FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to provide the necessary mechanisms to enforce and guarantee the 
realization of women's rights as well as adopt and undertake steps to include 
temporary special measures which encompass a wide variety of legislative, executive, 
administrative and other regulatory instruments, policies and practices aimed at 
accelerating the equal participation of women in the political, economic, social, cultural, 
civil or any other field. 
The fundamental equality before the law of women and men is guaranteed by 
the Constitution. This Constitutional provision is reiterated by R.A. No. 719.2, otherwise 
known as "Women in Development and Nation Building Act of 1992," which promotes 
the integration of women as full and equal partners of men in development and nation 
building. Earlier, R.A. No. 6725, which was approved on May 12, 1989, prohibited 
employers' discrimination against female employees, with respect to terms and 
conditions of employment, solely on account of their sex. 
According to the Department of Labor and Employment, women make up 40% 
of the 37 million of the total number of employed Filipinos, specifically dominating the 
office jobs. Furthermore, in 2006, the International Labor Organization has identified the 
Philippines as having the world's highest ratio of women to men in executive positions, 
with women occupying 58% of the same. 
In spite of these, gender discrimination, stereotyping and exploitation and abuse 
of women continue to exist and pervade in our social and cultural sphere. Despite the 
fact that the Filipina has come a long way in the career ladder, women continue to be 
abused, both physically and sexually, as shown by everyday reports of rape and wife 
battery incidents. The pervasiveness of the abuse on women also contribute to the fact 
that even though the Filipino women have greatly advanced in the professional level, 
still, much of what Filipinos read, watch and hear every day in print and electronic 
media are redolent of discrimination and gender stereotypes. 
The need to institutionalize the rights of women arises, especially in this time of 
social and economic advancement. This proposal, the Magna Carta of Women, seeks to 
underscore the policy of the State in pursuing the fundamental equality of men and 
women. 


Salient features of this bill include: 
1.) Guaranteeing the institution of comprehensive health services for women; 
2.) Upholding the rights of women in the marginalized sectors; 
3.) Ensuring women’s right to livelihood, credit, capital and technology; 
4.) Ensuring their right to housing through housing programs and consultations; 
5.) Upholding their right to representation and participation with the plan of 
a. increasing the recruitment and training of women in the police force, 
forensics and medico-legal, legal services, and such other services 
availed by women who are victims of gender-related offenses, 
b. achieving a fifty-fifty gender balance in the third level positions in 
government within the next five (5) years, and 
c. ensuring at least 33% membership of women in all development 
councils from the regional, provincial, city, municipal and barangay 
levels; 
6.) Reinforcing the implementation of the 5% Gender and Development (GAD) 
budget; 
7.) Strengthening the role of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino 
Women (NCRFW) as the over-all monitoring body to ensure the 
implementation of this Act; 
8.) Establishing a GAD Ombudsman in the Commission on Human Rights; 
9.) Establishing an incentives and rewards system for deserving entities, 
government agencies and local government units for their outstanding 
performance in upholding the rights of women. 
The empowerment of women shall translate into empowerment of the society as 
a whole as women are integral partners in nation-building. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
Senator 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
AN ACT 
PROMOTING THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN, 
UPHOLDING THEIR RIGHT TO REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION, 
ESTABLISHING AN INCENTIVES AND REWARDS SYSTEM FOR 
DESERVING ENTITIES, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT UNITS FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE 
IN UPHOLDING THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
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 Magna Carta of 
Women". 
SECTION 2.Declaration ofpolicy. - The State recognizes the role of women in 
nation building and shall ensure the substantive equality of women and men. It shall 
promote the empowerment of women and pursue equal opportunities for men and 
women as well as ensure their equal access to resources and to development results and 
outcome. 
It condemns discrimination against women in all its forms and pursues by all, 
appropriate means and without delay the policy of eliminating discrimination against 
women in keeping with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of 
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and other international instruments. The 
State shall accord to women the rights, protection, and opportunities available to every 
member of society. 
