1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. 9835 
_________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Representative GERALDINE B. ROMAN 
_________________________________________________________________________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
   The 1987 Philippine Constitution recognizes the role of women in nation-building 
and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men. It also declares 
that the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health 
consciousness among them. 
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the women’s sector was the most hardly 
affected which was aggravated alongside the new normal environment with major issues 
such as decreased economic opportunities, gender-based violence, inadequate access to 
justice and services, increased unpaid care work, labor- related issues (both domestic and 
overseas), and compounded sexual and reproductive health risks. Women are most 
vulnerable to further inclusion, as they are often marginalized and have limited access to social 
services and opportunities. 
With the experience and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, there 
are several other gender-differentiated needs of women especially from marginalized 
sectors, which must be addressed since these multifaceted issues continue to persist 
even beyond the pandemic especially during public health emergencies, public health 
threats, disasters and other health events of public concern.  Considering these needs, it 
is imperative that policies are tailored to fit the specific needs of women because their 
weaknesses are exposed in light of the more complex social realities. They should be 
protected from all forms of violence as mandated in various laws, such as the Republic 
January 29, 2024
10:40 am


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Act No. 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women, the Republic Act No. 9262 or the Anti-
Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004, the Republic Act No. 8353 or 
the Anti-Rape Law of 1997, the Republic Act No. 11313 or the Safe Spaces Act, and 
Article 336 (Acts of Lasciviousness) of the Revised Penal Code, among others. 
Taking into account the effect of the pandemic and other emerging public health 
emergencies, public health threats, disasters and other health events of public concern, 
the issues on women should not be taken as independent and exclusive of each other 
because some women are more vulnerable than others and are at a greater risk of 
experiencing the long-term consequences and difficulties brought about by 
constrained health systems, lack of access to resources, and social and economic 
impacts.  In this difficult situation, concrete and immediate response to these 
problems is greatly needed. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
GERALDINE B. ROMAN 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. 9835 
Introduced by Representative GERALDINE B. ROMAN 
AN ACT 
TO ENSURE GENDER RESPONSIVE AND INCLUSIVE PROTOCOLS AND 
PROGRAMMING TO ADDRESS THE GENDER-DIFFERENTIATED NEEDS OF 
WOMEN DURING PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES, PUBLIC HEALTH 
THREATS, DISASTERS AND OTHER HEALTH EVENTS OF PUBLIC CONCERN 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:  
CHAPTER I 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Gender Responsive and 
Inclusive Public Health Concern and Disaster Management Act.” 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State hereby affirms its role as the primary 
duty-bearer in ensuring the enjoyment and fulfillment of all human rights during natural and 
other disasters and emergencies, including a pandemic, especially the right to life, which 
permits no derogation even during emergencies, and the right to health, so that every 
individual shall enjoy the highest attainable level of health. It affirms its Constitutional duties 
to guarantee the equality of men and women to the enjoyment of their human rights, with 
focus on the differentiated needs of, and impact of emergencies on, women, prohibit 
discrimination, and create an enabling environment under the “new normal” that guarantees 


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the human rights of women. It acknowledges its corresponding duties relating to women’s 
rights to participation and representation, protection from gender-based violence during 
emergency situations, sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), and economic 
empowerment of women. It adopts a zero-tolerance policy towards gender-based violence, 
abuse and exploitation, which is rooted in gender inequality and discrimination. The 
implementation of approaches and strategies relevant to disaster risk reduction, emergency 
and pandemic management must integrate human rights and gender lenses. It is fundamental 
that policies, plans, programs, actions, conduct and results are non-discriminatory and that 
no one is left behind.  
Towards ensuring gender equality, the State shall be guided by existing frameworks 
on gender-responsive programming during the COVID-19 pandemic and shall likewise 
establish mechanisms and processes to ensure the adoption, reprogramming and/or 
continuity of programs that serve and address the gender-differentiated needs of women 
during a pandemic.  
Accordingly, the State shall: 
(a) Be the primary duty bearer to enforce the protection of human rights of women
during pandemics and other public health emergencies from the point of
prevention until recovery and while adapting to the new normal in society;
(b) Establish policies and programs to prevent the spread of a “notifiable disease”,
to prepare prior to its actual impact, and to deliver treatment, care, support and
other essential services to individuals affected in accordance with evidence-based
strategies and approaches that uphold the principles of human rights and gender-
responsiveness, and taking into account the intersectional considerations that
differentiate impact on different groups, identities and sectors;
(c) Institutionalize real, actual and meaningful participation of women, at-risk
individuals and communities affected by the pandemic and other public health


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emergencies, and those who are most vulnerable to violations of human rights 
during such situations in policy and decision making and at every stage of the 
pandemic or emergency management, especially in the formulation of general 
guidelines and resolutions governing the national management of the pandemic 
as well as in its implementation; 
(d) Empower and collaborate with women and institutionalize their role to publicly 
lead, decide and promote gender responsive, equitable and universally accessible 
response, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction approaches in all areas of 
concerns, including public health, during a pandemic;  
(e) Adopt a multi-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approach in the preparation, 
response and recovery stages of the pandemic response management by ensuring 
an all-of-society engagement and partnership involving the whole government, 
public health practitioners, technical experts, local communities, civil society 
organizations, academe, private sector, persons most vulnerable to the pandemic 
and other relevant actors or stakeholders, with the State as the primary duty-
bearer; 
(f) Enable indiscriminate access of everyone to pandemic-related and essential 
services, as well as sustained access to livelihood and other productive 
opportunities; 
(g) Undertake appropriate actions to ensure the continuous and effective functioning 
of and access to concerned institutions, communication systems, referral systems, 
protection mechanisms and other appropriate measures to address gender-based 
violence and give priority to access effective remedies, including reprogramming 
of delivery of services and capacitating service providers to deliver pertinent 
essential services; 


