THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
1 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
”194 
JlJN 31% P 1 5 
!§E 
T E  
S.B. No. 
’, * 
I 
_____ 
Introduced by SENATOR LUISA “LQI” P. EJERCITQ E$TRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution puts so much emphasis on women’s role in nation building, 
mandating the State, in fact, to “ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women 
and men.” 
In order to achieve this goal, the State should not only endeavor to set in place the 
necessary mechanism that would pave the way for special and unique programs 
addressing women’s concerns - which incidentally are quite prevalent lately, given an 
apparent wide clamor coming from concerned women’s groups - but more importantly 
make women as crucial partners in nation-building, allowing to participate in significant 
decision-making processes in various areas, particularly in the field of governance. 
The proposed measure hopes to realize this by increasing women’s participation 
in elective and appointive positions in government, in order to fully maximize their 
contributions in governance. Specifically, this will be done by a) ensuring women’s 
access to political and decision-making representation; b) promoting women’s active and 
full participation in the electoral and political processes; and institutionalizing reforms in 
the recruitment, selection and appointment procedures in all levels of government 
positions. 
Hopefully, with the full implementation of this measure, our country shall come 
to a point where both women and men, hand in hand, shall complementarily chart our 
course towards a brighter future, malting the Philippines a truly thriving and developed 
nation. 
Hence, immediate passage of this proposed measure is earnestly sought. 
&& tg 
LUISA“LQI” 
‘Senator 
.. . 


OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator LUISA "LOP P. EJERCIT 
AN ACT 
INCREASING WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN ELECTIVE AND APPOINTIVE 
POSITIONS IN GOVERNMENT 
.
.
 I 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
Assembled: 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as " Gender Balance in Political 
Participation and Representation Act". 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. -It is hereby declared the policy of the state to 
ensure equality of women and men in the exercise and enjoyment of all economic, social, 
cultural, civil and political rights pursuant to the government commitments in numerous 
international agreements such as in the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 
the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination 
Against Women and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as existing 
executive policy and statutory pronouncements. 
To achieve this end, the State shall formulate and implement policies and 
programs as well as set specific targets and implementing measures to include women in 
all governmental bodies and committees, public administrative entities, and in the 
judiciary. 
SEC. 3. Purposes. - The purposes of this Act shall be to: 
1. 
2. 
Ensure women's access to political and decision-making representation; 
Promote women's active and full participation in the electoral and political 
process; and 
Institutionalize reforms in the recruitment, selection, and appointment 
3. 
procedures in all levels of governmental positions; 
. 
.
.
 . 
SEC. 4. Participation in Executive Level Positions. - Thirty three (33%) percent 


of appointive positions in the national and local government shall be reserved to qualified 
women which shall thereafter be increased by forty (40%) percent by 2008, and equal 
representation of both women and men by year 2012. 
The appointive national and local positions are as follows: 
1. 
Cabinet level positions; 
2. 
Undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, directors, chiefs of divisions and 
positions of comparable salary grade in every line department, 
government-owned and controlled corporations, government financing 
institutions, state colleges and universities, and local government units; 
Ambassadors and consular officers in the foreign service; 
Judges to be appointed in Regional Trial Court, Municipal Trial Courts, 
Metropolitan Trial Courts and Metropolitan Circuit Trial Courts and other 
3. 
4. 
judiciary appointive posit ions ; and 
.. 
. 
, 
5. 
Prosecutors in the Department of Justice and those to be appointed in 
component cities, highly urbanized cities and municipalities. 
The Commission on Appointments shall enforce this provision. 
SEC. 5. Participation in Political Parties. - All duly accredited political parties 
shall reserve thirty three (33%) percent of its party slate of official candidates to women 
in national and local elections from the provincial, municipal, city to barangay levels. 
Provided, That said candidates shall meet the qualifications set forth under existing 
election laws, rules and regulations as implemented and enforced by the Commission on 
Elections. 
As mandated under this Act: 
1. 
Political parties shall include a minimum of thirty three (33%) percent of 
its slate of official candidates to women; 
The percentage of women candidates in a political party's list shall 
increase by forty (40%) percent by 2008 until candidates are equally 
represented by both women and men by the year 2012; and 
Political parties shall allocate a minimum of thirty three to fifty (33-50%) 
percent of their budget for gender-related programs particularly capability 
training for prospective women candidates. 
2. 
3. 
The Commission on Elections shall enforce this provision. 
.
.
 . 


