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Being Declaration and Platform for Action

BPfA +25

PHILIPPINE
PROGRESS REPORT
2014-2019

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019


Table of Contents
Page No.

List of Acronyms ii

List of Tables and Figures vii

List of Annexes viii

Introduction 1

Section 1: 3
Priorities, Achievements, Challenges and Setbacks

Section 2: 19
Progress Across the Critical Areas of Concerns

1. Inclusive Development, Shared Prosperity and Decent Work 19


2. Poverty Eradication, Social Protection and Social Services 23
3. Freedom from Violence, Stigma and Stereotypes 30
4. Participation, Accountability and Gender-responsive Institutions 37
5. Peaceful and inclusive societies 44
6. Environmental Conservation, Protection and Rehabilitation 46

Section 3: 51
National Institutions and Processes

Section 4: 56
Data and Statistics

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 i


List of Acronyms
4Ps Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
ACTIP ASEAN Convention on Trafficking in Persons
ADOs Anti-Discrimination Ordinances
ADVOCOM Advocacy and Communications Committee
AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
APCICT Asian and Pacific Training Centre for ICT for Development
APIS Annual Poverty Indicator Survey
ARBOs Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organization
ARMM Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao
ARs Accomplishment Reports
ARTA Anti-Red Tape Act
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ASKI Alalay sa Kaunlaran
AWEN ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network
BAR Bureau of Agricultural Research
BBL Bangsamoro Basic Law
BCPC Barangay Councils for the Protection of Children
BFAR Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
BMCRRP Bangon Marawi Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Program
Accountable and Transparent Barangays
BPBH Balik Pinay! Balik Hanapbuhay Program
BPFA Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
BTA Bangsamoro Transition Authority
BWSC Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns
CAAT Collaborative Action Against Trafficking
CARL Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law
CARP Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program
CBDRRMPs Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plans
CBLDMS Competency-Based Learning and Development Management System
CCAT-VAWC City Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Their
Children
CCC Climate Change Commission
CCT Conditional Cash Transfer
CDP Comprehensive Development Plans
CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
CFLGA Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit
CHED Commission on Higher Education
CHRP Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines
CIAGV Comprehensive Intervention Against Gender-Based Violence
CLOA Certificates of Land Ownership
COA Commission on Audit
COMELEC Commission on Elections
CPD Commission on Population and Development
CrFS Climate Resiliency Field Schools
CSC Civil Service Commission
CSE Comprehensive Sexual Education
CSI Civil Service Institute
CSOs Civil Society Organizations
CSRPDV Counseling Services for Rehabilitation of Perpetrators of Domestic Violence

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 ii


DA Department of Agriculture
DAR Department of Agrarian Reform
DENR Department of Environment and Natural Resources
DepEd Department of Education
DFA Department of Foreign Affairs
DICT Department of Information and Communications Technology
DILEEP DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Programs
DILG Department of the Interior and Local Government
DILP DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program
DND Department of National Defense
DOH Department of Health
DOJ Department of Justice
DOLE Department of Labor and Employment
DOST Department of Science and Technology
DOT Department of Tourism
DRRM Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
DRRM-CCA Disaster Risk Reduction and Management-Climate Change Adaptation
DSWD Department of Social Welfare and Development
DTI Department of Trade and Industry
EAPP Establishment of Emergency Accessible Polling Places
ECBRPP Enhanced Competency-based Recruitment, Promotion and Placement
eNGP Enhanced National Greening Program
EO Executive Order
EOP Equal Opportunity Principle
FIES Family Income and Expenditure Survey
FLEMMS Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey
FMB Forest Management Bureau
FNSP Families in Need of Special Protection
FP Family Planning
FPCBT Family Planning Competency-Based Training
FY Fiscal Year
GAA Girls Advocacy Alliance
GAD Gender and Development
GADtimpala GAD Transformation and Institutionalization through Mainstreaming of Programs,
Agenda, Linkages and Advocacies
GBViE Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies
GCF Green Climate Fund
GCM Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration
GeRL Gender-Responsive Local Government Unit
GEWE Gender Equality and Women Empowerment
GFMG Gender-Fair Media Guidebook
GGRVCA Greening the Gender Responsive Value Chain Analysis
GIDA Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas
GOCCs Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations
GOs Government Offices
GPB Gender and Development Plans and Budget
GREAT Gender Responsive Economic Activities for the Transformation of Women
HEIs Higher Education Institutions
HEMB Health Emergency Management Bureau
HGDG Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HRBA Human Rights-Based Approaches
HRO Human Rights Observatory
IAC-GCS Inter-Agency Committee on Gender and Children Statistics
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 iii
IACAT Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking
IACVAWC Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and Their Children
ICSC Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities
ICT Information and Communications Technology
IDI Inclusive Development Index
IDPs Internally Displaced Persons
IDRT IACAT Disaster Rapid Response Task Force
IEC Information, Education and Communication
ILO International Labor Organization
ILS Institute for Labor Studies
IP Indigenous Peoples
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IRR Implementing Rules and Regulations
IT-BPM Information Technology-Business Process Management
JMC Joint Memorandum Circular
KEGs Key Employment Generators
KRA Key Result Areas
LCAT-VAWC Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Their
Children
LDRRMPs Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plans
LFS Labor Force Survey
LGA Local Government Academy
LGUs Local Government Units
LIS Learner Information System
LUCs Local Universities and Colleges
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
MCAT-VAWC Municipal Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Their
Children
MCCT Modified Conditional Cash Transfer
MCW Magna Carta of Women
MCWIE Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Economy
MGEC Media and Gender Equality Committee
MILF Moro Islamic Liberation Front
MISP Minimum Initial Service Package
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MOVE Men Opposed to Violence Against Women Everywhere
MSMED Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development
MSMEs Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
NAP National Action Plan
NAP YPS National Action Plan for Youth, Peace and Security
NAPWPS National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security
NBB No Balance Billing
NCCAP National Climate Change Action Plan
NDHS National Demographic Health Survey
NDRRM National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
NDRRMP National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan
NEDA National Economic and Development Authority
NGAs National Government Agencies
NHIP National Health Insurance Program
NHRI National Human Rights Institution
NPFP National Program on Family Planning
NRCO National Reintegration Center for OFWs
NSCWPS National Steering Committee on Women, Peace and Security
NVR National Voluntary Review
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 iv
NWPC National Wages and Productivity Commission
OCD Office of Civil Defense
OFWs Overseas Filipino Workers
OP Office of the President
OPAPP Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process
ORAOHRA Omnibus Rules on Appointments and other Human Resource Actions
OSEC Online Sexual Exploitation of Children
PA Philippine Army
PAMB Protected Area Management Board
PAPs Programs, Activities, and Projects
PCAT-VAWC Provincial Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Their
Children
PCW Philippine Commission on Women
PDP Philippine Development Plan
PESFA Private Education Student Financial Assistance
PHILMECH Post-Harvest Development and Mechanization
PKKK Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan
PLHIV People Living with HIV
PMA Philippine Military Academy
PNP Philippine National Police
PNP-WPC Philippine National Police Women and Child Protection Center
POPCOM Commission on Population
POS Point of Service
PRIME-HRM Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human
Resource Management
PRRM Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement
PSA Philippine Statistics Authority
PSG Policy Studies Group
R1 Rice Watch Action Network
RCBW Regional Commission on Bangsamoro Women
RDP Regional Development Plans
RICs Rural Improvement Clubs
RPC Revised Penal Code
RPFP4LFE Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning for Labor Force Empowerment
RPRH Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health
SDGIFP Sustainable Development Goals Indicator Focal Point (SDGIFP)
SDGs Sustainable Development Goals
SGBV Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
SGLG Seal of Good Local Good Governance
SIKAT Sentro ng Ikakaunlad ng Katutubong Agham at Teknolohiya
SMEs Small and Medium Enterprises
SOGIE Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression
SRH Sexual and Reproductive Health
SRO-CARP Self-Reliant Organization–Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program
SSS Social Security System
STAR Sari-sari Training and Access to Resources
STEP Special Training for Employment Program
STI Sexually Transmitted Infection
SUCs State Universities and Colleges
TeamBRE Team Balikatan and Rescue in Emergencies
TESDA Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
TFBM Task Force Bangon Marawi
TIP Technological Institute of the Philippines
TIP Trafficking in Persons
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 v
TRAIN Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion
TUPAD Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers
TVET Technical-Vocational Education and Training
TVIs Technical-Vocational Institutions
TVPA Trafficking Victims Act
TWGs Technical Working Groups
TWSP Training for Work Scholarship Program
UAQTEA Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education
UCT Unconditional Cash Transfer
UN OCHA United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
UNCSW United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
UNGA UN General Assembly
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund
UniFAST Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education
UNISDR United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
UNSCR United Nations Security Council Resolutions
UNSCRs United Nations Security Council Resolutions
VAW Violence Against Women
VAWC Violence Against Women and Children
WATGB Women About to Give Birth
WCPDs Women and Children Desks
WCPUs Women and Children Protection Units
WE-Care Women’s Economic Empowerment and Care
WE-ICT Women Empowerment-ICT
WEF World Economic Forum
WFS Women Friendly Space
WIFI Women ICT Frontier Initiative
WMEs Women Micro-Entrepreneurs
WPLA Women’s Priority Legislative Agenda
WPS Women, Peace and Security

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 vi


List of Tables and Figures
Table 1: Ranking of the Philippines in the Global Gender Gap Index (GGI) 2014-2018

Table 2: Number of Registered Voters by Sex in May, 2019 National and Local Elections 1

Table 3: No. of Candidates per Elective Position by Sex (As of March 30, 2019) in May 2019
National and Local Elections2

Figure 1. No. of men and women participants in the NGP per region, as of December 31, 2018.

Figure 2. Number of land patents issued by sex in the Philippines from 2015-2016

1
https://www.comelec.gov.ph/

2
Ibid.
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 vii
List of Annexes
Annex 1: Statistics on Education – National Summary of Official Enrollment in All Grade Levels

Annex 2: NDHS data on VAW

Annex 3: List of policies on Gender-based Violence

Annex 4: List of Philippine SDG Indicators.

Annex 5: List of the Supplemental Philippine Gender-Specific Indicator

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 viii


Introduction
The Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 resulted in the adoption of the Beijing
Declaration and Platform of Action (BPfA, which, along with the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is considered the major blueprint for
gender equality and the empowerment of women. Every five years, UN member states report on
their progress in implementing this blueprint. 2020 will thus be a pivotal year as the BPFA turns
twenty-five (25) and the Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030 (the 2030 Agenda) and its
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will turn five.

This BPfA+25 Progress Report is a product of a national review that takes stock of
achievements, challenges and set-backs in its implementation and recommends strategic
directions to advance gender equality and the empowerment of Filipino women. Following the
guidance note for national reviews provided to member states, the report took account of the
five-year progress along the 12 critical areas of concern clustered into six overarching
dimensions for alignment with the 2030 Agenda. The report has 4 parts: Section 1 – Priorities,
Major Achievements, Challenges, and Setbacks; Section 2 – Progress Across the 12 Areas of
Concerns; Section 3 – National Institutions and Processes; and Section 4 – Data and Statistics.

The report also considers the medium-term national and sectoral development plans like the
Philippine Development Plan 2019-2022, the Women’s Empowerment, Development and
Gender Equality (Women’s EDGE) 2013-2016, and the current Gender Equality and Women’s
Empowerment (GEWE) Plan, 2019-2025. The progress, achievements as well as the challenges
mentioned in this report, will aid the different stakeholders on their need to design, implement,
monitor and evaluate policies, plans, programs and projects supporting GEWE outcomes and
other results in the next five years.

The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) heads the national steering committee (NSC)
which spearheaded the national review process involving a whole-of-government and whole-of-
nation approach. The NSC is composed of the heads of the six technical working groups
(TWGs) each representing the six overarching dimensions, namely; (1) Inclusive development,
shared prosperity and decent work, (2) Poverty eradication, social protection and social services,
(3) Freedom from violence, stigma and stereotypes, (4) Participation, accountability and gender-
responsive institutions, (5) Peaceful and inclusive societies, and; (6) Environmental
conservation, protection and rehabilitation. Each TWG is headed by a national government
agency as its lead convenor and a civil society organization as co-convenor with multi-
stakeholder representatives as members. This served as a mechanism which facilitated and
ensured that relevant accomplishments, gaps and challenges under each of the 12 critical areas
of concern during the last five years are gathered and consolidated in this report.

The preparation of the BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report involved various multi-sectoral
stakeholders. The kick-off activity was conducted last January 30, 2019 with 120 participants
from government agencies, civil society organizations, women’s rights organizations with a
strong presence at the grassroots level, academe, private sector, and international development
partners. It was followed by a series of sub-national consultation workshops for the island
clusters; Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The 3-part consultation gathered 173 participants from
non-government organizations (NGOs), local government units (LGUs), regional government

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 1


agencies, state universities and colleges, and people’s organizations. The BPfA+25 Consultation
culminated in a national consultation and validation workshop held on March 28-29 with 134
multi-stakeholder representatives. The PCW ensures that voices of the marginalized groups
were heard in the consultations. Present were rural women, women migrant workers, union
members, workers in the informal economy, urban poor, indigenous women, Bangsamoro
women, Muslim women, persons with hearing disability, and youth. PCW acknowledges the
support of UN Women for making the regional and national consultations possible.

The national review process was promoted through traditional and new media. The PCW put up
a BPfA+25 microsite in the PCW’s website to post information, documents and updates relevant
to the conduct of BPfA related activities for access of stakeholders. #BPFA25PH was also used
as the official handle for the promotion through social media.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 2


Section One
Priorities, Achievements, Challenges and Setbacks
I. Major Achievements and Challenges from 2014 to 2019

1. In terms of overall progress, the Philippines maintains its good standing in bridging the global
gender inequalities. The World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Global Gender Gap Report 2018
lists the Philippines as 8th most gender equal country in the world and only Asian country in
the top 10 most gender equal countries. The WEF reports that this ranking is attributed to
improved economic participation and opportunity due to increase in wage equality for similar
work, and closing in the gender gap in educational attainment.

Table 1: Ranking of the Philippines in the Global Gender Gap Index (GGI) 2014-2018
Key Areas Rank
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Rank Score Rank Score Rank Score Rank Score Rank Score
Global Gender Gap 9 0.781 7 0.790 7 0.786 10 0.790 8 0.799
Index
• Economic 24 0.778 16 0.799 21 0.780 25 0.764 14 0.801
participation
and opportunity
• Educational 1 1.000 34 1.000 1 1.000 1 1.000 1 1.000
attainment
• Health and 1 0.980 1 0.980 1 0.980 36 0.979 42 0.979
survival
• Political 17 0.368 17 0.382 17 0.386 13 0.416 13 0.416
empowerment
Source: World Economic Forum (WEF)

2. The Philippines continues to make considerable progress in closing the gender gap in
education with more women enrolling and completing secondary, tertiary, and technical and
vocational compared to men. As in the previous reporting period, more women are
functionally literate than men, with 92.7% literacy rate noted among women compared to
88.7 among men (FLEMMS 2013). The Department of Education (DepEd) data as of
December 10, 2018 shows a good performance in basic education (kindergarten to senior
high school) based on its Learner Information System (LIS). The number of enrolled among
girls and boys are more or less same however, boys’ enrollment rate (50.82% or 13,731,995)
is greater than girls (49.18% or 13,286,514) (Annex 1: National Summary of Official
enrollment in All Grade Levels). In 2017, more than one million women finished technical and
vocational education and courses, outnumbering men by 130,070. Net enrollment ratio was
also generally higher among females in all levels at 54.2% compared to only 51.8% among
males which indicate that more girls tend to stay longer in school compared to boys
(FLEMMS 2013). In tertiary level for instance, many more women than men pursue higher
education most of whom are pursuing Business Administration and related courses (CHED,
2017-2018).

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 3


3. The technical-vocational education and training (TVET) programs of the Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) also yields a high accomplishment with
11,268,688 enrollees with 10,384,574 graduates from 2014-2018. Majority of enrollees or
5,946,396 (53%) are female while 5,322,292 (47%) are male. Similarly, 53% of graduates or
5,505,059 are female compared to 47% or 4,879,519 male. Likewise, in public and private
higher education, more women are enrolled or 4,259,274(55.36%) from 2015-2017 as
against to 3,435,051(44.64%) enrolled men. Completion rate from 2014-2016, totaled to
1,278,049 wherein, 58.21% or 743,966 are female while 41.79% or 534,083 are
male3.However, majority of female enrollees and graduates from TVET are found in ‘soft’
sectors such as garments, tourism, community development, healthcare and other services
while in higher education many more women pursue Business Administration and related
courses.

4. On women economic empowerment achievement, the Philippines is among the 121 World
Trade Organization (WTO) Members who supported the Joint Declaration on Trade and
Women’s Economic Empowerment during the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos
Aires in 2017, which aimed to remove trade barriers for women’s economic empowerment
and increase women’s participation in trade through the creation of more gender-responsive
policies.

5. The Family Planning program is a national mandated priority public health program to attain
the country’s national health development. It is a health intervention program for the
improvement of the health and welfare of mothers, children and other members of the family.
However, the devolved set-up of the government leads to fragmentation in operation and
service delivery of the program which limits the access of Filipinos, especially women, to full
range of FP methods as prescribed by the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health
Law of 2012. The lifting of the temporary restraining order and the Issuance of Executive
Order No. 12 (Attaining and Sustaining Zero Unmet Need for Modern Family Planning) in
2017 enabled the Department of Health (DOH) to intensify their mission.

6. The enactment of RA 11210 or the 105-Day Extended Maternity Leave Law - after a decade
of legislative lobbying and advocacy - marks a significant milestone for realizing the rights,
welfare and full potential of Filipino women. The law extended the previous 60-day paid
maternity leave benefits to 105 days. In addition, mothers are given the option to extend for
an additional 30 days leave without pay. It also grants additional 15 days paid maternity
leave to female solo parents. Cognizant of the shared roles that men and women hold in
childcare, the law also grants the father of child the option to share 7 out of the 105 days,
increasing paternity leave form 7 days to 14 days.

7. The constitutionality of RA 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act
of 2004 was upheld by the Supreme Court of the Philippines in a unanimous decision from a
case of Garcia v. Drilon, G.R. No. 179267 which was promulgated on June 25, 2013. The
Court said that RA 9262 is based on a valid classification brought about by the unequal
power relationship between men and women and that women are the usual and most likely
victims of violence. It likewise declared that the enactment of RA 9262 aims to address the
discrimination brought about by the biases and prejudices against women, and that the

3
Higher Education enrollment and completion rate https://ched.gov.ph/higher-education-institutions-data/

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 4


distinct classification being made between women and men is germane to the purpose of
the law.

8. The SC also upholds marital rape in People v. Jumawan, G.R. No. 187495 decision
promulgated on April 21, 2014. The Court ruled that sexual intercourse, albeit within the
realm of marriage, if not consensual, is considered rape.

9. Strong coordination between key implementing agencies and civil society organizations have
led to sustained actions in eliminating violence against women and children (VAWC). On 10
March 2015, the Philippine National Police issued the General Orders Number DPL-15-02
entitled “Strengthening and Restructuring of the Women and Children Protection Center” to
handle the investigation not just of VAWC cases, but of trafficking in persons as well.