The State affirms women's rights as human rights and shall intensify its efforts to 
recognize, respect, protect, fulfill and promote all human rights and fundamental 
freedoms of women especially in the marginalized sectors of society to guarantee their 
economic, social and cultural well-being without distinction or discrimination on 
account of class, age, sex, .gender, language, ethnicity, religion, ideology, disability, 
education and status. 
The State shall provide the necessary mechanisms to enforce and guarantee the 
realization of women's rights as well as adopt and undertake steps to include 
temporary special measures which encompass a wide variety of legislative, executive, 
administrative and other regulatory instruments, policies and practices aimed at 
accelerating the equal participation of women in the political, economic, social, cultural, 
civil or any other field. Temporary special measures must be discontinued when their 
desired results have been achieved and sustained for a period of time. 
1 


The State, in ensuring the full integration of women’s concerns in the mainstream 
of development, shall provide ample opportunities to enhance and develop their skills, 
acquire productive employment and contribute to their communities to the fullest of 
their capabilities. 
In pursuance of this policy, the State recognizes the right of women in all sectors 
to participate in policy formulation, planning, organization, implementation, 
management monitoring, and evaluation of all programs and projects. It shall support 
policies, researches, technology and training programs and other support services such 
as financing, production and marketing to encourage active participation of women in 
national development. 
SECTION 3. Definitions. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall 
(A)Empowement refers to the provision, availability and accessibility of 
opportunities which enable women to actively participate and contribute to the 
political, economic, social, and cultural development of the nation as well as 
those which shall provide them equal access to ownership, management and 
control of production, and of material and informational resources and benefits 
in the family, community and society; 
mean: 
(B) Discrimination Against Women refers to any gender-based distinction, 
exclusion or restriction which has the effect or purpose of impairing or 
nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of 
their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human 
rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, 
civil or any other field; 
(C)Marginalization - a condition where a whole category of people is expelled 
from useful participation in political, economic, social and cultural life and 
is potentially subjected to severe material deprivation and even 
extermination. 
(D) The marginalized refer to the basic, disadvantaged, or vulnerable persons 
or groups who are mostly living in poverty and have little or no access to 
land and resources, basic social and economic services such as health care, 
education, water and sanitation, employment and livelihood opportunities, 
housing, social security, physical infrastructure and justice system. 
These include women in the following: 
1. Small Farmers and Rural Workers. - refer to those who are engaged directly 
or indirectly in small farms and forest areas, workers in commercial farms 
and plantations, whether paid or unpaid, regular or season-bound. These 
shall include but not limited to (a) small farmers who own or are still 
amortizing for lands that is not more than three (3) hectares, tenants, 
leaseholders, and stewards; (b) rural workers who are either wage earners, 
self-employed, unpaid family workers directly & personally engaged in 
agriculture, small scale mining handicrafts and other related on-farm/off- 
farm activities 
2 


2. Fishers. - refer to those directly or indirectly engaged in taking, culturing or 
processing fishery or aquatic resources. These include, but are not be limited 
to, women engaged in fishing in municipal waters and coastal areas, women 
workers in commercial fishing and aquaculture, vendors and processors of 
fish and coastal products, and subsistence producers such as shell-gatherers, 
managers and producers of mangrove resources and other related producers. 
3. Urban Poor - natural person/s residing in urban and urbanizable slum or 
blighted areas, with or without the benefit of security of tenure, where the 
income of 
the head of the family cannot afford in a sustained manner to 
provide for the fainily the minimum basic needs of food, health, education, 
housing and other essential amenities in life. 
4. Worlcers in the Formal Economy - refer to those who are employed by any 
person acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer in relation to 
an employee and shall include the Government and all its branches, 
subdivision and instrumentalities, all government-owned or controlled 
corporations and institutions, or as well as non-profit private institutions, or 
organizations. 
5. Workers in the Informal Economy. - shall refer to self-employed and all those 
without employer - employee relationship. 
