BEYOND BUDGET

Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

To my fellow women, I hope you had a meaningful International Women’s Day celebration last March 8, 2025. I am one with the worldwide call to #AccelerateAction that positively impacts women’s advancement. 

Deeply rooted in this celebration, our country has dedicated March as Women’s Month to recognize our contributions to nation-building. It is a time when we honor the strength, resilience, and unwavering spirit of every Filipina who continues to break barriers and overcome challenges, proving that we, women, are unstoppable.

As you know, gender equality and women’s empowerment are causes close to my heart. As a woman and a female Muslim Cabinet member of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s (PBBM’s) administration, I believe these are vital aspects of building a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable Philippines. Thus, I am privileged to have been recognized by the YWCA Founder’s Federation of the Philippines and various women’s groups for my “outstanding contribution to women’s empowerment” during the 2025 International Women’s Assembly in Manila. I share this achievement with all inspiring women and congratulate my fellow awardees, who are vital in bridging the gender gap.

This year’s celebration is especially meaningful as we mark important milestones in pursuing gender equality and women’s empowerment, including the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, a landmark document for advancing women’s rights and gender equality worldwide, as well as the culmination of the 30-year Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development 1995-2025.

Further, it has been 45 years since the Philippines signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which established an international bill of rights for women and an agenda for action by countries to guarantee the enjoyment of those rights. We have stayed true to our commitment, actively implementing the Magna Carta of Women, a comprehensive law that seeks to eliminate discrimination through the recognition, protection, fulfillment, and promotion of the rights of Filipinas, especially those in marginalized sectors.

Additionally, three decades have passed since the introduction of the Gender and Development budget policy, the “Women’s Budget,” under the 1995 General Appropriations Act (GAA), mandating all government agencies to set aside at least five percent of their annual total budget for gender and development.

Indeed, we have come a long way. But while we have achieved notable developments, our fight is far from over. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2024 which benchmarks gender parity across four key areas — economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment — showed that the Philippines slipped nine spots, landing in 25th out of 146 countries due to “losses in economic parity and a reduction in the share of women ministers.” 

Hence, under PBBM’s leadership, the government is determined to realize women’s empowerment and gender development in all sectors of society. Women’s Month is now more than just a celebration, but a call to push for true equality.

As reflected in our Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, gender equality is essential in our collective effort toward achieving our Agenda for Prosperity. On the part of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), we are ensuring that our national budget is allocated and utilized to implement projects that empower women, promote gender equality, and integrate gender-responsive elements into flagship programs.

One such program is the Department of Science and Technology’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program, a nationwide strategy to boost micro, small, and medium enterprises’ productivity and competitiveness through technological innovations. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, the program has an allocation of ₱924.30 million, an increase from its allocation of ₱910.13 million in 2024.

Another is the Department of Trade and Industry’s Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso Program, a financing initiative to assist micro-entrepreneurs, especially women, by providing affordable, cost-efficient microloans. This is allocated ₱500 million for the year. Some ₱454.26 million is also allocated for the establishment of Negosyo Centers to create more job opportunities for existing and potential entrepreneurs nationwide, helping women in starting, managing, and growing businesses.

Just last March 4, PBBM approved the funding for the establishment of child development centers to provide avenues for learning, especially for girls, in 229 low-income class municipalities lacking resources for basic education development hubs. Following this directive and to facilitate the construction of basic childcare service facilities, the DBM commits to fund the required ₱700 million under the FY2025 Local Government Support Fund.

I am also happy to share that under the New Government Procurement Act, signed into law last year, we institutionalized gender-responsive approaches in public procurement to provide an enabling environment that stimulates equal opportunities for women-owned and women-led businesses to participate meaningfully in public procurement and government contracting.

Beyond budget, gender inequality is not just a women’s concern but a societal issue that affects us all. I therefore urge everyone to continue championing women’s empowerment and advocating for policies prioritizing gender equality. Let us innovate and inspire change, united by our shared vision of a Bagong Pilipinas where every woman is seen, heard, protected, and empowered to thrive safely, with dignity and opportunity. Mabuhay ang mga kababaihan ng Bagong Pilipinas!

(Amenah F. Pangandaman is the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management.)