In celebration of International Women’s Day and National Women’s Month, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte vowed to further strengthen programs and initiatives that empower women and provide opportunities for their growth and success.
During her State of the Women’s Address (SOWA), Belmonte highlighted the fruits of the city government’s sustained efforts to create inclusive opportunities for women across various sectors through economic empowerment, education, and health, among others.
“Our women are now more financially capable and independent. Ayon sa ating online business registry, tumaas ng higit apat na libo ang bilang ng mga babaeng may negosyo sa ating lungsod kung ikukumpara noong 2021,” Belmonte said.
“Ngayon, sa pitumpung libong negosyo sa lungsod, kwarenta porsyento (40%) ang pinamumunuan ng mga babaeng negosyante na nagbibigay ng hanapbuhay sa mahigit dalawang daang libong babaeng QCitizen,” she added.
Beneficiaries of various livelihood initiatives and assistance such as Pangkabuhayang QC, POP QC, Tindahan ni Ate Joy, SIGA and SIGAP have seen a significant increase, from 11,000 in 2023 to more than 14,000 last year.
Through the efforts of the QC Public Employment Service Office, Belmonte said the city government has provided more than 31,000 jobs to women, allowing them to earn for their family’s needs.
As part of her belief that education is the great equalizer, Belmonte stressed that the city government continues to expand educational opportunities for female students through various programs.
“Sa pagdami ng mga kurso sa ating Quezon City University, tumataas din ang bilang ng mga mag-aaral. Out of more than 3,000 graduates last year, 63 percent were female and now are fully equipped to join the country’s workforce,” the Mayor explained.
“Idagdag pa natin ang mga hinuhubog nating mga babaeng mag-aaral sa mga pampublikong elementarya at sekondarya na nasa mahigit 204,000, o 48 percent ng kabuuang student population sa elementarya hanggang grade 12,” she added.
From 2019 to 2024, Belmonte said the city government has supported more than 39,000 scholars from senior high school to post-graduate studies, with 64 percent of them being women.
To tackle the significant health challenges faced by women, Belmonte emphasized the city government’s commitment to addressing the leading causes of death among women—hypertension, pneumonia, and diabetes—through free medical check-ups, provision of maintenance medicines, administration of pneumococcal vaccines, and promotion of nutrition education in health centers.
“Bukod dito, tayo rin ang kauna-unahang lokal na pamahalaan na nagpasa ng Integrated Cancer Control Ordinance, na naglalayong ipatupad ang whole-of-society approach sa pagtugon sa lahat ng uri ng cancer,” she pointed out.
Belmonte likewise vowed to step up efforts by the city government to address Violence Against Women (VAW) cases through information dissemination, and promotion of Helpline 122 to encourage women to report abuse cases.
Belmonte expressed alarm that the cases of VAW increased from around 7,000 in 2022 to more than 10,000 in 2024, more than 4,000 of which reported suffering from psychological abuse.
While the city government has made significant progress in advancing women’s rights and welfare, Belmonte emphasized that there is still much work to be done as she reiterated her commitment to pursuing equal treatment for women in all endeavors.
“Ang laban para sa gender equality ay hindi lang laban ng kababaihan—ito ay laban nating lahat. Babae man o lalaki, bata man o matanda, ano man ang kulay o katayuan sa buhay. Sama-sama nating isulong ang isang lungsod kung saan ang bawat babae ay may boses, dignidad, kalayaan, at may pantay na oportunidad upang magtagumpay,” she concluded.
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