6. Migvant workers. - shall refer 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. 
7. Indigenous Peoples. - refer to those who are members of any indigenous 
peopIes/indigenous cultural communities of the Philippines as defined under 
Section 3(h), Chapter I1 of Republic Act No. 8371 otherwise known as ”The 
Indigenous People’s Rights Act of 1997” (IPRA of 1997). 
8. Moro - refer to indigenous peoples that historically inhabited Mindanao, 
Palawan and Sulu, and who are of the Islamic faith. 
9, Children. - shall refer to children below eighteen (18) years of age or those 18 
and over but are unable to fully take care of themselves or protect themselves 
from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or discrimination because of a 
physical or mental disability or condition. 
10. Senior Citizens - shall refer to those sixty (60) years of age and above 
11. Persons with Disabilities. - shall refer to those who are suffering froa 
restriction or different abilities, as a result of a mental, physical or sensory 
impairment to perform an’ activity in the manner or within the range 
considered normal for a human being. 
12. Solo Parents. - shall refer to those who fall under the category of a. solo 
parent defined under Republic Act No. 8972, otherwise known as the ”Solo 
Parents Welfare Act of 2000”. 
3 


(E) Gender - refers to the socially differentiated roles, characteristics and 
expectations attributed by culture to women and men. It is created, produced, 
reproduced and maintained by social institutions. 
Gender roles and attributes are not natural nor biologically given. 
(F) Gender Equality indicates that men and women enjoy the same status; have 
equal conditions for realizing their full human potentials to contribute to and 
benefit from the results of development 
(G) Gender and Development (GAD) refers to the development perspective and 
process that are participatory and empowering, equitable, sustainable, free from 
violence, respectful of human rights, supportive of self-determination and 
actualization of human potentials. It seeks to achieve gender equality as a 
fundamental value that should be reflected in development choices; seeks to 
transform society’s social, economic and political structures and questions the 
validity of the gender roles they ascribed to women and men; contends that 
women are active agents of development and not just passive recipients of 
development assistance, and stresses the need of women to organize themselves 
and participate in political processes to strengthen their legal rights; 
( H )  Gender Mainstreaming is the process of assessing the implications for 
women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or 
programs, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women’s as 
well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, 
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs in all 
political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally 
and inequality is not perpetuated. 
(I) Violence against Women 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. It shall be 
understood to encompass, but not be limited to, the following: 
1. physical, sexual, psychological, and economic violence occurring in the family, 
including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry- 
related violence, marital rape, and other traditional practices harmful to women, 
non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation; 
2. physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general 
community, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at 
work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women and 
prostitution; 
3. Physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the 
state, wherever it occurs. 
As defined in R.A. 9262, 
Physical violence shall mean bodily or physical harm. 
4 


Sexual violence shall mean any act that is sexual in nature, including but not 
limited to: rape; sexual harassment; acts of lasciviousness; treating the women or 
her child as a sex object; making demeaning and sexually suggestive remarks; 
physically attacking the sexual parts of the victim’s body; forcing the victim to 
watch obscene publications and indecent shows; forcing the victim to do 
indecent acts and/ or make films thereof; forcing the wife and mistress/lover to 
live in the conjugal home or to sleep together in the same room with the abuser; 
causing or attempting to cause the victim to engage in sexual activity by force, 
physical or other harm, coercion or threats thereof; prostitutii?g the women or 
her child. 
Psychological violence shall mean acts or omissions causing mental or emotional 
suffering of the victim, such as but not limited to: intimidation; harassment; 
stalking; damage to property; public ridicule or humiliation; repeated verbal 
abuse; marital infidelity; causing or allowing the victim to witness the physical, 
sexual, or psychological abuse of a family member; causing or allowing the 
victim to witness pornography in any form; causing or allowing the victim to 
witness abusing injury to pets; unlawful or unwanted deprivation of the right to 
custody and/or visitation of common children. 
