Not only does the law mandate the death penalty in a variety of situations, including for people who rape minors under their care, but more signficantly it puts the onus not on the victim but on the accused. It does so by making rape a public rather than private crime. This is crucial because it means authorities can press charges. The victim doesn't have to be subjected to humiliation anymore. The Philippine law has other unusually progressive features.
Wives can charge husbands with rape.
The law also widens the definition of the crime to include penetration with foreign objects, as well as non-consensual anal and oral sex. That it took nine years to clear Congress provides a clue to the Philippines' macho culture. If a woman was considered promiscuous, it was easy to convince a court that she had consented to having sex. If she was a prostitute, well, she might as well forget about pressing charges. It is a violation of the person.