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(h) Ensure that the differentiated needs, multiple burdens and gender-based violence 
faced by women during the pandemic or emergency situation are addressed and 
integrated in measures, actions and conduct relating to the management of the 
pandemic response by integrating intersectional analysis in the formulation of 
policies, plans and programs relating to pandemic management, particularly in 
the area of security and law enforcement at all levels of government and 
particularly at the barangay level;  
(i) Ensure access to prompt and substantive social protection and safety nets, taking 
into account the heightened insecurity and burden on the part of women and at-
risk individuals, communities and groups that might hinder access; 
(j) Positively act, address and seek to eradicate and prohibit stigma, discrimination 
and other conditions that result in gender-based violence and aggravate the 
situations of women; 
(k) Craft and design effective communication and information platforms and systems 
that ensure broad, accurate and prompt dissemination, and effective 
understanding by all, particularly in relation to monitoring incidence of gender-
based violence both in private and public spaces and access to protection 
mechanisms and effective remedies; and 
(l) Utilize existing modern information, communication, research and technological 
capacities and techniques in crafting the policies and protocols with due regard 
to human rights.   
SEC. 3. Purpose. – The principal purpose of this Act is to ensure that there is 
adequate statutory power for government agencies to act, pursuant to their respective 
mandates, upon a declaration of an emergency by the President by reason of a pandemic and 
guided by the policies issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious 
Diseases (IATF-EID) and principles enunciated herein: 


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(a) To monitor and gather data regarding the realities of women relating to gender-
based violence and enjoyment of their human rights in the context of a pandemic 
that would inform, craft and direct policies to be implemented in all the stages 
of pandemic management.  
(b) To effectively prevent, respond and eliminate the incidence of gender-based 
violence against women and girls through the integration of gender and 
intersectional analysis in pandemic policy and decision making, planning and 
programming in all the stages of pandemic management;  
(c) To develop and craft guidelines and instructions on practices, protocols, systems 
of coordination and networking, information and education of first responders, 
especially during the response and early recovery stage, safety and personal 
protection of workers, and needs of women, girls and at-risk individuals, groups 
and communities, and ensure its timeliness, responsiveness, availability and 
accessibility; 
(d) To ensure that communications systems, referral systems, protection 
mechanisms and other measures on access to justice and effective remedies by 
women subject to gender-based violence are in place and continue to operate 
during the period of a pandemic;  
(e) To provide immediate haven, shelter and security, resources and support to 
women and girls subject to violence; 
(f) To enable sufficient and effective regulatory authority to respond and to prevent 
the incidence of gender-based violence during a pandemic, including but not 
limited to the relaxation of regulatory requirements that impede the delivery of 
services or its compliance during a pandemic, emergency procurement and 
provision of emergency funds for these purposes. 


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For this purpose, every department or agency must come up with a gender-responsive 
pandemic preparedness plan, manual or protocol for women during pandemics within sixty 
(60) days from the implementation of this Act and ensure the designation of focal persons to 
supervise and oversee the implementation of said plan, manual or protocol. 
 
SEC. 4. Interpretation of this Act. – Unless otherwise provided, nothing in this Act 
shall be construed as precluding provisions in existing Philippine laws, international human 
rights laws and related instruments, and international humanitarian laws that are more 
promotive of human rights and the preservation and protection of the right to life. 
 
SEC. 5. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
(a) Access to justice refers to the sufficient access to essential services for victim 
survivors of gender-based violence, and all women and girls in conflict with the 
law such as the unimpeded availability of legal assistance, case management 
services, health services, medico-legal services, counselling, protection, 
operational shelters, and support; with an accountability mechanism in place; 
(b) At-risk individuals and groups refer to the following vulnerable and marginalized 
persons, sectors and/or groups:  
1) Women and Girls with Disabilities; 
2) Girl children; 
3) Elderly women; 
4) Women deprived of liberty especially those who are pregnant, about to give 
birth, or have just given birth; 
5) Pregnant, Lactating, and Post-partum mothers; 
6) Members of the LGBTQI+ community; 
7) Urban and Rural Poor Women; 
8) Women in the informal and formal economy; 