Economic vioZence shall mean acts that make a woman financially dependent, 
including: withdrawal of financial support; prevgnting the victim from engaging 
in any legitimate profession, occupation, business or activity; deprivation of 
financial resources and the right to conjugal, community or property owned in 
common; destroying household property or controlling the victim’s own money 
or properties. 
SECTION 4. Human Rights of Women. - All rights recognized under 
international instruments duly signed and ratified by the Philippines, including rights 
under the Constitution and other existing laws, shall be rights of women under this Act 
to be enjoyed without discrimination. 
SECTION 5. Protection from Violence- The State shall ensure that all women 
shall be protected from all forms of violence as provided for in existing laws. Agencies 
of government shall give priority to the defense and protection to women against 
gender-based offenses and help women attain justice and healing. Towards this end, 
measures to prosecute and reform offenders shall likewise be pursued. 
(A). Within the next five years, there shall be an incremental increase in the 
recruitment and training of women in the police force, forensics and medico-legal, and 
legal services and such other services availed by women who are victims of gender - 
related offenses, until 50% of personnel shall be women. 
(B). Women shall have the right to protection and security in situations of armed 
conflict and militarization. The State shall observe international standards, particularly 
International Humanitarian Laws, for the protection of civilian population in 
circumstances of emergency and armed conflict. It shall not force women, especially 
indigenous peoples, to abandon their lands, territories and means of subsistence, or 
relocate them in special centers for military purposes under any discriminatory 
condition. 
(C). All government personnel involved in the protection and defense of women 
against gender-based violence shall undergo a mandatory training on human rights and 
5 


gender sensitivity pursuant to this Act. 
SECTION 6. Participation and Representation. The State shall undertake 
temporary special measures to accelerate the participation and representation of women 
in all spheres of society particularly in the decision-making and policy-making 
processes in government and private entities to fully realize their role as agents and 
beneficiaries of development. 
The State shall institute affirmative action mechanisms so that women can 
participate meaningfully in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of policies, 
plans and programs for national, regional and local development; 
(A) Empowerment in Civil Service. Within the next five (5) years, the number of 
women in third level positions in government shall be increased to achieve a fifty-fifty 
gender balance. 
(B) Development Councils and Planning Bodies. To ensure the participation of 
women in all levels of development planning and program implementation, at least 
33% of membership of all development councils from the regional, provincial, city, 
municipal and barangay levels shall be composed of women. 
(C) Other policy and decision-making bodies. Women’s groups shall also be 
represented in international, national and local special and decision-making bodies such 
as, but not limited, to agricultural, fisheries, agrarian reform and anti-poverty councils. 
(D) International bodies. The State shall take all appropriate measures to ensure 
that women, on equal terms with men and without any discrimination, the opportunity 
to represent their Governments at the international level and to participate in the work 
of international organizations. 
(E) Integration of Women in Political Parties. The State shall provide incentives 
to political parties with women’s agenda and with women comprising at least 33% of 
their leadership and/or membership. It shall likewise encourage the representation of 
women in their internal policy-making structures, appointive and electoral nominating 
processes. 
(F) Private sector. The State shall take measures to encourage women leadership 
in the private sector in the form of incentives. 
SECTION 7. Equal Treatment before the Law. The State shall take steps to 
review and when necessary, amend and/or repeal existing discriminatory laws within 
three years from effectivity of this Act. 
SECTION 8. Equal Access and Elimination of Discrimination in Education, 
Scholarships and Training. 
(A) 
The State shall remove gender stereotypes and images in 
educational materials and curricula. Gender-sensitive language 
shall be used at all times. 
Enrollment of women and men in non-traditional skills training in 
vocational and tertiary levels shall be encouraged. 
(B) 
6 


(C) 
Expulsion of women students for single pregnancy shall be 
outlawed. 
