LAGAWE, IFUGAO – – Are women legislators raring for change in 2022?
Board Member Perfecta Dulnuan said Ifugao women legislators are keeping bright hopes to expand their numbers in the 2022 local and national elections.
“We have been planning it for a while, our women lawmakers want favorable results,” Dulnuan said.
A key challenge for them to attain this goal is the conduct of a massive education campaign among Ifugao voters to support campaign and vote for well-meaning and intelligent women candidates.
“Once more, that is the world of politics in Ifugao- that is of women dominated by men- women are fast making a difference and they continue to achieve extraordinary feats in the service of country and people,” Board Member Dulnuan told the ZigZag Weekly.
Board Member Dulnuan is one of the leading voices of women empowerment in this part of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). Prior to becoming a politician, Dulnuan worked as a planning officer at Banaue, where her performance is remarkable.
Many are now hoping that through Board Member Dulnuan’s leadership as well as Vice Mayor Baguilat’s stewardship this fledgling women legislators organization gets stronger and more stable so that they can change the future by truly committing themselves to close the gender gap and progress women into leadership positions.
Governor Jerry Dalipog hailed the achievements of the female lawmakers in the province’s 11 towns for this year.
Also, Vice Governor Glenn Prudenciano lauded women legislators in barangay, youth, municipal and provincial councils for advancing the cause of growth and development. The vice governor was warmly welcomed by the participants. About 300 of them attended the program.
Both Governor Dalipog and Vice Governor Prudenciano have extended considerable support and assistance for the province’s women legislators.
In the last May polls, women candidates made a few significant strides. A handful made it to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan or SP (provincial council) and Sangguniang Bayan (municipal council). The same is true in the last synchronized Sangguniang Kabataan (SK or youth council) polls. Board members, vice mayors, councilors, punong barangays (village chieftains) and kagawads (council members) are elected by direct and popular vote for a term of up to three years.
Vice Mayor Michelle Baguilat of Kiangan emerged as the sole winner of the said position in the province in the May 2019 elections. During the assembly women lawmakers at the Banaue gymnasium, Vice Mayor Baguilat was elected as its assembly vice president.
Alfonso Lista Councilor Virginia Dinagtuan was elected as vice president.
Dinagtuan cited the women legislators’ unique qualities that spur actions at the legislative branch of the government, making it easier for them to continue to attract multi-sectoral backing and provide solutions to pressing problems of Philippine society.
“We will continue to stand up for women’s rights and unflinchingly promote their welfare, and we are here to make sure that concerns of the women sector as well as children are a matter of ample interest in our session halls at all times,” Councilor Dinagtuan said in an exclusive interview with the ZigZag Weekly.
For her part, Kiangan Councilor Jannie Albano cited the need to continuously recognize the role of women lawmakers in the countryside. “Don’t put us in the background. Notably, the rising generation of young women lawmakers help accelerate sustainable development in our districts, towns, barangays, puroks and even sitios- and contribute in no small way to government’s steadfast commitment to spur rural development,” Councilor Albano said. She was elected as a board director.
“We want to help our constituents, most especially the poor, live comfortably. This is part of our service to the people and we are happy to render such,” she asserted.
What is happening now in the unequal representation of women and male lawmakers in Ifugao has been attributed to prevalence of “money” politics during electoral exercises. The failed bids of former Vice Governor Nora Dinamling and former Lamut Councilor Brenda Sawad for board member in the first district of Ifugao has been traced to tendency of incredibly stupid voters who succumbed to vote-buying schemes of their wealthy opponents. Only Board Member Perfecta Dulnuan, who contested a seat for the provincial board in the second district, made it to the SP. With the addition of the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president Aezle Dumangeng of Kiangan, now the SP has two women legislators. Many other women poll hopefuls in Ifugao were surely the main victims of the bad attitude of lowly-educated voters here and the results were rather disappointing.
But not to the exponents of male chauvinism in the corridors of power in Ifugao, still one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines.
In Ifugao, consequently, it is still a male-dominated political system. “Macho” politics is a barrier to women empowerment. Ironically, there are more female voters than the male ones in Ifugao. Yet, female voters are unable to move out of their comfort zones- mainly contracted to campaign and vote for male candidates- most of them the moneyed ones who epitomized the long-scorned “trapos” or traditional politicians.