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9) Women who are COVID-19 positive including those under investigation and 
monitoring; 
10)  Moro and Muslim women;  
11)  Rural and indigenous women; 
12)  Internally displaced women; 
13)  Migrant women and their families; 
14)  Persons living with HIV; 
15)  Women frontline workers (as defined under IATF-EID Guidelines); 
16)  Women human rights defenders; 
17)  Single mothers; 
18)  Teenage mothers;  
19)  Women who are refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, or at risk of 
statelessness; 
20)  Women in prostitution/ victim-survivors of illegal recruitment, and 
trafficking;  
21)  Women experiencing sexual or domestic violence and online gender-based 
harassment; 
22)  Minors and adolescents (population below 19 years of age); and 
23) Women and girls who are homeless and street dwellers; 
(c) Early recovery refers to a multidimensional process of recovery that begins in a 
humanitarian setting. It is guided by development principles that seek to build on 
humanitarian programs and catalyze sustainable development opportunities. It 
aims to generate self-sustaining, nationally-owned, resilient processes for post-
crisis recovery. It encompasses the restoration of basic services, livelihoods, 
shelter, governance, security and rule of law, environment and social dimensions, 


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including reintegration of displaced population. Essential services to address 
gender-differentiated needs shall be made available during this period; 
(d) An emergency refers to any situation in which the life or well-being of civilians 
affected by natural disaster, conflict or a public health threat has been or will be 
at risk unless immediate and appropriate action is taken, and that demands an 
extraordinary response and exceptional measures; 
(e) Essential services refers to all health and social services, whether provided by a 
public or private undertaking, to ensure the security, safety and well-being of 
persons, including but not limited to food, water, medicine, medical devices, 
public utilities, energy, access to  justice, police, health and protection services, 
and social protection addressing the needs of women during situations of 
pandemic, emergency or disaster as may be determined by the IATF-EID or other 
relevant lead government agency or body under the law. Essential services cover 
health, police and justice, and social services sectors as defined by the Essentials 
for Quality Multisectoral Service Provision to Women Migrant Workers Subject 
to Violence, Brief: COVID-19 and essential services provision for survivors of 
violence against women and girls; and Essential Services Package for Women 
and Girls Subject to Violence. Such services will remain available throughout the 
preparation period, any possible imposed government lockdown, and during the 
recovery period; 
(f) Frontline Workers refer to those employees within essential industries who must 
physically show up to their jobs. It includes public and private health workers, 
such as but not limited to medical professionals, hospital and health facility 
administrative and maintenance staff, and aides from private health facilities, as 
well as their service providers, health workers and volunteers of the Philippine 
Red Cross and the World Health Organization, and employees of Health 


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Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), the Philippine Health Insurance 
Corporation (PHIC), health insurance providers, disaster risk reduction 
management officers, public safety officers, and other workers in other high 
priority sectors: Provided, That the IATF-EID shall determine the sectors by 
which its workers can be classified as frontline workers; 
(g) Gender Responsive refers to the consistent and systematic attention given to the 
gendered differences among individuals in society with a view to addressing 
status quo and structural constraints to gender equality; this includes creating and 
sustaining an environment through site selection, staff selection, program 
development, content, processes and materials that reflects an understanding of 
the realities of women’s lives and addresses their needs and issues; 
(h) Health Event of Public Concern refers to either a public health emergency or a 
public health threat due to biological, chemical, radio-nuclear and environmental 
agents as defined under Republic Act No. 11332 or the "Mandatory Reporting of 
Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act;" 
(i) Intersectionality refers to a framework for understanding that people experience 
overlapping (i.e., intersecting forms of oppression, discrimination and 
marginalization based on their co-existing identities (e.g., inequality based on 
gender, age, disability and/or ethnicity); 
(j) Locally Stranded Individual refers to foreign nationals or Filipino citizens in a 
specific locality within the Philippines who have expressed intention to return to 
their place of residence or home origin; 
(k) Marginalization refers to a condition where a whole category of people is 
excluded from useful and meaningful participation in political, economic, social, 
and cultural life; 


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(l) Migrant Workers refers to Filipinos who are to be engaged, are engaged, or have 
been engaged in a remunerated activity in a State of which they are not legal 
residents, whether documented or undocumented; 
(m) Nondiscrimination refers to the guarantee wherein human rights are exercised 
without discrimination of any kind based on race, color, sex, language, religion, 
political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status 
such as disability, age, marital and family status, sexual orientation and gender 
identity, health status, place of residence, economic and social situation; 
(n) Pandemic refers to the worldwide spread, or over a very wide area, crossing 
international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people as 
declared by the World Health Organization. The term also contemplates other 
public health emergencies as defined under Republic Act No. 11332 and as 
declared by the Department of Health (DOH); 
(o) Preparedness refers to efforts that focus on ensuring adequate capacity and 
knowledge, while reinforcing the ability to anticipate, respond and recover from 
the impact of emergency situations. Essential services to fully address gender-
differentiated needs especially of women and girls shall be included in these 
efforts; 
(p) Prevention refers to taking action to stop gender-based violence (GBV) from first 
occurring (e.g., scaling up activities that promote gender equality or working with 
communities to address practices that contribute to GBV). Mitigation refers to 
reducing the risk of exposure to GBV (e.g., ensuring that reports of “hot spots” 
are immediately addressed through risk-reduction strategies); 
(q) Recovery is the process following relief and supports the transition into long- 
term reconstruction and development. Recovery actions are most effective if 
anticipated and facilitated from the very outset of a humanitarian response. It 


