^  
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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
S. No.
)))
SENATE
817
of tijr * rtrftn rp
'19 JUL 29 P5 50
REQlviUBV:.
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS
AN ACT
PROMOTING WOMEN PARTICIPATION AND EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION 
IN AND BY POLITICAL PARTIES, GIVING INCENTIVES THEREFOR, CREATING 
THE WOMEN IN POLITICAL PARTIES EMPOWERMENT FUND, AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Women have been at the cornerstone of the development of Philippine society. 
The numerous contributions of women have continuously shown their invaluable worth 
to society. Their importance has been enshrined in our 1987 Constitution, highlighting 
the role of women in nation building; ensuring the equality between women and men. 
But while the Philippines remains to be at the forefront of tilting the gender gap, this 
has not translated to women in the highest forms of government.
The Philippines ranks eight (8) in the Global Gender Gap Index according to the 
World Economic forum, climbing two spots from last year. The country also belongs to 
the top thirteen (13) in terms of Political Empowerment. This, however, has not 
translated to an increase in women leadership in politics and governance. In all of our 
electoral experiences, there have been more men participating and winning the 
elections. Only two (2) out of our sixteen (16) Commander-in-chiefs have been women. 
In the 18th Congress, only seven (7) of the twenty-four (24) senators are women; while 
only eighty-seven (87) out of the three hundred and four (304) seats in the Lower 
house are occupied by women. The current Supreme Court houses only three (3) 
women justices.
There is an abundance of laws and international treaties encouraging the State 
to take action in ensuring the participation of women in government. Among them is 
the Magna Carta for Women that seeks to address the inequality and discrimination of 
women in society. Section 11 of the Magna Carta emphasizes the role of the State in


facilitating the equitable representation of women in policy-making and governance. 
The Philippines has also been a signatory of the Convention on the Elimination of All 
Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) which upholds the fundamental 
equality of men and women. Article 8 of the CEDAW also provides for States to take 
appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination and participate in government policy 
in all levels of government.
Genuine political parties, as essential components of electoral politics would 
count among the more structured and efficient means by which women are encouraged 
and developed into effective leaders. With the need for a more equitable representation 
for women in all levels of society, this bill aims to address this particular gap by 
institutionalizing an incentive system within political parties to encourage more women 
participation in politics and governance, thus creating a more gender-balanced public 
service system. Providing incentives to political parties to strengthen their gender and 
development 
agenda, 
and 
fielding 
women 
candidates 
shall 
promote 
equal 
representation and ensure that women's interests and needs will be included in 
decision-making processes in all levels of government.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
RISA HONTIVEROS 
iT ' 
Senator


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENATE
S. No. 817
of tl)t ftfcrflar?
*19 
JUL 29 P5 50
REc:;..D.^.
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS
AN ACT
PROMOTING WOMEN PARTICIPATION AND EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION 
IN AND BY POLITICAL PARTIES, GIVING 
INCENTIVES THEREFOR, 
CREATING THE WOMEN IN POLITICAL PARTIES EMPOWERMENT FUND, 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives o f the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. -  This Act shall be known as the "Women Participation
2 
and Representation in Political Parties Act Of 2019."
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration o f Policy. -  
Pursuant to Section 14, Article II (State
4 
Policies) of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which recognizes the role of women in
5 
nation-building and ensures fundamental equality before the law of men and women,
6 
and to Section 14, Article XIII (Social Justice and Human Rights) of the same
7 
Constitution, which makes it an obligation of the State to provide facilities and
8 
opportunities for women that will enhance and enable them to realize their full
9 
potential in the service of the nation, it is hereby declared the policy of the State to
10 
promote women participation and equitable representation of women by providing
11 
incentives to political parties which have women agenda, and which have internal
12 
policies which promote women participation and equitable representation.
13 
Sec. 3. Definition. -  As used in this Act:
14 
(a) "Campaign expenditures" shall refer to any type of expense incurred,
15 
regardless of source and purpose, that relates directly or indirectly, to
16 
the conduct of the electoral campaign of a woman candidate. It
17 
includes all payments of money or anything of value, or a contract,
18 
promise or agreement to spend, for the purpose of influencing the
19 
results of the elections. In includes the use of office space and
20 
facilities personally owned by the woman candidate, the monetary
1