SEC. 6. Women in the Military and Police Force. - In the recruitment and 
selection process, all military institutions such as the Armed Forces of the Philippines, 
Philippine National Police, the Philippine Military Academy, and other similar military 
and police institutions, shall reserve at least 33% of its rank to women: Provided, That 
they meet the minimum qualification standards set forth by existing laws, rules and 
regulations. 
As mandated under this Act: 
1. 
Women in the Armed Forces of the Philippines shall be allowed combat 
and security-related assignments; and 
All police stations shall establish an all-female unit to attend to victims of 
rape, battering, incest and other crimes against women. 
2. 
The Armed Forces of the Philippines, PhiIippine National Police, and the Philippine 
Military Academy shall enforce this provision. 
SEC. 7. Capacity Development. - At least thirty three '(33%) percent' of 
scholarships, grants, fellowships and training in the national and local governments, 
either in the Philippines or abroad, shall be reserved for qualified women specifically in 
areas where the disparity is high such as in science and technology, information 
technology, and financia1 management: Provided, That they meet the qualification 
standards set by the Civil Service Commission and the National Economic and 
Development Authority 
All departments, bureaus, agencies, and other government-owned and controlled 
corporations, shall include in their human resource development program, gender and 
development orientation, training, seminars and other similar programs. 
The Civil Service Commission, National Economic Development Authority, and 
all departments, bureaus and agencies shall enforce this provision. 
SEC. 8. Monitoring & Oversight Mechanism. -The National Commission on 
the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) is the monitoring arm while the Committee on 
Legislative Oversight will oversee the implementation of this Act. 
SEC. 9. Enforcement. - For purposes of implementing the provisions of this Act, 
the concerned agencies may: 


1. 
Impose administrative fines and penalties of not more than One hundred 
thousand pesos (Php 100,000.00) for the violation of any provision of this 
Act and/or its implementing rules and regulations issued by the concerned 
agencies; 
Cause or initiate the criminal or administrative prosecution of violators of 
this Act and its implementing rules and regulations. For this purpose, the 
Oversight Committee is hereby given the power to issue subpoena duces 
tecum and enlist the assistance or services of the Department of Justice or 
the Office of the Solicitor General; 
Cause the disqualification of any political group, party or association that 
fails or unreasonably refuses to comply with the provisions of this Act or 
with the rules and regulations issued by COMELEC without prejudice to 
the right of the COMELEC to cause or initiate criminal or administrative 
prosecution against the erring political group, party or association; 
Call upon representatives of the different government agencies and other 
various associations and non-government organizations to help ensure 
compliance with the provisions of this Act and its implementing rules and 
regulations. 
To deputize any law enforcement agency and instrumentality of the 
government for assistance in the implementation and enforcement of its 
functions and orders. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
., . 
, 
SEC. 1 1. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The concerned departments 
and agencies shall, within ninety (90) days after the approval of this Act, issue the 
necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions hereof. 
SEC. 12. Reporting- The COMELEC shall submit to the Oversight Committee 
an annual report on its compliance with, or accomplishments under this Act, together 
with its plans and recommendations to improve and develop its capability to enforce the 
provisions of this Act, and a complete accounting of transactions with respect to any 
funds received under this Act. 
SEC. 13. Appropriations. - The heads of the departments and agencies 
concerned shall include in their programs and issue such rules and regulations to 
implement the provisions of this Act. 


I 
I
,
 
'. . 
SEC. 14. Separability Clause.- If any part of the provisions of this Act is held 
unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof, which are not affected 
thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
SEC. 15. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, 
rules and regulations, or parts thereof, inconsistent with this Act, are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly. 
SEC. 16. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation. 
Approved, 
c:\precy\women's participation