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involves the restoration and improvement of facilities, livelihoods and living 
conditions of crisis-affected communities, including efforts to reduce risks 
brought on by the crisis. Essential services to address gender-differentiated needs 
shall be made fully available during this period; 
(r) Response refers to an emergency response that involves the provision of 
emergency services and public assistance during or immediately after a 
humanitarian crisis to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety and 
protection, and meet the basic needs of women, girls, boys and men in the 
affected population. This stage can range from a few days or weeks to many 
months and even years, particularly in protracted insecurity and displacement 
contexts. For the purposes of this Act, response shall be undertaken upon the 
declaration of the DOH of a public health emergency. Essential services to 
address gender-differentiated needs shall be made available during this period; 
(s) Social Protection Floors refers to nationally defined sets of basic social security 
guarantees that should ensure, as a minimum that, over the life cycle, all in need 
have access to essential health care and to basic income security which together 
secure effective access to goods and services defined as necessary at the national 
level; which include among others: access to essential health care, including 
maternity care; basic income security for children, providing access to nutrition, 
education, care and any other necessary goods and services; basic income 
security for persons in active age who are unable to earn sufficient income, in 
particular in cases of sickness, unemployment, maternity and disability; basic 
income security for older persons;  
(t) Social Safety Nets refer to noncontributory interventions designed to help 
individuals and households cope with chronic poverty, destitution, and 
vulnerability, such as unconditional and conditional cash transfers, 


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noncontributory social pensions, food and in-kind transfers, school feeding 
programs, public works, and fee waivers. These programs target the poor and 
vulnerable; 
(u) Stigma refers to a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group 
of people have about something such as in the context of women; and 
(v) Violence Against Women (VAW) refers to any act of gender-based violence that 
results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or psychological harm or 
suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion, or arbitrary 
deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. 
CHAPTER II 
PROGRAMMING 
AND 
MANAGEMENT 
TO 
ADDRESS 
GENDER-
DIFFERENTIATED NEEDS OF WOMEN DURING PANDEMIC, DISASTERS, 
HEALTH EMERGENCIES AND OTHER HEALTH EVENTS OF PUBLIC 
CONCERN  
 
 
SEC. 6. Leadership, Participation and Empowerment of Women. – During a public 
health emergency, women shall be empowered to be included in the national and local 
government’s response systems to address the gender-differentiated needs of the different 
groups of women especially the marginalized. It is thus mandated that response and recovery 
systems must ensure that women are placed strategically and participate meaningfully in 
leadership, decision-making, and policy-making positions at all levels. In accordance with 
this, the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) shall be made a permanent member in 
the IATF-EID or similar bodies that will be created in response to a pandemic or disaster to 
help facilitate the continuous integration of a gender-responsive plan to be developed therein 
in national governance response systems. Further, forty percent (40%) of membership of all 
development councils from the regional, provincial, city, municipal and barangay levels 
shall be composed of women.   
 
SEC. 7. Humanitarian Principles Guiding Pandemic Programming and 
Management to Address Gender-Differentiated Needs of Women During the Pandemic. – 


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Following the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines for Integrating Gender-
Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action, and the United Nations Population 
Fund (UNFPA) Minimum Standards for Prevention and Response to Gender-based Violence 
in Emergencies, the following principles shall ground, inform and guide the formulation and 
implementation of policies, plans, programs, and other appropriate measures, including 
affirmative actions, in managing the COVID-19 pandemic: 
(a) A survivor-centered approach which creates a supportive environment in which 
survivors’ rights and wishes are respected, their safety is ensured, and they are 
treated with dignity and respect;  
(b) A human rights-based approach that seeks to analyze and address the root causes 
of discrimination and inequality to ensure that everyone has the right to live with 
freedom and dignity, safe from violence, exploitation and abuse, in accordance 
with principles of human rights law;  
(c) A community-based approach that ensures that affected populations are engaged 
actively as partners in developing strategies related to their protection and the 
provision of humanitarian assistance. This approach involves direct involvement 
of women, girls and other at-risk groups at all stages in the humanitarian 
response, to identify protection risks and solutions, and build on existing 
community-based protection mechanisms; 
(d) The humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and 
neutrality which should underpin the implementation of the Minimum Standards 
and are essential to maintaining access to affected populations and ensuring an 
effective humanitarian response; 
(e) The “do no harm” approach which takes into account all measures necessary to 
avoid exposing people to further harm as a result of the actions of humanitarian 
actors;  


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(f) The Principles of Partnership which comprise a framework for all actors in the 
humanitarian space to follow principles of equality, transparency, a results-
oriented approach, responsibility and complementarity;  
(g) Taking into account the best interests of the child wherein child and adolescent 
girl and boy survivors of sexual abuse have the right to have their best interests 
assessed and determined and taken as a primary consideration in all decisions 
that affect them;  
(h) Focus should be given to the intersectionality of the circumstances of women, 
taking into account the specific needs and concerns of marginalized and 
vulnerable women groups including women and girls deprived of liberty, women 
working in the informal sector, women migrants workers, and other similarly 
situated at-risk individuals and groups; and 
(i) Rights-based policing wherein human rights principles and practices are taught 
and applied at all levels, in policy, doctrinal, operational and administrative 
functions of the police organization. 
 
SEC. 8. Guarantee of non-discrimination. – This Act shall prohibit discrimination 
in all forms committed against women as provided under Republic Act No. 9710 or the 
“Magna Carta of Women” even, and especially, during the occurrence of a pandemic or any 
public health emergency. Those found guilty under this provision shall be meted out a 
penalty one degree higher than those penalties provided for discrimination under Republic 
Act No. 9710. The Revised Penal Code shall have suppletory application in setting the 
penalties.  
 