SECTION 9. Nan-discriminatory Portrayal of Women in Media and Film - The 
State shall formulate policies and programs for the advancement of women in 
collaboration with media-related organizations from the private sector. It shall likewise 
endeavor to raise the consciousness of the general public in recognizing the dignity of a 
woman, and the role and contribution of women in the family, community and the 
society through the strategic use of the mass media. 
For this purpose, the State shall provide incentives to encourage programming 
that appropriately present women’s needs, issues and concerns in movies, television 
shows, advertisements and print media, and support media watch groups, media 
professional associations and women’s organizations. Similarly, gender-sensitivity 
training (GST) programs for all media practitioners including producers, directors, 
managers, journalists, news editors, news reporters, publishers as well as those in the 
movie and advertising industries shall be organized to encourage the creation and use 
of non-stereotyped, balanced, diverse and positive images of women in media. The use 
of gender-fair language shall also be encouraged specifically in the practice of their 
profession. 
The MTRCB shall revise its rules and regulations to discourage unfair or 
derogatory portrayal of women in both media and film. 
SECTION 10. Access to Information and Services relating to Women’s Health; 
(A) Comprehensive Health Seruices. - The State shall at all times provide for 
comprehensive gender responsive health services and programs covering all stages of a 
woman’s life cycle and ensure access to the following: 
1. Maternal care services; 
2. Nutrition package; 
3. Reproductive health services; 
4. Adolescent and youth health services; 
5. Women and children protection services; 
6. Screening and appropriate management of reproductive tract infections (RTIS) 
including sexually transmitted infections (STIS), human immunodeficiency virus 
(HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), breast and reproductive 
tract cancers, and other gynecological conditions; 
7. Healthy lifestyle activities; 
8. Care of the. elderly; 
9. Health services for women with disabilities; 
10. Post-menopausal services; 
11. VAW Services - Women shall be given provision and access to comprehensive 
servicks which include psychosocial therapeutic interventions and assistance 
towards healing, recovery and empowerment 
(B) Comprehensive Health Information and Education. - The State shall provide 
women in all sectors with timely, complete and accurate information and education on 
all the above-stated aspects of women’s health, in government education and training 
programs. 
7 


Further, education programs on reproductive health shall always include the 
following: 
1. The important role of parents in the total formation of their children 
2. The formation of a person's sexuality that affirms human dignity 
3. Natural and artificial family planning methods including fertility awareness 
SECTION 11. Equal rights in all matters relating to marriage and family 
relations. The State shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination 
against women in all matters relating to marriage and family relations and shall ensure: 
(1) The same right to enter into and leave partnerships or relationships other 
than those referred to in the Family Code 
(2) The same right to choose freely a spouse and to enter into marriage only with 
their free and full consent. The betrothal and the marriage of a child shall 
have no legal effect. 
(3) The joint decision on the number and spacing of their chiIdren and to have 
access' to the information, education and means to enable them to exercise 
these rights; 
(4) The same persona1 rights as husband and wife, including the right to choose 
freely a profession and an occupation; 
(5) The same rights for both spouses in respect of the ownership, acquisition, 
management, administration, enjoyment, and disposition of property. 
(6) The same rights to properties and resources, whether titled or not, and 
inheritance, whether formal or customary. 
Customary laws shall be respected provided, however, that they do not contradict the 
above-enumerated rights. 
CHAPTER IV 
RIGHTS AND EMPOWERMENT OF MARGINALIZED SECTORS 
SECTION. 12. 
The State recognizes the contribution of women to food 
production and shall therefore ensure sustainability and sufficiency of its activities in 
the household and community levels. To address this, the State shall ensure: 
(A) Right to Food - The State shall guarantee the availability of food in 
quantity and quality sufficient to satisfy the dietary needs of individuals; physical and 
economic accessibility for everyone to adequate food, free from unsafe substances and 
culturally accepted. 