10. As a result of improved response mechanisms against trafficking, the US State Department’s
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report upgraded the Philippines to Tier 1 (after being in Tier 2
for five consecutive years prior) on June 30, 2016. The Philippines is the first Southeast
Asian Country to be in Tier 1 and has held this distinction for three years in a row since 2016.
While Tier 1 is the highest ranking, it does not mean that a country has no human trafficking
problem. A Tier 1 ranking indicates that a government has acknowledged the existence of
human trafficking, made efforts to address the problem, and complies with the minimum
standards of the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000.

11. In 2014, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed between the
Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front contains entries guaranteeing
the right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of
violence. Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, the head of the Government panel, is the first female
chief negotiator in the world to sign a final peace accord with a rebel group.

• Part of the fulfilment of this peace agreement is the passage of a law that will grant the
right to self-determination of the Bangsamoro people. In 26 July 2018, Republic Act
11054 was signed into law and ratified in 25 January 2019. Said law creates the
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and it contains
provisions guaranteeing seats for women in the Bangsamoro parliament and the Cabinet,
upholding women’s rights in cognizance of the UNCEDAW, participation of women in
decision-making most especially in the aspect of rehabilitation and development and, at
least 5% for gender and development programs and projects. The Bangsamoro
Transition Authority (BTA), the body that will govern BARMM until June 30, 2022, has 16
women or 16.33%, with 12 women appointed as Members of Parliament (MPs) and four
ARMM Assemblywomen who will serve until June 30, 2019.

12. Also in 2014, the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAPWPS) was
revised to strengthen the implementation of UNSCR 1325, becoming the 2nd generation
NAPWPS. Said plan also became the basis for the issuance of the Joint Memorandum
Circular (JMC) 2014-01 on the “Integration of Women, Peace and Security Programs,
Activities and Projects (PAPs) in Annual Gender and Development (GAD) Plans and
Budgets (GPBs) and Gender and Development (GAD) Accomplishment Reports” issued by
the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) and the Philippine
Commission on Women (PCW), Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the NSC WPS
respectively. The circular serves as the instrument for national government agencies
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 5
implementing programs, projects and activities in conflict-affected areas to integrate gender
considerations in their development planning processes. By the end of 2016, 21 national
agencies and 38 local governments integrated WPS programs/ projects/ activities in their
respective GPBs. The third generation NAPWPS, 2017-2022, was released upon the entry of
the new administration.

Challenges and Setbacks

13. Despite the gains and achievements, there remain urgent issues that hinder the
development and equality such as those related to poverty and decent work. There are also
new or emerging issues that require priority attention as they threaten or erode progress
achieved in improving women’s lives. Although Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) has many advantages for faster interactions, business, and organizing networks and
movements, the internet has also been used for commercial sexual exploitation and cyber-
pornography victimizing women and children. The impact of climate change, extreme
weather events, leading to natural disasters and calamities takes its toll on women’s
vulnerability. Moreover, civil society organizations, women’s rights organizations and the
human rights institution have noted the unintentional consequences of the government’s
drug war and counterinsurgency efforts affecting the welfare and protection the rights of
women, girls and children.

14. Despite some gains in the implementation of the 2010-2016 NAPWPS, recommendations to
address the following gaps were identified as part of the monitoring and evaluation findings:

• “Increase awareness on the context of armed conflict and recognize its impact to and
links with issues such as governance and development, in general, and women’s
concerns such as trafficking and VAW/SGBV (vulnerabilities and participation
(agency), in particular;
• Individual NAP implementing partner agencies should strive for further
institutionalization of the NAP within their respective institutions through policy
formulation and creation of NAP specific programs and services that address the
gender dimensions of armed conflict and peace;
• Agency practice on data collection should be guided by differential contexts of conflict
and non-armed/post-conflict situations and basic sex-disaggregation of data (e.g.
internally displaced people (IDPs), programs/service beneficiaries. Monitoring and
evaluation of the NAP-WPS should likewise be further systematized and;
• In light of the need to sustain NAP-WPS implementation, continuous and progressive
capacity development of NAP implementing partner agencies must be undertaken.”

15. While the Philippines hit high economic growth in 2018, considered as one the fastest
growing economies in the world at 6.9% (World Bank, 2018), it continues to face high income
inequality as the bulk of wealth created remain concentrated among top business
corporations in the country. As government pursues reforms that subsume social services
under market dictates and demands through private-public partnerships and loan
agreements, it should continue to strengthen regulatory mechanisms and measures to
ensure that economic growth translate into improved incomes and greater enjoyment of
economic, democratic, civil and reproductive health rights. It should continue to pursue
poverty eradication strategies in order to address factors that predispose women and girl
children to experience abuse, exploitation and violence.
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 6
16. Women workers in the informal economy still account for 2/3 of non-agricultural employment
in the Philippines (2013) that women are at risk to unfavorable precarious working
conditions and with limited rights for collective bargaining, organization and representation,
and social protection. As of 2019, women’s participation in the labor force remain low at
46.6 per cent (PSA 2019).

17. The impact of programs and policies to ease the burden of unpaid care work and other
social protection measures will therefore remain limited given that a large proportion of
Filipino women are either still unemployed or employed in the informal sector where their
access to social protection measures is limited.

18. The equal rights of women to own land are inscribed in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Program (CARP) also known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) of 1998
serves as the primary redistributive measure that guarantees women’s equal right to own
land with men. Despite strong policy mandate however, land ownership between men and
women remain disproportionate with only two women in five men holding certificates of land
ownership (CLOA). In the last 45 years, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has
distributed 87.92% of the program’s national target area covering 5.425 million hectares
(AIS 2018, PSA). As of December 2018, women comprise less than half of the 1.92 million
agrarian reform beneficiaries holding CLOAs with only 599,215 women compared to 1.4
million men. Meanwhile, the DAR report that women make up only 19% of the more than
500,000 emancipation patent beneficiaries. This gender disparity in land ownership reflects
women’s disadvantaged position. It is evident that despite the laws (CARL and MCW) that
guarantee women’s right to productive resources, the strict provisions of the CARL that
prioritize actual tillers of the land, put women at a disadvantaged position from owning land
since their participation in agricultural production are in planting, harvesting and post-
harvest activities rather than on the actual tilling of the land. Advocacy efforts from both
government and civil society are in place to recognize and value the nuanced role of women
in agricultural production.

19. In the Philippines, one in four women aged 15-49 have experienced either physical and
sexual violence, with the highest frequency of physical violence experienced in the last 12
months preceding the survey, reported among young women aged 15-19 years old (NDHS
2017). Despite this, as of 2017, the NDHS reports that only 34% of those who have
experienced physical and sexual violence sought assistance from designated agencies or
authorities, 64.7% of whom choose to seek help within their family network. In a series of
stakeholder consultations conducted by the PCW with duty bearers and victim survivors last
November-December 2016, low help-seeking behavior were primarily ascribed to the
following: (1) ‘preference’ or internalization of women’s capacity to suffer in silence; (2) fear
for personal safety, ruining family reputation, political bias and reprisal from concerned
officials; (3) lack of confidence in receiving assistance from duty bearers or designated
service providers, and; (4) lack of awareness for available services and protective
mechanisms they may avail.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 7


20. Another major setback experienced by the country is the significant decrease of women’s
political participation and representation. During the 2016 election4, women’s participation as
candidates and as elected officials in the national and local elections was significantly low.
Male elected officials comprised an average of 82% of the county’s elected leaders, which
means in all levels of governance only 18% were female elected officials. In local elective
posts, women and men are likewise disproportionately represented as candidates and as
elected officials with women representing only 20% of elected officials at the provincial level
and 21% at the municipal or city level. Correspondingly, in the House of Representatives,
only 86 out of 292 seats or 29.4% were occupied by women. At the Senate, women reached
25%. In the May 2019 senatorial elections, women comprise only 18% of the candidates,
with four women assured of a seat as they made it to the top 12. The need for electoral
system reforms that will promote gender equality and women’s political participation such as
gender quotas for political parties and the use of a zipper system, which requires candidates
on the list to alternate between women and men in order to secure equal representation, is
apparent now more than ever.

21. Furthermore, a notable decrease in the visibility of women in public spaces has been
observed in the last five years. For instance, the Governance Commission for Government-
Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) report shows that as of 2017, decision-making
bodies in GOCCs remain largely dominated by men at 80%. Meanwhile, as of 2019 there are
only two women in the twenty-two cabinet secretaries of the Duterte administration, heading
the Department of Education and Department of Tourism, respectively. On the other hand,
the number of female judges in the lower courts have been steadily on the rise, reaching
49% at the lower courts”.5

22. The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHRP), civil society organization as
well as the independent international human rights bodies have expressed concern over the
rising and pervasive sexism and violence against women committed by high ranking officials.
Trivialization of gender-based violence often normalized over media not only leads to re-
victimization of women GBV survivors, reinforces GBV with high-level impunity, and
ultimately creates immense setbacks on gains on women’s human rights toiled for decades
by women’s movements and advocates. Moreover, rampant killings in relation to the war on
drugs give another form to gender-based violence. CHRP has documented how the killings
affected women and children. It burdens women economically and psychologically, and
stigmatized them in communities and from government services. Justice remains elusive for
them due to fear or inability (economically or otherwise) to pursue the cases

II. Top Five Priorities for Accelerating Progress from 2014-2019

23. Results of stakeholder consultations and review of five-year accomplishments indicate


progress in education, economic participation, access to affordable health care including
sexual and reproductive health and rights, addressing violence against women, peace and
security, gender-responsive social protection, and women’s representation and political

4
(http://passthrough.fw-notify.net/download/406568/http://www.comelec.gov.ph/php-tpls
attachments/SpecialProjects/GenderandDevelopmentProgram/NewsCorner/Magazine/COMELEC-
GAD_GenderAndElections_Magazine.pdf
5
http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/gender-data/oca-oas/, last accessed 6 May 2019.
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 8
participation. Consistent implementation of the gender mainstreaming strategy and gender
budgeting across the bureaucracy has helped in infusing a gender perspective among
government officials and their gender focal persons.

a. Increased access to quality healthcare and sexual reproductive health

24. Improving access to quality health care including sexual and reproductive health and
reproductive rights remains high on the government’s agenda for advancing the progress for
women and girls. Stronger support mechanisms, strategies and programs for maternal,
neonatal and child health and nutrition have been put in place through Republic Act No.
11481 otherwise known as the First 1,000 Days Law signed on December 10, 2018. This law
intends to scale up the national and local health and nutrition programs through a
strengthened integrated strategy for maternal, neonatal, child health and nutrition in the first
one thousand (1,000) days of life. It provides a more comprehensive and sustainable
strategy for the first 1,000 days of life to address the health, nutrition, and developmental
problems affecting infants, young children, adolescent females, and pregnant and lactating
women. Local Government Units (LGUs) on the other hand were mandated to
institutionalize this policy. The implementation will be at the village level through rural health
units and village health centers.

25. On December 13, 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order 71 renaming the
Commission on Population (POPCOM) to Commission on Population and Development
(CPD) and transferring it from the Department of Health (DOH) to the National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA) to strengthen its role in coordinating population and
development initiatives, including family planning, in the country. Consequently, on February
15, 2019, a Joint Memorandum Circular was issued by NEDA, DOH and CPD to revitalize
the National Program on Family Planning (NPFP). POPCOM and the DOH are tasked to co-
manage the implementation of the NPFP, which intends to reach 11.34 million women who
are expected to have access and will use modern and effective family planning methods by
2022.

26. The government has undertaken major efforts to address the high rates of adolescent
pregnancy in the Philippines. As of 2017, the National Demographic Health Survey reports
that, one in five girls is a mother by the age of 15 to 19. Measures to improve the policy and
legal environment that expand the access of adolescents to appropriate sexual and
reproductive information and health services were carried out in the last five years. Policy
issuances, establishment of adolescent-friendly facilities, building capacities of adolescent
service providers, and updating of the Department of Education (DepEd) K-12 curriculum to
meet the Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE) standards for the Philippines proved key
in guaranteeing preventive interventions for adolescents. Such efforts have led to steady
progress as seen in the decrease in the number of Filipino adolescents who have begun
childbearing in 2017, from 10 % to in 2013 to 8.6 % (NDHS 2017).

27. The recent passage of the Universal Health Care Act (RA 11223) on February 20, 2019,
which automatically enrolls all Filipino citizens in the National Health Insurance Programs
and prescribes complementary reforms in the health system, is expected to give Filipinos,
especially women, access to the full continuum of health services they need. The law
ensures that health care that is “accessible, efficient, equitably distributed, adequately
funded, fairly financed, and appropriately used by an informed and empowered public”

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 9


extends to all Filipino citizens. As the law expects to provide protection to those enduring
financial hardships, it will prove to be especially critical in guaranteeing the right to health of
marginalized sectors to which many Filipino women and girls belong.

b. Improving social protection mechanisms and working conditions

28. The enactment of Republic Act No. 11210, otherwise known as the “105-Day Expanded
Maternity Leave Law" is an important policy development for it not only recognizes the vital
role and contribution of women to the labor force but also provides them the opportunity to
exercise their unique reproductive role. Under this law, all female workers in the government
and private sector, including those in the informal economy, regardless of the civil status or
the legitimacy of her child, shall be granted 105 days of paid maternity leave, with an option
to extend for an additional 30 days without pay. Additional 15 days of paid leave shall be
granted for female solo parents. The law also includes an option to transfer up to seven (7)
days of her maternity leave benefits to the father of her child, increasing paid paternity leave
from 7 to up to 14 days. Prior to this law, maternity leave was only up to 60 days.

29. The Philippines is an established leader in migration governance. Key international and
regional agreements on upholding the rights of migrants and refugees, particularly women
and girls, and in addressing trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants that the
Philippines sponsored and supported are the following:

• Championed the crafting and adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and
Regular Migration (GCM), a guide for States on all matters related to migration

• Sponsored two biennial UN resolutions: A/RES/73/146 (17 December 2018) on


Trafficking in women and girls and A/RES/72/149 (19 December 2017) on Violence
against women migrant workers

• Steered the adoption of the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the
Rights of Migrant Workers in 2017 and a follow-up document to the 2007 ASEAN
Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.

30. The issues on migrants, migration governance, refugees and trafficking in persons,
particularly in women and girls, are central to the third pillar of Philippine foreign policy -
protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare and interests of Filipinos overseas. The
challenge, however, for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), is how to translate the non-
binding agreements on migrants and migration such as the GCM and the UN General
Assembly resolutions into tangible returns such as through bilateral labor agreements.

c. Sustaining progress in women’s representation and political participation

31. Women continue to have steady presence in government organizations, according to the
latest Inventory of Government Human Resources (December 2017). Conducted
periodically by the Civil Service Commission (CSC), women account for almost 60 percent
of the total government personnel in the country. However, it must be noted that women are
still under-represented in third level positions comprising only 43% of undersecretaries,
assistant secretaries, bureau directors and regional directors.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 10


32. Filipino women are also making steady inroads into leadership roles in the private business
sector. In 2018, the Philippines topped Grant Thornton’s Women in Business survey as the
country with most senior management roles occupied by women in the world. It reports that
47% of senior roles in private companies in the Philippines are held by women. The
country’s top ranking is attributed to gender fair policies and practices such as equal pay for
men and women performing the same roles instituted in the workplace. While the country
slipped into 5th in 2019 as it saw a 10% drop in the percentage of Filipino women in senior
management to 37.46%, it remains number one in Asia. The top three roles of Filipino
women in business are as human resources director (75%), chief finance officer (66%) and
chief operating officer (53%). The survey also reports that Filipino businesses are also
taking steps to improve or preserve gender balance in senior positions by making sure there
is equal access to development work opportunities, providing mentoring and coaching and
allowing flexible working hours.

d. Eliminating violence against women and children

33. Various support service mechanisms for VAWC victims are continuously being strengthened:

• Increased in number from 69% (1,193) in 2013 to 76% (1,311) in 2018, of LGUs with
established Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and
Their Children (LCAT-VAWC);
• Local gender and development (GAD) codes are developed and passed in 696 LGUs
to address gender issues and concerns of their respective localities;
• VAW desks are established in nearly 90 percent of the total 42,044 barangays
nationwide;
• 94 functional Women and Children Protection Units (WCPUs) established in DOH-
retained hospitals, and health providers are being trained on recognizing, recording,
reporting and referring (4Rs) VAWC in 597 LGUs;
• 1,918 Women and Children Desks (WCPDs) established in all municipal/city police
stations, provincial and regional offices, and in five national operating units
nationwide.

34. The PCW also sustained public awareness campaigns on anti-VAW through partnerships
with the private sector such as with advertising agency like the DDB Group Philippines. The
PCW and DDB Group Philippines’ #KnockOutDomesticViolence Campaign bagged the 2016
Asia Pacific Tambuli Bronze Award for Integrated Media Category.

35. The passage of protective laws and policies in the prevention of VAWC has been one of the
outstanding achievements in the past five years.

• RA 10655 or the Repeal of Article 351 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) on
premature marriages on March 13, 2015. The repeal of Article 351 is part of the
Women’s Priority Legislative Agenda set by the PCW for the 16th Congress.
Repealing Article 351 in the RPC removed the discriminatory provision which
arbitrarily curtails a woman’s right to marry, and the barrier to women’s equal rights
on matters relating to marriage and family relations;
• Passage of RA 10906 or the Anti-Mail-Order Spouse Act on July 21, 2016. This new
law repealed RA 6955 or the Anti-mail Order Bride law of 1995 and strengthened its
provisions, which covers not only the Filipino women but also the Filipino men. The

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 11


new law protects Filipinos against abuse, prostitution, and exploitation from schemes
which offer Filipinos marriage to unscrupulous foreign nationals;
• Strengthening and Restructuring of the Philippine National Police Women and Child
Protection Center (PNP-WPC);
• Formulation of National Cyber Security Plan 2022;
• Formulation of Guidelines on the Establishment of VAWC Desks in Public and Private
Hospitals;
• Monitoring the Creation of Local Committees on Anti-Trafficking and VAWC (LCAT-
VAWC) at the Provincial, City and Municipal Levels; Monitoring the Establishment
and Functionality of Barangay VAW Desks and the Local Council for the Protection of
Children (LCPC);
• Policy Enjoining LGUs to Conduct Activities in the Observance of the 18-Day
Campaign to End VAW, and;
• Development of Bohol Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Work Plan 2017-2020 which
highlights harmonized regional activities to combat TIP in the four thematic areas of
the ASEAN Plan of Action Against TIP, Especially Women and Children.

36. Corresponding programs have also been implemented to specifically address all forms of
violence and discrimination among women and girls, which include:
• Capacity-building for LGUs to Combat Trafficking in Persons, Children at Risk and
Children in Conflict with the Law, and;
• Integration of RA 9262 or the VAWC laws in the Barangay Newly-Elected Officials for
Grassroots Renewal and Empowerment for Accountable and Transparent Barangays
(BNEO-GREAT) Program of the Local Government Academy (LGA) which is a
developmental seminar for newly-elected, re-electionists and third termer barangay
officials to improve their skills, prepare for their mandated tasks and responsibilities;
• Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA) to assess the performance of LGUs
in the delivery of social services on child and youth welfare and to identify
intervention results, and;
• Development and distribution of anti-VAW IEC materials.

e. Strengthening women’s participation in ensuring environmental sustainability

37. The past five years saw the execution of actions to mainstream gender in the country’s
policies and programs toward environmental protection, disaster risk reduction, climate
resilience and mitigation by instituting gender-responsive laws and strategic plans such as
the following:

• Climate Change Commission’s Resolution 2019-02 on mainstreaming and


strengthening gender-responsive approaches in the formulation and implementation
of climate change policies, plans, programs and activities;
• Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Forest Management Bureau’s
GAD Strategic Plan 2018-2022 targeting the marginalized sectors especially women
and indigenous communities in the forestry sector, and;
• Green Jobs Act of 2016 that will enable the country’s just transition to a low carbon
green economy.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 12


38. The implementation of gender-responsive actions as identified in its National Climate
Change Action Plan 2011-2028 was also monitored thru nationwide results-based M&E
system with gender considerations in the indicators.

