BBM joins world in recognizing role of women Dateline PhiliPPines

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, March 8 took to social media to share a post recognizing women across the country for their achievements highlighted by women empowerment in his administration.

“Saludo tayo sa ating mga kababaihan na patuloy na nagpapakita ng tapang at determinasyon sa kanilang tahanan, trabaho, at komunidad ( We salute women who continue to show courage and determination in their home, work, and community ),” he said in posts on Facebook and Twitter.

“Happy International Women’s Day!” his post added which was accompanied by photos of his wife, First Lady Liza AranetaMarcos, and female Cabinet officials including Vice President and concurrent Education Secretary Sara Duterte, Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil.

Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Health Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire, and Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco.

International Women's Day is celebrated every March 8 to recognize women for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, or political, according to the United Nations (UN).

The first recorded celebration of International Women’s Day was in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland when over a million people rallied to support women’s rights.

The Philippines observes National Women’s Day every March 8 through Republic Act No. 6949.

Proclamation 224 also declared March 8 as “Women’s Rights and International Peace Day” and the first week of March as Women’s Week while Proclamation 227 declared March as “Women’s Role in History Month.”

This year’s National Women’s Day celebration goes by a recurring theme from this year to 2028 namely “WE for gender equality and inclusive society”, according to the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) website. “WE” stands for Women and Everyone and Women’s Empowerment.

The recurring theme aligns with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which aims for “deep economic and social transformation to reinvigorate job creation and accelerate poverty reduction by steering the economy back on a high-growth path.”

It also highlights that growth must be inclusive, building an environment that provides equal opportunities to all Filipinos and equipping them with skills to participate fully in an innovative and globally competitive economy. (PNA)

Marcos: Gov’t to persevere until it ends poverty

MANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, March 9 welcomed a report showing that the country’s employment rate is slowly getting back to the 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the country’s employment rate accelerated to 95.2 percent, which translates to an additional 4.1 million employed persons, on account of employment gains in the services and agriculture sectors in January 2023.

This brings total employment to 47.4 million from 43.3 million in January 2022.

The labor force participation rate rebounded to 64.5 percent, equivalent to 49.7 million Filipinos in the labor force, of which 20.6 million are women.

“Padami nang padami ang nagkakaroon ng magandang trabaho (More and more people are getting good jobs)!:” Marcos said in his official Facebook page and Twitter account.

“Bumaba pa lalo ang ating unemployment at underemployment rate at tumaas naman sa 95.2 percent ang ating employment rate mula sa 93.6 percent noong Enero

2022. Ibig sabihin, 4.1 milyong Pilipino ang nadagdag sa ating labor force (Our unemployment and underemployment rates decreased even more and our employment rate increased to 95.2 percent from 93.6 percent in January 2022. That means, 4.1 million Filipinos have been added to our labor force),” he added.

Marcos vowed that the government would continue to pursue projects and programs meant to lift Filipinos out of poverty, “Tayo'y magpupursigi hanggang sa tuluyan na nating mawakasan ang kahirapan (We will persevere until we finally end poverty)!” he said.

In a separate interview, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the improved employment situation can be attributed to the reopening of businesses after pandemic lockdowns were eased.

“Remember that in January 2022, we have not yet fully opened as many of the businesses were still only partially opened and so the further opening of the economy came in during this period from January 2022 to January

PH joins 67th session of UN Commission on Status of Women

MANILA – The Philippines has sent a delegation to the 67th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York from March 6 to 17.

social inequalities, and it will also spotlight the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing online and ICT-facilitated gender-based violence.

Staff Christine Joy Mamuyac.

2023 is largely responsible for that improvement in the employment situation,” Balisacan told Palace reporters.

He likewise expressed confidence that the administration’s efforts to lure more investments in the country would help generate more jobs.

“Of course, I also would like to think that it has been seven months since the new administration came in and I think that has more or less sent a signal that business environment has improved because the President has been very clear that he is open to business. He’s opening up the Philippine economy to business including foreign investment,” he added.

The Marcos administration’s Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 is expected to “reinvigorate job creation, accelerate poverty reduction by steering the economy back on the high growth path and effect economic transformation.”

Under the PDP 2023-2028, the government aims to turn the Philippines into an upper, middle-income country by the year 2025. (PNA)

The Philippine delegation is headed by Antonio Lagdameo, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.

Their participation in the session comes as the world celebrates International Women’s Day (IWD).

The delegation’s primary representatives include Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary Anna Mae Lamentillo, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Cherbett Karen Maralit, and Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative, Philippine Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, Ariel Rodelas Peñaranda.

The United Nations Observance of IWD, under the theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality,” recognizes and celebrates women and girls championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education.

The observance will also explore the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and

Alternate Representatives include Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Assistant

Secretary Diana Minda Ignacio, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Assistant Secretary Sarah Daway-Ducanes, DILG

Assistant Secretary Ester Aldana, First Secretary Maria Roseny Fangco, Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, and Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Faydah Dumarpa.

Serving as advisers are National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Chairperson Allen Capuyan, Philippine Commission on Women Executive Director Kristine Rosary Yuzon-Chaves, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples OIC Director Dahlialyn DaitCawed, Department of Agriculture

(DA) Deputy Executive Director Annray Villota Rivera, Philippine

Commission on Women Chief Gender and Development Specialist Anita Baleda, DA Chief Agriculturist Lorna Villegas, PCO Planning Officer II Jean Denielle

Cusi, Philippine Commission on Women Senior Gender and Development Specialist Avery Silk Arevalo Villarosa, and NEDA

Senior Economic Development

Other advisers are Department of Foreign Affairs Desk Officer Evella Rose Macadangdang, Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York Attache Angelica Navarete, Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York Attache Nadine Guevarra-De Dios, Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York Assistant Diego Andreas Lingad, DICT Head Executive Assistant Patricia Nicole Uy, Commission on Human Rights Executive Assistant Liza De Luna, Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan Secretary General Amparo Miciano Sykioco, and Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) Executive Director Liza Samonte Garcia.

The CSW is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

It is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women.

International Women's Day is celebrated every March 8 to recognize women for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, or political, according to the UN website. (PNA)