The government instituted the women’s month celebration through Proclamation No. 224, “Declaring the First Week of March of Every Year as Women’s Week and March 8, 1988 and Every Year Thereafter as Women’s Rights and International Peace Day.”  Proclamation No. 227, “Providing for the observance of the Month of March as ‘Women’s Role in History Month’ was also signed on March 17, 1988. Two years after, R.A. 6949, “An Act to Declare March Eight of Every Year as a Working Special Holiday to be Known as National Women’s Day was signed on April 10, 1990.

The 2008 Women’s Month Celebration revolved around the theme “CEDAW ng Bayan: Yaman ng Kababaihan!”. This year’s celebration served as a channel for the nationwide campaign to promote the use of GAD Budget to finance gender equality and women’s empowerment programs at the national and local levels.

Corollary to this, DENR offices identified and conducted Gender and Development (GAD)- related activities for employees and clientele in the form of forum, seminars, job fair, exhibits and services promoting gender equality and women empowerment.

The Department’s month-long celebration was launched on March 5, 2008 at the DENR Main Building’s lobby. It was started with a flag ceremony followed by the opening program. The message on GAD was given by the Chairperson of DENR-NGADFPS, Undersecretary Teresita Samson-Castillo.

Assistant Secretary Analiza Rebuelta- Teh introduced and presented the Guest Speaker, Mrs. Evelina Ilagan-Atienza.

Mrs. Atienza is the spouse of Secretary Jose “Lito” L. Atienza, Jr. She is a mother of six (6). She has 14 grandchildren and two (2) adopted special children. She is a pro-life advocate. Mrs. Atienza with her spouse Secretary Atienza, built homes in BASECO’s most deprived community, adopted poor families and barangays, built the Home for the Angels, a child caring institution that accepts all abandoned and abused, abortion survivors, and initiated the production of health food supplement to curb malnutrition in pre-school, day care centers and depressed barangays in Manila. In her message, she emphasized to everyone that complementarity of men and women is the basis of mutual respect and dignity. 

After the inspirational message, a response from the Secretary followed.  The cutting of ribbon of the 2008 GAD Exhibit was done by the guest of honor, Mrs. Evelina Ilagan-Atienza and Secretary Atienza assisted by Undersecretary Teresita Samson-Castillo, Undersecretary Mary Ann Lucille Sering, Assistant Secretary Analiza Rebuelta- Teh and Head Executive Assistant Carolina Esquela. Some of the GAD Focal Points, Lady Directors and Officials were also present during the ribbon cutting.

Activities lined-up for the month-long celebration were also conducted such as the Lecture on Family Code (March 13, 2008), Plantation Maintenance and Protection (March 14, 2008) and Medical-initiated activities like provision of free Chest X-Ray, ECG, screening of osteoporosis, sugar & cholesterol.  The Bureaus, Attached Agencies and Regional Offices have also initiated their activities in observance of Women’s Month.

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