SALUDO SA KABABAIHAN!
HONTIVEROS HAILS WOMEN AT HOME, AT THE FRONTLINES ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S MONTH

In celebration of International Women's Month, Senator Risa Hontiveros lauded all Filipino women who are taking on multiple roles both at home and at the frontlines of a pandemic and an economic recession.

"Ang buwan ng Marso ay isang pagbibigay pugay sa mga Pilipina para sa ating buong pusong pagtupad sa napakaraming gawain sa kabila ng mga hamon ng pandemya. Marami sa ating mga kabaro, sinalo nang sabay-sabay ang iba't ibang tungkulin: bilang ina, guro, negosyante, at maging mga essential workers. Iba ang ating tapang. Saludo ako sa atin!" she said.

Hontiveros, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Women, pledged that the fight for women's rights, as well as the betterment of their working conditions, will continue especially when the drop in the labor force between 2019 and 2020 was more pronounced among women. According to Hontiveros, most of the women today have been forced to play more domestic roles and cope with new learning modalities.

"The pandemic has widened and increased disparities especially among women. Mayroon ding significant financial impact para sa mga kababaihang hindi na makapagtrabaho dahil nadagdagan ang responsibilidad na dapat gampanan. Kaya sa Senado, doble-kayod tayo to keep up with doubled demands. Patuloy tayong magtatrabaho para sa inyo," Hontiveros stated.

"We filed Balik-Trabahong Ligtas Bill para masigurado ang kapakanan ng manggagawa, lalo't higit sa mga kababaihang essential workers na araw-araw nagko-commute at nagtatrabaho. We have also been calling for a comprehensive public employment program (PEP) as well as employment guarantees to provide income support and employment opportunities to women," she added.

The Senator also said that the Committee on Women is set to hear various women-related agenda to come up with solutions to issues that have long been victimizing women and children, such as the online sexual exploitation of children and human trafficking and prostitution by Chinese Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

"Ngayong may pandemya, doble ang bigat na binubuhat ng mga babae sa lipunan, maging sa tahanan: bilang mama, guro at breadwinner. I hope as we go through this month we not only learn more about women's issues but also put the hard work into helping women navigate through this pandemic. Because it's not enough that only some of us will be able to recover, dapat lahat," Hontiveros concluded.