1 
value of which shall be assessed based on the market rates prevailing
2 
in a particular area: Provided, That for purposes of this Act, the term
3 
shall refer exclusively and specifically to campaign expenditures of
4 
women candidates.
5 
(b) "Certified political party" shall refer to a political party qualified to
6 
receive incentives for the development and implementation of its
7 
women and gender and development agenda and to augment funds
8 
reserved for the campaign expenditures of its women candidates, and
9 
certified as such by the Philippine Commission on Women, with the
10 
assistance of the Commission on Elections.
11 
(c) "Disclosure requirement' shall refer to the duty of women candidates
12 
and political parties, as defined in this Act, to reveal the details of the
13 
incentives and expenditures given and received by them as incentives
14 
and their share in the Women in Political Parties Empowerment Fund.
15 
(d) "Woman member of a political party' shall refer to a natural person of
16 
good standing in a political party who complied with the requirements
17 
of party membership, including the payment of membership dues,
18 
and coming from the women sector.
19 
(e) "Political party" shall refer to a political party, party-list or an
20 
organized group of 
persons duly registered with the Commission
21 
on Elections, pursuing or advocating a platform, principles and
22 
policies for the general conduct of government and which nominates
23 
and supports its members as candidates for public office.
24 
(f) "Women in Political Parties Empowerment Fund" or "Fund" shall refer
25 
to the fund for the development and implementation of a political
26 
party's women and gender and development agenda, and which may
27 
be used to augment funds for the campaign activities of women
28 
candidates, as provided for by this Act.
29 
Sec. 4. Development and implementation o f a women and gender and
30 
development agenda. — Political parties are mandated to craft and implement a
31 
clear women and gender and development agenda and program consistent with their
32 
party philosophy and ideals. The members of the political party shall endeavor to act
33 
in accordance with this agenda and pursue programs to fulfill party commitments.
34 
Sec. 5. Participation and equitable representation in political parties.— Women
35 
representation in a political party shall refer to the integration of women in the
36 
leadership of a political party and its internal policy-making structures: Provided, That


1 
such leaders are bona fide women members of the political party: Provided, further,
2 
That women representation in a political party shall be equitable whenever women
3 
leaders occupy at least thirty percent (30%) of the leadership and internal policy-
4 
making structures of the political party: Provided, finally. That the Philippine
5 
Commission on Women, with the assistance of the Commission on Elections, shall
6 
certify the equitable nature of representation in a political party.
7 
Sec. 6. Participation and equitabie representation by poiiticaiparties — Women
8 
representation by a political party shall refer to the nomination of women as official
9 
candidates of the political party to elective positions in the government: Provided,
10 
That such nominees are bona fide women members of the political party: Provided,
11 
further. That women representation by a political party shall be equitable whenever
12 
at least thirty percent (30%) of women are nominated as official candidates of the
13 
political party: Provided, further. That the Philippine Commission on Women, with the
14 
assistance of the Commission on Elections, shall certify the equitable nature of
15 
representation by a political party.
16 
Sec. 7. Incentives for equitabie representation in and by a poiiticai party. — A
17 
political party registered with the Commission on Elections, and certified by the
18 
Philippine Commission on Women to have equitable representation as stated in
19 
Sections 5 and 6 of this Act, shall be allowed to access the Women in Political Parties
20 
Empowerment Fund, established by virtue of this Act, to fund their women and
21 
gender and development agenda, and to augment funds for the campaign
22 
expenditures of their women candidates.
23 
Sec. 8. Estabiishment o f the Women in Poiiticai Parties Empowerment Fund.—
24 
There is hereby established a Women in Political Parties Empowerment Fund,
25 
hereinafter referred to as the "Fund," which shall be the source of incentives for
26 
political parties complying with Section 7 of this Act. The incentives given to political
27 
parties from the Fund shall be used directly and exclusively for the following
28 
purposes:
29 
a) Development and implementation of the political party's women and
30 
gender and development agenda, and
31 
b) Finance of the campaign activities of the political party's women
32 
candidates.
33 
The share of each of the political parties from the Fund shall be released only upon
34 
proof that 
the concerned political party has raised an amount specifically for the
35 
development and implementation of the political party s women and gender and
36 
development agenda: Provided, That the notwithstanding Sections 5, 6 and 7 of this
3