39. The government ensured women’s participation and leadership in climate action, from local
level to international climate change negotiations, climate science discourse, and climate
finance processes. It fostered gender balance and inclusivity in the selection of beneficiaries
of environmental programs, relief and rehabilitation efforts and knowledge-sharing and
capacity-building activities targeting the women in indigenous cultural communities that are
particularly vulnerable to climate hazards. It also initiated gender-responsive awareness-
raising activities at the national, local, and down to the barangay level on matters relating to
the vulnerabilities of women and men to climate impacts as well as on the rights and roles of
women in environmental sustainability and climate action.

III. Achievements on Preventing Multiple and Intersecting Forms of


Discrimination

40. In the absence of a national legislation protecting persons of diverse sexual orientation and
gender identity from discrimination, LGUs have taken a pro-active approach by enacting
local Anti-Discrimination Ordinances (ADOs). To date, a total of 24 areas have passed
ADOs. However, only four (4) LGUs -- Quezon City; Cebu City; San Julian, Eastern Samar
and General Santos City have corresponding implementing rules and regulations (IRR). The
issuance IRRs is consequential as the failure of LGUs do so will prevent constituents from
accessing/ benefiting from the safeguards of the local ordinance.

41. On achieving the expansion of women’s roles in the various spaces for peace, the 2017-
2022 NAP-WPS highlights the women’s agency, both as leaders and participants, in the
peace process of the country. It supports various initiatives where women empower other
women, recognize the intersectionality of gender, ethnicity, and religion, and build a stronger
constituency for peace and conflict transformation where women are involved in the front,
back, and center of the process. Additionally, it also pays attention to women’s
empowerment in light of their economic rights.

42. Two programs targeted for women living in remote and rural areas address the needs of
survivors of violence against women, including human trafficking. The Women Peace
Centers in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, and Cotabato City
included livelihood training for women which resulted in the strengthening of the capacities
of beneficiaries to engage in sustainable livelihood. Another program, Women Peace
Tables, facilitates conversation with women to increase their awareness on NAPWPS, and
identifying women’s issues as a result of conflict. These activities were carried out in select
villages in three provinces. Similar activities under a different program, were conducted with
Mangyan women, an indigenous tribe in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro.

43. Consultations with the ARMM indigenous women on the Bangsamoro Basic Law resulted in
the recommendation that one of the two proposed seats for women in the Bangsamoro
Transition Authority (BTA) is assigned to indigenous women.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 13


44. A comprehensive research study on Trafficking of Women in Conflict Affected-Areas of
ARMM and Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi is currently being undertaken by
OPAPP to address issues concerning younger women.

45. Distribution of solar home systems, powering of evacuation centers with renewable energy
applications, and training of women on integrating renewable energy in disaster risk
reduction and management (DRRM) of communities in the forefront of disasters were
implemented to facilitate better access to cleaner and affordable energy, strengthen role and
opened opportunities for women (incubated livelihood opportunities at community levels),
increase protection for women and children. Such measures contributed in addressing
gender discrimination faced by women living in remote and rural areas in terms of access to
better, cheaper and safer energy. Furthermore, it was learnt that the integration of renewable
energy in community DRRM is not just a DRRM action, but contributes to broader climate
action by displacing kerosene (dirty fossil fuel) as well as in recognizing women as leaders in
climate change actions and effective energy managers.

IV. Response to Humanitarian Crisis

46. Natural disasters and human-induced humanitarian crises have increased the vulnerabilities
of Filipino women in adapting to the adverse effects of global warming and in coping with the
destructive consequences of armed conflict. The 2018 World Risk Index and the 2019 Global
Climate Risk Index placed the Philippines among the most vulnerable countries which is at-
risk of experiencing disasters and most affected by extreme weather events due to its
geographical location. Multiple effects of climate change present additional stress to the
already challenging social, economic and political conditions in the country. Poverty in the
rural areas, unregulated development in the lowlands and unfettered urban migration caused
by inadequate economic opportunities in the rural areas also puts more lives at risk as the
lack of living spaces have pushed many people to live in hazard prone areas. The 2019
Global Climate Risk Index also reports that the country has suffered absolute losses of about
U$ 505.78M due to extreme weather events.

47. The massive loss and damage experienced by the Philippines in recent years show that
extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change presents grave threat to the
country’s pursuit of national security and sustainable development. Impacts of disasters not
only threaten sustainable and inclusive development but aggravate already existing social
and economic inequities and more so, of gender inequalities in relation to discrimination,
threats to health, loss of livelihood, displacement, forced migration, poverty, human
trafficking, gender-based violence (GBV) and harassment, food insecurity, access to
infrastructure and essential services.

48. In view of this, the government strengthened its resolve to ensure gender mainstreaming in
disaster risk reduction and climate-resiliency actions through capacity-building initiatives,
knowledge-exchange platforms, policy, and planning processes, and monitoring and
evaluation (M&E) systems. In the 2019 Philippine Country Status Report for its disaster risk
reduction and management (DRRM) and Sendai Framework Implementation to the UNSIDR,
it also noted that some vulnerabilities have strong gendered characteristics, as men’s and
women’s vulnerability to disasters is influenced by cultural norms and perceptions influencing
gendered behavior. For example, evidence from Central Philippines suggests that cultural

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 14


norms and perceptions of modesty significantly lower the swimming capabilities of women
and girls, which also has transgenerational effect.

49. The Marawi Siege of May 2017 is considered as one of the major humanitarian crises faced
by the Philippines in the last five years. In response, President Rodrigo Duterte, through
Administration Order No. 3 created the ‘Task Force Bangon Marawi’ (TFBM), a government
interagency task force group organized to undertake the rehabilitation, recovery and
reconstruction efforts in Marawi after the battle between ISIS-linked militants and
government forces in the city left the locality in ruins. In 2017, PCW issued Memorandum
Circular No. 2017-02, which provides guidance on the use of GAD budget to address
gender-related concerns and needs in recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi.
As of March 2018, TFBM reports that 77% of affected families remain displaced including
women and girls who are at a higher risk of sexual exploitation and abuse, gender-based
violence, and even early and/or forced marriage.

50. A study conducted by United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN
OCHA) in 2018 found that 79% of all instances of vulnerability cited above involved women.
To respond to these situations, the TFBM have initiated varied activities and actions to
ensure that the welfare and rights of internally displaced women are protected and promoted.
Among these include: a five-day mission, monitoring of human rights, and assessment of
women’s situation in evacuation centers conducted by the CHR Conducted; creation of Joint
Child Protection and Gender-based Violence Working Group to oversee monitoring and
referral of GBV cases and protective livelihood intervention programs for women; regular
conduct of gender sensitivity and VAWC orientations; and creation of women-friendly spaces
in evacuation centers.

V. Top Five Priorities for Accelerating Progress in 2020-2025

a. Quality education, training and life-long learning for women and girls

51. Improving the quality and access to tertiary education is one of the country’s priorities to
address the growing concern on job placement and mismatch. The Unified Student Financial
Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) is an attached agency of the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) established on October 2015 by virtue of the
Republic Act 10687. Its function is to harmonize, collate and rationalize all scholarship
programs in the Philippines to provide all Filipinos with equal opportunity to quality tertiary
education. the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 10931, known as
the ‘Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017’ was enacted to subsidize
free tuition and other school fees in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities
and colleges (LUCs) and state-run technical-vocational institutions (TVIs). For the Academic
Year 2018-2019, the subsidy benefitted 655,083 women as against 477,897 men. Of the
above women, 28.37% or 185,874 are graduating while 8.87% or 58,125 are in their 3rd
year. In addition, 8,057 of the women categorized are persons with disability, in which they
get another 50% of the annual benefit in addition to the regular allocation. Yet, beneficiaries
are expected to increase for Academic Year 2019-2020 as the Tertiary Education Subsidy
will be increased by 11 billion pesos or a total of 27 billion pesos.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 15


52. Despite the higher completion rate of women in education, gender tracking still exists. While
there is an increasing number of women entering medicine and law schools, men dominate
in aeronautics, engineering and technology. It is believed that socio-cultural traditions, family
preferences and gender-stereotypes, influence the choice of females and males .If this is
addressed, progress for women and girls will be accelerated and they will hopefully be ready
for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

53. Hence, the government, international development organizations and the private sector are
taking active measures to encourage young girls and women to venture into Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) courses. Actually, the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED) has even included Agriculture (so it becomes STEAM) to encourage rural
folk to remain in their areas and develop their communities. The International Labor
Organization (ILO) implements the #womencandoIT Scholarship Program as part of its
Women in STEM Readiness and Development Program. This is done in partnership the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) with support from JP
Morgan Chase Foundation. It seeks to provide women with critical soft and technical STEM-
related skills, employability and leadership training coupled with targeted mentorship to help
women gain quality employment and advancement opportunities in STEM-related jobs. They
have recently opened 175 scholarships for women aged 18 to 45 in animation, game
creation an web development.

54. Two new initiatives worth highlighting are from the private sector. One is For the Women or
FTW Foundation offers free training for women on data science and Artificial Intelligence. Its
main mission is “to empower financially-challenged Filipinas to up-skill themselves in to
better careers and better lives” 6. The other is initiated by a young passionate and
empowered senior high school student, Audrey Pe, who recently turned 18 and is executive
director of Women in Tech (WiTech) which she actually began when she was 15. When she
learned coding in middle school, she fell in love with it, learned more about coding online and
discovered the huge gender gap in the field of tech. She found that lack of female role
models in the field was a top reason why there is a lack of women in tech. WiTech is a
community organization that aims to celebrate women in the field of technology and
encourages young girls to take up tech. WiTech convenes WiTCon or conferences for
students, run by students, hosts WiTalks, and conducts community outreach such as
collecting laptops and textbooks to donate and teach students from the Mindanao State
University – University Training Center in Marawi City (which is rising from the effects of
terrorist attack)7. This young woman is so inspiring, there is hope for the future in bridging
the gender gap in technology.

b. Access to affordable quality healthcare

55. The Department of Health is advancing their efforts to ensure funding for the capital outlay
investments for the upgrading, equipping and establishment of basic health service facilities
such as the, Barangay Health Stations and Rural Health Units or City Health Centers and
Birthing Stations. This is to guarantee the continuous strengthening of health service
provider network to optimize utilization of basic health services for women and girls, and for
all. Coordination and partnership with local health managers and local government units will

6
https://www.ftwfoundation.org/
7
https://wi-tech.org
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 16
be heightened to guarantee the functionality of the basic health infrastructures that will
warrant the efficiency of Health Facilities Enhancement Program’s successful management
and implementation.

56. RA 10354 or RPRH Law provides a robust policy mandate for implementing the Philippine’s
Family Planning (FP) Program as key strategy to improve the health and welfare of mothers,
their children and families, and help women realize their reproductive health rights and
aspiration. The country’s FP program sits in the administration’s priority programs with the
issuance of Executive Order 12 in 2017 and inclusion in the Philippine Development Plan.
These actions are considered pivotal in achieving the country’s potential demographic
dividend. EO 12 aims to intensify and accelerate implementation of critical actions necessary
to attain and sustain zero unmet need for modern family planning among all poor households
and all Filipinos thereafter (DOH 2017).

c. Right to Work and Rights at Work

57. The 2017 Labor Force Survey figures put the number of informal sector workers at 15.6
million or 38% of the total working population of the country. This high number remains a
major barrier in realizing decent work for all and therefore hinders in achieving of the desired
sustainable and inclusive development objectives set in the UN Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). The absence of a harmonized definition of the informal economy impacts the
development of appropriate policies, programs and services that will address the issues and
concerns of the sector including, the passage of the Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal
Economy (MCWIE) and, the adoption of ILO Recommendation 204 that lobbies the transition
of the informal to the formal sector in order to protect workers and businesses and sustain
economic gains.

d. Eliminating Violence against Women and Girls

58. The need to develop a National Advocacy and Communication Plan was identified as one of
the priority projects in the new Strategic Action Plan of IAC-VAWC for 2017-2022 in view of
implementing the council’s mandate as outlined in RA 9262. This is in response to the issues
surfaced during stakeholder consultations, namely: (1) limited delivery of advocacy programs
to reach women in the marginalized and vulnerable sectors such as IP women, Muslim
women, elderly women, women with disabilities, women in remote areas, and young girls; (2)
lack of user-friendly information materials customized to a particular sector and age group;
(3) seasonality and sporadic frequency of VAW advocacy campaigns, and; (4) limited skills
and capacity of frontline service providers (i.e. barangay officials) in handling violence
against women and children related cases. Partnership is underway with the Commission on
Filipino Language to help in the translation of the VAW Desk handbooks and other
information materials into various languages for dissemination across the country.

59. Strengthening and expanding the network of men opposed to violence against women, men
involved in reproductive health and shared parenting responsibilities will boost the
achievement of gender equality. More partnerships with the private sector like advertising
agencies who can provide pro bono services will help in the prevention of VAWG through
popular information materials using mixed media.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 17


60. Continuous capacity building on gender-responsive handling of VAW cases for frontline
direct service providers – village and local officials, police, social workers, health workers,
prosecutors and the judiciary – will be done. Emphasis of the training will also be on working
together in an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach.

61. With the CHRP establishing a GBV Observatory, the data will inform service providers on
how to improve the delivery of their services. It will also alert duty-bearers on the status of
the cases so that immediate interventions can be done. The observatory can also provide
information on whether the anti-GBV laws will need amendments.

e. Gender-responsive approaches in emergency situation

62. There is a need to deepen the knowledge and understanding of the NSCWPS and CSOs on
Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies (GBViE) in the lives of vulnerable persons in armed
conflict situations, identifying GBViE considerations and gender-responsive approaches in
the context of Marawi and Conflict Prevention; and to use this knowledge and understanding
of enhancing the Bangon Marawi Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Program
(BMCRRP) implementation through the identification of GBViE considerations based on the
results of the gender and conflict analysis; and, in adopting gender-sensitive strategies
responsive to GBViE in relation to the Marawi siege.

63. Priority should also be given in ensuring the accountability in implementing WPS
interventions through the development of a comprehensive system to document, monitor,
evaluate, and report the implementation of the NAPWPS using evidence-informed tools and
enabling mechanisms by creating a harmonized NAPWPS monitoring and evaluation system
that identifies all programs, activities, and projects (PAPs) from the activity level to impact
level.

f. Strengthening women’s participation in ensuring environmental sustainability

64. The Philippine government ensured women’s active participation in the design and
implementation of policies, plans, and programs, and in the international climate
negotiations.

65. The Philippines will strengthen its dialogue among stakeholders, including women groups,
relative to their roles, views and experiences in environmental protection and productivity. It
will continue to harness and strengthen women’s capacities to be drivers of environmental
sustainability, climate action, and transformation through the Nationally Determined
Contributions Gender Action Plan, access to People’s Survival Fund, and continued
engagement in the GCF Board and international climate negotiations.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 18


Section Two
Progress Across the 12 Critical Areas of Concern
66. This section outlines the national initiatives and progress undertaken by the Philippine
government across the 12 critical areas of concern of the BPfA during the period of 2014-
2019. Over the past five years, the Philippine government in collaboration with civil society,
international organizations, private sector and development partners, has continued to
pursue policy measures and intervention programs to realize its commitment to secure
equality, development and peace for Filipino women and girls. These programs align with the
government’s international commitments to the BPfA, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW).

67. The Magna Carta of Women (MCW) enacted in 2008, guarantees the government’s
commitment to “promote empowerment of women and pursue equal opportunities for women
and men, and ensure equal access to resources and development results and outcome.” 8
The passage of the MCW provides policy mandate for all government sectors to address the
women’s inequitable access to economic opportunities through paid work, informal and
formal employment, and livelihood programs. To this end, the state led by Department of
Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Trade and Industry, Department
of Labor and Employment, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of
Foreign Affairs, Department of Environment and Resources, and Department of National
Defense and all its attached agencies have implemented programs and measures to address
conditions that discriminate against women’s economic, social and political participation and
access.

Overarching Dimension 1: Inclusive development, shared prosperity and decent work

68. The Philippine economy continues to register steady growth reaching an average of
6.2% in 2018 as inflation tapered towards the end of the year. The fastest growth was
observed in the construction industry sector at 6.9%, which is attributed to government’s
higher spending on infrastructure development under its “Build, Build, Build Program”. While
economic growth was lower than the 7.7% registered in 2013, the World Bank reports in
2019 that the Philippines remains one of the fastest growing economies in the East Asia and
Pacific region. Nevertheless, the country’s growth has yet to translate into inclusive growth
and development as the country continues to address income inequities including access to
market opportunities and productive resources. In the 2018, the World Economic Forum’s
Inclusive Development Index (IDI) ranked the Philippines 38th among 74 emerging
economies that foster inclusive growth and development with an IDI score of 3.83.i The
Philippines has maintained an average IDA score of 2.40% for the past five years and has
been described by the report as “slowly advancing” in terms of ushering in inclusive growth
and development.ii

8
https://pcw.gov.ph/law/republic-act-9710

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 19


Gender equality in relation to women’s role in paid work and employment

69. Land ownership is known to have positive consequences for both men and women; but more
so for women, given their disadvantaged positions in society. Equitable distribution of land
not only facilitates gender empowerment but more importantly, contribute to improved
aggregate agricultural productivity and inclusive sustainable development. Ownership of land
means access to productive resources that may either be used for livelihood or as collateral
to avail of loans and credit. Owning land also allows women to hold more bargaining power
in the household and immediate community. The inequitable distribution of land in the
Philippines is attributed to the interplay of several factors notwithstanding the administrative
challenges faced by the program itself including the long history of contesting claims to land.
The slow implementation of land reform threatens decades of gains in other areas of gender
empowerment and equality, and ultimately, pose setbacks in attaining inclusive and
sustainable development.

70. Given the inequitable access of women to productive resources, the government
continues to pursue actions to improve the agricultural productivity and income of women
small-holder farmers and food producers through the provision of technical assistance and
production inputs, and capacity-building programs. These were carried out through:

• Department of Agriculture’s (DA) provision of production inputs such as seeds, planting


materials, farm equipment and machineries, livestock as well as provision of other
services through the DA’s various programs namely Rice Program, Corn Program, High
Value Commercial Crops Program, National Livestock Program, National Fishery
Program and National Organic Agriculture.

• Philippine Center for Post-Harvest Development and Mechanization (PHILMECH) design


of “gender-friendly” farm machineries/equipment and post-harvest facilities for
commercial use of women farmers, processors, and small and micro entrepreneurs

• Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) capacity-building program called “Self-


Reliant Organization–Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (SRO-CARP) Project” to
strengthen the capacities of the women agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) women and
the women groups within the agrarian reform beneficiary organization (ARBOs) to
develop their three-fold roles as owners, managers and entrepreneurs.