SEC. 9. Strengthening Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Preparedness and Response 
Systems. – GBV preparedness and response systems in the context of the COVID-19 
pandemic and future pandemics shall be considered essential services and appropriate 
budgetary allotment from the emergency funding shall be ensured towards the formulation, 


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reprogramming or continuity of said systems. Strict adherence to the following must be 
undertaken: 
(a) Women and the most vulnerable among them must be placed at the front and 
center of leadership and policy and decision-making positions in key processes 
in the formulation, planning, programming and implementation of prompt, 
effective and survivor-centered measures to address issues of violence against 
women and girl-children during COVID-19; 
(b) GBV services, especially temporary shelters, psychosocial services, and legal 
aid, shall remain functional and accessible notwithstanding the occurrence of a 
public health emergency. Local Inter-agency Task Forces against COVID-19 
shall ensure that GBV services are available to women staying in any detention, 
quarantine or isolation facilities where prolonged stay is required or necessary; 
(c) This process must be based on data and evidence and must integrate first 
responder systems to properly respond in the time of COVID-19;  
(d) The State shall utilize a multisectoral/interdisciplinary, all-of-government, and 
all-of-society approach wherein the State collaborates with non-state actors to 
achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness; 
(e) The national government, through the Department of the Interior and Local 
Government (DILG), shall assume the key leadership role but shall also empower 
local authorities and local communities to address the pandemic, including 
provision of resources, support and incentives, and enabling decision-making 
authorities and responsibilities; 
(f) Communication systems, with emphasis on localized communication down to 
the level of barangays, must be established in coordination with the Department 
of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and National 
Telecommunications Commission (NTC), for education and information 


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dissemination on pandemic and emergency risks and access to social protection, 
safety nets, referral systems, protection measures and other appropriate measures 
in cases of GBV, which shall include traditional modes of communication to 
reach women living in remote areas or areas with limited access such as 
newspaper, pamphlets, and radio. Provided, That, relevant language, format, and 
relevant channels that are culturally appropriate shall be taken into consideration 
to ensure effective communication with individuals and communities; 
(g) The State must give premium to the aspect of preparedness and early information 
and communication campaigns about the pandemic or emergency towards and 
informed public to affect attitudes and behaviors and shall encourage private 
investments on these areas, more than on post-disaster response and recovery; 
(h) Effective and meaningful global partnership must be fostered and existing 
international cooperation strengthened. 
 
The DILG, in coordination with the local government units (LGUs), is mandated to 
ensure that the rights of women and services accorded them are to remain available and 
accessible in all stages of the emergency responses to a public health crisis.  
SEC. 10. Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) and Essential Services Package. 
– It shall be the duty of national and local authorities to prioritize specific health needs of all 
women and girls at the community level, including in countries of destination for women 
migrants, particularly access to sexual and reproductive health services including pre- and 
post-natal healthcare and post-partum psychiatric care, access to essential services as defined 
above and physical rehabilitation during pandemics and other public health concerns, 
emergencies and disasters. The preparedness and response systems must include, but not 
limited to: 
(a) Available staff, funds and other resources; 
(b) Unhampered mobility and available public and safe transportation; 


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(c) Availability and continuity of reproductive health services and essential services 
packages for women and girls of all ages; 
(d) Knowledge and awareness of women of these available services; 
(e) Gender-sensitive support to frontline health workers on both facility and 
community level; 
(f) Additional financial, human, or logistical support to female health workers to 
offset the additional burden of household management; and 
(g) Systematic coordination and planning of addressing the gaps in accessing SRH 
services;  
(h) Adoption of a strategy to ensure access of pregnant women to ante and post-natal 
care including post-partum psychiatric care during lockdowns with 
corresponding precautions to protect them from risks of exposure such as, but not 
limited to, provision of maternal health information, provision of online check-
ups, and updated referral hospitals and lying-in clinics during the lockdowns; 
(i) Provision to women deprived of liberty of sufficient and regular access to sexual 
and reproductive health information, services, and products inside the detention 
and correctional facilities; 
(j) Measures to protect pregnant women deprived of liberty and their unborn child 
as well as women who have just given birth and their newborn infant, such as but 
not limited to, house arrests, furloughs to attend to physical/medical checkups, 
release on recognizance, among others; and 
(k) Provision of reasonable accommodation to ensure women with disabilities’ 
access to SRHR services.  
 
The Department of Health and each Barangay Health Emergency Response Team 
are mandated to ensure that the specific health needs, especially sexual health and 
reproductive needs of women and girls are included in the implemented essential health 


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packages, systems and protocols in their constituency, including universal health coverage, 
during pandemics, subject to other existing laws.  
 
