Philippine Delegation shares the outcomes, renewed commitments and directions from the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference BPFA + 30 review
Philippine Delegation at the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+30 Review:
Key officials from the Philippine government gathered to share the country’s achievements, best practices and continuing commitments to advancing the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) in its third decade. Front row (left to right): Department of Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary Emmeline Villar, Philippine Commission on Women Chairperson Ermelita Valdeavilla, and Court of Tax Appeals Associate Justice Jean Marie Bacorro-Villena. Second row (right to left): UN Women Philippines Officer-In-Charge Athena Galao, UN Women Strategic Planning and Coordination Analyst Sigrid Sibug, Department of Labor and Employment Undersecretary Atty. Mary Grace Rigeur-Teodosio, Department of Foreign Affairs Desk Officer for UN and International Organizations Lia Macadangdang, PCW Policy Development, Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Division Chief Anita Baleda, and PCW Gender and Development Specialist Nicole Montesines [Photo Credit: PCW, 2024]
The Philippines continues to set a global benchmark for impactful and inclusive initiatives. Staying true to its international commitments, the Philippines remains aligned with the principles of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), adopted during the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, in 1995.
In time for the third decade of BPfA’s implementation, the Philippines through its official delegation, presented the outcomes and renewed commitments during a press conference held at the Philippine Statistics Office (PSA) headquarters in Quezon City on December 04, 2024.
The press conference, jointly organized by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), in coordination with PSA, served as a platform to highlight the nation’s progress and renewed dedication to advancing gender equality.
Media personnel cordially listen to the Philippine Delegates serving as panelists during the press conference
on outcomes, achievements and renewed commitments from the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference BPFA + 30 review
Present during the presentation were officials of the government agencies who were part of the Philippine delegation to the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+30 Review, held in Bangkok, Thailand from November 19 to 21, 2024. These leaders underscored the country’s milestones and strategies in addressing gender disparities while reinforcing its vision for an inclusive and equitable future for all.
Sharing of Outcomes: Progress and Challenges in Advancing BPfA’s Critical Areas of Concern
Together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Court of Tax Appeals, the PCW served as panelists. Each representative presented the programs and projects implemented by the Philippine Government to address the issues relevant to the BPfA’s 12 critical areas of concerns.
“We must move from outputs/outcomes to impacts of the BPfA on the lives of women and girls”. PCW Chairperson Ermelita Valdeavilla shared the Philippines’ good practices, achievements, and the concerns and issues that still need to be addressed following the review of the implementation of the BPFA+30. since its adoption in 1995.
In her opening statement, PCW Chairperson Ermelita Valdeavilla highlighted the Philippines’ good practices and achievements on its BPfA commitments. Among these is the Gender and Development (GAD) Budget policy, which mandates government agencies to allocate at least 5 percent of their annual budget to gender-responsive programs and services. She said, “in 2023, approximately USD 1.178 billion, or 16.1% of official development assistance, and USD 14.5 billion, or 23% of the national budget, were allocated for gender-related activities.”
Her statement in the BPFA+30 Review Conference highlighted the following:
“The Philippines has finally achieved gender parity in education this year.[1] Moreover, life expectancies improved by four years for women and six years for men, with women exceeding men’s life expectancy by four years. At 78, Maternal Mortality Ratio is now only eight points shy of achieving the SDG target, births delivered in health facilities increased from 77 to 88 per cent, and adolescent birth rate has exceeded the SDG target by 8.3%. Female labor force participation rose to 54.7%;[2] female-headed households exhibit lower levels of poverty (9.1%) and higher annual family savings; and thousands of women received emancipation and free land patents, certificates of land ownership, and tenure in residential lands. The Philippines is close to achieving four SDG targets on ending VAW and its new action plan has taken a strong preventive trajectory.”
Chairperson Valdeavilla expressed the need to fully implement the Pasay Declaration, which was adopted in the recently concluded International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security, hosted by the Philippines on October 28 to 30 2024. She underscored that this declaration aims to empower women as leaders in situations of armed conflict and promote resilience in the wake of the worsening effects of climate change.
“As I said, our BPfA journey has been a mixture of sunshine and clouds. But let us continue to focus on the sunshine while overcoming the clouds. In some areas, we have seen improvements in the lives of women, and we have robust laws, policies, budgets and programmes to sustain the gains. But all of these are not self-fulfilling. We need to be vigilant and work smarter to ensure that the lives of women and girls will change for the better,” Chair Valdeavilla said.
Impactful Outcomes and Renewed Commitments
The government agencies that formed part of the Philippine Delegation to the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference shared their initiatives, key achievement and pressing concerns requiring resolution.
