Republic of the Philippines

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES \
Quezon Ci 4

juezon City i

23 JUL 2013

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS L }

First Regular Session

1674
HOUSE BILL NO-+O ¢

Introduced by

HON. GUSTAVO S. TAMBUNTING

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Section 14 of Article I! of the 1987 Constitution recognizes the role of women in
nation-building and thereby mandates the State to ensure fundamental equality between
men and women. As a response, series of legislations empowering and recognizing the
rights of women are in effect such as Republic Act No. 7192 otherwise known as the An Act
Promoting Integration of Women as Full and Equal Partners of Men in Development and
Nation-Building, Republic Act No. 8353 or the Anti-Rape Law, Republic Act No. 8505 or the
Rape Victim Assistance Protection Act, Republic Act No. 7877 or the Anti-Sexual Harassment
‘Act, and Republic Act No. 6955 or the Anti-Mail Order Bride Scheme.

Notwithstanding the legislations promoting the protection of women’s rights, there
is still an equality that exists in terms of opportunities in the areas of public governance. In
fact, based on the Fact Sheet dated March 19, 2013 released by the National Statistical
Coordination Board on Updates on Women and Men in the Philippines, elective positions
are dominated by men with 81.3% in contrast with 18.4% for women during the 2010
elections. Although women dominates in the distribution of government personnel for
major subdivision in the national level and in the state universities and colleges, men still
lead in number of personnel in the local government as well as in government owned and
controlled corporations. More importantly, in the field of the judiciary, men dominate in
numbers with 634 in contrast to 288 female judges from data gathered in 2009.

In order to address the issue of prevailing inequality in opportunities in public
governance, this bill is filed. In addition, this bill aims to increase the share of women's role
in decision-making and to address the discrimination experienced by women in the field of
public service.


The salient feature of this bill includes the reservation of certain percentage in
appointive positions and penalty for non-compliance.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

7a
House anno 67 4

Introduced by

HON. GUSTAVO S. TAMBUNTING

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known and cited as the "Women Empowerment Act of
2013."

SECTION 2. Appointive positions in the national and local government shall be

reserved to qualified women based on the following fraction and classification:

a) Atleast one-third (1/3) of the Cabinet

b) At least one-third (1/3) of all undersecretaries and positions of comparable salary
grade or at least one in every line department, government-owned and controlled
corporations, government financing institutions, state colleges and universities, and
local government units: Provided, that in cases where there are more than fifty
percent (50%) of the women population occupying technical positions in
departments, offices, bureaus and agencies, the secretary or the head agency shall
be a woman and the proportion of one third (1/3) shall be increased to two-thirds
(2/3);

¢) Atleast one-third (1/3) of all assistant secretaries in every department;

d) Atleast one-third (1/3) of all directors in every department;

e) At least one-third (1/3) of all chiefs of division in every department, bureau or

agency;


) Atleast one-third (1/3) of all ambassadors and consular offices;

g) Atleast one-third (1/3) of all judges in all lower courts; and
h) At least one-third (1/3) of all prosecutors in department of justice.

It shall be the Civil Service Commission who shall enforce this provision.

SEC. 3. All duly-accredited political parties shall reserve at least one third (1/3) of its party
slate of official candidates to women in elections for the municipality/city councils and

provincial boards.

The Commission on Elections shall enforce this provision.

SECTION 4. Women in the Armed Forces of the Philippines shall be allowed combat and

security-related assignments.
‘The Armed Forces of the Philippines shall enforce this provision.

SECTION 5. All police stations shall establish an all-female unit to attend to victims of rape,
battering, incest and other crimes against women and chastity. For this purpose, the
Philippine National Police shall reserve at least thirty percent (30%) of all items in each rank

to women.

SECTION 6. All departments, bureaus, agencies, and other government-owned and
controlled corporations, in coordination with the National Commission on the Role of
Filipino Women (NCRFW), shall include in their human resource development program,

gender and development orientation, trainings, and seminars among others.

SECTION 7. At least one-third (1/3) of scholarships, grants, fellowships and trainings in the
National or Local governments, either in the Philippines or abroad, shall be reserved for

qualified women.

The Commission on Civil Service and the National Economic and Development Authority

shall enforce this provision.

SECTION 8. Nothing in this Act shall diminish the rights and privileges of incumbent male

employees.


SECTION 9. Persons who violate the provisions of this act shall be punished by a fine not less
than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) or imprisonment of not less than one (1) year nor

more than six (6) years or both fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court.

If the offender is a government official, he shall, in addition, be perpetually disqualified from
holding any public office.

SECTION 10. The National Commission on the Role Filipino Women, in Consultation with the
Civil Service Commission, the Commission on Election, the Philippine National Police, and
the National Economic Development Authority, shall formulate the necessary guidelines to

implement this Act.

SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, rules and
regulations, or parts thereof, inconsistent with this Act, are hereby repealed or modified

accordingly.

SECTION 12. Separability Clause.

If any provision of this Act is declared invalid, the

remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall remain in force and effect.

SECTION 13. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at

least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,