GABRIELA International Women's Day Assessment of the Aquino government stance on women issues

Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Luz Ilagan today said President Aquino is doing Filipino women a great disservice by refusing to give women’s legislation a push. “President Aquino has deliberately ignored and refused to prioritize measures that will give women much needed relief from the onslaught of poverty and protection from abuse.”



“The unabated increases in the prices of oil, basic commodities and utilities weigh heavily on women and their families. Women have long been denied of any government action needed to lift the burden off women’s shoulders and give them relief,” said Ilagan.



The Gabriela solon said the Aquino government ignored calls to suspend if not permanently remove the 12% Value Added Tax on petroleum products. “This alone could have made a huge difference. By bringing down the prices of gasoline and diesel by as much as P6.00 per liter or the price of an 11-kg LPG tank by P90, women will have more to spend for food and other basic needs.”



Also included in the list of women’s poverty relief measures are the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law, the repeal of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) and the People’s Mining Bill also known as the Philippine Mineral Resources Act.



Ilagan also said President Aquino would have done well by giving Filipino women and mothers access to health services by allocating bigger slice of the national budget for health and endorsing the Reproductive Health Bill for passage.



“The RH bill is long overdue. Women are spending less and less of their family budget for healthcare. It would certainly help if the Aquino government would help ensure that health services are provided free of charge in barangay centers and public hospitals, instead of making a turn towards privatization that will inevitably make health more of a business than a social service.”



The Gabriela solon also said that other women’s legislation that would increase awareness for women’s rights and promote the protection of women against abuse should also be prioritized. These include HB1800 Increasing Maternity Leave Benefits from 60 days to 120 days; HB 4822 Designating Special Courts for Illegal Recruitment cases; HB6274 Prescribing Penalties for Employers and Superiors who deny VAW victims’ application for leave; HB1479 Introducing Amendments to the Sexual Harassment Act and; HB1799 Introducing Divorce in the Philippines.