.<■
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
6 2 7
S. N o
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.if iL" -2'
*19 
JUL 18 P4--02
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN ACT
AMENDING SECTION 40 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9710, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE MAGNA CARTA OF WOMEN
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Republic Act No. 9710, otherwise knowTi as the Magna Carta of Women, 
provides the legal basis for the planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation for 
Gender and Development (GAD) program of a national government agency or local 
government unit (LGU), stating in part that;
“Section 36. G ender M ainstream ing as a Strategy for 
Im plem enting the Magna Carta of W om en. —  ...The 
developm ent of G AD program s shall proceed from  the 
conduct of a gender audit of the agency or the local 
governm ent unit and a gender analysis of its policies, 
program s, services and the situation o f its clientele: the 
generation and review o f sex- disaggregated data; and 
consuitation with gender/w om en's rights advocates and 
agency/w om en clientele. The cost of im plem enting GAD 
program s shall be the agency’s or the local governm ent 
unit's G AD budget which shall be at least five percent 
(5% ) of the agency's or the local governm ent unit's total 
budget appropriations.”
However, in as much as mechanisms are in place to monitor the compliance of 
concerned agencies and local government units to ensure the full utilization of the 
appropriated 5% of the total budget for their respective GAD programs, the overall 
statistics show that utilization of the appropriated GAD budget has not reached its full 
potential. Some implementing agencies fall behind in fulfilling this obligation. The 
Commission on Audit, for instance, noted that out of nineteen (19) GAD programmed


activities in the Office of the President in 2016, only six (6) were implemented with a 
total cost of P532,406.00 or 0.019% of the total appropriations of the agency’.1
Gender mainstreaming is a strategy which aims for the inclusion and 
prioritization of women’s concerns and perspectives within agencies through the 
creation of gender-responsive programs tailored to positively impact both women and 
men.2 Government is mandated by R.A. No. 9710 to successfully integrate and 
implement this strategy in their areas of development, and it is imperative for all 
agencies and LGUs to fulfill their obligation to efficiently utilize the prescribed 5% of 
the appropriated budget towards implementing programs, plans and actions that 
contribute to gender mainstreaming.
If any, this failure to utilize the appropriated budget for gender mainstreaming 
reflects on the work that has still to be done in order to inculcate the value and 
importance of gender equality and women empowerment in the government 
workplace and in society in general. Now, more than ever, under an administration 
leadership that not only appears to lack the necessary attention and respect for 
women, but also debases them through consistent attacks in public and official events, 
gender mainstreaming must be accomplished with urgency, so as not to 
institutionalize the current administration leadership’s dehumanization of women in 
society, particularly of women leaders in government.
Only through a consistent and conscientious implementation of the Magna 
Carta of Women can government and Philippine society be truly rid of gender bias and 
the rampant misogynism that have presently reared their ugly heads in our midst once 
again. Towards this effort, our present laws on the protection of women and the 
programmatic education and mainstreaming of gender equality should not only be 
enforced and followed to the letter, but moreover, strengthened and accelerated. Only 
in this manner will we be able to counter the unapologetic exhibition of anti-women 
rhetoric that has dominated official government discourse since the start of the present 
administration.
1 Roxas, Joseph T rista n . "COA: Palace only spent 0.019% ofP14-M budget fo r gender programs in 2016." 12 
July 2017. G M A  N ew s O n lin e . A v a ila b le  a t: h ttp ://w w w .g m a n e tw o rk .c o m /n e w s /n e w s /n a tio n /6 1 7 8 3 4 /c o a - 
p a la c e -o n ly - s p e n t-0 -0 1 9 -o f-p l4 -m -b u d g e t-fo r-g e n d e r-p ro g ra m s -in -2 0 1 6 /s to ry / <la st v is ite d  on 16 M a y  2019>
2 P h ilip p in e  C om m issio n  on  W o m e n . "PCW and COA strengthen call fo r gender mainstreaming during the 2017 
GAD Budget Fora." 10 N o v e m b e r 2017. A va ila b le  a t: h ttp s ://p c w .g o v .p h /a rtic le /p c w -a n d -c o a -s tre n g th e n -c a ll- 
g e n d e r-m a in s tre a m in g -d u rin g -2 0 1 7 -g a d -b u d g e t-fo ra  <last vis ite d  on 16 M a y  2019>


This bill seeks to create a Joint Congressional Oversight Committee to 
strengthen mechanisms to monitor progress, compliance and implementation of R.A. 
No. 9710. Such is to complement the Commission on Human Right’s function as 
Gender and Development Ombud, whose chairperson shall be designated as an ex- 
officio member of the oversight committee.
Approval of this measure is earnestly sought.
LKIIAM. DE LIMA


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular'Session 
)
O
f t  c r  o f l l ) >  S E a > r . n la r j-
SENATE
*19 
JUL18 P4--02
S. No.
Introduced bv SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN AC I
AMI:NI)ING s e c t io n  40 o e r e p u b l ic  act n o . 9710, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE MAGNA CARTA OE WOMEN
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repi'esentatives of the Philippines in 
Congress Assembled:
1 
Section i. A new section shall be inserted after Section 40(a) of the Magna Carta
2 
of Women, to be read as follows:
3 
“SECTION 40. Monitoring Progress and Implementation and
4 
Impact of this Act. — The PCW, in coordination with other state
5 
agencies and the CHR, shall submit to Congress regular reports on
6 
the progress of the implementation of this Act highlighting the
7 
impact thereof on the status and human rights of women:
8 
XXX
9 
SF:CII0 N 40-A. JOINT OVIJCSIGHT COMMITTEE. -
10 
THI-:RE is h e r e b y  CRIiATED a jo in t  OVT'.RSIGHT
11 
COMMITTEE TO OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
12 
THIS ACT. THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE SHALL BE
13 
COMPOSED OF FIVE MEMBERS l^C H  FROM THE
14 
SENATE AND THE HOUSE IN ADDITION TO THE
15 
CHAIRS 
OF 
THE 
COMMITTEES 
ON 
WOMEN,
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CHILDREN, AND GENDER EQUALITV, WHO SHALL BE
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CO-CHAIRS OF THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. THE


1 
MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMllTEE FOR EVERY
2 
HOUSE SHALL AT LEAST HAVE TWO OPPOSITION OR
3 
MINORIIT 
MEMBERS. 
THE 
JOINT 
OVERSIGHT
4 
COMMITTEE SHALL HAVE ITS OWN INDEPENDENT
5 
COUNSEL. THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMISSION
6 
ON HUMAN RIGHTS SHALL BE AN EX- OFFICIO
7 
MEMBER.”
8 
Sec. 2. Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
9 
order, letter of instruction, rule or regulation inconsistent with the proxisions of this Act
10 
is hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
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Sec. 3. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its
12 
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
13 
circulation in the Philippines.
Approved,