Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Batasan Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ________ 
Introduced by Honorable Representatives 
ARLENE D. BROSAS (Gabriela Women’s Party), 
FRANCE L. CASTRO (ACT Teachers Partylist),  
and RAOUL DANNIEL A. MANUEL (Kabataan Partylist) 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE INCLUSION IN THE ELEMENTARY, SECONDARY, AND 
TERTIARY EDUCATION CURRICULA THE LIVES AND HEROISM OF COMFORT WOMEN 
DURING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION OF THE PHILIPPINES AND APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
For Filipinos who survived and are old enough to remember World War II, the Japanese 
occupation from 1941 to 1945 was a time of devastation and human suffering: women being raped 
and bayoneted, children being killed, and men being massacred. Despite this many of the younger 
generations do not remember the tragedies that befell hundreds of thousands of Filipinos, 
especially those forced to serve as "comfort women" by the Japanese Imperial Army.  
All too often, there is a historical silence about the brutality and sexual slavery endured by Filipino 
women under the Japanese occupation. Some survivors of World War II lament that even 
policymakers have neglected their obligation to recognize and demand justice for such victims of 
Japanese atrocities. 
More than half a century has passed since the end of the war and yet the harrowing experiences 
and continuing struggle for justice of the Filipino comfort women remain officially unacknowledged 
in our history books and curricula. Such silence only adds to the historical injustice. 
Military sexual slavery is undoubtedly one of the cruelest forms of human rights violations 
committed during the war, but it is rarely recognized as such. During World War II, the Japanese 
Imperial Army went on a path of conquest and domination, violating women’s human rights by 
establishing "comfort women stations" in countries such as Korea, China, and the Philippines, 
wherein they forced hundreds of thousands of women to endure systematic rape and military 
sexual slavery. This form of violence against women inflicted both physical and psychological 
suffering upon these women. After the war, those who survived continue to live in shame and 
silence. 
In the decades after the war, many men - including Americans - were celebrated as war heroes 
and given public support and recognition by the State. In contrast, the Philippine government 
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failed to acknowledge the comfort women’s wartime experiences and their heroic participation in 
the war of resistance against the Japanese. 
Finally, in 1992, with the help of women’s groups and advocates such as Lila Pilipina and 
GABRIELA National Alliance of Filipino Women, the surviving comfort women brought this 
historical injustice to the public eye. Lola Pacita Santillan and Lola Rosa Henson were among the 
first Filipino women to come forward and publicly admit having been forced into sexual slavery 
during the last world war. But sadly, after almost twenty years, the number of comfort women 
fighting for justice has been dwindling. Some like Lola Rosa and Lola Pacita have now passed 
away and many more comfort women may die without seeing the dawn of their quest for justice. 
The Japanese government continues to refuse to indemnify and formally apologize to these 
women and their families. 
Around the world, however, there is a growing recognition that the crimes of sexual slavery by the 
Japanese Imperial Army were violations of women’s human rights and international humanitarian 
law. The 1996 United Nations (UN) Commission on Human Rights report by Special Rapporteur 
Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, as well as the 1998 UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of 
Discrimination and Protection of Minorities report by Ms. Gay J. McDougall, gave strong support 
to the comfort women’s demands for a formal apology and legal compensation from the Japanese 
government. 
Unfortunately, the harrowing accounts of the sacrifices and martyrdom of comfort women as 
sexual slaves under the Japanese Imperial Army have not been mentioned in the past and present 
Philippine history books. 
This bill seeks to rectify this historical injustice by proposing the inclusion in the elementary, 
secondary, and tertiary curricula the lives and heroism of Filipino comfort women during the 
Japanese occupation. In doing so, this bill seeks to bring voice and recognition to the courageous 
struggles of these women. This is in line with the recent United Nations Committee on the 
Elimination of Discrimination against Women recommendation under the Convention on the 
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), particularly Part 11 (v), 
which states that the Philippines must mainstream in the country’s educational curricula “the 
history of Filipina victims/survivors of wartime sexual slavery, as remembrance is critical to a 
sensitive understanding of the history of human rights violations endured by these women, to 
emphasize the importance of advancing human rights, and to avoid recurrence.”  
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
ARLENE D. BROSAS 
Gabriela Women’s Party 
FRANCE L. CASTRO 
RAOUL DANNIEL A. MANUEL 
Act Teachers Partylist 
Kabataan Partylist 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Batasan Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ________ 
Introduced by Honorable Representatives 
ARLENE D. BROSAS (Gabriela Women’s Party), 
FRANCE L. CASTRO (ACT Teachers Partylist),  
and RAOUL DANNIEL A. MANUEL (Kabataan Partylist) 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE INCLUSION IN THE ELEMENTARY, SECONDARY, AND 
TERTIARY EDUCATION CURRICULA THE LIVES AND HEROISM OF COMFORT WOMEN 
DURING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION OF THE PHILIPPINES AND APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR 
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 “Comfort Women Education Act”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State shall inculcate patriotism and nationalism, 
foster love of humanity, respect for human rights, and appreciation of the role of national heroes 
in the historical development of the country. 
Towards these ends, the State shall recognize the suffering and sexual slavery experienced by 
Filipino women under the Japanese occupation in the country and their heroic participation in the 
war of resistance. The State shall include the accounts of comfort women's sacrifices and 
martyrdoms in the curriculum and history books.  
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the following terms are defined as follows: 
a) Comfort Women refers to the victims of state-sanctioned military sex slavery by the
Japanese Imperial Army in World War II
b) Comfort Women Education refers to the teaching on the lives and heroism of comfort
women during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, and on their continuing struggle
for justice and recognition
SECTION 4. Integration of Comfort Women Education in Curriculum. – All public and private 
elementary, secondary, and tertiary schools and institutions shall integrate comfort women 
education as part of their curriculum. Thus, the struggles and plight of Filipino comfort women 
shall be included in the Araling Panlipunan (AP) subject for the elementary and secondary levels. 
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For the tertiary level, educational institutions are mandated to include comfort women education 
in the list of elective courses.  
All covered educational institutions shall also integrate comfort women education in the learning 
materials and history books corresponding to the curriculum.  
SECTION 5. Curriculum Review. The coverage and quality of comfort women education in 
public and private elementary, secondary, and tertiary schools and institutions shall be included 
in the comprehensive curriculum review to be conducted by the Department of Education (DepEd) 
and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).  
 
SECTION 6. Appropriation. – The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be 
charged to the respective appropriations of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the 
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) under the current General Appropriations Act. 
Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its continuous implementation shall be included in 
the annual General Appropriations Act. 
SECTION 7. Implementing Rules and Guidelines. – Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity 
of this Act, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education 
(CHED), in consultation with comfort women organizations and relevant stakeholders, shall 
formulate the rules and regulations to effectively implement this Act. 
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. – If, for any reason, any part or provision of this Act is declared 
invalid or unconstitutional, any part or provision not affected thereby shall remain in full force and 
effect.  
 
SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. – All laws, executive orders, proclamations, and other issuances 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 10.  Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.  
 
Approved,