GENDER,

GOVERNANCE

AND DEVELOPMENT

Submitted by:

Bhemalee T. Dimalaluan

Submitted by:

Dr. Gloria Lopez Gabronino

How big of a problem is violence against women in the Philippines?

Violence against Women is the word or concept that has been used in a broad, inclusive

manner to encompass verbal abuse, intimidation, physical harassment, homicide, sexual

assault, and rape of women in particular. This form of violence is gender-biased. Violence

occurs precisely because of their gender, specifically because the victims are women.According

to the United Nation's Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against women, violence

against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and

women. It is likewise one of the crucial social mechanisms by which women are forced into a

subordinate position compared with men.

Our country Philippines is no stranger to these 3 words. It is real, it is happening, it is

claiming lives.Violence against women is linked with the unequal power relationship between

women and men, resulting from society's misinformed views on gender and sexuality.Men are

traditionally labeled as leaders and providers, while women are seen as nurturers and

supporters. This perception leads to men gaining more power over women. Violence against

women is a form of men’s expression of controlling women to retain power.

Although the government recognizes violence against women as a pervasive social

problem and sets necessary policies and programs in place, several Filipino women and girls

continue to experience different forms of abuse every day.

Violence against Women is not only a crime, but also a gross violation of human rights. It

does not only affect women’s physical and reproductive health, but especially their mental and

emotional state. It limits human development and curbs their capacity to participate in social

development.”

Today, the Philippine government has passed several legislation and laws that address

the problem of violence against women. Among the Philippine laws that aim to protect women

are: Republic Act No. 9262(The Anti-Violence against Women and their Children Act of 2004),
Republic Act No. 9710(Magna Carta of Women), and Republic Act No. 8371 (The Indigenous

Peoples Rights Act of 1997).

A Filipino wife today is to provide financial support in the household by seeking

employment in higher-earning occupations which then expands the Filipino female work outside

the household. Filipino women have gained and enjoyed equal rights with men. They have

become presidents, senators, congresswomen, mayors. They have served in government

offices, and have held cabinet positions for presidents. Filipino women have proven that they

are capable of carrying out responsibilities and tasks as well as their male counterparts.  One

influential factor contributing to the increasing number of female politicians, is the elevation of

Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as Philippine women Presidents

Corruption under Arroyo’s Administration (Bad governance)

Joseph Estrada left Arroyo with a country which needed to recover due to the political

crisis and the economic crisis. It was a challenge to Arroyo to gain the trust of not only her

people but of the trust of the investors as well. She needed to encourage more investments to

improve the economy and to improve the lives of the Filipino’s. It was Arroyo’s challenge to

bring the Filipino’s back to its feet.

But during her administration Corruption scandals have cost the Filipinos billion pesos.

Corruption has greatly benefited the Arroyo Administration while it continues to worsen the

condition of the Philippines specifically contribute more to poverty. Education, health, and public

infrastructure were not given much priority even though there were large increases in the

national budget.

Former President Arroyo has now been considered the most corrupt president in the

Philippines. This is because of her numerous unanswered issues and controversies like the

Hello Garci scandal, expensive dinners during her visit to the United States, Oakwood Mutiny,

NBN-ZTE Controversy.
She was given the rare opportunity through People Power to lead differently but she turned her

back on her big opportunity. We ended up suffering from those years of very bad governance.

Former President Arroyo’s bad governance:

· Agriculture fertilizer scam diverted into private hands hundreds of millions of pesos from

government projects intended to help farmers procure fertilizers for raising farm productivity or

piglets for fattening and thereby raising farm incomes"

· Smuggling millions of dollars worth of various imports from farm products to luxury cars and

petroleum fuels are smuggled, depriving government of massive revenues for development

projects and vital social services, while driving domestic producers of these goods to lay off

thousands of workers in the face of losses due to the unfair competition.

Bad governance and corruption deter investment, waste national resources and

forebode allocation and increase insecurity.The poor suffers most from the consequences of

bad governance and corruption. The signs of bad governance include inefficient, secretive

governance; runaway corruption.

Despite the problems and issues regarding her administration, she has also done a lot

for the Philippines including lifting the Philippines out of its financial crisis.

As Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno says "Let's bring honesty back to business and

government, and we will redirect our pathas a people back to higher grounds."

Impact of Disease (Development)

Poverty usually means increased exposure to infectious diseases and poorer health.

This goes to the heart of the development challenge. Because the key to a wealthy nation is a

healthy nation. All people need a clean environment, and access to water and sanitation. This is

especially the case in very densely populated cities like Manila. But not all Filipinos enjoy such

services, and this aggravates their exposure to disease.

because they are searching through landfills. They risk the danger of being cut by broken glass

and that increases the risk of bacterial infection. Poor people do whatever they can to survive,

without concern for their general well-being.

Lack of efficient law and regulation enforcement is also a common problem which also

affects the health of Filipinos. For example, prostitution is a serious crime in the Philippines. But

due to lack of law enforcement, as well as a cultural reluctance to use condoms, sexually

transmitted diseases like hepatitis A and hepatitis E are now a growing problem. This causes

people to suffer from liver failure as well as the degrading effects of hepatitis. 

The health problems of the Philippines are adversely affecting the health and wealth of

the economy, not just the health of its citizens. Bad health can thus prevent people from working

and contributing to their family’s livelihood. Unhealthy workers are usually lower productivity

workers. There is much that could and should be done to tackle these health problems.

To start off, reform will need to take place within the government, especially by tackling

corruption which has an adverse effect on public service delivery and infrastructure

construction. The government must improve the nation’s infrastructure, focusing on cleaner

water supplies, better filtration for sewage systems, and construction for more irrigated canals to

combat flooding.

Providing better sanitation services is a "must-have" for the people of the Philippines to be able

prevent the contraction of diseases. Better sanitation will prevent the likelihood for Filipinos to

contract fatal diseases especially in the heavily populated urban cities. Law enforcement and

regulators for disease control should also be prioritized to secure a better life for the people.
People Empowerment: The Beginnings of Good Governance in Naga City
(Good Governance)

Naga is the country’s most awarded city, having won around 150 international awards

and more than 50 individual awards on effective urban management and good governance.

It has received distinction from various government and non-government organizations for

providing decent shelter for its urban poor; for developing effective and efficient use of

information and communications technology; for promoting good governance; for public service;

for being the most business-friendly city; for participatory planning; for good practices and

innovations in government procurement; for being clean and green; for being women-friendly;

and for being a hall-of-fame awardee on innovation and excellence in local governance.

Only recently, Naga was also considered one of “the most child-friendly cities” in the

country.

People Participation and People Empowerment

Active peoples’ participation is an important ingredient of empowerment and without the

legitimate and honest participation of the people, there can be no real empowerment by and for

the people. The people need to make decisions for themselves, especially on matters affecting

their lives.

The open and honest lessons learned outside when dealing with the urban poor

influenced the ways and methods inside the often times secretive walls of City Hall. These

actions and achievements led to what we now call “good governance.”

Good governance is important because it brings communities together in mobilizing

resources that promote economic growth and equitable social development that directly benefits

the people.