SEC. 11. Gendered Approach to Vaccination. – The procurement, allocation, 
distribution, delivery, facilitation and administration of vaccines must be transparent and 
must take into account gender-based differences in immunological responses, care burden 
or work of women both paid and unpaid, security of women against gender-based violence 
and other forms of attacks and other factors that increase women’s vulnerability. Safe, 
efficacious and free vaccines or medications, including newly-approved ones for the current 
pandemic or health emergency, must be available and accessible to women, taking into 
account intersectional considerations that may impede such access and vulnerabilities of 
women that affect their right to life, health and security; Provided, That such access shall be 
in accordance with the priority and health protocols of the Philippines or relevant code of 
practice, and is rights-based, non-discriminatory, voluntary and based on informed consent. 
Information on vaccination and the scientific evidence behind it must be clear and effectively 
communicated. These gendered approach must be integrated in legal, policy and program 
implementation of vaccinations to address COVID-19 and other public health concerns, 
emergencies and disasters. 
In policy and decision-making affecting vaccine availability, quality and access, 
including prioritization and development of criteria, representation and participation of 
women must be guaranteed.  
 
SEC. 12. Social Protection. – It shall be the duty of national and local authorities 
such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor 
and Employment (DOLE), DILG and Civil Service Commission (CSC), in coordination with 
the various Local Government units, to target the most vulnerable and economically 
marginalized sectors of women, taking into account their various intersectionality, and 


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ensure that social protection and safety nets are afforded to them, with emphasis on victims 
of gender-based violence. The measures shall include, but not limited to: 
(a) Empowering women through their access to   sustainable livelihood and/or 
employment as may be practicable, such as through the capacity-building and 
other services rendered by local Public Employment System Offices and work-
from-home programming, and access to flexible financing and loans;  
(b) Ensuring the unimpeded provision of safety nets and cash-based interventions to 
poor elderly women, teenage mothers and other vulnerable and poor women;  
(c) Prioritizing gender, disability, age and other overlapping vulnerabilities in the 
assessments of needs and decisions on targeting; 
(d) Ensuring that women victims have adequate access to counseling and shelters 
that have access to adequate resources for the needs of women;  
(e) Providing women access to opportunities such as trainings and seminars pertinent 
to their capacity to sustain themselves; 
(f) Ensuring that work environments, including work-from-home arrangements, are 
VAW-free through continuous monitoring of the situations of vulnerable women 
and their protection, guaranteeing accountability of the perpetrators and holding 
of regular seminars to educate on VAW issues and standards especially during a 
pandemic, among others; 
(g) Ensuring effective and inclusive grievance and redress mechanisms embedded in 
social protection programming which are designed to be accessible and inclusive 
of girls, women, women and girls with disabilities, children, older people, and 
other at-risk individuals and groups; 
(h) Providing work-from-home setup for women subjected to violence in their 
workplaces until the perpetrator has been held accountable; and 


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(i) Enforcing other laws and issuances which may be enacted by virtue of the 
existence of such public health emergency, which contain services and protection 
afforded to women, particularly on social protection.   
 
SEC. 13. Protection for Locally Stranded Individuals. – The DILG, in coordination 
with the LGUs and the respective designated barangays, shall ensure the safety and security 
of all displaced migrants or individuals and at-risk individuals and groups due to the 
pandemic. This shall include an efficient mechanism for immediate delivery of food (in full 
respect for the individual’s dietary restrictions by reason of health or religion), shelter and 
medical supplies for women and children, including assisting mothers with breastfeeding, 
feed and care for their babies and other support. 
 
SEC. 14. Economic Empowerment. – The DOLE shall, in coordination with the local 
government units and offices, including the CSC and Public Employment Service Office 
(PESO), enact mechanisms and procedures to address the difficulties faced by women in the 
employment sector during the pandemic such as job loss, business closure and debt incurred 
by repatriated migrants. All measures shall tend to the continuous employment of women. 
These should include considerations regarding the workplace arrangements, marketplace 
and community supply chain, and the women working in the informal economy. For this 
purpose, said units and offices must be well-equipped and capacitated to perform all 
measures necessary to address the livelihood and employment concerns of their constituents, 
with special attention to vulnerable women and the protection afforded to them under other 
laws. 
 
The DOLE is mandated to ensure that women are afforded flexible work 
arrangements during a public health emergency. They shall provide for rules and regulations 
for this purpose, taking into account the specific needs and concerns faced by women under 
such circumstances.  


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The Department of Agriculture, Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and 
Industry (DTI), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and other 
relevant agencies shall also bolster entrepreneurship and provide adequate livelihood 
opportunities and skills development to women.  
 
SEC. 15. Protection of Rural Women and Indigenous Women. – The concerned local 
government unit shall ensure that women in rural and indigenous communities belonging to 
their jurisdiction have adequate and unimpeded access to health, legal, and socio-economic 
services. This guarantee for indigenous women must be undertaken with due respect to their 
indigenous health systems, practices and beliefs. They shall be furnished with the same, if 
not more, opportunities and facilities as those of their urban counterparts, as far as may be 
practicable.  
 