(B) Right to Resources for Food Production 
The State shall promote the right to adequate food by proactively engaging in activities 
intended to strengthen access to and utilization of resources and means to ensure their 
livelihood, including food security: 
8 


1. Equal status shall be given to men and women, whether married or not, in the 
titling of the land and issuance of stewardship contracts and patents; 
2. Equal treatment shall be given to men and women beneficiaries of the 
agrarian reform program, wherein vested right of a woman agrarian reform 
beneficiary is defined by the woman’s relationship to the tillage, i.e. her direct 
and indirect contribution to the development of the land; 
3. Customary rights of women to the land, including access to and control of the 
fruits and benefits, shall be recognized in circumstances where private 
ownership is not possible such as ancestral domain claims; 
4. Information and assistance on claiming rights to the land shall be made 
available to women at all times; 
5. Equal rights of women to the enjoyment, use and management of land and 
water and other natural resources within their communities or ancestral 
domains: 
6. Equal access to the use and management of fisheries and aquatic resources, 
and all the rights and benefits accruing to stakeholders in the fishing 
industry; 
7. Equal status shall be given to men and women in the issuance of stewardship 
or lease agreements and other fishery rights that may be granted for the use 
and management of coastal and aquatic resources. In the same manner, 
women’s organizations shall be given equal treatment as with other 
marginalized fishers organizations in the issuance of stewardship or lease 
agreements or other fishery rights for the use and management of such 
coastal and aquatic resources which may include providing support to 
women-managed coastal resources; 
8. These shall be no discrimination against women in the deputization of fish 
wardens. 
9. Women-friendly agriculture technology shall be designed based on 
accessibility and viability shall be designed in consultation with women’s 
organizations; 
10. Access to small farmers-based and controlled seeds production and 
distribution shall be ensured; 
11.Indigenous practices of women in seed storage and cultivation shall be 
recognized; 
12. Provide opportunities for empowering women fishers to be involved in the 
control and management not only of the catch and production of aquamarine 
resources but also to engage in entrepreneurial activities which will add value to 
production and marketing ventures; 
13. Provide economic opportunities for the indigenous women, particularly 
access to market for their produce. 
9 


SECTION 13. Rigkt to Housing - The State shall develop housing programs for 
women that are localized, simple, accessible, secure, with viable employment 
opportunities and affordable amortization. In this regard, the State shall consult women 
and involve them in community planning and development especially in matters 
pertaining to land use, zoning and relocation. 
SECTION 14. Rigkt to Employment, Livelihood, Credit, Capital and 
Tecknology- The State shall ensure that women shall be provided with the following: 
(A)Equal access to formal sources of credit and capital at concessional rates; 
(B) Equal share to the produce of the farms and aquatic resources; 
(C) Support services and gears to protect them from occupational and health 
hazards. 
(D) Support services that will enable women to balance family obligations and 
work responsibilities; 
(E) Membership in unions regardless of status of employment and place of 
employment; 
(F) In recognition of the temporary nature of overseas work, the State shall exert 
all efforts to address the causes of outmigration by developing local 
employment and other economic opportunities for women and by 
introducing measures to curb violence and forced and involuntary 
displacement of local women. The State shall ensure the protection and 
promotion of the rights and welfare of migrant women regardless of their 
work status; 
(G)Protection against discrimination in wages, conditions of work and 
employment opportunities in host countries; 
(H) Employment opportunities for returning women migrant workers taking 
into account their skills and qualifications. Corollarily, the State shall also 
promote skills and entrepreneurship development of returning women migrant 
workers. 
SECTION 15. Rigkt to Education And Training - The State shall ensure the 
following: 
(A) Participation in trainings and extension services related to rights enumerated 
in Sections 6 and 8 of this Act; 
(B) Gender-sensitive trainings and seminars; 
(C) Equal opportunities in scholarship, especially to those interested in research 
and development aimed towards women-friendly farm technology. 