71. In order to promote the right to work and the rights at work, the following were some of
the measures undertaken by the government:

• DOLE issued Department Order No. 178, s. 2017 that addresses the occupational health
and safety issues and concerns related to the wearing of high-heeled female shoes
and/or standing at work for long periods, such as strain on the lower limbs, aching
muscles, hazardous pressure on hip, knee and ankle joints and sore feet. Through this
policy, all employers/establishments are directed to implement the use of footwear which
are practical and comfortable. This covers all workers who by the nature of their work,
have to stand at work, such as retail and/or service employees, assembly line workers,
teachers, and security personnel.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 20


• Inclusion of the following as indicators to be assessed under the Inspection System to
ensure the compliance of establishments with General Labor Standards: Maternity Leave
(RA 8282); Solo Parent Leave (RA 8972); Leave for Victims of Violence against Women
and their Children (RA 9262); Special Leave for Women (RA 9710); Expanded
Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009 (RA 10028) including Lactation Station/Lactation
Break; and Anti-Sexual Harassment Law (RA 7877).

• Likewise, the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), in partnership with the
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), launched the Responsible Parenthood and
Family Planning for Labor Force Empowerment (RPFP4LFE) in late 2018 to improve
access among women workers to quality family planning information and services.

72. Republic Act No. 10644, otherwise known as the “Go Negosyo Act,” is a law that seeks to
strengthen micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to create more job opportunities
in the country. It was signed into law July 15, 2014 and took effect on January 15, 2015.
Through this Act, additional functions were given to the Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises Development (MSMED) Council, which include, among others, the following: (1)
conduct research to support women entrepreneurship including, but not limited to
entrepreneurial behavior, barriers, participation and cessation rates, discriminatory practices
and contribution to the national economy and growth and; (2) provide policy direction
towards recognizing women’s propensity in doing business as well as establish linkages that
will enable more opportunities for women to engage in entrepreneurship, among others.
Furthermore, one seat is allocated for a representative from the women sector, designated
by the Philippine Commission on Women, in the MSMED Council.

Recognizing, reducing and/or redistributing unpaid care and domestic work

73. In 2017, Oxfam Philippines, in partnership with the National Rural Women’s Federation
(Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan) or PKKK, Philippine Rural
Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), SIKAT Phils, Community Organizers Multiversity, SIAD
Initiatives in Mindanao Convergence for Asset Reform and Regional Development, and Rural
Development Institute of Sultan Kudarat, started the implementation of Women’s Economic
Empowerment and Care (WE-Care) Dreams project to advance the recognition, reduction,
redistribution and representation of ‘unpaid care work’ in achieving gender equality and
overcoming poverty. Based on Oxfam’s 2017 Household Care Survey, which was conducted
in a few towns in Eastern Visayas and Mindanao, women spend an average of 4.5 to 6.5
hours of household chores, which is three to six times longer than men. Moreover, in rural
communities covered by the study, women need to make an average of five trips, which
usually takes 43 minutes, to collect water for a single load of laundry. In response, Tacloban
City and the Municipality of Salcedo in Eastern Samar enacted ordinances on unpaid care
work, which translates to the inclusion of the matter in their planning and budgeting and the
improvement of women's access to safe water and childcare centers. Recently, Oxfam
Philippines launched the advocacy campaign called #iLabaYu, which encourages husbands
and wives to share household chores and responsibilities, countering the false notion that
care work is solely a woman’s job. (“Laba” means wash in Filipino and the video show a man
washing clothes.)

74. The measures undertaken by the government to protect the Overseas Filipino Workers
(OFWs), especially those in vulnerable working conditions like women domestic workers,
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 21
from abuse and exploitation and safeguard their overall interest include, among others, the
following:

• Enactment of Joint Manual of Operations in Providing Assistance to Migrant Workers and


Other Filipinos Overseas that seeks to ensure efficient and effective delivery of services
to Overseas Filipinos, particularly those in distress, who require prompt and proper
assistance at all times

• Forging of the agreement on the employment of domestic workers with Kuwait which
provides additional protection for OFWs in the Gulf country. Among the salient features
of the said agreement include: 1) Employers must provide the domestic workers with
food, housing, and clothing, and register them in the health insurance system; 2)
Employers are not allowed to keep any of the domestic workers’ personal identity
document such as passport; and 3) Domestic workers are allowed to have and use
cellular phones and other means to communicate with their families and their
government.

• Enactment of Republic Act No. 11227, otherwise known as the “Handbook for OFWs Act
of 2018,” in February 2019 that aims to provide migrant workers a ready reference when
they need to assert their rights and responsibilities.

75. On the promotion of the rights and protection of domestic workers, as provided under
Republic Act No. 10361, otherwise known as the “Domestic Workers Act” or the “Batas
Kasambahay,” the following policies were issued:

• Department Advisory No. 1, s. 2014 presents fundamental safety and health principles;
preventive measures to reduce exposure to hazards that may cause accident, injury or
illness; and safety and health concerns associated with the typical tasks and working
conditions of a kasambahay.

• The National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) Advisory on Competency-


Based Wage for Domestic Workers provides a guide to both household employers and
domestic workers who will voluntarily and mutually agree to adopt a competency-based
pay scheme in setting and adjusting the pay of domestic workers over and above the
applicable minimum wage.

• Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2015-002 of the DSWD, DOLE, DILG, Philippine
National Police, and the National Bureau of Investigation, provides guidelines and
delineates the roles of government agencies involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of
abused or exploited kasambahay, especially when handling cases involving minors.
Moreover, it directs the concerned agencies, especially the DSWD, to ensure the
observance of the Protocol for Case Management of Child Survivors of Abuse, Neglect,
and Exploitation.

• Labor Advisory No. 10, s. 2018 entitles kasambahays to Solo Parent Leave (RA 8972),
Special Leave Benefit for Women under the Magna Carta for Women (RA 9710), and
Violence against Women and their Children (VAWC) Leave (RA 9262). The additional
leave entitlements are aside from the five (5) days Service Incentive Leave granted
under Article 95 of the Labor Code.
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 22
• Labor Advisory No. 17, s. 2018 seeks to provide speedy, impartial and expensive
settlement of labor issues involving kasambahays.

76. Government has been implementing public sector downsizing, but assessment on its impact
on women have not been conducted.

Overarching Dimension 2: Poverty eradication, social protection and social services

77. Considerable decline in poverty incidence continue to be observed as it fell at 21% in 2018
from 27.6% in 2015. The proportion of Filipino families living below the poverty line also fell
to 16.1 per cent in the first semester of 2018, from 22.2 per cent during the same period in
2015 (PSA, 2019). These figures put government on track of its target of lifting at least one
million Filipinos out of poverty by 2020. In terms of the proportion of women living below the
poverty line, the PSA reports that there are slightly less women who live below U$1.90 a day,
with 22.5% compared to 23.2% among men in 2015.

Support to women’s entrepreneurship and business development activities

78. Key government agencies such as TESDA and DOLE and select civil society groups have
partnered with Coca-cola Philippines to implement three dynamic programs for women
economic empowerment, namely; (1) ‘Sari-Sari Store Training and Access to Resources’
(STAR) Program for retailers; (2) WOMEN Reach for women OFWs, and; (3) Women Artisan
Program for up-cyclers. These programs are anchored on Coca-cola Company’s ‘5by20’
worldwide program which envisions to economically empower 5 million women in retail value
chain across the globe by 2020. The Philippines targets to achieve 200,000 women-micro-
retailers through the STAR Program by providing women ‘sari-sari’ store-owners (micro-
retailers) and operators access to business skills and life skills training, including gender
sensitivity, access to business resources and assets, and access to peer mentoring support.

• STAR Program is implemented through the TESDA Women Center together with others
from the civil society and private sector who play a pivotal role in the successful
implementation of the program namely: Alalay sa Kaunlaran (ASKI) in Central and
Northern Luzon; ASA Philippines in Southern Luzon; Negros Women for Tomorrow
Foundation, Inc. in Visayas and Palawan; First Community Cooperative, Inc. in
Mindanao; Tagum City Council of Women Foundation, Inc. in Davao del Norte. The
program provides women sari-sari store-owners and operators training, access to
financial support, access to merchandising and store assets, and social development
Interventions. Graduates have the option to access financing through the rural banks
and micro-finance partners of Coca-Cola Philippines. The Coca-cola STAR Program
Report 2018 indicated positive and sustained impact to the 139,222 women sari-sari
store owners and operators, such as:

o 97% of women felt that STAR Training was useful for their business management.
o Business revenues increased by 17%, store income by 12% and the store
inventory grew by 20%.
o 21% more women now apply percentage mark-up, while 16% more women now
keep business records.
o 32% more women feel confident about their future financial stability.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 23


• The Women REACH Program, on the other hand, is implemented through the DOLE and
its attached agencies, which envisions to empower returned women OFWs by providing
an integrated intervention in starting up alternative livelihood within the country. The pilot
batch of Women REACH training involved around 100 women OFWs in the Philippine
Overseas Labor Office in Kuwait in November 2017. For 2018, two batches of 8 trainers
from the National Reintegration Center for OFWs, and Overseas Workers Welfare
Association and DOLE regional offices were trained with support from Coca-cola. In
2019, both DOLE and Coca-cola committed to scale-up the program, including
implementing M&E system to measure results and outcomes.

• Women Artisan Program is a livelihood program specifically for the artisan group which
targets to sustain their livelihood through recycling and up-cycling of discarded metal pull
tabs from soda cans. Coca-cola has partnered with ASA Philippines Foundation, a
leading microfinance institution that assists women, for the provision of additional
trainings on design, basic business processes and links. To sources of raw materials to
support their trade. As of 2018, 25 women from Tondo, Manila, who were formerly
scavengers, have already produced up-cycled fashion accessories and home decors and
were linked to market outlets.

79. According to the 2017 report of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), there were
more business name registered to females (257,294) compared to males (206,205).
Furthermore, there were more females who availed of the MSME and Export Development
Services of the DTI, such as the International Trade Expo, Product Design, Enterprise
Development, and Export Promotion, compared to males. In terms of loan, an amount
of USD 26,252,888.62 was released to females, comprising 49% of the total loan releases of
the department.

80. Implemented through the Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) of the DOLE,
the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Programs (DILEEP) seeks to
contribute to poverty reduction and reduce the vulnerability to risks of the working poor,
vulnerable and marginalized workers either through emergency employment, and promotion
of entrepreneurship and community enterprises. It has two (2) components: (1) DOLE
Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) or Kabuhayan, and; (2) Emergency Employment
Program or ‘Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers’ (TUPAD).
From 2016 to June 2018, DILP or Kabuhayan has a total of 267,178 beneficiaries provided
with livelihood assistance. TUPAD, on the other hand, has a total of 734,094 beneficiaries
provided with emergency employment.

81. In 2018, the Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) conducted a research project entitled, “Bringing
Sustainable Livelihood Framework to Life: A Study on the Possible Determinants of
Sustainability of the DILP” to determine the factors and context that contributed to the
viability, success, and sustainability of livelihood projects. The study report that DILP had
positive effects on beneficiaries’ self-esteem and on their incomes albeit, minimal and
motivated beneficiaries to have additional work/hours of work. Meanwhile, it noted that
various rigidities in government process continue to constrain the viability and goals of some
livelihood projects. Likewise, the study underlined the complementary role of macro-
economic interventions in ensuring asset transfer to the beneficiaries.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 24


82. The DOLE’s reintegration program has facilitated the smooth transition of returning women
migrant workers back to into the economy by providing them either with gender-sensitive and
–responsive livelihood grants or local employment opportunities. Filipino teachers who
worked as overseas domestic workers are assisted to return to their teaching jobs through
the Sa ‘Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’m at Sir Program. Livelihood assistance and training activities,
on the other hand were also extended returning women migrant workers, through Balik
Pinay! Balik Hanap-buhay Program or BPBH (employment for returning women migrant
workers) . BPBH is a reintegration program of DOLE-National Reintegration Center for
OFWs (NRCO) that provides training cum-production/employment intervention intended to
bring improved socio-economic well-being to distressed women OFWs. From 2016 to June
2018, BPBH has provided 4,274 returning OFWs with livelihood assistance.

83. At the grassroots level, the DA initiated the organization of Rural Improvement Clubs (RICs),
a grassroots community-based organization of rural women that serves as volunteer core
group to harness the potential of rural women through its various development-oriented
community projects and promote sustainable rural development. To date, a total of 7,764
RICs organized with a total membership of 553,958 women.

84. The PCW managed the Gender Responsive Economic Activities for the Transformation of
Women (GREAT Women Project Phase 1, 2009-2013) with support from the Canadian
Government, Working with government agencies, local government units, and the private
sector aimed to enhance the enabling environment for women’s economic empowerment,
ensuring a convergence of credit, capacity-building and skills upgrading, design and product
development, technology and machines, and markets. To date, the women micro-
entrepreneurs continue to innovate their products and expand their markets. Building on the
success of this project, the PCW is currently working on the Supporting Women’s Economic
Empowerment Project (WEE Project) or the GREAT Women Project 2 (2015-2020) in
partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) and some non-government
organizations and the private sector. The project targeted to assist about 700 women micro-
entrepreneurs (WMEs) in growing their businesses using gender-sensitive value chain and
enterprise competitiveness analyses. Using the industry cluster approach identified by the
trade and industry department, women micro- and small entrepreneurs are being provided
business development services to facilitate improving their sustainability and
competitiveness. In particular, the approach aims to complement current services of partner
agencies and organizations with empowering responses, processes and activities that can
facilitate women’s transformation towards a positive growth direction as entrepreneurs.

• As of 2018, enrollment was slightly above the target with 831 out of the target 700
WMEs. These WMEs are mostly engaged in food processing, homestyle and wearables,
and in cacao and coffee industries. A total of 544 of these women have received
interventions along product development, upgrading/ enhancement of production
technologies, mentoring and facilitation of WME registration and certification
requirements, and market development expansion.

• The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) developed the Greening the Gender
Responsive Value Chain Analysis (GGRVCA), which is an enterprise development tool
for planning, assessing, and identifying and implementing/providing specific/customized
interventions that mainstreams gender and integrates “greening” as a vital component in

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 25


the development of women-owned and family-based small and medium enterprises
(SMEs). Using this tool, DTI is able to assess the roles, contributions and benefits,
among others, of women in each segment of the chain enabling the provision of
customized interventions to address specific needs.

Improving access to social protection for women and girls

85. Over the last 10 years, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or the Philippine’s
conditional cash transfer (CCT) program continues to invest in the health and education of
poor and vulnerable households to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty in the
country. As of September 2018, DSWD reported the implementation of the in all the 17
regions covering 144 cities and 1,483 municipalities in 80 provinces, with a total of 4,875,760
registered household beneficiaries. Further, 4,050,124 are covered by the regular
Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program while 228,905 are under the Modified Conditional
Cash Transfer (MCCT). Household beneficiaries receive cash grants on conditions that their
children up to 18 years old stay in school, get regular health check-ups and complete their
growth monitoring and vaccination schedules, pregnant women attend prenatal care and
deliver in health facilities, and if parents or guardians participate in monthly community-
based Family Development Sessions (FDS) to learn about family values, positive child
discipline, disaster preparedness, proper healthcare and nutrition women’s rights, among
others.

86. The FDS is one of the important psycho-social development interventions of the 4Ps as it
promotes self-development, community participation, leadership and empowerment among
female beneficiaries. The DSWD’s 2018 Implementation Status Report highlighted that
majority of the beneficiaries claim that attendance to FDS has a very positive effect on them.
Specifically, these beneficiaries are 53-64 year-old females, elementary undergraduates,
married and working full-time. In general, beneficiaries perceived the effects of attending
FDS on their various family aspects including one’s self9.

87. The Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) was developed to respond to the unique
needs of definitely poorest and more vulnerable and disadvantaged families that are not
covered of the regular CCT program. Package of benefits, interventions and modes of
implementation are modified until partner families can be covered by the regular program.
Beneficiaries or partner families of this program are the Homeless Street Families (HSF),
Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) and
Families in Need of Special Protection (FNSP). As of February 28, 2019 there are 228,322
beneficiaries covered by MCCT, of which 4,440 are HSF, 174,582 are IPs in GIDA areas,
444 Itinerant Indigenous People (IPs) and 48,856 FNSP.

88. The Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) Program is the biggest tax reform mitigation
program under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law implemented by
DSWD. Cash grants are provided to poor households and individuals who may not benefit
from the lower income tax rates but may adversely affected by rising prices. The UCT cash
grant will be provided one-time per year to the identified beneficiaries. The beneficiaries of

99 9
DSWD Program Implementation Status Report as of September 2018 https://pantawid.dswd.gov.ph/wp-
content/uploads/2018/12/Pantawid-Pamilya-3rd-Quarter-Report-2018.pdf

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 26


the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) Program received additional cash grant of Php2,400
or equivalent to Php200 per month in 2018. For 2019 and 2020 additional Php3,600 or
Php300 per month will be given to augment their subsidy. Of the 10 million UCT
beneficiaries, 4.4 million are 4Ps clients, 3 million are indigent senior citizens from the Social
Pension Program and the remaining 2.6 million is allotted to select ‘Listahanan’ households
of DSWD.

89. The last five years also saw improved social protection programs for the elderly. In 5
November 2014, the Philippine government passed RA 10645 or “An Act Providing for the
Mandatory PhilHealth Coverage for all Senior citizens, Amending Republic Act no. 7432, as
Amended by Republic Act no. 9994, otherwise known as the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act
of 2010”. The law ensures the health coverage of elderly Filipinos, aged 60 and above, who
are not yet covered by any existing PhilHealth membership category that shall be sourced
from the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP). Furthermore, since 2017 senior citizens
started to receive an increased monthly pension after President Rodrigo Duterte signed and
granted the ‘Php1,000 (US$ 20) pension hike’ in the Social Security System pension benefit
in January 2017.

Improving health outcomes for women and girls

90. From 2015 to 2019, women’s access to health services expanded through enhancement of
health financing schemes and benefit packages by the National Health Insurance Program
(NHIP), in collaboration with the DOH and other relevant stakeholders. These benefit
packages are deemed critical in supporting flagship health programs on maternal and child,
sexual, reproductive, and mental health to ensure positive health outcomes for women,
especially those that face multiple forms of vulnerabilities. Among them are:

• Social Insurance Coverage and Benefits for Women About to Give Birth (PhilHealth
Circular 025-2015) - entitles all mothers and their newborns to have financial access to
essential health services that ensure their survival and well-being. Women about to give
birth (WATGB) are given financial risk protection during their pregnancy, delivery and
post-partum period. On the other hand, pregnant women who are not yet members of
PhilHealth or who lack the required premium contribution are allowed to pay one year
premium to avail of the maternity and newborn package.

• No Balance Billing (NBB) Policy (PhilHealth Circular No. 2017-0006) - provides that no
other fees or expenses shall be charged or be paid for by the indigent patients above and
beyond the packaged rates during their confinement period. Indigents, though not
capable of paying premiums, are enrolled as hospital-sponsored members when
confined in government health facilities for them to be covered in the Program and avail
hospitalization.

• Anti-Hospital Deposit Law (RA No. 10932 of 2017) - prohibits hospital or medical clinic to
request, solicit, demand or accept any deposit or any other form of advance payment as
prerequisite for administering basic emergency care, for confinement or medical
treatment, or to refuse to administer medical treatment and support to patient in
emergency or serious cases.

• Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act of 2018 (Republic Act No. 11166) - responds to the

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 27


increasing number of HIV cases diagnosed among 15 to 24 years of age reported since
2017. The law allows individuals 15 to 18 years of age to voluntary subject themselves to
HIV testing without the need of consent from a parent or guardian, it ensures access to
free HIV/AIDS information, testing and treatment by offering free services and
commodities for all affected population and reinforces penalties against discrimination
and bullying of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) including women and their infant/children.

