By MB Online The Philippines was ranked 8th most gender-equal country by the World Economic Forum for 2018, a two-step rise from last year. WEF's Global Gender Gap Report, published December 17, found that the Philippines was able to close about 80 percent of its overall gender gap this year, which was "the highest value" ever recorded for the country. (REUTERS / MANILA BULLETIN) The Global Gender Gap Report, according to WEF, "benchmarks 149 countries on their progress towards gender parity across four thematic dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment." The report's 13th edition said that due to the "increases in wage equality for similar work and women’s estimated earned income" in the country, the Philippines was able to narrow its Economic Participation and Opportunity gender gap. "The country’s Health and Survival gender gap remains open for a second year, although its Educational Attainment gender gap remains fully closed," the report showed. The WEF noted that the Philippines was able to maintain its overall Index top 10 rankings "on the back of strong scores on closing the Political Empowerment gender gap, in particular." WEF called the Philippines a "bright spot" when it comes to political and economic leadership, adding that it is one of the five countries alongside Bahamas, Colombia, Jamaica, Lao PDR where "significant progress" in gender parity has been achieved. The report added that women and men were "equally likely to attain managerial positions" in the country. Meanwhile, the Philippines placed second in East Asia and the Pacific region with an overall score of 0.799, next to New Zealand which got a 0.801 score. Overall, WEF said there had been some improvements in wage equality this year compared to 2017 when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade. (With a report from AFP)