IT’S A performance that she shares with other veteran female legislators, including those who have been in Congress for far longer than the rest. Three current congresswomen are now on their fifth term: Representative Belma Cabilao (who has served both in the 1st and 3rd districts of Zamboanga Sibugay), Representative Glenda Ecleo (who is currently serving in the newly-created lone district of Dinagat Islands and has previously served in Surigao del Norte, 1st district), and Representative Nerissa Corazon Soon-Ruiz (Cebu, 6th district).

Of the three, only Ecleo can boast of having championed a pioneering pro-women legislation: the Anti-Rape Law of 1997, which she introduced in the Ninth Congress as the chairperson of the Committee on Women. Although her term expired without the bill getting passed, she, through the lobbying efforts of women’s groups, had more or less laid the groundwork for the bill’s enactment in the 10th Congress.

Soon-Ruiz, meanwhile, co-authored the proposed Reproductive Health Care Act (House Bill 4110) in the 12th Congress. But she later withdrew her signature following pressure from the Roman Catholic Church — specifically from Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, who was reported to have said he would not vote for Soon-Ruiz and would actively campaign against her in the 2004 polls if she did not do so. Soon after the opening of the 14th Congress, one newspaper quoted the lady lawmaker from Cebu as having assured Vidal that reproductive health care bills would not pass in the present Congress.

That may put her up against Villarosa who, despite her reluctance to turn her election as deputy speaker into a gender issue, promises nevertheless that she will give special attention to women. Villarosa says she co-authors two major pieces of legislation on women in the current Congress, one of them being the Reproductive Health Care bill. The other is the Magna Carta for Women, which would “operationalize” the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), an international women’s rights treaty to which the Philippines is signatory.

This early, Villarosa sees trouble ahead for the Reproductive Health Care bill, and this time around, the heel-digging may be evenly distributed between genders. She says that when she and other legislators tried to discuss the bill recently, “the guys stood up and said it was not yet time to talk about it.”

Villarosa’s new position as deputy speaker, however, means that women’s rights advocates expect her to fight for the bill with all her muster — and then some. Hontiveros-Baraquel even poses the challenge to the House leadership: “Villarosa’s election is a victory for women in the sense that it created gender balance. But it is yet to become a fully realizable victory (until) Representative Villarosa (lends) her position and influence to advance women’s causes.”

Senator Legarda agrees. “Women legislators have to support women-related legislation,” she says. “Women comprise half of our population, and while women in our country are considered better off than (women in other cultures) in terms of rights and welfare, there is much to be desired in terms of women’s participation in governance and decision-making. So those who have the opportunity to speak up for other women because of the positions and posts that they hold must do so with zeal and dedication.”

Philippine Laws in Support of Women's Welfare and Rights Republic Act 6725 An Act Strengthening the Prohibition on Discrimination Against Women with Respect to Terms and Conditions of Employment, Amending for the Purpose Article One Hundred Thirty-Five of the Labor Code, As Amended Republic Act 6949 An Act to Declare March Eight of Every Year as a Working Special Holiday to be Known as National Women's Day Republic Act 6955 An Act to Declare Unlawful the Practice of Matching for Marriage to Foreign Nationals on a Mail-Order Basis and For Other Similar Practices, Including the Advertisement, Publication, Printing or Distribution of Brochures, Fliers and Other Propaganda Materials in Furtherance Thereof and Providing Penalty Therefor Republic Act 6972 An Act Establishing a Day Care Center in Every Barangay Instituting Therein a Total Development and Protection of Children Program, Appropriating Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes “Barangay-Level Total Development and Protection of Children Act” Republic Act 7192 (Women in Development and Nation-Building Act) An Act Promoting the Integration of Women as Full and Equal Partners of Men in Development and Nation Building and for Other Purposes Republic Act 7322 An Act Increasing Maternity Benefits in Favor of Women Workers in the Private Sector, Amending for the Purpose Section 14-A of Republic Act No. 1161, as Amended and for Other Purposes Republic Act 7600 (The Rooming-In and Breastfeeding Act of 1992) An Act Providing Incentives to All Government and Private Health Institutions with Rooming-In and Breastfeeding Practices and for Other Purposes Republic Act 7688 An Act Giving Representation to Women in Social Security Commission Amending for the Purpose Section 3(A) of Republic Act 1161, as Amended Republic Act 7877 (Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995) An Act Declaring Sexual Harassment Unlawful in the Employment, Education or Training Environment, and for Other Purposes Republic Act 7882 An Act Providing Assistance to Women Engaging in Micro and Cottage Business Enterprises, and for Other Purposes Republic Act 8171 An Act Providing for the Repatriation of Filipino Women Who Have Lost Their Philippine Citizenship by Marriage to Aliens and of Natural Born Filipinos Republic Act 8353 (Anti-Rape Law of 1997) An Act Expanding the Definition of the Crime of Rape, Reclassifying the Same as a Crime Against Persons, Amending for the Purpose Act No. 3815, as Amended, Otherwise Known as the Revised Penal Code, and for Other Purposes Republic Act 8505 (Rape Victim Assistance and Protection Act of 1998) An Act Providing Assistance and Protection for Rape Victims, Establishing for the Purpose a Rape Crisis Center in Every Province and City, Authorizing the Appropriation of Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes Republic Act 8972 (The Solo Parents' Welfare Act of 2000) An Act Providing For Benefits And Privileges To Solo Parents And Their Children, Appropriating Funds Therefor And For Other Purposes Republic Act 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003) An Act to Institute Policies to Eliminate Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, Establishing the Necessary Institutional Mechanisms for the Protection and Support of Trafficked Persons, Providing Penalties for Its Violations, and for Other Purposes Republic Act 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004) An Act Defining Violence Against Women and Their Children, Providing for Protective Measures for Victims, Prescribing Penalties Therefor, and for Other Purposes