Point of Service (POS) Program - grants automatic PhilHealth coverage to Filipinos who
are financially incapable to pay PhilHealth or burdened by the high cost of healthcare. In
2017, PhilHealth allocated a sum of Php3.0 billion pesos provide financial risk protection
to its intended beneficiaries which reached to a total of 33,780 individuals.

91. The Department of Health (DOH) through the Health Emergency Management Bureau
(HEMB) serves as the lead agency in implementing measures to ensure sustained delivery
of responsive quality healthcare during disaster events caused by extreme weather events or
conflict. In the past years, the DOH through the HEMB and other concerned offices
recognized the need to implement and deliver comprehensive health services for
victims/survivors in times of emergencies and disasters even during the events of armed-
conflict. “Administrative Order 2016-0005 National Policy on the Minimum Initial Service
Package (MISP) for Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) in Health Emergencies and
Disasters”, issued by the DOH in 2016, stipulates that the MISP for SRH shall be
implemented in all humanitarian crises guided by the principles of humanity, neutrality and
impartiality. Furthermore, it shall include services on safe motherhood, family planning, STI,
HIV and AIDS and gender-based violence in crisis situation. In 2017, “Joint Memorandum
Circular 2017-0001 or the Guidelines on the Implementation of MISP for SRH in
Emergencies and Disasters and its Integration into the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Plan (NDRRMP) and Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plans
(LDRRMPs)” was signed and approved. The Circular sets the guidelines that will ensure the
implementation of the MISP for SRH during emergencies and disaster at national, regional
and local levels and its integration in the national and LDRRMPs; and Community-Based
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plans where available. This policy on provision of
MISP for SRH during disasters is in line with the provision in the MCW.

92. The unmet need for family planning went down from 30% in 1993 to 17% in 2017 (NDHS
2017) and contraceptive use among currently married women increased from 24.9% in 1993
to 40.4% in 2017. The report also found that acceptors mostly sourced their modern
contraceptives from the public sector. More women are now using modern FP methods over
traditional methods.

93. The DOH also carried out major interventions in ensuring the delivery of quality, appropriate,
timely, sexual and reproductive health information and services. These were implemented in
close collaboration with local government units (LGUs) and development partners. As of
December 2017, 992 LGUs have trained public health providers on Family Planning
Competency-Based Training (FPCBT) Level I, while 205 LGUs have trained private FP
providers. Priority was also given in increasing the number of facilities, particularly hospitals,
and of providers trained on FPCBT Level II. 379 LGUs have trained public providers on
FPCBT Level II totaling to 2,379 personnel, while 147 LGUs have 412 FPCBT Level II-

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 28


graduates who are private practitioners.10

Improving education outcomes for women and girls

94. Despite the increasing access of girls to education, a number of girls and women are still out-
of-school with about 5 million females aged 6 to 24 not attending school with the highest
proportion of non-attendance reported among females aged 17 to 19 and 20 to 24 (APIS
2017)11. The Annual Poverty Indicator Survey (APIS) cites “marriage or family matters” as
most the common reason for discontinuing school, with higher percentage reported among
females belonging to lower income group at 45% compared to 33% from higher income
group. Not only does this indicate the persistence of stereotypical roles and norms imposed
on girls, but also reveal that such norms tend to hold stronger among women and girls with
lower wealth status.

95. National government efforts to increase women’s access to, retention in and completion of
education in technical and vocational education and training have been undertaken through
TESDA scholarship program specifically the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP);
Private Education Student Financial Assistance (PESFA); and Special Training for
Employment Program (STEP) which caters and respond to challenges faced by women and
girls from various poor communities. Based on TESDA’s report these programs have
produced a total of 1,733,646 graduates from 2014-2018.

96. From 2014-2018, TESDA provided Community-based Training Programs (STEP) to


5,360,799 (57% female and 43% male) graduates. The STEP is a community-based training
program that address the specific skills needs of the barangay. The training programs
conducted are basic capability building courses that aim to enhance the citizen’s productivity
thru productive livelihood endeavors and self-employment. STEP is TESDA's response to
address poverty in the informal sector by providing the disadvantaged sector training and
employment through WET for Social Equity, addressing the TVET requirements of the
informal sector.

97. TESDA Circular No. 60, Series of 2018 outlined the implementation of Free TVET for
Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education (UAQTEA) in State-run Technical-Vocational
Institutions (STVIs). In 2019, TESDA released its Omnibus Guidelines for 2019 Scholarship
Programs: TWSP, STEP, PESFA and UAQTEA. It reiterated its special target beneficiaries:
farmers and fishers, workers in the informal sector, migrant workers, indigenous peoples and
cultural communities, women, persons with disability, senior citizens, victims of calamities
and disasters, out-of-school youth, urban poor, solo parents and their children, OFWs and
their children, drug surrenderees and their dependents, victims of human trafficking,
wounded-in-action and killed-in-action dependents, members of cooperatives, internally
displaced populations and other related or similarly situated clients.

98. In 2015, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) released CHED Memorandum Order
No. 01, series 2015, “Establishing the Policies and Guidelines on Gender and Development
in CHED and Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs)”, to institutionalize gender equality,
gender-responsiveness and sensitivity in all higher educational institutions in the Philippines.

10 2017 data of DOH and key partners.


11 11
APIS 2017: Table 13 Population aged 6 to 24 years who were not attending school
https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/2017%20APIS%20FINAL%20REPORT.pdf
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 29
It ensures that gender stereotypes and images in educational materials and curricula are
adequately and appropriate revised; gender-sensitive language used at all times; capacity-
building on gender and development, peace and human rights, education for teachers and all
those involved in the education sector; and promoting partnership between and among
players of the education sector, including the private sector, churches and faith groups. The
policy also reinforces the CHED’s commitment to guarantee that all institutions of higher
learning fulfill their obligations to promote and develop gender-responsive curricular
programs that prevent all forms of gender-based discrimination in instruction, research, and
extension as well as in marketing methods and the use of promotional materials. It also
likewise ensures the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment thought the
“provision, availability, and accessibility of opportunities, services, and observance of human
rights which enable women to actively participate and contribute to the political, economic,
social and cultural development of the nation.”

99. In 2019, the CHED has partnered with the Institute for Women’s Studies of the St.
Scholastica’s College in conducting a ‘Gender Sensitive Counselling for Students’ who may
or are becoming vulnerable and most susceptible to becoming victims of abuse. This equip
the schools in the higher education sector with knowledge and proper procedure in
addressing cases of VAW.

Overarching Dimension 3: Freedom from violence, stigma and stereotypes

100. In the past five years, intimate partner violence, trafficking in women and girls, sexual
harassment and violence in public places, violence against women and girls facilitated by
technology have been prioritized.

Intimate partner violence/domestic violence, including sexual violence and marital rape;
Trafficking in women and girls

101. In the Philippines, one in four women aged 15-49 have experienced either physical and
sexual violence, with the highest frequency of physical violence experienced the last 12
months preceding the survey, reported among young women aged 15-19 years old (NDHS
2017). Meanwhile, both NDHS 2008 and 2013 revealed that one in five women aged 15-49
has experienced physical violence since age 15, while 6.3 percent (or 1 out of 16) of women
age 15-49 have experienced sexual violence as revealed in NDHS 2013 which is lower than
the 8.7 percent (or 1 out of 11) in NDHS 2008. (Annex 2: NDHS data across three years)
Among ever-married women, there is a slight decrease in the proportion of those who have
ever experienced emotional, physical, or sexual violence by their husband or partner, from
29% in 2008, 26% in 2013, to 24% in 2017.

102. Despite high incidence of violence in this age group, the 2017 NDHS reports that only 34%
of those who have experienced physical and sexual violence sought assistance from
designated agencies or authorities, 64.7% of whom choose to seek help within their family
network. In a series of stakeholder consultations conducted by PCW with duty bearers and
victim survivors last November-December 2016, low help-seeking behavior were primarily
ascribed to: ‘preference’ or internalization of women’s capacity to suffer in silence; fear for
personal safety, ruining family reputation, political bias and reprisal from concerned officials;
lack of confidence in receiving assistance from duty bearers or designated service

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 30


providers, and; lack of awareness for available services and protective mechanisms they
may avail.

103. RA 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC) Act of 2004 is the anti-
intimate partner violence law of the Philippines. The Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against
Women and their Children (IACVAWC), created by this law, oversees the implementation and
monitoring the law. The IACVAWC as a collegial body has formulated its Strategic Action
Plan for 2017-2022 in consultation with CSOs and other stakeholders. Its overall goal is
“Improving the strategy towards a violence-free community through more systematic
primary prevention, accessible and effective response system, and strengthened functional
mechanisms for coordination, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and
reporting”. The Strategic Plan has three key result areas: (1) primary prevention, (2)
response system, and (3) cross-cutting structures and actions. It outlines the identified
issues, objectives, and targets, including key strategies, programs, projects, and activities
by KRA that shall be undertaken in cooperation with other stakeholders from GOs,
NGOs/CSOs, and faith-based organizations.

104. The LGUs have important roles and responsibilities in the effective implementation of the
anti-trafficking and the anti-VAWC laws. Per monitoring report of DILG Field Offices
regarding LGU compliance on the creation of Local Committees on Anti-Trafficking and
Violence Against Women and Their Children (LCAT-VAWC) as of December 2018, there is
an increased in number of LGUs with established LCAT-VAWC. At the provincial level, 56%
(45) of the 81 provinces in the country has an organized Provincial Committee on Anti-
Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Their Children (PCAT-VAWC). At the city and
municipality level, 79% (115) of the 145 cities nationwide has established the City
Committee on Anti- Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Their Children (CCAT-
VAWC), while 77% or 1,151 out of 1,491 municipalities in the country have established their
respective Municipal Committee on Anti- Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Their
Children (MCAT-VAWC).

105. With the recent entry into force of the ASEAN Convention on Trafficking in Persons (ACTIP),
Especially Women and Children in 2015, and faced with new national goals and targets
under the Philippine Development Plan (2017-2021) towards the realization of Philippines’
long term vision, Ambisyon Natin 2040, the Philippine Government continues to reaffirm its
commitment towards the eradication of human trafficking in the country. In response to the
challenge, the third National Strategic Action Plan Against Trafficking in Persons (2017-
2021) was adopted and approved by the Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking (IIACAT),
chaired by the Department of Justice. The new strategic plan, while retaining the 4Ps
approach (prevention, protection, prosecution, partnership), now focuses on key thematic
issues such as online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC), forced labor, organ trafficking,
and prostitution, pornography, cybersex trafficking, and sex tourism.

106. The Collaborative Action Against Trafficking (CAAT) is a three-year project of Plan
International being implemented in the provinces of Leyte and Southern Leyte in Visayas,
and provinces of Misamis Oriental and Surigao del Norte in Mindanao. The project aims to
reduce the number of child trafficking cases, especially girls and young women, by
increasing awareness for prevention and addressing its root causes, and assisting in the
recovery and rehabilitation of trafficking victim-survivors. Currently, the project is supporting
4 girls from Eastern Visayas who were coerced into online sexual exploitation, and has

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 31


assisted in the rescue of 3 boys and 28 men who were allegedly trafficked for labor
exploitation in the fishing industry in Pangasinan.

Sexual harassment and violence in public places, educational settings and in employment

107. The passage of local ordinance such as the anti-catcalling ordinance in the country’s major
cities is a big boost to the campaign to protect women from daily street harassment, and a
clear policy shift on the part of the local government. In May 2016, the Quezon City passed
the ordinance penalizing sexual harassment of women in public spaces. This made the
Quezon City as the first local government in the country to penalize street-level harassment
of women. On June 28, 2018, the City Council of Manila also passed an ordinance
penalizing catcalling in the city. Ordinance No. 7857 or “An Ordinance Penalizing Catcalling
and Other Forms of Public Sexual Harassment”, penalizes all forms of sexual harassment in
public spaces such as catcalling, wolf-whistling, leering, groping, and many others. These
ordinances are part of the Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Initiative of UN Women. At the
national level, the Safe Spaces Act on anti-sexual harassment in public spaces and
amending the 1995 anti-sexual harassment law to include peer sexual harassment at work,
education and training institutions, which was passed by the Philippine Congress this 2019,
is awaiting release from the Office of the President.

Preventing violence against women and girls

108. There are bills pending in the Philippine Congress which address violence against women
and girls (Annex 3: List of laws on Gender-based Violence). Work on these bills are
facilitated not only by the congressional committees concerned, but through advocacy
mechanisms, ad hoc groups, efforts of CSOs, and the Women’s Priority Legislative Agenda
(WPLA) of the PCW.

• The WPLA is a set of proposed topics of bills that seeks to amend or repeal the
discriminatory provisions of existing laws and moves for the formulation and adoption of
new legislations that promote women’s empowerment and gender equality. For the
17th Congress, the WPLA is composed of 12 legislative agenda, 3 of which are related to
VAW such as:

o Strengthening the provisions of RA 8353: Amending the Anti-Rape Law


o Strengthening law enforcement and protection against sexual
offenses: Expanding the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law
o Enacting the Anti-Prostitution Law: Amending Articles 202 and 341 of the Revised
Penal Code

109. The Girls Advocacy Alliance (GAA) is a global initiative led by Plan International, Terre des
Hommes and Defense for Children International. It is a five-year initiative which aims to
promote equal rights and opportunities for girls and young women in 10 countries across
Africa and Asia. In the Philippines, Plan International and Terre des Hommes work with
government, private sector, local civil society organizations and communities to address
gender-based violence and the economic exclusion of girls and young women. Present in
four regions (NCR, and Regions III, VII, and VIII), GAA activities are centered on child
protection, policy advocacy, capacity building, public education, youth empowerment, and
media awareness. GAA also aims to eradicate commercial sexual exploitation of children,
particularly girls and young women, a national priority through its #NotForSale campaign
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 32
which was launched in 2017.

Strategies preventing violence against women and girls

110. To make the government services more accessible to the public, the IACAT through its
Advocacy and Communications Committee (ADVOCOM) launched the ‘1343 Actionline’
against Human Trafficking on 15 March 2011. It is a 24/7 hotline facility that responds to
general inquiries on human trafficking related issues, emergency or crisis calls from victims
of human trafficking and their families. It expanded its services to other modes of reporting
through website, email address, mobile application and text line. From 2014 to January
2019, the Actionline has received 20,187 case reports, 348 of which are verified cases
involving 340 victim-survivors of human trafficking and other related cases.

111. The 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW) is observed annually from
November 25 to December 12 to raise awareness among all stakeholders that VAW is a
public issue of national concern. It supports the Philippine Government’s goal to protect the
human rights of women and its commitment to address all forms of gender-based violence.
The IACVAWC adopted the theme “VAW-free community starts with Me” for the annual
campaign from 2016-2021. The theme elevates the campaign to positive advocacy as it
enjoins everyone to pursue the common vision of a community free from violence against
women and girls, and highlights what can be done to achieve such. The campaign aims to:
1) give the public a glimpse of a VAW victim-survivor's ordeal to later develop in them the
virtue of compassion or “malasakit;” 2) promote awareness on the forms of violence women
and girls experience, provide information on the laws protecting women and girls, and
feature VAW-related services that people can access and avail; and 3) gather public support
for the campaign.

112. The PCW also produced and published VAW: The Unspoken Words project aimed to make
the public understand the difficult experiences of VAW victim-survivors. The project is a
collection of short films featuring free-verse poetry and images expounding various forms of
VAW presented in five videos which include VAW in the Home, VAW in the Workplace,
VAW in the School, VAW in Public Spaces and Online Harassment. The videos can be
viewed at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfZ0pf6gP873xGN-smUFAIndaU7b-HFRl.
In 2018, three new set of videos on Date Rape, Revenge Porn, and Trafficking were
produced. These videos are hoped to develop compassion and concern towards the victim-
survivors and can be viewed at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zZX2-
jd2H17fhCARHrIhEyL0fGLNLyB-

113. The PCW first launched the VAW Experiential Museum in November 2017 as part of the 18-
Day Campaign to End VAW. It is an interactive and site-specific walk-through event which
immerses the audience to different forms of VAW manifested in familiar situations and social
institutions such as the home, school, workplace, community, and even in digital media. It is
hoped that as the audience walk through the museum, they will develop compassion and
concern towards the victim-survivors and later commit to become an instrument in ending
VAW. Building on the success of the first VAW Experiential Museum, the PCW staged
another run of the activity in 2018. The museum repositions its goal of primary prevention to
focus on a younger audience, specifically engaging high school and college students and
youth organizations. Aside from understanding the various forms of VAW committed in
different institutions and spheres, the audience will get a chance to learn and ask questions

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 33


about the various direct VAW-related legal, psychosocial, and medical services which they
can avail.

114. From 2015-2018, the PCW introduced the ORANGE


YOUR ICON for 18 Days Advocacy Initiative as one
of the major activities during the 18-Day Campaign to
End VAW, in solidarity with the United Nations’
UNiTE to End VAW Campaign. Said activity aimed to
strengthen the anti-VAW advocacy by enjoining new
audiences to join the cause to end VAW. The idea is
to attract the public’s curiosity why major landmarks
or icons nationwide are colored orange, thereby
providing opportunities for advocates to explain the
Anti-VAW advocacy. In 2016, the PCW, in partnership with the Department of Tourism
(DOT), worked on promoting VAW-free communities in the tourism sector through “oranging”
18 famous and prominent tourism sites or attractions in the country This creative advocacy
effort also hopes to convey a message that the DOT together with its stakeholders in the
industry encourages gender-responsiveness in Philippine tourism, which among others
endeavors to promote safe and non-exploitative tourism activities.

115. In partnership with DDB Group Philippines (who provided free service), the PCW in 2018
released a radio campaign on catcalling, a kind of VAW that often experienced by women in
public places but usually dismissed as just a “compliment”. Catcalling is commonly defined
as a sexually suggestive call or comment directed at someone in public spaces like streets
and public transportation facilities. The radio campaign which is dubbed as “The Macho
Choir”, used three Filipino childhood songs where the lyrics are replaced with messages
against catcalling to emphasize that catcalling is a kind of sexual harassment and it is no
laughing matter. All these three radio plugs are being aired in both AM and FM radio stations
throughout the country.

116. In 2015, as the world awaits the “fight of the century” between Pacquiao and Mayweather,
the DDB Group Philippines has collaborated also with PCW in producing and printing series
of posters on domestic violence, the kind of violence being committed by males versus
women. This is being done to create awareness on the often neglected plight of women
under their abusive husbands or intimate partners, and to prevent domestic violence from
happening.

