The House of Representatives also includes party-lists in their ranks. Party-Lists system was instituted in the 1987 Constitution to enable under-represented sectors to participate in the law-making process.
In the 19th Congress, ten lady legislators elected party-list representatives set the bar high in allowing various sectors to raise their concerns towards a better future for all.
HON. Claudine Diana D. Bautista-Lim, Dumper Philippines Taxi Drivers Association, Inc. (DUMPER PTDA)
“As a female leader in a male-dominated transport sector, I remain firm in providing women with a strong voice in crafting legislation to improve our public transportation system.
A woman’s leadership brings novel, innovative, and practical solutions. Leading with a mother’s touch, my plans are aimed at the holistic development of the sector.
As a mother myself, I hope I can inspire others so that they can be nurturing mothers to our families and an effective leader for the Filipino people.”
Born and raised in Davao City, Bautista-Lim comes from a political family, being the daughter of incumbent Davao Occidental Representative Claude Bautista. Her interest in public service manifested when she ran and won as Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President in Davao del Sur at 15. She became active in women’s issues when Davao Occidental officially became a province in 2013.
Eventually, Bautista-Lim became the first nominee for the DUMPER-PTDA party-list, becoming a rookie representative in 2019, when the party began. The party-list is a political organization that advocates for drivers’ welfare and protection. It also represents the transportation sector and commuters.
As the head of the DUMPER-PTDA party-list, Bautista-Lim supported the Magna Carta for Public Transportation Drivers Bill to “institutionalize insurance and subsidies for drivers in the public transport sector.
HON. Arlene D. Brosas, Gabriela Women’s Party (GABRIELA)
“As the sole representative of marginalized women in Congress, it is important to create pro-people legislation that will uplift vulnerable women from abuse and exploitation. Future women leaders must always put the people’s interests at the core of their principles, and use their platform to amplify the calls of the marginalized sectors.”
Since the 17th Congress, Brosas has led the Gabriela Women’s Party. She is an educator and advocate of women’s and children’s protection and welfare, making her the ideal person to represent the party-list.
GABRIELA is a sectoral party founded on October 28, 2000. It aims to promote “the rights and welfare of marginalized and under-represented Filipino women through participation in the country’s electoral system and governing institutions.”
Throughout her tenure as Congresswoman, Brosas became the principal author of the Expanded Maternity Leave Law, the Occupational Safety and Health Law, the Magna Carta for Day Care Workers, the Additional benefits for Solo Parents, the Anti-Electronic Violence Against Women (EVAW) Law, the Amendments to Strengthen the Anti-Rape Law, and the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill, among others.
HON. France L. Castro, Act Teachers Party-List (ACT TEACHERS)
“As the genuine representative of teachers in the country, I will use my voice to advance the rights and welfare of all education stakeholders for better access to quality education, decent salaries and wages for teachers and education support personnel, and adequate benefits for all. 80% of teachers are women. Salaries of teachers have not been able to cope with the rising prices of basic goods to provide for their families.”
As the representative of the Act Teachers Party-List, Castro has years of teaching experience to support her claims in the House of Representatives. She furthers the group’s commitment to providing Filipino educators a voice in Congress while shaping the minds and values of the children and youth.
Some of Castro’s efforts in furthering her advocacy for education include the Republic Act (RA) 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which grants free tuition to state universities and college students.
Other than education, Castro also champions the welfare of Filipino workers. She is one of the principal authors of several house bills, including lowering the optional retirement age of public school teachers and other government employees from 60 to 65, increasing the minimum salaries of public school teachers and government employees, and the Teachers’ Protection Act.
HON. Angelica Natasha Co, Barangay Health Wellness Party (BHW)
“Along with advocating for policy changes at the legislative level, I am committed to using my platform as a role model for young girls who are aspiring leaders themselves one day. At its core, my mission is to ensure that the next generation of women receive all the necessary tools, resources and opportunities they need to succeed and contribute positively to our society by creating and supporting laws that promote equal opportunity for employment, education and health care among others while also serving as a mentor to future female leaders.”
Barangays are the smallest administrative division in the Philippines. More often than not, these units serve as the first line of defense for every Filipino. Representing them in the 19th Congress is Co, the first nominee congresswoman for the Barangay Health and Wellness Party-List.
The group represents healthcare workers, barangay nutrition scholars (BNS), barangay sanitary inspectors (BSIs), and barangay service point officers (BSPOs) in Congress. Moreover, BHW provides medical, educational, and burial assistance to barangay health workers and their families, among other aids.
With Co as their head, she advocated for the welfare of barangay members by being one of the principal authors of the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Health Care Workers Act or the Republic Act (RA) 11712. She also proposed the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers.
HON. Bernadette ‘BH‘ Herrera-Dy, Bagong Henerasyon (BH)
“I can use my voice and platform to advance women’s causes by introducing and sponsoring legislation that addresses issues such as gender pay gap, reproductive rights, and sexual harassment, as well as sponsoring legislation that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.”
Herrera-Dy is no stranger to the proceedings in the House of Representatives. The lawmaker and women and children’s welfare advocate has been using her platform to promote the interest of her constituents.
The party-list holds relevance to Herrera-Dy because she established the Bagong Henerasyon Foundation Inc. in 2001 before it became a party-list group in 2009. Coinciding with its name, BH represents the youth, women, and Filipinos in need.
During her tenure in the House of Congress, Herrera-Dy sponsored several Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) workshops that granted beneficiaries National Certificates (NC) II and III to help Filipinos pursue a better future and contribute to society.