During the discussion on policy formulation and implementation, Associate Justice Jean Marie Bacorro-Villena of the Court of Tax Appeal highlighted the availability of legal frameworks protecting women against sexual corruption, such as Republic Act 7877 or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995, Republic Act 11313 or the Safe Spaces Act, the provisions of the Revised Penal Code on acts of lasciviousness and coercion, Republic Act 3019 or Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and the sexual and psychological abuse provision of the Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004.
However, Associate Justice Bacorro-Villena highlighted that there should be a definition of sexual corruption in our laws.
Court of Appeals Associate Justice Jean Marie Bacorro-Villena stressed the need for a law that would define sexual corruption
in our specialized and penal laws to effectively resolve and prosecute the perpetrators of this crime
“We pointed out in the side events that we lack a legal definition of what sexual corruption is, which leads to inconsistent prosecution,” she explained.
Associate Justice Bacorro also highlighted the need for higher penalties for sextortion cases involving public officials, specialized training for law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges, the creation of dedicated support services/channels, and a public awareness campaign to combat sexual corruption.
Cultivate a cultural shift: DSWD Undersecretary Emmeline Villar states
that all policies and programs can be effectively implemented if there is a cultural shift in understanding women’s roles in society
Department of Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary Emmeline Villar stressed the importance of sustainable strategies, economic empowerment, and proper recognition of unpaid care and domestic work during discussions with regional counterparts.
She noted that many countries admire the Philippines’ strategy and implementation of gender-responsive policies, and socio-economic safety nets for VAW victim-survivors. This progress, she explained, is largely due to the collaborative efforts between the legislative and executive branches of the government.
“Cultivate a cultural shift. Even though we have all of these pieces of legislation and landmark judicial decisions protecting the rights of women, these must be accompanied by societal shifts in how we value and recognize women’s roles. This should also be reinforced by the media and the society as a whole. We can make the shift slowly” Undersecretary Villar said, highlighting the importance of societal effort in changing the mindset of the nation in addressing the threats to the socio-economic safety of women and girls.
Effective and capacitating mechanisms. DOLE Deputy Director Atty. Mary Grace Riguer-Teodosio discussed
her agency’s initiatives in helping women in an ever-dynamic digital market
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) underscored its initiatives to equip women with digital and financial tools to improve their employability in the changing and ever-dynamic digital market.
“We would like to highlight that DOLE is part of the government’s programs for the social protection of women through social safety nets on disaster and economic crises. We provide cash transfer, emergency employment assistance, and skills development,” said Atty. Mary Grace Riguer-Teodosio, a Deputy Director from the Department of Labor and Employment.
Meeting the press
The media and PH delegates engaged in a healthy discussion during the press conference
PCW Chairperson Valdeavilla discussed the importance of the GAD Budget and the status
of gender mainstreaming implementation by government agencies. Usec. Villar and Associate Justice Bacorro-Villena listen intently to the exchanges
Members of the Philippine Delegation engage with the media to address questions regarding the effective use of the GAD Budget, compliance by government agencies, and sustainable programs and services for VAW victim-survivors.
During the conference, PCW Chairperson Valdeavilla emphasized the importance of effective gender mainstreaming and proper GAD Budget attribution for projects and programs that directly benefit women and girls, particularly those facing intersectional disadvantages. She underscored the need to strengthen PCW as the national machinery for women’s empowerment, stating: ”PCW should be empowered to ensure government agencies comply with proper GAD Budgeting and implement impactful gender-responsive initiatives.”
Chairperson Valdeavilla also highlighted the importance of women’s economic empowerment in addressing socio-culturally-induced discrimination and violence that are deeply rooted in the country’s colonial past.
“Women should have the financial freedom to be empowered to leave violent relationships. We need to establish mechanisms that enable women to independently sustain their finances, thus, preventing discrimination and abuse of their vulnerabilities,” Chairperson Valdeavilla stressed during the discussions with the media personnel at the event.
Conclusion
Philippines’ crucial role in the implementation of BPFA: UN Women Philippines Officer in Charge Athena Galao,
in her closing remarks, stressed the key areas that the PH should work on, as we are seen as a benchmark on women’s empowerment and gender equality measures in the Asia-Pacific Region
In her concluding remarks, Ms. Athena Galao, Officer-In-Charge of UN Women Philippines emphasized key areas that the country should work on as it traverses into the 30th year of the BPfA implementation. These include access to justice, allocating adequate resources to strengthen institutional mechanisms, and establishing accountability measures for implementation and results.
The Philippines submitted its BPfA + 30 Assessment Report to the United Nations in August 2024, after extensive consultations with various government agencies, civil society organizations, and other key stakeholders nationwide.
Looking ahead, the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women will be from March 10 to 21, 2025 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The session will focus on the review and appraisal of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, providing an opportunity for the Philippines to reaffirm its commitment and share progress on advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment.
[1] This is according to the Global Gender Gap Index Report for 2024. The Philippines is one of the 28 countries that ranked first on gender parity in education
[2] PSA, as of August 2024.