117. The Men Opposed to Violence Against Women (VAW) Everywhere or MOVE, a network of
men who committed to be actively involved in the elimination of VAW, has been actively
organizing local chapters since its formal launching in 2006. Currently, they have established
33 chapters nationwide from both the National Government Agencies, Provincial and Local
Government Units, including barangays. They are also continuously moving to form
partnership for the elimination of gender related violence throughout the country. The
IACVAWC, as the council primarily tasked to formulate programs and projects to eliminate
VAW and to monitor all VAW initiatives, recognized the need to adopt MOVE as a strategy
and encourage other development partners nationwide to organize MOVE in their respective
organizations.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 34


118. The DSWD’s Counseling Services for Rehabilitation of Perpetrators of Domestic Violence
(CSRPDV) is a social work intervention which utilizes a simplified counseling model
designed specifically for the male perpetrators of domestic violence. It consists of a series of
counseling sessions institutionalizing counseling approaches which aims to change the
perpetrator’s abusive behavior geared towards healing to stop the cycle of violence and
facilitate the rehabilitation of perpetrators of domestic violence. The LGU social worker shall
implement the counseling services using the instructional guide to counseling containing the
six (6) sessions as follows:

• The Master’s Thoughts


• Psycho-spiritual Approach
• The Advent of Our Desires
• Coping Well in Times of Crisis
• S (Satir) Model of Intervention
• Resiliency Model

Actions preventing violence against women and girls

119. In the Philippines, one child in every two children suffers from various forms of online sexual
violence and abuse (NBS-VAC, 2016). These children have been subjected to forced
exposure to sex videos and photos, receipt of sexual messages or coercion to engage in
sexual activities online.

120. To address the growing problem of online sexual abuse and exploitation of girls and young
women in the country, the Cyber Safe Spaces Project is being implemented by Plan
International in Manila and Quezon City where sexual abuse and exploitation of children are
rampant. The project works to combat online sexual abuse and exploitation of children
(OSEC) by empowering children and young people, educating parents, social service
providers and duty-bearers, and enabling the local industry to proactively prevent OSEC. It
also provided victim-survivors with access to age and gender-specialized psychological and
healing services, and empower children and young people to protect themselves online
through engaging them on digital safety educational activities. The project also facilitates
the provision of appropriate social services, legal assistance, rehabilitation and/or
reintegration of OSEC victims, especially girls and young women. As of December 31,
2018, the project has reached 9,191 children and young adults -18 up to 30 years old
(4,069 males; 5,019 females; 103 unspecified data) through community and school
advocacy sessions, gender-awareness sessions, BCPC learning activities and capacity
building of service providers. A core group of 74 youth leaders from the target 10
barangays have been trained as Cyber Safe youth facilitators and have spearheaded
advocacy sessions to 9,117 young people and children.

Actions address portrayal of women and girls in the media

121. In 2014, the Media and Gender Equality Committee (MGEC) has launched a nationwide
search for recipients of the GAD Transformation and Institutionalization through
Mainstreaming of Programs, Agenda, Linkages and Advocacies (GADtimpala) Awards. The
GADtimpala is an incentive awards system that recognizes the best gender-fair and gender-
balanced media practices. The GADtimpala award has four categories: Gender-Fair Radio
Program, Gender-Fair TV Program, Gender-Fair Print Media, and Gender-Fair Film, was

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 35


subsequently conferred in 2015. Individual agency members also integrated gender
concerns in their regular programs, projects, and activities. GADtimpala Awards will help in
mainstreaming the gender equality criteria of gender balance in content and programming,
gender-fair language, positive portrayal of women in media and film, and other works by
professionals and students.

122. Following the results of the Parallel Session on Women and Media during the 2017 National
Women’s Summit convened by PCW, wherein media practitioners raised concern on
government seemingly imposing to them the set of guidelines, MGEC revisited the guidelines
for promoting gender-equality in media. On 15 December 2017, the MGEC launched the new
“Gender-Fair Media Guidebook (GFMG)” Revised Edition that seeks to eliminate gender
stereotyping and promotes gender balance in the participation and representation of women
and men across various forms of media and communication. The guidebook is a practical
reference for the media in recalibrating their practice to promote gender sensitivity in all their
core processes including the conceptualization, creation, presentation and distribution of
media products. It presents current media landscape on reporting women’s situations,
provides relative laws on women’s rights and gives practical tools to evaluate the gender
sensitivity of the contents.

123. While government and private sector efforts to advocate for a more positive image of women
in media and film is slowly gaining ground, the discriminatory and derogatory portrayal of
women, including in the advertising sector remain a challenge. The advent of social media
provides an opportunity for enlightened citizens to callout and voice their concerns against
such practices. Erring companies and media outfits are often quick on issuing public
apologies and pulling down media placements once the negative feedbacks go viral online,
perhaps fearing that a negative image results in loss of sales and profits. The MGEC and
other advocates can tap into that power of the public to demand change in the media
landscape.

Actions that address violence against specific groups of women facing multiple forms of
discrimination

124. The typhoon Haiyan which occurred in November 2013 has prompted the IACAT to create
the IACAT Disaster Rapid Response Task Force (IDRT), which is also known as Taskforce
Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2014. The task force is composed of representatives from each member
agencies of the IACAT and was formed for the purpose of creating a coordinating body
within the IACAT that will ensure that existing anti-trafficking in persons programs are
strengthened especially in the identified priority areas, and to assess, plan and implement
programs to combat, prevent, and suppress trafficking and illegal recruitment among
survivors of recent natural and human-induced calamities. Several members of the taskforce
composed of representatives of member-agencies including the DOJ, IACAT Secretariat,
DSWD, and PNP, went to Ormoc City in Leyte, Aklan province and Tagbilaran City in Bohol.
The team conducted seminars to familiarize local officials of provinces recently hit by natural
disaster about the law on trafficking in persons and the proper handling of trafficking victims.
A discussion was also held with the officials on the establishment of help desks on TIP in
local ports in their respective localities.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 36


125. The DSWD continuously promotes the establishment of Women Friendly Spaces (WFS) in
the local government units and intermediaries in 16 regions of the country to prevent internal
displacement of women and girls in evacuation centers during typhoons and emergencies.

126. GBV may also become more extreme during emergencies and crises. In armed conflict,
sexual violence can become so widespread that it is considered a method of war. During
natural disasters, marginalized sectors, including women, are trapped to vulnerability due to
the emotional stress and seeming weakness of men associated with the lack of resources
and economic insecurity. In 2015, the DSWD issued Administrative Order No. 12 or the
Enhanced Guidelines in the Implementation of the Comprehensive Intervention Against
Gender-Based Violence (CIAGV). The guidelines are structured around three components,
namely: Community-based GBV prevention (Prevention); Delivery of GBV response and
services (Intervention); and Mainstreaming of GBV in local development (Reintegration). The
CIAGV envisions that community women, men, girls, boys and members of LGBT will have
reduced vulnerabilities to GBV through increased access to quality response and
reintegration services and participation in preventive actions. It aims to address issues
concerning GBV through an adoption of a comprehensive approach and framework in
executing a holistic program which will consider all the key activities.

Overarching Dimension 4: Participation, accountability and gender-responsive


institutions

Promoting women’s participation in public life and decision-making

127. Latest data from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) show that women outnumber
men in terms of registered voters for the 2019 National and local elections, comprising 51
percent of voting population. However, there is still a significant gap when it comes to
female representation in terms of candidates. This year women account for only 20 percent
12
of the total number of candidates running for elective positions. At the national level, only
18 percent or 11 female candidates have joined the senatorial race, while only there are
only 23 percent are vying for a seat at the house of representative.

13
Table 2: Number of Registered Voters by Sex in May, 2019 National and Local Elections

Number of Registered Voters


Total Male Female
No. % No. %
PHILIPPINES/ 61,843,771 30,026,959 49% 31,816,812 51%
Nationwide

Table 3: No. of Candidates per Elective Position by Sex (As of March 30, 2019) in May 2019 National and
14
Local Elections

12
(http://www.comelec.gov.ph/php-tpls-attachments/2019NLE/Statistics/NumofCandidatesbySexPh.pdf
13
https://www.comelec.gov.ph/

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 37


Elective Position Number of Number of Candidates
Seats Total Male Female
No. % No. %
Total Number of 18,072 43,554 34,772 80 8,782 20
Candidates
National Elections
Senator 12 62 51 82 11 18
Party-List 61 134*
Local Elections
Member, House of 245 633 488 77 145 23
Representative
Provincial Governor 81 273 242 89 31 11
Provincial Vice- 81 185 159 86 26 14
Governor
Member, Provincial 780 1,733 1,404 81 329 19
Board
City Mayor 145 415 330 80 85 20
City Vice-Mayor 145 336 283 84 53 16
City Councilor 1,628 3,765 3,016 80 749 20
Municipal Mayor 1,489 3,571 2,783 78 788 22
Municipal Vice-Mayor 1,489 3,282 2,685 82 597 18
Municipal Councilor 11,916 29,299 23,331 80 5,968 20
* Total for both sexes excludes the number of Party-List

128. Just as women continue to have steady representation in both public organizations and
private business sectors, the government has persistently promoted measures and policies
that address gender-specific barriers that affect women’s participation in civil society and
democratic processes. In particular, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has issued
policies that promote gender equality and provide a gender-responsive electoral process that
is inclusive, participatory and non-discriminatory, namely:

• COMELEC Resolution No. 10514, March 25, 2019 - provide incentives to political parties
that promote the integration of women in their leadership hierarchy, internal policy-
making structures, appointive and electoral nominating process;

• COMELEC Resolution No. 10488, January 30, 2019 - ensure a more socially-inclusive
Philippine elections, candidates and parties are required to incorporate sign language
interpreters and closed captioning in broadcast election propaganda intended for
exhibition on television and/or the internet, and are encouraged to ensure the availability
of their respective printed campaign materials in braille. Through the same issuance,
candidates and parties are urged to guarantee accessibility of their campaign activities
and events to persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and pregnant women, by
providing accessibility features, such as access ramps, reserved seating areas.
Furthermore, the COMELEC has also prohibited the printing, publishing, posting, and
distributing any election campaign or propaganda materials that violates gender
sensitivity, is obscene or offensive, or constitutes violation of Magna Carta of Women

• COMELEC Resolution No. 10486 - establishment of emergency accessible polling


places (EAPP) for the purposes of the May 13, 2019 National and Local Elections and all
succeeding elections. The EAPPs must be accessible and shall provide assistive

14
Ibid.
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 38
services and devices for persons with disabilities, senior citizens and heavily pregnant
women voters.

• COMELEC Resolution No. 10110, May 3, 2016 - required all LGUs including the
barangay, city/ municipality and provincial levels to open their daycare centers on
election day to encourage more female voters to take part in the elections. Mothers and
other caregivers could conveniently leave their young children in daycare while they vote.
Special satellite registration prioritizing women have also been conducted in major cities
across the country.

• MC No. 2019-65, May 3, 2019 - To further concretize the commitment to inclusivity,


concerned government agencies, civil society organizations and private sector
stakeholders agreed through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed April 8,
2019, to work together in ensuring the electoral participation and reasonable
accommodation of persons with disability, senior citizens and heavily pregnant voters on
the day of the election.

129. The COMELEC also launched a GAD Policy Studies Group (PSG) in 2016, a core group of
stakeholders that will study and propose legal and policy reforms to increase women’s
political participation. The GAD PSG’s work primarily aims to explore mechanisms to
increase the number of women candidates and elected officials. The PSG’s objectives also
include educating stakeholders on the need to have more women candidates and politicians
as well as create and mobilize a network of gender-in-election champions. These external
stakeholders include the country’s Executive and Legislative departments, the Commission
on Human Rights, political party list groups, lawyer’s organizations and NGOs. In the lead up
to the 2016 Presidential Elections, the commission also spearheaded series of lecture
seminars to encourage more women candidates to run in the 2016 elections as well as
hosted a Fora on Gender and Election-Related Violence.

130. In time for the upcoming 2019 National Elections, the PCW re-launched #AgendaNiJuana
(Juana’s Agenda) an integrated campaign which began in 2016, to call for gender-
responsive governance, the gender-balance leadership, and promotion of women's political
participation and representation in all spheres of society.

131. The CSC remains committed in realizing provisions of the Magna Carta for Women to
“accelerate equitable representation of women” in government through policies and
programs that support the appointment of qualified women to leadership positions. It has
instituted reforms in its recruitment system and developing human resources that is outlined
in the Enhanced Competency-based Recruitment, Promotion and Placement (ECBRPP), the
Competency-based Learning and Development Management System (CBLDMS), and the
integrated non-discriminatory provision on appointments expressed in the CSC’s Omnibus
Rules on Appointments and other Human Resource Actions (ORAOHRA) which was revised
in 2018.

132. In 2017, civil service examination-related policies such as CSC Resolution No. 1701169,
were set up to address issues faced by women in marginalized groups through creation of
enabling mechanism that increase the participation of persons with disabilities, pregnant, and
senior citizens. The inclusion of the rights of Muslim women were considered in the
guidelines on administering the Civil Service Examinations under CSC Resolution No.
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 39
1700630. It also maintains Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human
Resource Management (PRIME-HRM), with reference to the CSC’s HR Systems Maturity
Level assessment which focuses on the articulation of Equal Opportunity Principle (EOP) in
the Commission’s policies across all core human resource systems and the development
and implementation of actual plans to integrate people with diverse background.

133. It also conducted Gender Mainstreaming in HR Policies, Processes and Systems since
2014. As a result of this, a Gender Mainstreaming Manual with instructional video and HR
Toolkit was developed by CSC, in partnership with PCW and the ASEAN Plus 3. While it
continues to devote resources for developing and gender-responsive capacity development
programs through Civil Service Institute (CSI) - Gender responsive provisions under
Republic Act No. 11032 (An Act Promoting Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Delivery of
Government Services, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 9485 otherwise known as
the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007) (e.g., provision of special lane for pregnant women). Gender
mainstreaming has also been consistently promoted via institutionalization in the collection of
sex-disaggregated data by concerned offices (e.g., Inventory of Government Human
Resource System; Profile of HRMOs; Career Service Examinees; Honor Awards Program;
Public Sector Union Officers; Sexual Harassment Cases; and Participants’ Profile in
Trainings), as well as the application of GAD Analysis Tools like the Harmonized GAD
Guidelines (HGDG) on major programs (i.e., ARTA, Honor Awards Program, and CBLDMS),
which assist the CSC to formulate strategies that would enhance its GAD efforts. Alongside
these initiatives are the conduct of GAD-related development interventions and creation of
Pool of Subject Matter Experts, which ensure that every CSC employee is capacitated on
GAD (e.g., Gender Sensitivity Seminar; Anti-Sexual Harassment; Use of Gender-Fair
Language; Gender, Diversity and Inclusiveness; etc.).

Actions to increase women’s access to expression through ICT

134. The Philippines launched the Women ICT Frontier Initiative (WIFI) of the Asian and Pacific
Training Centre for ICT for Development (APCICT/ESCAP) in 2017 in partnership with the
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), ASEAN Women
Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN), and PCW. This Project aims to develop an enhanced
Philippine WIFI Entrepreneur Track Training of Trainers Module and Participants Manual that
can be a model Training Course to be implemented nationwide and across ASEAN
countries. WIFI recently conducted an Integration workshop, which is composed of two
tracks and Entrepreneurship and Policy Track and Policy.

135. DICT together with Connected Women and Facebook, announced in 2018 the various
programs of the WE-ICT (Women Empowerment-ICT), an initiative that aims to empower
Filipinas with strong economic and digital literacy skills. One such program is
#SheMeansBusiness, a Facebook-led initiative that has customized blueprint modules for
training small to medium businesses. Also, the DICT and Connected Women have
collaborated on a job matching program in order to match women trained in digital marketing
to female entrepreneurs who can employ them. Co-led by Connected Women in the
Philippines, #SheMeansBusiness has trained more than 400 women through six workshops

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 40


in major cities across the Philippines. Through entrepreneurship modules, women in these
cities have learned digital skills to bring their business ideas to life.15

136. DICT also conducted Women and Mobile: Bridging the Gender Gap trainings during the
National Information and Communications Technology Month in 2018 with the theme: Thrive
Through Disruption: Inclusivity, Empowerment and Sustainability. The initiative aimed at
promoting digital inclusion, equal access to opportunity and narrowing the digital divide. 16

137. To further their commitment to infuse gender awareness through ICT, the DICT organizes an
annual GAD Summit. In 2016, more than a hundred attended the two-day event to address
gender issues on ICT. The summit highlighted the gender dimension of DICT, including its
potential in empowering women; its strategies in addressing the gender digital divide; and its
initiatives in promoting gender-responsive governance.

National investments invested in the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of
women

138. The total GAD budget utilization of agencies with accepted GAD Accomplishment Reports
(ARs) slightly increased to PhP468.3 billion (US$ 88.81 million) in FY 2016 from PhP451.7
billion (US$ 85.66 million) in FY 2015. While based on accepted ARs for FY 2017 the GAD
budget utilization of agencies is at P540 billion (US$ 102.40 million) already, as of May 28,
2018. This is still expected to increase upon completion of the review process. This notable
increase is attributed to the incessant capacity building conducted by NGAs as influenced by
PCW to increase their GAD allocation and utilization. Moreover, the rigorous review process
undertaken by PCW helped ensure that GAD budgets are utilized for acceptable GAD
programs and activities.

139. The COA has been the strategic partner of PCW in increasing the number of compliance of
government agencies in the submission of annual GAD Plans and Budgets, and GAD
Accomplishment Reports through the issuance of COA circulars and policies that provide
agency heads guidance on the mandatory annual audit of funds for gender and development
such as:

• COA Circular 2014-01: Revised Guidelines in the Audit of GAD Funds and Activities in
government agencies – it updated the previous audit guidelines and aligned it to new
audit approach called the integrated risk and results-based audit approach (IRRBA) and
the Magna Carta of Women;

• Memorandum No. 2018-009: Checklist of Common Audit Observations in the Audit of


GAD Funds and Determination of Gender Issues and Mandates of All Government
Agencies - checklist is used by auditors as a reference in the audit of GAD funds and
guide in the presentation of audit observations and recommendations in the annual audit
reports.

15
https://dict.gov.ph/dict-connected-women-facebook-collaborate-to-empower-women-through-technology/

16
https://dict.gov.ph/women-and-children-ict-use-essential-for-achieving-a-digital-economy/

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 41


140. Auditors are required to include in their Annual Audit Reports a paragraph on the results of
audit of GAD funds. GAD has been part of the regular audit focus of audit teams in the audit
of Philippine Embassies and Consulates. Continuous training and capacity building of COA
Auditors and agency personnel on GAD Planning and Budgeting as well as Audit of GAD
Funds have been undertaken through the regular course offering of the Professional
Development Office of COA and upon invitation of government agencies. Through the audit
of the utilization of funds for gender and development, the Auditors looked at the actual
utilization of GAD funds versus the allocation of at least 5% of the total appropriation based
on the endorsed and approved GAD Plans and Budgets, and GAD Accomplishment Reports
of all government agencies. These audit observations are communicated to management
and reflected in the Annual Audit Reports.

National action plan for gender equality

141. In 2019, the PCW launched its “Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Plan
2019-2025” which serves as key reference in formulating Gender and Development (GAD)
agenda, plans, and budgets of agencies. The GEWE plan contain a Compendium of
Indicators for Monitoring and Evaluation of GEWE in the Philippines which presents a menu
of GEWE indicators for various sectoral and thematic areas of concern to direct GAD work
in the Philippines. The Plan and the Compendium of Indicators are based on CEDAW
Recommendations, the BPfA and the SDGs.

142. Alongside the GEWE Plan 2019-2025 the government also launched an updated toolkit to
measure the extent of gender-responsiveness of local government units (LGUs). The
Gender-Responsive Local Government Unit (GeRL) Assessment Tool can be used to
gather data and information on the level of LGUs’ GAD mainstreaming efforts and practices;
serve as a monitoring and evaluation tool to measure the extent of gender responsiveness
of the LGU as an organization and in the delivery of basic services and facilities; and
identify the gaps and corresponding strategies to achieve gender-responsive local
governance

Action plan and timeline for the implementation for CEDAW recommendations

143. The Philippines regularly reports on the implementation of the CEDAW. The combined 7th
and 8th CEDAW report went through a participatory formulation process. Information and
updates were gathered and consolidated from concerned government agencies on their
implementation of the CEDAW and supplemented with information from relevant studies, and
statistics on the situation of women and men in the country.