Currently, three Ifugao towns have an-all-male SBs, including the capital town of Lagawe. A female candidate for vice mayor and two female aspirants for councilor ran and lost in the last elections. Clearly, this shows preferential bias for male candidates and anti-women stance of Lagawe voters.
Presently, Aguinaldo has two female SB members, Alfonso Lista has one; Hingyon with one; Hungduan also with one; Kiangan has two female lawmakers; Lamut with four; Mayoyao with two; and Tinoc with three.
The province has 14 female punong barangays spread in eight towns. The registry books indicate that Hingyon, Hungduan and Kiangan towns have an all-male casts.
Ifugao has 267 female kagawads who are discharging their functions at all municipalities.
Fifty six female Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairpersons also call the shots in the province’s 177 villages.
Relative to ensuring quality legislation, women legislators perform many other functions in their localities.
Board Member Dulnuan during the two-day assembly also pushed for policy reforms and innovative programs to be implemented next year thus, ensuring that women lawmakers from all income brackets will have better living conditions.
Other key positions in the organization’s leadership ladder were also filled in the nearly chaotic election of officers segment of the assembly. Lack of a mechanism for “secret balloting” caused a lot of confusion and a barrage of queries. At the end, the “oath-taking” rites of the newly-installed officers took place. To avert the repetition of the same, organizers should invite Department of the Interior and Local Government personnel to ensure that elections are peaceful and orderly.
Mayoyao Councilors Myra Faith Lumayna and Marie Cris Nachengpan as well as Payawan Punong Barangay Raponsale Pumihic of Lamut, Poblacion West Kagawad Luzviminda Nayao of Lamut, Poblacion East Kagawad Alice Dinamling of Lagawe and Tukucan SK Chair Melyn Apilis of Tinoc also played stellar roles in the assembly.
Usual concerns on how to broaden knowledge and skills among barangay government and SK officials were raised during the open forum. As expected, a lecturer replied that they should attend relevant seminars and training programs to upgrade their capacities. At these learning programs, participants will be shown to link new information cohesive systems to create and highly beneficial structure for their local government units (LGUs) and the public.
Unhealthy attitude towards women lawmakers still persist in the province. Most of them are overworked and are lowly compensated. The scheduled synchronized barangay and SK polls for next year have been reset to another date. These are just some of the pressing issues that should have been tackled in the assembly. Not petty issues on this all-important gathering.
Achievements of women legislators- ambiguously called “lady legislators” (only betrays gender insensitivity when male legislators are hardly called “gentleman legislators”) by some quarters, contributed to maintaining these councils’ good image. Ironically, little has been done for increased women participation in the legislative process. All they are getting are mere crumbs. They only take part in poorly-organized, crudely-formatted parades. It is high time to harness their potentials to the fullest. There should be a more holistic approach to upgrading their capabilities by touching base with the Senate where there are six distinguished members from the women sector. The successful side of doing so surely advances the interest of Ifugao women legislators as they level up their mindsets. Next year’s participants don’t even have to be told that it is possible to invite Sen. Cynthia Villar or Sen. Pia Cayetano for their keynote speaker.
Can we just stress the increased participation of women in the decision-making process as it is still the overriding concern of the people at this point of time? Sadly, it was relegated to the back door. The issue on the ideal 30% threshold of women representation in legislative councils utterly became a taboo for discussion. This should have been the centerpiece of productive discussions instead of injecting so-called values sought for an official. Well in the first place, the voters passed their verdict on them when they presented themselves as candidates. It is needless to discuss the issues of integrity and competence. What a waste of time!
Shockingly, participants were even told to prioritize the promotion of their culture while crafting laws when in fact this ideal is already innate to their characters. Instead, they should be challenged to be globally competitive. Otherwise, they further go deeper in the quagmire of underdevelopment. Again, what a waste of time!
Efforts should have been exerted to exhort Ifugao women lawmakers to take the lead role in discussing and ultimately addressing major problems besetting the nation such as mounting poverty incidence and joblessness thus, ensuring them a place to be respectable and dignified where Ifugao folks can be proud of. They truly deserve a better deal the next time around by holding the assembly at another venue- not in creepy gym adjacent the public market where comfort rooms are even locked. Again, again and again, many never thought of wasting their time unlocking them! Only to find out that there are pay comfort rooms outside. **By Anthony A. Araos
