Philippine Commission on Women(PCW)

May 30, 2019 Dear Minerva Tungcul, Greetings! Thank you for your request dated May 23, 2019 01:45:29 PM under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch. Your Request You asked for Women Empowerment. Response to Request We would like to inform you that our office is still undertaking review and study on the legalization of abortion. Nevertheless, you may wish to be familiar with the Women’s Priority Legislative Agenda (WPLA). The WPLA is a set of proposed topics of bills that seeks to amend or repeal the discriminatory provisions of existing laws and moves for the formulation and adoption of new legislations that promote women’s empowerment and gender equality. To know more about the WPLA, you may visit https://www.pcw.gov.ph/wpla and click on the right-side panel to access the policy brief for each topic. As regards your inquiry on women’s rights, you may refer to Republic Act No. 9710, otherwise known as the Magna Carta of Women. The Magna Carta of Women is a comprehensive women’s human rights law that seeks to eliminate discrimination through the recognition, protection, fulfilment and promotion of the rights of Filipino women, especially those belonging in the marginalized sectors of the society. You may read or download its full-text at https://library.pcw.gov.ph/sites/default/files/ra-9710-magna-carta-women-irr_0.pdf. For quick reference on women’s rights and some other laws protecting women, you may visit: Republic Act No. 9710 (Magna Carta of Women) – https://library.pcw.gov.ph/sites/default/files/MCW_0.pdf Republic Act No. 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women Act of 2004) – https://library.pcw.gov.ph/sites/default/files/RA%209262%20flier%20latest_0.pdf Republic Act No. 7877 (Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995) – https://library.pcw.gov.ph/sites/default/files/RA%207877%20flier%20latest.pdf Republic Act No. 8353 (Anti-Rape Law of 1997) – https://library.pcw.gov.ph/sites/default/files/RA%208353%20flier%20latest.pdf Republic Act No. 9208, as amended by Republic Act No. 10364 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons) – https://library.pcw.gov.ph/sites/default/files/RA%209208%20-%2010364%20flier%20latest.pdf We hope that we have provided you with enough information about your query. Your right to request a review If you are unhappy with this response to your FOI request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response by writing to Emmeline L. Verzosa/Executive Director and email it to [email protected]. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made within 15 calendar days from the date when you received this letter. We will complete the review and tell you the result within 30 calendar days from the date when we receive your review request. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Office of the President under Administrative Order No. 22 (s. 2011). Thank you. Respectfully, Cecile B. Gutierrez FOI Decision Maker