144. Immediately after the Philippines received the concluding observations on the 7th and 8th
report in 2016, copies were disseminated to various groups, and workshops with government
agencies, CSOs were conducted to address the recommendations of the CEDAW
Committee.

National human rights institution

145. The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHRP), a constitutional body, is the
country’s independent National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), It prepares its own report
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 42
on the Philippines’ compliance to CEDAW and is regularly a member of the Philippine
delegation to the UN Commission on the Status of Women Annual Meetings to participate in
the sessions and side events and assert the vital role of NHRIs in advancing gender
equality and women’s empowerment

146. The Magna Carta of Women designates the CHRP as the Gender and Development
Ombud. As such, it is mandated to advocate for the promotion and protection of women’s
human rights, strengthen its Human Rights Education program, investigate violations
including those committed by private institutions or by private individuals, monitor
compliance, and recommend appropriate measures. To pursue its mandate, the CHRP in
2016 developed the “CHR Gender Ombud Guidelines, Promoting Gender Equality and
Women’s Empowerment under the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710) and Related Laws”
together with the Protocols for the investigation of cases involving women, children and
persons with diverse SOGIE. The CHRP has also a Women and Children’s Rights Center
with full-time staff focused not just on promotion of women’s rights, but also on investigating
women’s rights violations. They have ruled on the dismissal of a pregnant student, and are
currently investigating the misuse of the GAD budget by a local government unit.

147. The CHRP has consistently promoted gender equality. In 2016, the CHRP conducted a
national inquiry into the barriers that some women face when accessing reproductive health
services and a full range of family planning methods. The national inquiry also examined the
existence of local government ordinances that contradict the general principles of the
Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law and international human
rights conventions. For example, in February 2015, Sorsogon City's mayor signed a pro-life
Executive Order, which resulted in the withdrawal of contraceptives from local health
centers. Women's access to contraceptives was also challenged by some groups before the
courts. In addition, the inquiry considered the requirement of spousal and parental consents
in some provisions of the RPRH Law and how this can limit the access of women and
young people to reproductive health services.

148. The Commission recognizes that respect for sexual rights, sexual orientation and gender
identity is integral to the realization of equality between men and women. Sexual orientation
and gender identity and expression (SOGIE) are integral to every person’s dignity and
humanity and must not be the basis for discrimination or abuse. As an NHRI and as Gender
Ombud, the Commission promotes the Yogyakarta Principles when it provides that “human
beings of all sexual orientations and gender identities are entitled to the full enjoyment of all
human rights.” Like the PCW, it strongly supported the Anti-discrimination based on SOGIE
bills pending in Congress.

149. As Gender Ombud, the CHRP endeavors to understand Violence Against Women in its
various contexts and forms with a goal of effectively addressing violations and working
towards elimination and prevention. One of its recent initiatives is the establishment of the
Gender-based Violence or GBV Observatory, as part of the broader Human Rights
Observatory funded by the GO JUST project of the European Union. The GBV Observatory
aims to create a repository of data and information to deepen the understanding of GBV
and to draw recommendations to improve structures, mechanisms, and programs and
services. Prior to the establishment of the observatory this year, the CHRP conducted a
GBV research and mapping of legal referral mechanism in 2018 to inform the drafting of the
GBV Observatory framework and collect baseline data on GBV for 5 pilot areas. Interviews
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 43
with national government agencies, regional offices and academic institutions were also
conducted. As a member of the Inter-Agency Council on Anti-Violence Against Women and
their Children, the CHRP works with the other council members in putting together this
Observatory.

Overarching Dimension 5: Peaceful and inclusive societies

Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies

150. The 2014-2016 National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security (NAP WPS) enabled
national government agencies and local government units to identify women, peace and
security interventions to be integrated in their respective GAD plans. The NAP WPS aligns
with United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 1325 and 1820 through two
primary outcomes: (1) protection of women’s human rights and prevention of violation of
these rights in armed conflict and post-conflict situations, and (2) empowerment of women
that ensures their active and meaningful participation in areas of peacekeeping,
peacemaking, peacebuilding, conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and post-conflict
reconstruction. The plan supports the implementation of national mandates on women and
gender equality as well as peace and development.

151. The 2017-2022 National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAPWPS) adopts a
broader framework for addressing the situation of women in armed conflict and recognizing
their contributions to conflict transformation. The plan integrates the basic precepts of
women’s human security as stipulated in CEDAW General Recommendation 30 (CEDAW
GR 30), the context of non-international armed conflict. The 2017-2022 NAP WPS
compliments the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan (PDP) as mentioned in Chapter 6:
Foundation for Sustainable Development on Attaining Just and Lasting Peace.

Increasing leadership, representation and participation and participation of women in conflict


resolution and decision-making in situations of armed and other conflicts

152. The 2017-2022’s NAP WPS anchors its vision to achieving the expansion of women’s role
in the various spaces for peace. The five year plan highlights women’s agency – both as
leaders and participants – in the peace process and seeks to continue the women’s
participation in both formal processes as well as in other informal spaces (i.e. civil society
and grassroots participation). It also aims to support various initiatives where women
empower other women, recognize the intersectionality of gender, ethnicity, and religion, and
build a stronger constituency for peace and conflict transformation where women are
involved in the front, back, and center of the process.

153. Through the Magna Carta of Women and the Philippine National Police Reform and
Reorganization Act of 1998 or RA 8551 on women’s participation in the military and police,
more women are reaching milestones in male dominated fields. On March 26, 2019, Gen.
Joselyn R. Bandarlipe became the first female Army officer to assume the command of a
brigade of the 53rd Engineering Brigade. A year prior, the Philippine Military Academy (PMA)
valedictorian, and 7 more topnotchers of the top 10 graduates are women. On March 27,
2014, Chief Negotiator Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, the first female chief negotiator in
Philippine history, signed a major peace agreement together with other women leaders in
the Philippines bringing peace to Mindanao that has endured 45 years of bloody conflict. In
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 44
addition to this, the so-called “Hijab Troopers”, were awarded the Military Merit Medal for
their services in the Marawi siege in 2017 when Daesh-inspired local terrorists seized the
city. The Hijab-clad female soldiers provided vital support to the local government and other
agencies in helping those displaced by the five months of fighting between government
forces and the Maute terrorist group. They specifically focused on peace education and
assisting in psychosocial debriefing, especially among children and young people
traumatized by the war.

Enhancing judicial and non-judicial accountability for violations of international humanitarian


law

154. Efforts to enhance judicial and non-judicial accountability for violations of international
humanitarian law and violations of the human rights of women and girls in situations of
armed and other conflicts or humanitarian action and crisis response were carried out
through measures such as the Joint Statement on Promoting Women, Peace and Security
in ASEAN which was adopted by all the member states on November 13, 2017. In the
aftermath of the 2017 Marawi Siege, NSC WPS issued a resolution on “Ensuring Gender-
Responsive Conflict Management, Conflict Resolution and Humanitarian Action in the Crisis
in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur and the Whole of Mindanao” to ensure that greater
accountability and protection were extended to protect the human rights of women and girls.
The resolution also intended to promote the inclusion of gender dimension in the
Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Agenda.

Elimination of discrimination against and violations of the rights of the girl child

155. On September 13, 2018, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
(OPAPP) initiated the crafting of the National Action Plan for Youth, Peace and Security
(NAP YPS) in response to the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250
which recognizes the youth’s efforts in peacebuilding.

156. On November 24, 2017, the Philippine Government, through the Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) launched the country’s National Action Plan (NAP) to End Statelessness. The
NAP to End Statelessness is a framework of seven (7) action points, which the Philippine
Government has committed to implement until the year 2024. The NAP Action Points are as
follows: (1.) Resolve existing cases of statelessness; (2.) Ensure that no child is born
stateless; (3.) Remove gender discrimination from nationality laws; (4.) Grant protection
status and facilitate the naturalization of refugees and stateless persons; (5.) Ensure birth
registration for the prevention of statelessness; (6.) Accede to the UN Statelessness
Conventions; and (7.) Improve quantitative and qualitative data on stateless populations.

157. President Duterte signed into law the Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed
Conflict Act or RA No. 11188 on January 10, 2019. Under the law, children are declared as
“Zones of Peace” which must extend beyond territorial or geographical boundaries. The law
requires the state to “provide special protection to children in situations of armed conflict from
all forms of abuse, violence, neglect, cruelty, discrimination and other conditions prejudicial
to their development, taking into consideration their gender, cultural, ethnic, and religious
background.” It requires the state to take all feasible measures to “prevent the recruitment,
re-recruitment, use, displacement of, or grave child rights violations against children involved
in armed conflict.” The law designates the Inter-Agency Committee on Children in Situations

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 45


of Armed Conflict to undertake the protection of the welfare of children in situations of armed
conflict.

158. A Joint Action Plan between the UNICEF and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
beginning 2009, resulted in the disengagement of 1,869 children from the ranks of the MILF.

Overarching Dimension 6: Environmental conservation, protection and rehabilitation

159. The Philippines is among the top countries at risk of adverse impacts of climate change
worldwide. In the 2015 Global Climate Risk Index, it ranked first among the most affected
countries by climate change and third among all of the countries with the highest disaster-
risk globally (2018 World Risk Report). Climate change contributes greatly to occurrence of
extreme weather events – stronger typhoons, sea-level rise, and intensified storm surges in
coastal regions in the country, of which, the impacts on the most vulnerable groups,
especially on women and girls, are more devastating.

160. With the country’s increasing recognition of the gendered impacts of climate change and
natural hazards, the Philippine government carried out actions from 2014-2019 to integrate
gender perspective and concerns into its policies and programs for environmental protection
and disaster risk reduction, climate resilience and mitigation by creating enabling
mechanisms and promulgating policies that strengthen women’s representation,
participation and leadership in climate actions, environmental protection and resource
management, gender and climate change knowledge-exchange platforms and M&E
systems, gender-responsive capacity-building initiatives, and raising awareness on
women’s vulnerabilities to climate hazards and their rights and role in environmental
sustainability and climate resilience.

Integrating gender perspectives and concerns into environmental policies

161. The government’s commitment to integrate and mainstream gender perspectives and
concerns into national environmental policies is articulated in the most updated strategic
plans of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and its attached agencies
and the Climate Change Commission. For instance, the DENR-Forest Management Bureau
developed a GAD Strategic Plan 2018-2022 to enhance gender equality and empowerment
of marginalized sectors especially women and indigenous communities in the forestry
sector. Women’s participation in biodiversity conservation was also strengthened thru the
passing of RA 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of
2018. It's Section 11 provides that “at least 40 percent of the Protected Area Management
Board (PAMB) members shall be women, pursuant to Republic Act No. 9710 or 'The Magna
Carta of Women'”.

162. The government started monitoring the implementation of gender-responsive climate


actions as identified in the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) 2011-2028,
which, articulates a strong orientation towards mainstreaming gender perspective as
outlined in its goal to “build the adaptive capacities of women and men in their communities,
increase the resilience of vulnerable sectors and natural ecosystems to climate change, and
optimize mitigation opportunities towards gender-responsive and rights-based sustainable
development.” Gender considerations have been incorporated in the indicators to measure
and track its progress. Most importantly, the Commission ensures the operationalization of
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 46
gender-responsive approaches in the formulation and implementation of climate change
policies, plans, programs and activities including the generation of sex-disaggregated data
and conduct of gender analysis as enshrined in Commission Resolution 2019-02.

Integrating gender perspectives into policies and programs for disaster risk reduction, climate
resilience and mitigation

163. Programs to strengthen the role of women in shaping environmental protection and climate-
resilient policies and practices were also sought through activities such as:

• the National Climate Science Youth Congress in 2018 which provided an opportunity for
young climate scientists, half of which are girls, from the Philippine Science High School,
to present their research projects that seek to promote innovative and sustainable
agricultural practices.

• Institutionalization of the Climate Resiliency Field Schools (CrFS) in 2017 piloted by the
Rice Watch Action Network (R1). A joint effort of the government and a civil society
organization, R1, the CrFS program, caters to both men and women in the farming and
fisheries sector and builds the capacity of farmers and fisherfolk to adapt to climate
change through informed farming decisions, contingency planning, and income
diversification. This program was recognized internationally for engaging women and
youth, promoting diversification of income sources, and capacitating women on activities
traditionally dominated by men.

• Enhanced National Greening Program (eNGP) wherein women actively participated in


the nursery operations, plantation establishment, and maintenance. In 2018, 30% of
those engaged in the Enhanced National Greening Program are women. As of
December 2018, there was a total of 19,346 women and 42,929 men engaged in
activities such as survey, mapping and planning, seedling production, site development,
and maintenance and protection.

Figure 2. No. of men and women participants in the NGP per region, as of December 31, 2018.

Reference: Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Central Office, February 2019

• Green Jobs Act of 2016 that enable the just transition to a low carbon green economy.
The law defined “green jobs” as “employment that contributes to preserving or restoring
the quality of the environment, be it in the agriculture, industry or services sector,” and

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 47


“decent jobs that are productive, respect the rights of workers, deliver a fair income,
provide security in the workplace and social protection for families, and promote social
dialogue. In the process of developing and administering appropriate standards (for the
assessment and certification of green goods and services, and green technologies and
practices for the purpose of regulating the availment of incentives under the law), the
Philippine Commission on Women was engaged as one of the key stakeholders to
ensure that gender consideration is included in the certification process.

• The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is implementing Women-


Managed Marine and Coastal Areas to establish database information, document
success stories of women fisherfolk, provide technical assistance for women’s
participation in the conservation and management of natural marine habitats and forge
partnerships with various stakeholders.

164. The government initiated awareness-raising activities at the national, local, and down to the
barangay level, on matters relating to the vulnerabilities of women and men to climate
impacts, and the rights and roles of women in environmental sustainability and climate
change adaptation towards building resilient communities.

165. These activities include, learning events to identify strategies promoting complementation of
men and women in forest and land restoration towards sustainable management of forest
resources conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-
Forest Management Bureau as part of its GAD Strategic Plan 2018-2022. The DENR-Mines
and Geosciences Bureau has conducted regular information and education campaign to all
local government units down to the barangay levels on geological hazards within their
respective areas. Women and children were taught how to read geological hazards maps to
capacitate them on how to better understand the level of geological risks in the area. The
DENR has also been regularly conducting village-level information campaigns to raise
women’s awareness on their right to register land titles under their name. From 2015 to
2017, 46 percent or 119,197 land patents were issued by the DENR to women and 141,158
were issued to men. For 2014-2016, agencies reported gender balance in the conduct of
trainings on land use planning, forest resources assessment, forest protection, and
community-based environmental law enforcement.

Figure 2. Number of land patents issued by sex in the Philippines from 2015-2016

Reference: Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Central Office, 2019

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 48


166. The Philippines secured a seat as alternate member in the Green Climate Fund Board from
2019 to 2022, providing an opportunity to shape the policies of the Board and its funding
decisions. The Philippine representative, and most of her advisers, are women. Meanwhile, it
has also designated gender focal points to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) to assist with all gender-related decisions and mandates under
the UNFCCC processes and to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Task Group on Gender.

167. The distribution of solar lamps to women by humanitarian groups allowed cleaner access to
energy consistent to SDG 7 (ensured access to affordable, sustainable, and modern energy)
and facilitated better protection for women and girls especially in evacuation camps. It was
not just access to energy, but the practice can also be deemed as having climate change co-
benefit mitigation measure (e.g. reduction of fossil fuel use). A micro-study conducted by
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) reaffirmed that addressing access with
more affordable, safer and better energy should target women and strengthen their role as
household energy managers.

168. The government organized awareness-raising, knowledge exchange, and capacity-building


platforms through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD)’s conduct of continuous education of
disaster risk reduction and management down the lowest level of the community to ensure
zero casualty when disasters strike. The OCD has also instituted the annual “Gawad
KALASAG” to recognize outstanding performances of local government units, civil society
organizations, people’s organization, education and health institutions, private organizations,
individuals and other stakeholders that continue to contribute significantly in promoting and
implementing gender-sensitive DRRM-CCA programs and innovations that build community
resiliency in the long term.

169. The DSWD introduced and promoted the Team Balikatan (“balikatan” means shoulder-to
shoulder in English) and Rescue in Emergencies (TeamBRE) Project (2012-2015) which
aimed to provide maximum care, assistance and services to disaster-affected individuals and
families and to implement emergency rehabilitation projects. Through this project, 150 fisher
folk, including women fishers, in pilot areas in Region V, VIII, and CARAGA were organized
and mobilized to strengthen community resiliency and prevent them from risking their lives
during typhoon season by providing alternative sources of livelihood during those lean
months. Further, food and cash assistance on disaster volunteer work, disaster response
skills training and educational assistance for the children benefited the whole family. Lastly,
they were oriented on the different social protection laws and services such as HIV-AIDS,
Men Opposed to Violence Against Women, and Child Trafficking.

170. Active participation of women through coastal rehabilitation programs continues to be sought
such as the Rehabilitation Program for coastal areas of the municipalities of Guiuan and
Salcedo in Eastern Visayas of the Sentro ng Ikakaunlad ng Katutubong Agham at
Teknolohiya’ or SIKAT (Center for the Development of Indigenous Science and Technology).
The program, managed and implemented by women, initiated the construction of artificial
coral reefs and mangroves and the rehabilitation of see grass communities devastated by
typhoon Haiyan in order to provide fishing grounds for women. The program demonstrated
the women’s leadership capacities and their critical role in coastal resource management.
More importantly it promoted self-reliance through self-help savings as the women were
encouraged to rely on their savings instead of borrowing loans during disasters. Other
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 49
impacts of the rehabilitation program saw the increase of fish catch from 7 to 15 kilograms,
organization of 74 self-help groups with a total of 976 women members (from Guiuan and
Salcedo) and total individual savings of PhP1.7 million (US$ 32.14 million).

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 50


Section Three
National Institutions and Processes

National machinery for gender equality

171. The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) is the national machinery for gender equality
and the empowerment of women and the primary policy-making, coordinating and oversight
body on women and gender equality concerns. The PCW has been operating under the
Office of the President (OP) from its creation in 1975 until the issuance of Executive Order
No. 67 (EO 67) on October 31, 2018 that mandates the transfer of supervision of some OP-
attached agencies to executive departments. The PCW is now attached to the Department
of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the government agency that promulgates
policies, rules and regulations on the general supervision over local governments and the
interior or security sector. One advantage of this attachment to the DILG is to strengthen
the localization of the Magna Carta of Women and other international mandates on
women’s rights and mobilizing the regional offices and local government offices to pursue
the Gender and Development (GAD) agenda.

Membership in the institutional process for SDG implementation

172. Yes, the PCW is a member of the inter-agency national mechanism led by the National
Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the premier national socio-economic planning
body, which steers the whole-of-government, multisectoral implementation and monitoring
of the SDGs. PCW is designated to oversee the implementation and monitoring of the
SDGS. The PCW acts as a catalyst for gender mainstreaming, authority on women’s
concerns, and lead advocate of women’s empowerment, gender equity, and gender equality
in the country. In March 2019, it conducted a series of nationwide stakeholders’
consultations for the formulation of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
(GEWE) Plan 2017-2022 anchored among others on the BPFA, Goal No. 5 of the SDGs
and the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022.

