QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Wednesday reaffirmed his administration’s continuing commitment to fight for women’s rights, as he acknowledged the important role that women play in the city’s development efforts.
“With women and girl empowerment representing half of the development equation, the fight for women’s rights should continue,” Bautista said.
The mayor recently honored 10 extraordinary women of Quezon City who have “rendered valuable contributions to society through their commitment and passion in their fields of specialization.”
The awardees—all labeled “extraordinary”—were Glenda Monleon, community organizer; Mabel Napoles, health worker; Myrna Rivas, street sweeper and Emelita Balasbas, Rose Abao, Dolores Cabral, Carolyn Gaspar, Annie de Guzman, Amy dela Cruz and Emma Barja, microentreprenuers.
He noted how women in Quezon City “have become more participatory in various governance programs and projects,” and actively participated in the city government’s growing workforce.
More women are becoming heads of the family based on the growing number who have taken the obligation of providing shelter for their families, the mayor said.
Citing records of the Housing, Community Development and Resettlement Department, he said 887 women have acquired socialized housing in Quezon City, a “closer number” to the city’s 965 male homeowners.
More women in QC are also becoming business owners, with 14,576 registered compared to 13,607 male counterparts.
According to the Sikap Buhay Entrepreneurship and Cooperative Office report, 96 percent of its loan borrowers are women.
At city hall, female employees have outnumbered males in both executive and legislative departments, 7,945 to 6,116.
“We need to support the advocacy of the women [sector]. Without their whole participation, we, as a city cannot fulfill social and ethical development. We must always remember that women’s rights are the rights of all gender,” Bautista said.
He also led the distribution and turnover of copies of the Magna Carta for Women to barangay officials.
Meanwhile, over 70 mothers joined the milk letting and breastfeeding activity organized by the QC Health Department at Batasan Hills Super Health Center last Friday, March 3.
The promotion of breastfeeding is under the Nutrition Education and Information Campaigns of the QCHD, which has been advocating breastfeeding. The activity provides breast milk to premature infants, malnourished babies and for mothers who cannot produce breast milk.
The city government operates the Quezon City Human Milk Bank, which collects and processes the milk donated by healthy lactating mothers during the milk letting activities, then distributes the milk on all city-owned hospitals.
QCHMB is located at QC General Hospital in Seminary Road, Barangay Bahay Toro, Project 8.
Also, in line with the celebration of International Women’s Month, the city government will host a mega jobs fair on March 10 at the City Hall, in cooperation with the Department Labor and Employment, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Quezon City-Tripartite Industrial Peace Council.
The mayor urged QC residents to take advantage of the program, part of the city government’s continuing commitment to provide employment opportunities particularly for the underprivileged.