Women ruled the House yesterday.

In celebration of Women’s Month, an all-women session prevailed at the House of Representatives yesterday, with Rep. Gina de Venecia of Pangasinan’s 4th District acting as Speaker.

De Venecia, whose husband Jose de Venecia Jr. was House speaker for five terms, is the president of the 65-strong Association of Women Legislators’ Foundation Inc. (AWLFI), which is composed of women members of the House of Representatives.

The power shift was welcomed by their male colleagues.

“As the heart of Congress,” De Venecia said, “we will always endeavor – by patient work and by genuine example – to turn that flicker of hope that we inspire into a blazing flame of optimism and accomplishment for the Filipino people.”

The plenary session began with a call to order by Deputy Speaker Beng Climaco (1st District, Zamboanga City). She then relinquished her post to De Venecia, the Speaker for the day.

The other presiding officers in the all-women session were: Reps. Angel Amante-Matba, Sandy Ocampo and Aurora Enerio Cerilles, with Reps. Daisy Fuentes, Emmeline Aglipay, Evita Arago and Mylene Garcia-Albano acting as the majority leaders and Reps. Lani Mercado-Revilla and Reena Obillo as minority leaders.

The AWLFI includes a former president, Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and a former first lady, Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Romualdez-Marcos.

Arroyo, now in detention for electoral sabotage charges, is a member of the committee on appropriations, economic affairs and foreign affairs, among others.

Marcos is a member of the committee on millennium development goals.

The matters discussed on the floor yesterday included House Bill 4643, which tackles the expansion of the prohibited acts listed in the “discrimination against women” law, and the status of House Bill 4434 on the declaration of Nov. 25 of every year as National Consciousness Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

During the privilege hour, Rep. Evelyn Mellana spoke on “Women in the Workforce” and Rep. Juliet Cortuna on “Women in the 21st Century.” Reps. Luz Ilagan and Ana Cristina Go delivered speeches on gender sensitivity, Rep. Imelda Dimaporo spoke on discrimination against Muslim Filipino women while Rep. Imelda Calixto-Rubiano gave a speech on “Celebrating Pinay: Celebration of International Women’s Month.”

As part of the Women’s Month celebration, the AWLFI also sponsored the screening last Thursday of the independent film on family, “Agawan Base” starring Jolina Magdangal.

On March 21, it is sponsoring a forum on “Women’s Rights under the Family Code” with lawyer Lorna Kapunan.

Under De Venecia’s leadership, the women legislators’ association scores high in terms of organizational development. Last year, it was formally registered as a non-stock and non-profit foundation at the Securities and Exchange Commission under the new name, Association of Women Legislators Foundation, Inc. (AWLFI).

It was also given a permanent office at Room 219 of the second floor of the South building, in recognition of the organization’s status as a permanent constituent of the House of Representatives.

Agreeing to have a common stand on important issues concerning women and children, they successfully passed the “anti-corporal punishment bill” to protect children from unwarranted pain in the name of discipline.

To be more effective in devising a national plan that articulates a performance-oriented governance, the AWLFI launched a series of dialogues with President Aquino and other key leaders and government officials like Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno, Road Board executive director Dodot Escalona, and Gloria Steele, mission director of USAID (United States Agency for International Development).

In view of the natural disasters that have hit the country, it also conducted seminars on first-aid and disaster preparedness with the Philippine Red Cross and Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology director Renato Solidum.

The women legislators also participated in international conferences on global economic and peace security, such as the Global Peace Leadership Conferences in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Seoul, Korea; and Nanning, China, and the Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU) in Bern, Switzerland.

The past year also saw the deep commitment of the women lawmakers in issues that ranged from gender equality to promotion of peace and social justice, the right to education, shelter, health and food security and preservation of democratic institutions.

The AWLFI officers are: president, Gina de Venecia; VP for NCR, Rosenda Ann Ocampo; VP for Luzon, Linabelle Ruth Villarica; VP for Visayas: Mercedes Alvarez; VP for Mindanao, Sandra Sema; VP for party-list, Luzviminda Ilagan; secretary, Josefina Joson; treasurer, Imelda Calixto-Rubiano; PRO, Bernadette Herrera-Dy; muse, Fatima Aliah Dimaporo; advisers Gloria Arroyo, Maria Isabelle Climaco, Imelda Marcos, Ma. Amelita Villarosa and Herminia Roman.

The group, founded by former congresswoman Cynthia Villar during the 12th Congress, is credited for the passage of landmark laws on women and children, like the Magna Carta of Women of 2009, the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004 and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. – With Joanne Rae Ramirez, Paolo Romero