173. The PCW submitted baseline data for the compilation of the Philippine SDG Watch in 2018
and designated permanent and alternate SDG Focal Persons. Since then, PCW has
designated permanent and alternate SDG Focal Persons to the Philippine SDG Indicator
Focal Point (SDGIFP) to lead the development of the SDG indicators and updating of SDG
Watch and Database.

174. The PCW also serves as the Philippine focal point to the ASEAN Committee on Women
(ACW) and led the drafting and negotiations of the ASEAN Declaration on the Gender-
Responsive Implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and SDGs17, which was
adopted by the ASEAN Leaders in 2017. To implement this declaration the Philippines is
leading the conduct of gender mainstreaming conferences across the three ASEAN
community pillars bringing together all sectoral bodies per pillar to discuss proposed gender
mainstreaming action plans. Over a hundred delegated each from the ASEAN Socio-

17 st
www.pcw.gov.ph “31 ASEAN Summit Outcomes: What’s In It for Women?” (2017)
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 51
Cultural Community (ASCC) and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) pillars were
convened in June and December 2018. Representatives from the ASEAN Political Security
Community pillar will meet in Manila in September 2019.

Formal mechanism in monitoring BPfA and SDG implementation

175. National government agencies like the National Economic and Development Authority
(NEDA); and its attached research arm, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies
(PIDS), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); and the Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA), are formal mechanisms leading the implementation and
monitoring the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The DILG has issued JMC
2018-01 on the Guidelines on the Localization of the PDP 2017-2022 Results Matrices and
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Circular ensures national-local levels
complementation and harmonization of priorities contained both in the Philippine
Development Plan (PDP) and SDGs.

176. The Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022, the first medium-term plan anchored
on a national long-term vision till year 2040, ensures the alignment of its goals with those of
the SDGs. The Philippine Statistical Development Program 2018-2023 (Chapter 26)
contains data requirements, plans, programs and strategies to generate and monitor the
implementation of the PDP and the SDGs. PSA Resolution No 4, series of 2016, mandates
the national planning body and other government agencies to provide the necessary data
support to monitor the country’s performance vis-à-vis the fulfilment of SDGs. These
strategies are mainstreamed in the sectoral plans and localized through the Regional
Development Plans (RDP) and Comprehensive Development Plans (CDP) at the regional
and local levels, respectively.

Mechanism ensuring participation of marginalized group of women and girls

177. Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women is a comprehensive women’s human rights
law that seeks to eliminate discrimination against Filipino women, especially those in the
marginalized sectors. Chapter 5 (Rights and Empowerment of Marginalized Sectors) of
MCW states that political, civil, economic, and economic rights are accorded to women
coming from marginalized sectors.

178. The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), the coordinating agency of the government
for poverty reduction programs, ensures participation of the marginalized sectors in decision-
making processes. The NAPC strengthens government partnerships with 14 basic sectors:
artisanal fisherfolk, farmers and landless rural workers, urban poor, indigenous peoples,
formal labor and migrant workers, workers in the informal sector, women, youth and
students, children, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, victims of disasters and
calamities, non-government organizations, and cooperatives. In selecting the members of
the Basic Sectoral Councils, 40 % of must be women. These basic sectors have important
roles in legislative advocacy, particularly in pushing for the enactment of pro-poor policies
and implementation down to the local level. The NAPC actively pursues opportunities for
engagement with local government units, national and local agencies, and the rest of civil
society.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 52


179. The PCW ensures that national government agencies, State Universities and Colleges
(SUCs), and Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) incorporate in their
annual Gender and Development (GAD) Plans and Budget (GPB) the concerns of women
and girl- clients in accordance with their mandates. While there is no specific formal
mechanism solely for the BPfA, the government is consciously doing its effort to provide
appropriate interventions that would improve the status of women and girls and the
subsequent monitoring of its development and progress.

180. The PCW initiated the crafting of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE)
Plan 2019-2025, the medium-term plan of government, launched last March 8, 2019. A
product also of extensive government –civil society consultations, it contains the objectives
and outcomes, strategies and targets aligned with the CEDAW, BPfA and SDG5 that
government is expected to implement. It is accompanied by the Monitoring and Evaluation
Compendium of Indicators to ensure that gender-responsive efforts can be measured.

181. The DILG takes the lead in localizing the SDGs and has conducted a series of regional and
provincial workshops to strengthen the functionality of LGUs in ensuring the integration of the
SDGs in their respective plans and programs. The partnership between NEDA and the DILG
was strengthened through JMC 2018-01 or Guidelines on the localization of the PDP 2017-
2022 Results Matrices and the SDGs signed in November 2018. Since then, the NEDA and
DILG have jointly undertaken workshops in 76 provinces and 1,373 municipalities. In March
2019, NEDA has undertaken the 2nd National Voluntary Review (VNR) on the SDGs with
three (3) Regional consultation workshops, and another workshop with major sectors as the
youth, labor tri-partite bodies, and CSOs18.

182. The PCW ensures that national government agencies, State Universities and Colleges
(SUCs), and Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) incorporate in their
annual Gender and Development (GAD) Plans and Budget (GPB) the concerns of women
and girl- clients in accordance with their mandates. While there is no specific formal
mechanism solely for the BPfA, the government is consciously doing its effort to provide
appropriate interventions that would improve the status of women and girls and the
subsequent monitoring of its development and progress.

183. The DILG takes the lead in localizing the SDGs and has conducted a series of regional and
provincial workshops to strengthen the functionality of (LGUs in ensuring the integration of
the SDGs in their respective plans and programs. The partnership between NEDA and the
DILG was strengthened through JMC 2018-01 or Guidelines on the localization of the PDP
2017-2022 Results Matrices and the SDGs signed in November 2018. Since then, the NEDA
and DILG have jointly undertaken workshops in 76 provinces and 1,373 municipalities. In
March 2019, NEDA has undertaken the 2nd National Voluntary Review (VNR) on the SDGs
with three (3) Regional consultation workshops, and another workshop with major sectors as
the youth, labor tri-partite bodies, and CSOs19.

18
Falcon R. P. (2018); “National Strategy to Meet the SDGs”, National Economic Development Authority.
19
Falcon R. P. (2018); “National Strategy to Meet the SDGs”, National Economic Development Authority.
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 53
Stakeholders contribution in BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report preparation

184. The preparation of the BPfA +25 Philippine Progress Report involved various multi-sectoral
stakeholders. The kick-off activity was conducted last January 30, 2019 with 120
participants from government agencies, civil society organizations, women’s rights
organizations with a strong presence at the grassroots level, academe, private sector, and
international development partners. It was followed by a series of sub-national consultation
workshops for the island clusters, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The 3-part consultation
gathered 173 participants from the non-government organizations (NGOs), local
government units (LGUs), regional government agencies, state universities and colleges,
and people’s organizations. The BPfA+25 Consultation culminated in a national
consultation and validation workshop held on March 28-29 with 134 multi-stakeholder
representatives. The PCW ensures that voices of the marginalized groups were heard in the
consultations. Present were rural women, women migrant workers, union members,
workers in the informal economy, urban poor, indigenous women, Bangsamoro women,
Muslim women, persons with hearing disability, and youth. PCW acknowledges the support
of UN Women for making the regional and national consultations possible.

185. Stakeholders, both government and CSOs have contributed to the present preparation of
the report by sending reports, and participating in the consultations. For example, the
Philippine Federation of Rural Women has as partnership with OXFAM’s WE CARE project
and the PCW to advocate for the recognition, reduction, redistribution and representation of
Unpaid Care Work of women. Persons with hearing disabilities were very grateful that they
were invited to the consultations and their concerns are being heard. The women migrant
workers were also very active in sharing their good practices in addressing abuse and
gender-based violence experienced in other countries. Government responders as well as
survivors of calamities and disasters also shared their good practices in ensuring that
women-friendly spaces were set up in evacuation sites and that hygiene kits were
prepositioned and distributed during disasters.

Gender equality as a key priority in the national plan for SDG implementation

186. The Philippine Government’s commitment, to uphold gender equality and empowerment of
all women and girls, is integrated in 12 of the 20 Chapters of the Philippine Development
Plan (PDP) 2017-2022. These are Chapters 5 (Ensuring People-centered clean and
efficient governance); 6 (Pursuing Swift and Fair Administration of Justice); 7 (Promoting
Philippine Culture and Values); 8 (Expanding Economic Opportunities, Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries); 9 (Expanding Economic Opportunities in Industry and Service through
Trabaho and Negosyo); 10 (Accelerating Human Capital Development ); 11 (Reducing
Vulnerability of Individuals and Families); 12 (Building Safe and Secure Communities); 13
(Reaching for the Demographic Dividend); 17 (Attaining Just and Lasting Peace);18
(Ensuring Security, Public Order, and Safety); and 19 (Accelerating Infrastructure
Development).

187. The Philippine Government’s commitment, to uphold gender equality and empowerment of
all women and girls, is integrated in 12 of the 20 Chapters of the Philippine Development
Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 which incorporates the SDGs. These are Chapters 5 (Ensuring
People-centered clean and efficient governance); 6 (Pursuing Swift and Fair Administration
of Justice); 7 (Promoting Philippine Culture and Values); 8 (Expanding Economic

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 54


Opportunities, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries); 9 (Expanding Economic Opportunities in
Industry and Service through Trabaho and Negosyo); 10 (Accelerating Human Capital
Development ); 11 (Reducing Vulnerability of Individuals and Families); 12 (Building Safe
and Secure Communities); 13 (Reaching for the Demographic Dividend); 17 (Attaining Just
and Lasting Peace);18 (Ensuring Security, Public Order, and Safety); and 19 (Accelerating
Infrastructure Development).

188. Gender perspective is reflected in the strategic framework of each PDP Chapter as well as
the strategies to implement the SDGs.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 55


Section Four
Data and Statistics

Progress on gender statistics from 2014 to 2019

189. The government has promulgated laws and policies, and has established an inter-agency
mechanism, which set out the development of gender statistics:

• As mentioned in the BPFA+20 Philippine Progress report20, Republic Act 10625 was
passed in 2013 to reorganize the Philippine Statistical System and create the Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA). Said law mandates, among others, the integration of gender
concerns in the generation, collection and compilation of statistics.21

• Pursuant to RA 10625, a Memorandum Circular was issued by the PCW in 2014


mandating the Adoption and Generation of Data Support to the Magna Carta of Women
Indicators.

• In 2017, an Inter-Agency Committee on Gender and Children Statistics (IAC-GCS) was


established and operationalized. The IAC-GCS serves as the coordination mechanism
on gender statistics that ensures an efficient workable scheme towards the production,
dissemination and archiving of statistics on gender and children.22

190. Established an inter-agency coordination mechanism on gender statistics (e.g., technical The
government, through various concerned agencies, continuously conducts new surveys to
produce national baseline information on specialized topics such as time use, gender-based
violence, asset ownership, poverty, and disability. Among the recent surveys done are the
following:

• National Demographic and Health Survey 2017 which include (Women’s Safety
Module)
• Inclusion of pilot time-use questions in Module 3 of the Pilot ILO-Labor Force Survey
in 2017
• National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children 201523
• Pilot Survey on Measuring Asset Ownership and Entrepreneurship from a Gender
Perspective
• Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) 2015
• Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) 2015.

191. The government has on-going efforts to improve administrative-based or alternative data
sources to address gender data gaps. To harmonize statistics on violence against women
(VAW), client intake forms and national report template of all concerned frontline agencies.

20
Submitted in 2105
21
PCW Memorandum Circular No. 2014-05
22
PSA Memorandum Order No. 13 Series of 2017
23
Developed by the Council for the Welfare of Children in partnership with UNICEF
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 56
are being standardized, thru the Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and
Children (IACVAWC).

192. PSA produced knowledge products on gender statistics, such as the following:

• The 2016 Statistical Handbook on Women and Men in the Philippines presents relevant
sex-disaggregated information, which can serve as a guide in advocacy work geared
towards women’s welfare and advancement in the various sectors of society. It provides
information on women related to such areas as violence, migration, and peace and
human rights, which have not been given focus in traditional statistical publications, but
are critical to improving the status of women. It also contains statistical facts on the
situation of Filipino women relative to that of their male counterparts in the areas of
population and families, work, economic participation, agriculture, education, health and
nutrition, social welfare, public life, migration, peace and human rights, violence against
women and children, and environment.

• The 2017 Gender Statistics on Labor and Employment is a valuable source of


information in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of plans,
policies and programs that promote equality in the economic and social situation of
men and women in the country.

• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Watch is compiled by PSA as the official
repository of SDG indicators in the Philippines, per PSA Board Resolution 09-2017.

Priorities on strengthening national gender statistics in 2020-2025

193. Over the next five years, the country shall prioritize the following areas to strengthen
national gender statistics

• Design of laws, regulations or statistical program/ strategy promoting the development


of gender statistics. The Philippine Government agencies would be encouraged to
maximize the use of evidence-based sex-disaggregated data and gender statistics for
the formulation of and implementation of gender responsive policies, programs and
projects. Moreover, with the emergence of micro, small and medium enterprises, the
country sees it imperative to generate statistics on women in business to measure
entrepreneurship from a gender perspective.24It shall also endeavor to review and
improve methodology for estimating gender wage gap.

• Development of a centralized web-based database and/or dashboard on gender


statistics. The PSA releases Men and Women Factsheets annually which present
statistical information from past to the latest available data, to show trends on various
spheres such as labor, overseas employment, agriculture, population, families and
households, politics and governance, VAW, health, and education. To complement the
efforts of PSA, PCW is currently finalizing its compendium of gender equality and
women’s empowerment indicators, which shall be the bases of its GAD Database that
contains, among others, statistics on the Core GAD Indicators developed by the Inter-

24
PSDP 2018-2023, Chapter 24.
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 57
Agency Committee on Gender Statistics (IACGS), and the gender-related SDG
indicators. The statistical information that the PCW has collected from various
statistical and non-statistical agencies are processed, organized and packaged into a
knowledge product called Factsheets on Filipino WoMen.25 Given that there exist
various gender statistics products, the government deems it imperative, for the next
five years, to harmonize and centralize the existing databases and publications on
gender statistics.

• Statistical capacity building of users to increase appreciation on and use of gender


statistics. One of the major statistical programs of PSA for the period 2018-2023 is the
conduct of more capacity building activities or training of (1) data producers -- on the
compilation, analysis, presentation, and dissemination of sex-disaggregated data; and
(2) data users -- towards better understanding and analysis of sex-disaggregated
data. PSA also intends to participate in the Global Forum on Gender Statistics and the
Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Gender Statistics (IAEG-GS).26

Defining a national set of indicators for monitoring progress on the SDGs

194. In 2016, the PSA Board issued a Resolution enjoining government agencies to provide data
support to the SDGs27. The resolution enjoins all concerned government agencies to
provide the necessary data support to monitor the country's performance vis-à-vis the SDGs
based on the indicator framework that shall be determined by the National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA), PSA, and other concerned government agencies. Further,
the Resolution designated the PSA as the official repository of SDG indicators in the
Philippines. Likewise, in 2017 the PSA Board also issued Resolution No. 1, Series of 2017
Enjoining Different Agencies to Promote Gender Concerns in the Generation of Statistics.
The resolution directs all government agencies to promote gender concerns in the
production and dissemination of statistics for planning and policy/decision-making purposes.

195. On May 18, 2017, the PSA Board approved the initial set of SDG indicators to be monitored
in the Philippines. The indicators have undergone various consultations with inter-agency
committees, data source agencies and other stakeholders. The initial set of SDG indicators
consist of 155 indicators; 102 global SDG indicators, 27 proxy indicators and 25
supplemental indicators. PSA maintains and regularly updates a centralized web-based
database and/or dashboard on gender statistics. It also organizes capacity building
activities to strengthen the use of gender statistics (e.g., trainings, statistical appreciation
seminars).

196. In 2017, the PSA Board through Resolution No. 9, Series of 2017approved and adopted the
initial list of SDG indicators for monitoring in the Philippines. The indicators have undergone
various consultations with inter-agency committees, data source agencies and other
stakeholders. The initial set of SDG indicators consisted of 17 goals, 97 targets, and 155
indicators, of which 102 are global SDG indicators, 27 are proxy indicators and 25 are

25
“2017 PCW Factsheet on Filipino WoMen”, culled from the official website of PCW.
26
PSDP 2018-2023, Chapter 24
27
PSA Resolution No. 04 Series of 2016
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 58
supplemental indicators. Of the 155 indicators, 84% are disaggregated by sex. Annex 4
provides the list of Philippine SDG Indicators.

197. The Philippine SDG indicators includes supplemental indicators that are not necessarily
included in the global SDG indicators but could provide additional or related information on
the intent of the original global indicators. Seventeen (17) of the 25 supplemental indicators
can be considered gender-specific as they refer specifically on women or they provide sex-
disaggregated information. Annex 5 provides the list of the Supplemental Philippine
Gender-Specific Indicators.

Other country efforts related to the SDGs29

198. The Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022, the country’s socioeconomic
development blueprint under the Duterte Administration, serves as the implementation
mechanism for the SDGs in the Philippines. The 17 goals are integrated into the different
chapters of the PDP.

199. NEDA and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) continue to work
towards the localization of the SDGs. Both agencies intend to include an assessment
checklist containing SDGs-related criteria in discussing the Seal of Good Local Governance
(SGLG) with local government units. Currently, DILG is in the process of identifying
provincial and municipal-level indicators that will operationalize and contribute to the
attainment of the goals and outcome areas in the PDP and SDGs.

200. NEDA also introduced the SDG Annex in the formulation of the 2018 Philippine
Socioeconomic Report (SER). The SDG Annex aims to:

• Identify the Philippine policies, programs, activities, and projects (PPAPs) that are
implemented that contribute to the attainment of the SDGs;

• Support the alignment of the chapters of the PDP with the SDGs and identify the
relevant initiatives per sector;

• Identify the SDG targets where there is no specific intervention designed towards its
attainment and propose a corresponding PPAP; and

• Ascertain that the 2030 targets are continually provided with interventions until 2030
through the inclusion of the SDG Annex in the future editions of the Philippine
Development Plan and the SER.

• To strengthen the government’s existing efforts in monitoring the country-level


progress on the SDGs as well as allow more participation from stakeholders, NEDA
recently launched a website on the SDGs (http://sdg.neda.gov.ph/). The site
contains information on accomplishments relating to the promotion and attainment of
each of the seventeen (17) goals as set out in the 2030 Sustainable Development
Agenda.

29
Information under this subheading are culled from the official website of NEDA.
BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 59
Data collection and compilation on SDG 5 indicators and on gender-specific indicators
under other SDGs

201. The PSA collects and compiles SDG5 indicators through the SDG Watch (See par. 31, item
no. 3) which is published in their website. This is currently carried out through the agency’s
efforts of reviewing and updating of the Philippine Core GAD indicators, updating of the
gender statistics database and updating of the Statistical Handbook on Women and Men.

Disaggregation routinely provided by major surveys in the Philippines

202. The major national surveys such as the National Census conducted every ten years, and the
National Demographic Health Survey conducted every 5 years, regularly collect
disaggregated data on geographic location, income, sex, age, education, marital status,
race/ethnicity, migratory status, and disability.

BPfA+25 Philippine Progress Report 2019 60

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