7
1 
Act, no political party shall be given its share in the Fund until it has given proof that
2 
there are political party funds segregated and reserved for the political party's
3 
women and gender and development agenda: Provided, further. That the amount to
4 
be released shall be equal to the amount so segregated and reserved: Provided,
5 
finally. That unreleased amounts because of the political party's failure to segregate
6 
and reserve such amounts, if any, shall be forfeited and reverted to the General Fund
7 
of the government.
8 
For purposes of this Act, all releases from the Fund during a non-election year shall
9 
be used exclusively for the political party s women and gender and development
10 
agenda. Amounts released from the Fund during an election year shall be divided as
11 
follows: (1) sixty percent (60%) shall be used for campaign expenditures, and forty
12 
percent (40%) shall be used for women and gender and development agenda. The
13 
political parties availing of the incentives from the Fund shall maintain a separate
14 
financial account for the amounts given them by virtue of this Act.
15 
Sec. 9. Allowable women and gender and development activities— The
16 
Commission on Elections and the Philippine Commission on Women shall provide a
17 
comprehensive list of specific activities which shall be considered as a development
18 
and implementation activity under Section 8 of this Act.
19 
Sec. 10. Certification. — A political party which conforms with Section 5 and 6
20 
of this Act, and which desires to be entitled to the incentives, rights and privileges
21 
and to perform the responsibilities, provided in this Act, may ask for a Certification
22 
from the Philippine Commission on Women, under such rules and regulations as the
23 
Philippine Commission on Women shall prescribe consistent with the provisions of
24 
this Act. The criteria in Sections 5 and 6 of this Act shall set the eligibility
25 
requirement for the said Certification. A duly-certified political party shall be entitled
26 
to the incentives, rights and privileges and to perform the responsibilities, as
27 
provided in Section 7 and Section 11 of this Act.
28 
Sec. 11. Full disdosure.^Yhe officials of a political party certified by the
29 
Philippine Commission on Women to be eligible and which, in fact, has availed of the
30 
incentives under Section 7 of this Act, shall be required to submit with the Philippine
31 
Commission on Women, the Commission on Elections and the Commission on Audit a
32 
public disclosure of the amounts it received and the expenditures made thereon at
33 
the end of every fiscal year.
34 
Sec. 12. Failure to comply with disclosure requirements. — Failure of a
35 
certified political party to comply with the provisions of this Act, particularly with
36 
Section 11, will result in its disqualification from receiving a share in the Fund and
4


1 
the forfeiture of all rights and privileges to which the said political party would have
2 
been entitled under this Act.
3 
Sec. 13. Appropriations. — The amount necessary for the implementation of
4 
the provisions of this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.
5 
Sec. 14. Lead agency, impiementing rules and regulations. -  The Philippine
6 
Commission on Women is hereby mandated as the regulatory and certifying agency
7 
charged with enforcing the provisions of this Act, and shall promulgate the necessary
8 
rules and regulations to effectively implement the provisions of this Act.
9 
Sec. 15. Separability Clause. — If any part, section or provision of this Act is
10 
held invalid or unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in
11 
full force and effect.
12 
Sec. 16. Repealing Clause.— ^\\ laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or
13 
other issuances, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, particularly
14 
those in the Magna Carta of Women (R.A. 9710), if any, are hereby repealed,
15 
amended or modified accordingly
16 
Sec. 17. 
Effectivity. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
17 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,