SECTION 16. Right to Representation and Participation - The State shall ensure 
women’s participation in policy-making or decision-making bodies in the regional, 
national, and international levels. It shall also ensure the participation of at least thirty 
three percent (33%) grassroots women leaders in decision and policy making bodies in 
10 


their respective sectors, including but not limited to, Presidential Agrarian Reform 
Council (PARC) and local counterparts; community-based resource management bodies 
or mechanisms on forest management and stewardship; National Fisheries and Aquatic 
Resources Management Council (NFARMC) and local counterparts; National 
Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor and 
where applicable, local housing boards; and National Anti-Poverty Commission. 
SECTION 17. Right to Infomation - Access to information regarding policies on 
women, including programs, projects and budget shall be ensured. 
SECTION 18. Social Protection. - 
(A) The Social Security System (SSS) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation 
(Philhealth) shall support indigenous and community-based social protection schemes. 
(B) The State shall endeavor to reduce and eventually eliminate transfer costs of 
remittances from abroad through negotiations. It shall likewise provide access to 
investment opportunities for remittances in line with national development efforts; 
(C) The State shall establish alternative social security system and health insurance 
program for senior citizens 
SECTION 19. Recognition and Preservation of Cultural Identitybntegrity - The 
State recognizes and respects the rights of Mor0 and indigenous women to practice, 
promote, protect and preserve their own culture, traditions and institutions and to 
consider these rights in the formulation and implementation of national policies and 
programs. To this end, the State shall adopt measures in consultation with the sectors 
concerned to protect their rights to their indigenous knowledge systems and practices, 
traditional livelihood and other manifestations of their cultures and ways of life 
provided that these cultural systems and practices are not discriminatory to women as 
defined in this Act 
SECTION 20. Peace and Development - Peace process shall be pursued with the 
following considerations: 
(A) Increase the number of women participating in decision making in the peace 
process, including membership in peace panels; 
(B) Ensure the development and inclusion of the women’s peace agenda in the 
over-all peace strategy and women’s participation in the planning, 
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of rehabilitation and rebuilding 
of conflict-affected areas; 
(C) Recognize and support women’s role in conflict-prevention and peacemaking 
and in indigenous systems of conflict resolution 
SECTION 21. Protection of Girl-children. - 
(A)The State shall pursue measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination 
against girl-children in education, health and nutrition and skills development. 
(B) Girl-children shall be protected from all forms of abuse and exploitation 
caused by negative cultural attitudes and practices as well as in the economic 
exploitation of child labor. 
(C) Equal access of Moro and indigenous girl children in the Madaris, schools of 
11 


living culture and traditions and the regular schools, shall be ensured; 
(D) Gender-sensitive curriculum, including legal literacy, books and curriculum 
in the Madaris and school of living culture and tradition shall be developed. 
(E) Sensitivity of regular schools to particular Mor0 and indigenous practices, 
such as fasting in the month of Ramadhan, choice of clothing (including the 
wearing of hijab), halal food shall be ensured. 
SECTION 22. Protection of Senior Citizens - The State shall protect women 
senior-citizen from neglect, abandonment, domestic violence, abuse, exploitation and 
discrimination. Towards this end, the State shall ensure special protective mechanisms 
and support services against violence, sexual abuse, exploitation and discrimination of 
older women 
CHAPTER V 
INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS 
SECTION 23. Gender Mainstreaming as a strategy for implementing the Magna 
Carta of Women. All agencies, national and local, State colleges and universities, 
government owned and controlled corporations including local government units, shall 
adopt gender mainstreaming as a strategy to eliminate discrimination in their systems, 
policies, programs, processes and procedures that shall include but not be limited to the 
(A) GAD plan and budget. GAD plans based on the government entity’s and 
agency’s mandates or charter designed to empower women and gender issues, in 
accordance with R.A. 7192 and the national framework plan for women for the 
period, shall be developed. The development of the GAD plan shall proceed 
from the conduct of gender analysis of policies and programs, review and 
collection of sex-disaggregated data in consultation with gender/women’s rights 
advocates and agency women clientele. Programs on economic empowerment 
and strengthening of women’s bargaining powers in the globalized economy as 
well as micro-finance and micro-enterprise development of women; poverty 
alleviation and effective reduction of violence against women shall be priority 
allocation. The cost of implementation of the GAD plan shall be at least five 
percent (5%) of the agency’s total budget appropriations; 
(B) GADfocaZ points. Key fulltime or permanent personnel shall be appointed 
as GAD focal points in all government entities and agencies, both at the national 
and local levels. They shall serve as the catalysts and/or advocates that will 
facilitate the implementation of this Act. They shall likewise lead in the conduct 
of GAD-related initiatives in their respective agencies; 
(C) Sex-disaggregated data. All government entities and agencies shall develop 
a systematic sex-disaggregated data gathering and gender analysis for planning, 
programming and policy formulation; 
(D) GAD related policies and plans. Implementation of this Act shall be 
articulated in the following policies and plans: 
1. Macro-economic policies and plans such as the Medium-Term Philippine 
Development Plan and Medium-Term Philippine Investment Plan; 
2. Other national programs such as poverty-alleviation and hunger mitigation; 
following: 
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3. Plans and programs of local government units such as the comprehensive 
development plans, comprehensive land use plans, annual development 
plans and annual investment plans. 