HON. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, Tingog Sinirangan (TINGOG)
“Tingog Partylist has always been committed on being our constituent’s voice in Congress. We have authored and sponsored multiple bills forwarding the women’s agenda, including the Expanded Maternity Leave, the Gender Responsive and Inclusive Pandemic Management Act, the act creating the National Museur for Filipino Women, and the act providing for Stronger Protection Against Rape and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, among many others. As a women and children’s rights advocate, we also participated and delivered a speech during the commemoration of the National Consciousness Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
As the party-list representative of Tingog Sinirangan, Romualdez leads the group in achieving its goal of providing local families nationwide, particularly in Eastern Visayas, access to quality education, healthcare, and job opportunities. Tingog began in 2012, but the Commission on Elections formally recognized it in 2015. It first ran in the 2016 national and local elections.
Romualdez served as the party-list representative in the 18th Congress and again for the 19th. During the lady legislator’s terms, Tingog provided more than 42,000 collegiate and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) scholarship grants and distributed computer equipment to schools and students.
Other initiatives under her include medical missions, government internship programs, Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), livelihood assistance projects with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and community outreaches, to name a few.
HON. Irene Gay Saulog, Kalinga-Advocacy for Social Empowerment and Nation-Building Through Easing Poverty, Inc. (KALINGA)
“As the Kalinga Party-list Representative to the 19th Congress, I shall consistently advocate and continuously support all the measures that would strengthen the role of women in nation-building. I will make sure that my stand in any discussion and decision shall be in favor of elevating the stature of women, I will ensure as well that my voice will be instrumental to overcome any form of oppression and would add value for women empowerment. As a lady legislator, I commit to a brand of leadership that would inspire other women and the next generation who would stand for equality among all human regardless of gender, race, ethnicity and orientation.”
Saulog advocates for the education and welfare of Filipino families with more than two decades of experience in the academe as a teacher and school administrator. She heads the Kalinga Party-list, representing the urban poor and the education sector. The group aims to provide Filipino families with equal health services, education, housing, and livelihood opportunities.
An example of her accomplishments as party-list head includes the implementation of the Department of Labor and Employment – Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (DOLE-TUPAD), established amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Another is the Department of Social Welfare and Development – Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (DSWD-AICS) to help improve the lives of those in vulnerable and marginalized sectors of society.
The lady legislator is also one of the principal authors of House Bill 5512, the Republic Act (RA) 11642, or the Domestic Administrative Adoption and Child Care Act, making the adoption process accessible and less expensive.
HON. Shernee A. Tan-Tambut, (Kusug Tausug)
“As a House Member, I’m proactive in the Kusug Tausug Party-list’s quest to resolve various conflicts such as terrorism and general safety which have caused multiple incidents of unrest among the citizens of the Province of Sulu, under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). I am fervent and unwavering in Kusug Tausug’s end goal of attaining long-term peace, balance, and structure in the Province because it would be a monumental step towards Sulu’s progression as to infrastructure, livelihood training, and other government programs which have to reach a quality and standard that the citizens of the Province of Sulu deserve. In turn, the aim for ultimate peace and sustainable development would allow me to focus on programs that would serve as a launchpad to create productive members of the community, especially the empowerment of women and children alike in the region.”
Representing a particular group is no easy feat, let alone an ethnic tribe. As the young daughter of Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan, a Chinese-Muslim, she shares a passion for uplifting Sulu and its communities. She spearheaded some infrastructure projects under Kusug Tausug.
Kusug Tausug seeks to represent the Tausug indigenous people and other marginalized sectors in the Philippines. As the representative since 2016, Tan-Tambut presents projects like scholarships, training programs, and health assistance, which she shares with communities outside Sulu, including Metro Manila.
Tan-Tambut gained significant knowledge and experience in her years as a party-list representative. She hopes to launch and popularize Tausug culture in the Philippines and, hopefully, overseas through its rich traditions and practices that highlight what the group embodies.
HON. Jocelyn P. Tulfo, Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support, Inc. (ACT-CIS)
“My goal as a woman legislator is to empower more women, regardless of their age, to reach their full potential, achieve their dreams and give recognition to their contributions to society. As a representative of ACT-CIS partylist, I aim for the enactment of legislative measures that will promote inclusivity, gender equality, reduction of poverty, protection, and support to crime victims, provide affordable and accessible education, health, and social services to all Filipinos, especially those in the vulnerable sector and our OFWs.”
Since crime and its reduction is given priority in most, if not all, communities in the Philippines, Tulfo plays a significant role in leading the charge to protect her constituents against such criminality. Her concern extends to Filipinos living inside and outside the Philippines, making her a staunch supporter of OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers).
As a representative in Congress, some of Tulfo’s achievements include being the principal author of several house bills, including instituting policies for the protection and welfare of caregivers, providing enhanced protection, security, and benefits for media workers, and providing monthly subsidies for indigent persons with disability, among others.
The lady solon is also one of the supporters of creating a government agency dedicated to OFWs and their concerns.
HON. Anna Marie Villaraza-Suarez, Alliance Of Organizations, Networks & Associations of the Philippines, Inc. (ALONA)
It’s widely known that the family is the first community that shapes an individual’s growth and development. Hence, it’s relevant for Filipino families to have a voice in the government. That responsibility falls on the shoulders of Villaraza-Suarez. She first assumed office during the 17th Congress and continues to uphold her duty for the 19th.
ALONA aims to uplift the lives of everyday Filipino families through various projects of interest.
During her early tenure in Congress, she filed House Bill 899, which institutionalizes the Q1K program in Quezon. It focuses on the significance of food and nutrition, health and sanitation, and social care from the start of pregnancy until the next two years of the child’s development. It now serves as a model of the national government’s F1K program implemented by the National Nutrition Council, which is about the Early Childhood Care and Development Intervention package from day 1 of the mother’s pregnancy up to 2 years.
