FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
S. B. No. 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 11, Section 14 provides: 
Section 14. The State recognizes the role of women in nation-building, 
and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of men and women. 
Women play multiple and vital roles in economic development, but in many 
developmental activities, their roles have been overlooked, ignored or displaced. 
The full participation of women in and their full contribution to the development process 
are essential to achieving growth, more equitable distribution of resources and services to meet 
basic needs, a higher quality of life and sustainable development 
In food production, for instance, low-resource women farmers provide the critical labor 
and offer the best hope for increasing food supplies. With access to appropriate extension, credit, 
and marketing services, they can do much more. 
Women are also a major source of entrepreneurial talent in the informal sectors and, with 
access to training and credit, and other forms of assistance, are expected to account for much of 
the growth in the private sector employment. 
The failure to effectively integrate women in development activities retards achievement 
Hence, this bill seeks to promote the integration of women in the 
of development goals, 
development process.* 
*This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session, 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
PROMOTING THE INTEGRATION OF WOMEN IN THE 
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Women in Development 
Act.” 
SECTION 2. Strengthening Women in Development Policy. - The head of every 
government department, bureaus or agency shall tale the following steps to strengthen the 
women in development policy and shall incorporate the active participation of local women and 
local women’s organizations in its programs, projects and activities (including their involvement 
in the planning, design, implementation, management, monitoring, and evaluation of the 
activities. 
SECTION 3. Establishment of Task Force on Women Development. - There shall be 
established wilhin the department a task force on women in development, to be created under the 
Office of the President. The task force shall be responsible for - 
(A) Overseeing the implementation of this Act; 
(B) Consulting indigenous peoples and women’s organizations in developing strategies 
to overcome the obstacles to integration of women in the dcvelopment process; 
(C) Establishing specific criteria for measuring and evaluating the government’s 
performance in incorporating women in development activities, and developing ways 
to institutionalize a learning within the department on women in development 
activities in formulating its specific programs of action; 
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(D) Collect sex-disaggregated data for, and include such data in, every department’s 
project paper, development program, as well as all relevant research projects; 
(E) Ensuring that project and development evaluations of the government include an 
assessment of the extent to which the project integrates women in the development 
process and of the impact of the project or program on women, including both 
positive and negative implications of the project or program in enhancing the self- 
reliance of women and improving their incomes; 
(F) Ensuring that strategies, projects, and programs identify and take advantage of 
opportunities to assist women in activities that are of critical significance to their 
self-reliance and development, including - 
(1) Appropriate extension and related services to low-resource women who are 
engaged in subsistence or cash crop production; and 
(2) Training, technical assistance, credit, and other services to strengthen the 
managerial skills and capabilities of women, with special attention to 
women’s institutions and women entrepreneurs; 
(G) Requiring that efforts to achieve the goal of integrating women into the 
government’s programs and activities be an important factor in the personnel 
evaluation process; and 
(H) Performing other acts necessary to effectively carry out the provisions of this Act. 
Members shall not be paid by reason of their service to the Commission. Each member 
shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in an amount to be determined by existing law. 
The Task Force may procure temporary and intermittent services to assist in the 
discharge of its functions. 
SECTION 4. Membeuslzip. - The Commission shall be composed of six members to be 
appointed by the President as follows: 
(A) Two (2) senior-level staff, who shall be in decision-malting positions regarding the 
integration of women in development process; 
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(B) Two (2) members from among institutions in education or academe in the fields of 
women studies; and 
(C) Two (2) members from among non-governmental organizations, people’s 
orgaiiizatioiis or any similar entities that promote and advance the welfare of women, 
minorities and individuals with disabilities. 
SECTION 5. Powers of the Task Force. - 
(A) Hearings and Sessions. - The Task Force may, for the purpose of carrying out this 
Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, take testimony, and receive 
evidence as it considers appropriate. It may administer or affirmations to witnesses 
appearing before it. 
(B) Obtaining Official Data. - The Task Force may secure directly from any department 
or agency information necessary to enable it to carry out this Act. Upon request of 
the Task Force head, the head of that depafiment or agency shall furnish that 
information to the Task Force. 
(C) Mails. - The Task Force may use mail in the same manner and under the same 
conditions as other department or agency. 
(D) Contract Authority, - To the extent provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the 
Commission may contract wilh and compensate government and private agencies or 
persons €or the purpose of conducting research or surveys necessary to enable the 
Task Force to carry out its duties under this Act. 
SECTION 6. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law of the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter o f  instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 8. Efectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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