In partnership with all relevant government agencies and institutions, non- 
government and people’s organizations and the private sector, the NCRFW shall 
develop a National Framework Plan for Women aimed at empowering women as well 
as men to achieve gender equality, to be used as a guide in the formulation of the 
abovementioned plans and programs. 
Local government units (LGU’s) shail likewise be encouraged to legislate GAD Codes, 
with the meaningful participation of women’s rights and gender advocates, in their 
respective units. 
SECTION 24. An officer duly trained on gender and development shall be 
designated as the gender focal point in the consular section of Philippine embassies or 
consulates. Said officer shall be primarily responsible in handling gender concerns of 
women migrant workers. Attached agencies shall cooperate in strengthening the 
Philippine foreign posts’ program for the delivery of services to women migrant 
workers; 
SECTION 25. The National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women 
(NCRFW). As the primary coordinating agency and policy advisory on women and 
gender concerns under the Office of the President, the NCRFW shall be the overall 
monitoring body to ensure the implementation of this Act. In doing so, it shall direct all 
agencies to report on the implementation of this Act and immediately respond to the 
problems brought to their attention in relation to this Act. It shall also lead in ensuring 
that government entities and agencies are capacitated on effective implementation of 
this Law 
SECTION 26. The Gender and Development (GAD) Ombudsman. A gender and 
development Ombudsman shall be established in the Commission on Human Rights. 
The GAD Ombudsman shall: 
(1) monitor and oversee the strict implementation of this Act, in coordination 
with NCRFW; 
(2) on its own or on report or complaint, have the power to require information, 
investigate or hear administrative complaint involving the possible violations 
of this Act; 
(3) use every and all reasonable means to ascertain the facts in the report or 
complaint, in all instances observing due process; 
(4) recommend to the President or the Civil Service Commission any possible 
administrative action based on non-compliance or failure to implenient the 
provisions of this Act; 
(5) direct agencies to immediately respond to the problems brought to their 
attention in relation to the implementation of this Act and report to the 
Council on action taken; 
(6) assist in filing of cases against individuals, agencies, institutions or 
establishment that violate the provision of this Act. 
SECTION. 27. Incentives and awards- there shall be established an incentives 
and awards system which shall be administered by a board under such rules and 
regulations as may be promulgated by the NCRFW to deserving entities, government 
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agencies and local government units for their outstanding performance in upholding 
the rights of women and effective implementation of gender-responsive programs. 
CHAPTER VI 
FINAL PROVISIONS 
SECTION 28. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - As the lead agency, the 
NCRFW shall, in coordination with the Commission on Human Rights and all 
departments and agencies, formulate the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of 
this Act within ninety (90) days after its effectivity. 
SECTION 29. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise 
affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
SECTION. 30. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary 
to, or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or 
amended accordingly. 
SECTION. 31. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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