By Sen. Pia S. CayetanoOn her blog www.whereispianow.com
Healthcare, nutrition, education, livelihood, these are just some of the concerns that women have to deal with every day. But who makes the policies on these important matters? The public officials are mostly men.
Women make up a little bit over 50% of our population and yet, they are always in the minority when it comes to decision-making bodies. In the Senate, there are only 4 out of 23. In the House of Representatives, there is about 25% women. But in the local government level, there are only 18% women councilors.
I have often blogged about empowering women. I have often mentioned that to have more gender-sensitive policies and laws, we need more women in government. But not just any woman. We need women who are competent, and knowledgeable about issues that affect women, their families and society, women who understand that discrimination abounds and that we must change policies and laws to achieve true equality.
There are outstanding women candidates out there. In the Nacionalista Party alone, there are 5 women out of 12 senatorial candidates. Our vice-presidential candidate is also a woman. All of us went to the University of the Philippines (UP), except for Toots Ople who went to University of Santo Tomas and the Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University. All of them are accomplished in their own field. Each of them has a background in public service. Allow me to introduce them:
Gwendolyn ‘Gwen’ Pimentel
· Worked at the Office of the Solicitor General as Solicitor III before assuming the post of Chief of Staff in the office of Senator Aquilino Pimentel
· A lawyer and a Child & Family Rights Advocate, she is the president of the Association of Child Caring Agencies of The Philippines (ACCAP)
· Obtained her law degree and master’s degree in public administration from the UP
· Taught English & History at the Liceo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro City
· Get to know more of Gwen at www.gwenpimentel.org
Liza Largoza Masa
· Representative, 13th Congress Gabriela Women’s Party
· Graduate of University of the Philippines Diliman ‘78, B.S. Business Economics
· Activist since her college days
· Women’s rights advocate
· Endearing mother to two boys, Niko and AG · Hails from San Pablo, Laguna
· Gabriela ng Masa | Liza Maza for Senator
Susan ‘Toots’ Ople
· Advocate for labor and migrant workers
· Undersecretary of DOLE in 2004, and was requested by the President to be transferred to the Office of Communications Director where she used her gift for writing as head the presidential speechwriting group
· Writer/ columnist for Panorama and Tempo (Manila Bulletin) · Worked in the Senate for 16 years
· Heads her father’s foundation, the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, which provides free Short courses on diplomacy, writing, and Philippine history for students, housewives, and government employees and grants scholarships for poor students.
· A graduate of UST, A.B. Communication Arts, and the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University where she received the Vernon Award for Excellence in Communications.
· Youngest of 7 siblings, family hails from Hagonoy, Bulacan
Miriam Defensor Santiago
· Recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service for her battle against corruption as commissioner in the Bureau of Immigrations
· Before becoming a senator, Miriam was an RTC judge, and Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary, and Bureau of Immigrations commissioner
· During her stay at UP, she was the first female editor in chief of the Philippine Collegian
· Has written 30 books on law and in social sciences · A native of La Paz, Iloilo
Loren Legarda – for Vice President
v A United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Laureate
v Founder of the following foundations: Luntiang Pilipinas Foundation (Focused on the environment/ planting of trees) , Libro Ni Loren Foundation (gives educational assistance to indigent students) and Bessie Legarda Memorial Foundation (helps indigent breast cancer victims). She also organized the Livelihood Opportunities to Raise Entrepreneurship Nationwide (LOREN) which provided capital for women entrepreneurs.
v Played a crucial role in the safe and expeditious release of military and police officers and men who were held captive by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
v A graduate of UP Diliman (Broadcast Communication, cum laude) and a reserve officer in the Armed Forces of the Philippines with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
v http://www.lorenlegarda.com.ph/
And finally there is me: Pia Cayetano
· A senator, a lawyer, a mother and a triathlete.
· Currently President of the Women Parliamentarian of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the oldest organization of parliaments all over the world.
· In the senate, among the landmark legislation I have worked on are the following:
o The Cheaper Medicine Law, The Food and Drug Administration Law (that empowers the agency to ensure that our food, drugs and cosmetics are safe), The Expanded Senior Citizens Law, The Expanded Breast feeding Law, the Environmental Education Awareness Act and numerous Protected Area laws all across the country.
o I have also introduced gender amendments to many laws, to ensure that women’s needs are taken into account of.
o I am health and sport advocate in my private life. I run and do triathlons.
o I am a UP graduate. School of Economics, cum laude, and College of Law, with distinction.
· More on my work, on my official website senatorpiacayetano.com
Follow Sen. Pia's blog on www.whereispianow.com
Be a fan on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/senatorpiacayetano
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Piacayetano
For info, Mike Ac2 - 09178335000
Office of Sen. Pia S. Cayetano
Room 505 Philippine Senate Building, Pasay City
Official site: www.senatorpiacayetano.com
Pia's blog: www.mydailyrace.com
Follow her on http://twitter.com/piacayetano
Gabriel Symphony Foundation: www.gabrielsymphony.com
Pinay In Action: www.pinayinaction.com
Bike for Hope: www.pia-bikeforhope.com
or www.cayetano-foundation.com
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