SEC. 16.  Utilization of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). –  This 
Act mandates the emphasis on the enhancement of the capacity of ICT systems to facilitate 
and aid the implementation of provisions under this Act. The DICT and NTC, in coordination 
with public utilities and telecommunication providers, shall provide assistance to ensure the 
accessibility of the services provided through the use of ICT system including, but not 
limited to, immediate assistance from the Philippine National Police (PNP), information 
dissemination through short message service, and other services. ICT assistance shall include 
strengthening ICT literacy and access to technology of women especially in poor 
communities and remote areas, reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities, 
such as provision of Filipino Sign Language, among others. 
SEC. 17. Protection for Women Migrant Workers and Their Children. - Interagency 
bodies such as the IATF-EID, Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and Their 
Children (IACVAWC), Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and the Sub-
Committee on International Migration and Development (SCIMD), as well as government 
agencies part of the One-Country Team approach in countries of destination such as the 


24 
 
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), DOLE, and DSWD are mandated to ensure that 
women migrant workers are given adequate resources and access to legal, medical, and 
social services in the receiving State, during transit and upon return, especially during 
repatriation. Relevant embassies and foreign affairs personnel must ensure the protection of 
women migrant workers and their children during pandemic and other emergencies. 
Coordination among these bodies is imperative, taking into account, but not limited to, the 
following:  
a) Responsibility to prevent and reduce GBV in migrant women and their children, 
including through international, regional, and bilateral cooperation;  
b) Development of consistent and coherent frameworks and protocols between the 
host country and country of origin for the expedited process of seeking redress 
by women subjected to violence;  
c) Global partnership and international cooperation such as through drafting 
agreements on the extension of stay permits of the women migrant workers and 
their children between the host country and the country of origin and through the 
relaxation of migrant workers’ requirements to access social services;  
d) Migrants and marginalized and other at-risk individuals or groups should be 
included in the public health strategies with due consultation with them;  
e) Grant of bilateral incentives between countries to encourage employers to renew 
contracts for existing workers in the host country;   
f) Labor, economic livelihood, and social protections for migrant; 
g) Freedom of movement;  
h) Non-discrimination; 
i) Access to Health, especially sexual and reproductive health rights services; 
j) Access to Justice; and 
k) Access to Social Protection and Social Services. 


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SEC. 18. Specific Protective Measures for Women Migrant Workers and Their 
Children. – In relation to the preceding section, the following measures shall be undertaken, 
among other appropriate measures: 
a) During crisis preparation:   
1. Track information on conflicts and natural disasters and potential impact 
on migrants and their children; 
2. Collect and share information on women migrant workers and their 
children, subject to privacy, confidentiality, security, and safety of 
migrants; 
3. Maintain an updated registry of sex-disaggregated data of migrant 
workers and their children;  
4. Incorporate women migrant workers and their children in the prevention, 
preparedness, and emergency response systems and contingency 
planning; 
5. Communicate effectively with migrants;  
6. Establish coordination agreements beforehand; and 
7. Build capacity and learn lessons from emergency response and post-crisis 
action. 
b) During emergency response: 
1. Communicate widely with women migrant workers and their children on 
evolving crises and how to access help; 
2. Facilitate migrants' ability to move safely; 
3. Provide humanitarian assistance without discrimination; 
4. Establish clear referral procedures and systems; 
5. Relocate women migrant workers and their children, when needed; and 


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6. Uphold the principles of non-refoulement and refugee and stateless 
protection.  
c) After the crisis:  
1. Address migrants' and their children’s immediate needs and support them 
to rebuild their lives;  
2. Ensure rehabilitation, integration and other interventions; and 
3. Support migrant women's and their children’s host communities. 
CHAPTER III 
COORDINATION MECHANISMS DURING PANDEMIC, DISASTERS, HEALTH 
EMERGENCIES AND OTHER HEALTH EVENTS OF PUBLIC CONCERN 
 
 
SEC. 19. National Preparedness and Response Program to Address the Gender-
Differentiated Needs of Women During the Pandemic. –  To ensure access to essential 
services including access to justice and remedial measures and to mitigate the impact of any 
public health concern, emergency or disaster on the economy, a coherent, appropriate, 
efficient, developmental, evidence-based and survivor-centered national program against 
GBV and addressing gender-differentiated needs of women especially from marginalized 
sectors must be developed to inform, direct and coordinate its implementation at all levels 
and to ensure accessibility, availability and quality of services at the community level. For 
this purpose, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) 
and PCW, in coordination with the IATF-EID, shall come up with said national plan, to be 
cascaded to the local government units, and must be automatically integrated into the 
national strategy to manage the pandemic. This plan shall be subjected to review every two 
(2) years. It shall address GBV and gender-differentiated needs at all stages of the pandemic 
management, and anticipating pandemic related events and factors that might impede the 
functioning of legal, medical, social, remedial and other protection measures and 
mechanisms, to include, but not limited to:  


27 
 
(a) Understanding the nature and risks of the COVID-19 pandemic to be able to 
address the specific barriers and obstacles faced by women during COVID-19 
pandemic that manifest in GBV, taking into account intersecting vulnerabilities 
and the multiple burdens they experience, and addressing stigma and 
discriminatory practices, attitudes and behaviors resulting in GBV, and providing 
for their food and nutrition security as well as access to essential services and 
government social protection and safety nets; 
(b) Gathering, managing, and utilizing data concerning the risks and incidence of 
GBV to inform policies and programs to achieve gender inclusive responses and 
address gaps and lapses in ensuring access by women of protection mechanisms; 
(c) Providing 
prompt, 
accurate, 
disaggregated, 
accessible, 
up 
to 
date, 
comprehensible, science based, and transparent data on women; 
(d) Developing protocols and guidelines of conduct relating to the delivery of service 
to women in the context of COVID-19; 
(e) Strengthening protection from sexual exploitation and abuse through capacity 
building for service providers and governmental workers on early identification 
and mitigation of such risks as well as strengthening nationwide helplines and 
community-level referral to ensure they are functional to prevent and respond to 
cases including chain management and service provision plans for these services 
to stay open during the outbreak; 
(f) Providing a clear channel of communication with GBV service providers and 
actors as well as women’s organizations and local GBV service providers and 
survivor-centered referral systems through the utilization of technology; 
(g) Assisting in the planning of national, local and community units by developing, 
identifying and sharing best practices;  


