Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidate and House Deputy Speaker Camille Villar vowed her support for initiatives aimed at empowering women and providing them with greater opportunities to succeed.
In her recent campaign sortie in Luna, Isabela, Villar noted the multiple roles of women in the family and the challenges that they are facing.
“Nung nasa distrito ako, ang gustong gusto kong tulungan ay ang mga nanay. Dahil bilang nanay, intinding intindi ko po ang lahat ng roles na (ating) ginagampanan,” said Villar, a mother of two children.
“Inaalagaan natin ang mga anak natin. Inaalagaan natin ang mga asawa natin. Tapos pati minsan ang ating mga magulang, ang ating mga kapatid. Ang ating mga pamilya sinisigurado natin maayos ang pagpapatakbo ng ating bahay,” she added.
As the country celebrates Women’s Month, Villar emphasized the need to provide women with better access to health services, particularly in reproductive and maternal health, as well as mental health awareness.
Villar also cited how challenging it is for women to climb up the work organization, which was once dominated by men.
“Bilib na bilib po ako sa kakayanan ng isang babae at naniniwala po ako at totoo po… na kailangan ng kalalakihan ang mga kababaihan. Dahil naniniwala po ako na walang hindi magagawa ang isang babae. Dahil bilib na bilib po ako na sa dami ng ating ginagawa, nagkakapanahon pa tayo mag-enjoy at magtipon-tipon. Kulang ang oras sa isaw araw sa ating ginagawa,” she said.
During her two-term career as a legislator, Villar has been in close coordination with advocacy groups that support women’s causes, including Buntis Congress, which educates mothers on maternal health and child-rearing and the importance of breastfeeding.
Villar also pushed for the passage of the proposed Pregnant Women Welfare Act (House Bill 10967) that will provide flexible work arrangements for pregnant women and postnatal mothers and the Equal Maternity Protection Act, which aims to grant maternity benefits to women workers in the informal economy.
She vowed to continue pushing for her advocacy if elected to the Senate.
