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PPSEAWA-Philippine Style
Lily M. Belagan-Secretary-PPSEAWA-Philippines
Gone are the days when the Filipino women had to stay home to wait on their husband's need and to shut their lips without expressing their objections.
Well Filipino women are now liberalized and well educated to the point that 4 Senators, 23 Congresswomen, a number of Cabinet members, governors, mayors, countless heads of offices, head of organizations..name it all emerged. Professions and positions believed before to be for men are likewise invaded by women. We once had a woman president and now our vice president is also a woman. Many government and private offices, institutions and schools are dominated by women.
In Congress, many bills and resolutions for the benefit of women are passed. Some are proposals for women improvement, which call for equal representation of women in decision making, giving them high positions in the government and integrating them as full and equal partners of men in development.
Bill to safeguard them; like emphasizing the welfare of women employees, suppression of women trafficking and study of mail to order bride schemes and guard against all forms of violence in place of work including the welfare of overseas workers.
For every bill passed in this regard, different groups of women send to the legislators their letters/resolutions of support, Their leaders would go to lobby in Congress for the same reason. Bolder groups would express their support though rallies or peaceful demonstrations. Women leaders are also invited to shed light on the bills being discussed during legislative committee meetings.
Some activist group of women demonstrate in the streets to protest plans, projects or happenings they feel are hampering their human/women's rights.
The presence of a big number of legislators in Congress is of great advantage to the Fillipino women, in terms of legislators matters. Hon. Josephine dC, Dominquez, the president of PPSEAWA-Philippines is now one of the lady solons who puts utmost importance to her job as a member of the Committee on Women, above the nine other committees where she belongs. A number of organizations ask or suggest her to pass bills or support bills concerning women or families authored by other representatives. In fact two large women's organizations here in the Philippines were able to vote for their leaders to the House of Representatives as party list members.
On the lighter side, PPSEAWA member are heavily involved with the implementation of government projects just as environmental awareness, drug abuse prevention and the clean air act.
Topping our local accomplishments are extension services to victims of calamities, physically and mentally disables veterans of war confined at V. Luna Hospital; the depressed cultural communities in the Mountain Province; and the wards at the Correctional Institute of Women. These usually include visits with food, clothing and counseling, especially during the Christmas Season. We adopted a charity ward at the hospital wherein yearly visits are done with patients.
Environmental care wise, our livelihood activities deal on beautifying with ornamental plants and cuts flowers. The women are encouraged to produce potted plans for sale during flower festivals and agricultural trade fairs.
To improve the images of women, leadership training and seminars to different groups of women are conducted, in collaboration with funding agencies tapped. These events serve as forum for women both literate and illiterate to discuss views on important issues affecting their daily lives. In 1998, we conducted series of seminars on how to be a successful spouse of a politician to the Montanosa Officials' Spouses Foundation Incorporated (MOSFI) members from the barangay to the provincial level. We exposed them to group discussions and role playing of which everybody enjoyed. They became more active women leaders in their respective communities as an effect of the workshop. They felt that the role they really have to play was important after all.