My first two weeks of March were taken up by events and activities that had a direct bearing on how this is Women’s Month, and I loved that this was the case. When you factor in the issues that swirled around the first week of March, one just has to accept the inescapable, sad fact that while we can talk of Women’s Month having been celebrated here in the Philippines since 1988 – as established by Proclamation No. 227, and strengthened in 1990 by Republic Act No. 6949; there’s still so much the average Filipino male has to understand and be enlightened about, when we speak of gender-sensitivity. Even the claim by so many Filipino men to being gender-sensitive seems more like empty lip service to me, than actual fact. But more on that later.

Women empowerment continues to be a challenge, and while we have seen great strides in many diverse fields – whether in politics, the board room, in entrepreneurship and SME’s, and in sports – there’s still so much to accomplish to make this the norm, merit-based, and matter of fact; rather than the exception we set as the inspiration, and proof that it can occur.

Annually, SM Supermalls rolls out the SM Aura red carpet for International Women’s Day (IWD), with the activities serving as recognition of the achievements of women, and as reminder of the need for continued progress towards gender equality. With the theme of “The Future Is Hers,” the 2026 International Women’s Day Summit was a well-attended affair that was spearheaded by the third-generation Sy’s; and I liked how the men in their lives, whether husband, brother or cousin, showed up to demonstrate support.

I’ve often made the point that unless you get the men invested in, subscribing to, and supporting women empowerment and inclusivity; then you’re just creating a purely women-led domain, a second layer of exclusivity. You don’t want to make the same mistake we men generated and reinforced over centuries. And yes, I can understand the impetus to make the women aware of their power and potential as the first order of the day; but as in most anything, one can’t just concentrate on the one priority and forget the others, which do serve as conditions for making the vision a reality with substance.

The hotly discussed events of that first week in March point out that so many men who should know better, and we would presume are educated, enlightened or “woke,” are still “cavemen” at heart. And if that is the case, imagine what that the scenario is like as you get a broader population sample of Filipino men. And that’s why I’m stressing that the education of the Filipino man is just as important as empowering the Filipina. Otherwise, the sexism, misogyny, and the objectification of women that we wish to condemn will remain endemic to a Filipino man’s way of thinking – and his believing it is okay to utter these thoughts publicly. Plus let’s make sure the next generation of Filipino men, the boys of today, grow up with the right value system.

I spoke about this with Lenlen Mesina, our UN Women’s Country Program Coordinator, and she has happy to see that I recognized this quandry. Inclusivity should mean exactly what it says; as too many of the events surrounding Women’s Month are designed to be non-inclusive. Lenlen was one of the speakers at the Summit and she gave a really illuminating talk about the UN-related programs; and how they’re pro-active on the ground, designed to uplift the women who need it the most. The Summit had subheadings of Create, Lead, and Thrive; and there were talks on Mental Health, on Creativity and Technology, and Women in Business.

For the ongoing Women’s Month series of our Manila Bulletin podcast The Sit Down, I had the pleasure of being assigned the episode that would feature Rose Bosch-Ong. I’ve known Rose for over 20 years, and she’s presently senior executive vice-president and chief operating officer of that trusted name for all home needs, Wilcon Depot. As of January 2026, the brand operates 107 stores, with an average size of 10,000 square meters per store. Wilcon Depot is a publicly listed company.

But more than Wilcon, my podcast chat with Rose has to do with her being incoming president of the Women’s Business Council (WomenBizPH). WomenBizPH is an extremely diverse group of women executives, those who have shattered the glass ceiling and operate in the board rooms of the most influential Philippine corporations. Whether in construction, in retail, logistics, manufacture, or AI and technology, you’ll find representation on this female-led council. Of special interest is how the council will be taking the lead later in the year for a number of ASEAN- related events and activities.

Look out for this podcast, as Rose speaks frankly on her challenging, 40-year rise up the ranks of Wilcon; and most importantly gives credit to the support system she has been blessed with. March 18 is the projected date when the episode “drops.”