Senator Cynthia Villar highlighted the importance of women embracing technological advancements to pave the way for the continued progress of the Philippine economy.

"This is crucial as we face the challenges and seize the opportunities of the digital age," said Villar during the 18th Annual General Assembly of the Philippine Federation of Local Councils of Women (PFLCW).

"By doing so, we can empower women to become leaders, innovators, and key decision-makers in the digital economy," she added.  

However, she noted that the gender digital divide hinders women's digital empowerment.

She mentioned that globally, 70 percent of men use the internet compared to 65 percent of women. In low and middle-income countries, she said women are 15 percent less likely to use mobile Internet.

Also, Villar said only 24 percent of women globally enroll in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) courses. She added that this led to a shortage of skilled workers.

The senator said this figure is slightly higher at 30 to 40 percent in the Philippines, but still insufficient.

"We are missing the potential contributions of over half our population in developing a strong digital economy," she said.

Villar emphasizes that addressing this "divide" is very urgent as nearly 90 percent of jobs will require digital skills by 2025.

"We, in the Philippine Senate, continue our commitment to address the challenges and opportunities in the digital world through various laws and bills," related the senator.  

She mentioned some of them, such as Republic Act (RA) No. 11293 or the Philippine Innovation Act, RA No. 11337 or the Innovative Startup Act, RA No. 11967 or the Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act or RA No. 11927, RA No. 11967 or The Internet Transactions Act, RA No. 11976 or The Ease of Paying Taxes Act, and Senate Bill (SB) No. 2560: Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act or the AFASA.