Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1477

HOUSE'BILL No.

Introduced by GABRIELA Women's Party List
Representatives LUZVIMINDA C. ILAGAN and EMERENCIANA “EMMI” A. DE JESUS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Filipino women have played leading and supportive roles in the Filipinos’ historic
struggles for liberation, justice, peace and prosperity.

Gabriela Silang, Tandang Sora, Teresa Magbanua and Trinidad Tecson fought against
colonialism and foreign invasion. There too were the women who started organizing at the
turn of the century: Logia de Adopcion, a masonic lodge of Filipino women in 1893;
Associacion de Damas de la Cruz Roja [Women's Red Cross Association} and the Association of
llonga Feminists led by Pura Villanueva Kalaw, which started the nationwide campaign for
women's suffrage in 1912.

The suffragettes’ campaigns took the form of lobbying government officials, holding
rallies and conferences. Their efforts resulted in the passage of the suffrage bill in the
Philippine Legislature in 1933, implementation of the Administrative Code which allowed
women to vote in 1935, and the ratification of women's suffrage rights in a national plebiscite
in 1937.

In the Martial Law years, activists like Liliosa Hilao, Jessica Sales, Lorena Barros and Puri
Pedro sacrificed their lives for nationalism and democracy.

Yet no national institution is dedicated to the heritage, heroism and martyrdom of
Filipino women. Women's historic contributions to Philippine civilization, nation and people
should not go unvalued and unnoted leaving a gap in our country's historical record.

Further, knowledge of Filipino women's heritage and heroism is crucial in developing
people's appreciation and respect for women and girls that should eventually help eliminate
discrimination, oppression and violence against females of all ages.

A National Filipino Women's Museum is needed to commemorate Filipino women's
heroism and martyrdom and profile the specific achievements that women - individually and

collectively - have made in all aspects of Philippine society.

The approval of this bill is earnestly and urgently sought.

Jane AS)
IMINDA C. ILAGAN EMERENCIANA “EMMI” A. DE JESUS

Gabriela Women’s Party Lit Gabriela Women’s Party List


“ Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No 1477

Introduced by GABRIELA Women's Party List
Representatives LUZVIMINDA C. ILAGAN and EMERENCIANA “EMMI” A. DE JESUS

AN ACT
TO CREATE A NATIONAL WOMEN'S MUSEUM, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1, Title. - This Act shall be known as the “National Filipino Women's Museum Act of
2003."

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - it is hereby declared the policy of the State to:

2.1 Recognize women's historic contributions to the Filipinos’ development as a
nation and people

2.2 Celebrate women whose various individual and collective actions have caused
to dramatically and significantly advance Filipino women's fight against
inequality, discrimination and deprivation

2.3 Honor women's role and heroism in the Filipinos’ liberation from foreign
invasion and occupation of the Spanish, American and Japanese

2.4 Honor individual women whose specific achievements have enriched and
impacted on any and all aspects of Filipino life

2.5 Commemorate modern-day women heroines and martyrs who struggled
against injustice, oppression and exploitation specially during Martial Law.

SECTION 3. Creation of the National Filipino Women's Museum. - To carry out the above
policy, the National Filipino Women's Museum, hereinafter referred to as the Women's
Museum, is hereby created and established.

SECTION 4, Organization, Operation and Administration. - The organization, operation and
administration of the National Filipino Women's Museum shall follow the general and
standard: structures, management and operations established, mandated and practiced by the
National Commission of Culture and Arts (NCCA) and other appropriate agencies


SECTION 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The NCCA shall formulate, within thirty
(30) days from its effectivity, the rules and regulations necessary to implement this Act.

SECTION 6, Appropriations. - There are authorized to be appropriated in the General
Appropriations Act such sums as may be necessary for the purpose of carrying out this Act.

SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, rules and
regulations, and other issuance or parts thereof, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 8. Separability Clause. - if, for any reason, any section or provision of this Act is held
unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof shall not be affected
thereby.

SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from its publication in
the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation which ever

comes earlier.

Approved,