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(h) Providing technical assistance, training, and consultation to improve preparedness 
and response capabilities, with focus on the needs of women and other vulnerable 
groups, including to support the achievement of evidence-based benchmarks and 
objective standards to monitor, assess and measure levels of preparedness, 
response and recovery; 
(i) Improving systems of public, private, and civil society collaboration and 
partnership to formulate, and address gaps and inefficiencies in the, policies, plans 
and programs to address GBV during pandemic;  
(j) Representation and participation of women in coordination and decision-making 
bodies; and 
(k) Carrying out other duties related to the national preparedness and response 
program and recovery activities for women.  
 
SEC. 20. Capacity-Building of the Local Government Units (LGUs). – The DILG, 
with the LGUs, shall be given the appropriate and sufficient funding by the national 
government to properly carry out the designated provisions under this Act. They shall be 
capacitated to be able to develop their pandemic preparedness protocols through a gender-
differentiated localized response, taking into account the local contexts and concerns of the 
different women sectors in their area. This includes protocols and systems for assistance to 
gender-based violence, provisions for access to sexual and reproductive health needs, and 
ensuring availability of basic services for women through all phases of the national response 
regarding the public health emergency.  
The LGUs shall ensure that they have capable and trained personnel to provide the 
essential services package for women and are oriented about the policies, principles and 
procedure regarding gender equality, prohibition against gender-based violence, and gender 
sensitivity as well as those governing the management of the pandemic and other public 
health emergencies. They are also mandated to use data-gathering and data-analytics to 


29 
 
further improve and strengthen their services. They shall also provide an accessible feedback 
mechanism to further guide their practice. 
 
SEC. 21. Community Engagement. – Subject to COVID-19 protocols, the LGUs, in 
coordination with civil society organizations, non-government organizations, private sector 
and other stakeholders, shall conduct regular dialogues and information drives with the 
community to educate them on gender issues as a preventive measure to prevent gender-
based violence and address gender-differentiated needs. Through this multi-sectoral 
mechanism, women can participate and put forth their specific needs for integration in the 
local government pandemic programming and management.  
CHAPTER IV 
FINAL PROVISIONS 
 
SEC. 22. Appropriations. – The amount needed for the initial implementation of this 
Act shall be taken from the current fiscal year’s appropriations for the Calamity Fund, 
Gender and Development (GAD) budget or special health funds of agencies and LGUs, and 
other appropriations available for the purpose. Thereafter, the amount necessary for the full 
implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
SEC. 23. Penalties. - Any public officer, employee of an agency or any private 
individual mandated to implement this Act, who shall fail to perform in accordance with the 
mandates, duties, tasks and other acts imposed by this law shall be administratively liable 
for neglect in the performance of duty during the COVID-19, and other pandemics, 
emergencies and disasters. Should damage or injury be inflicted on any person by reason of 
such neglect, the aggrieved party can have recourse against the erring public officer, 
employee or private individual for appropriate legal remedies as the law may provide or 
afford, including criminal cases. In case of gender-based violence amounting to a crime or 
offense is committed by a public officer or employee while in the performance of any acts 
covered herein, penalties next higher in degree shall be imposed, including sexual 


30 
 
harassment, especially in quarantine facilities, and against persons belonging to at risk 
individuals and those adversely affected by the pandemic. 
 
SEC. 24. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. - There is hereby created a Joint 
Congressional Oversight Committee to monitor the implementation of this Act and to review 
the implementing rules and regulations promulgated. The Committee shall be composed of 
five (5) Senators and five (5) Representatives to be appointed by the Senate President and 
the Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively. The Oversight Committee shall 
be co-chaired by the Chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family 
Relations and Gender Equality and the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality. 
 
SEC. 25. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within sixty (60) days from the 
effectivity of this Act, the PCW, as lead agency shall, in coordination and consultation with 
the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), IATF-EID, DILG, DOH, Commission on 
Population and Development, DOLE, DSWD, Department of Foreign Affairs, National 
Economic and Development Authority, DTI, DICT, Department of Justice, PNP and other 
concerned government agencies, as well as civil society organizations, academe, private 
sector, public health practitioners and other key actors and stakeholders, promulgate rules 
and regulations to implement this Act. 
SEC. 26. Suppletory Applications. – The applicable provisions of the Revised Penal 
Code shall have suppletory application insofar as they are consistent with the provisions of 
this Act.  
 
SEC. 27. Separability Clause. – If any part or provision of this Act is declared invalid 
or unconstitutional, the other parts hereof not affected thereby shall remain valid.  
 
SEC. 28. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, issuances, rules 
and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed or modified accordingly.  


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SEC. 29. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect within fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,