The province of Sorsogon is joining the global community in celebrating Women’s Month this March, senatorial candidate and incument Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero said on Tuesday, March 8.
Escudero said their focus is on paying tribute to women’s contribution to nation-building with the theme “Agenda ng Kababaihan, Tungo sa Kaunlaran” with the overall theme “We make change work for women.”
“While we have achieved historic milestones over the years in terms of gender equality and women empowerment, the work will never be done as we always strive to create a humane society that will provide equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender, social status, religious faith, and political affiliation,” Escudero said in a statement.
“As we mark the month-long observance of National Women’s Month, we pay tribute to all Filipino women for their contribution to nation building,” said Escudero who is seeking a Senate comeback in the upcoming May 2022 elections.
Citing the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Escudero said there are 54.6 million women, or almost half of the country’s 110 million population.
“Hindi nating maipagkakaila na ang ating mga kababaihan ay tunay ngang katuwang sa pagsasaayos ng ating bansa (We can’t deny the fact that our women are the real partners in nation-building),” he said.
Escudero recalled that during the 14th Congress, he was one of the senators who supported the passage of Republic Act 9710, which is now known as The Magna Carta of Women.
He also introduced other legislative proposals meant to empower, protect and advance women’s rights which were, unfortunately, not acted upon during the 16th and 17th Congress.
“If given a chance to be a senator again, I intend to revisit the past proposed legislation I initiated and file them again if necessary,” he said.
“Perhaps, it is also time to review the 13-year-old Magna Carta of Women and assess how we can further refine the law to champion women’s rights and uplift the Gender and Development (GAD) programs of the national government and local government units (LGUs),” Escudero stressed.