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March is Women’s Month in the Philippines and the world.
Since Monday, March 3, throughout the country,
the national government and the governments of many towns and cities
have held convocations, art exhibits, forums, recognition and
awarding ceremonies and other activities to celebrate Women’s
Month—and honor the fairer but stronger sex. Once again for the
2008 celebration, the National Commission on the Role of Filipino
Women (NCRFW) is taking the lead. This year’s celebration revolves
around the theme of the 52nd Session of the United Nations
Commission on the Status of Women, “Financing for Gender Equality
and the Empowerment of Women.”
The theme of the Philippine celebration
cheerfully offers a pun: “CEDAW ng Bayan: Yaman ng Kababaihan—(Karunungan,
Kakayahan at Kagalingan ng Kababaihan).” It focuses on the need to
generate resources to finance initiatives on gender equality and the
empowerment of women.
The use of “CEDAW” in the theme is a play on
the Tagalog word for “cry”—sigaw. The Cry of Balintawak is the
name given in history books for the first major rising of Andres
Bonifacio and the Katipunan in the struggle against Spanish
colonialism. And CEDAW, among women-rights activists, is a
sacrosanct acronym for the United Nations’ landmark “Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.”
The 2008 Women’s Month Celebration will indeed
rightly serve as a channel for the nationwide campaign to promote
the use of the government’s gender and development (GAD) budget to
finance gender equality and women’s empowerment programs at the
national and local levels.
Closing the gender gap
President Arroyo officially opened the
nation’s celebration in Calamba City, Laguna, on Monday. In her
speech, she said her administration’s efforts to achieve the
UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for the Philippines have
been so successful as to make the Philippines attain 6th place as
the world’s highest achiever in closing the gender gap. The
Philippines in 2008 has reached the goals it should reach on the way
to the zenith in 2015, President Arroyo claimed.
She also said, in her speech, that the
Philippines took the 6th top spots for achieving the UN MDGs for
education and health. This piece of news from the President
most likely comes as a surprise to the millions of women who are
poor, sick and unmedicated. Still, the accolade the Arroyo
administration has received from the UN has at least surely raised
the Philippine image abroad.
Among the most remarkable provincial
celebrations is that of the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Apart
from a convocation, the city opened an arts and craft exhibition,
including a special show of paintings of women by women artists.
Other provinces have lined up similar activities.
Yesterday, Friday, March 7, was the NGOs’
Women’s Day celebration. President Arroyo and Ms. Leonarda Camacho
spearheaded the festivities.
Aim High, Pinay
Today, the NCRFW-engineered celebration will be
based at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Gymnasium in
Sta. Mesa, Manila. Some 2,000 youth participants representing
schools, colleges and universities, Sangguniang Kabataan and NGOs
will join, witness and do a parade of colors, song and dance numbers
(by the Universal Dancers and the UP Dance Company).
NCRFW Chairwoman Myrna T. Yao will give the
opening address and Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral the
keynote speech.
Truly noteworthy are two important women-rights
portals which will be launched at the PUP today. One is
www.wikiPilipinas.org, the Internet Encyclopedia of Philippine
Women. The other is the Philippine Women’s studies microsite of
www.Filipiniana.net.
Outstanding achievers
The acme of today’s celebration at the PUP is
the presentation of the “Aim High Pinay” awardees. These are
film actress Judy Ann Santos, gymnast Caissa Saguisag, stage actress
Celine Bengzon, designer Patrice Ramos Diaz and ice-skating champion
and flamenco dancer Leslie Ching.
Next week, on Thursday, March 13, the National
Commission on the Role of Filipino Women’s big event will be in
the Batangas provincial capitol. Outstanding women achievers of 2008
will be recognized and the Provincial Women Coordinating Council
members will take their oath. Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos Recto will
give an inspirational message and Vice President Noli de Castro will
deliver the keynote address.
Since President Corazon C. Aquino signed the
proclamations and the law to celebrate the role of women in our
country, they have advanced to ever greater heights in business,
professional and political leadership. This does not surprise
Filipino men. They have always known—despite their macho
posturing—that the true souls of family unity, day-to-day
household service, workplace performance and communal stability are
our tireless and patient mothers and wives.
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