‘The hand that rocks the cradle…

Nowbeing National Women’s Month, I'd like to highlight key legislation that greatly benefits Filipino women — laws of which I had the privilege of being the principal sponsor or author during the two terms I served as senator.

- JOEY D. LINA

Among the many laws I championed, I’m especially proud of having been the principal sponsor of RA 6949, which officially declared March 8 of every year as National Women’s Day. 1 also take pride in having authored RA 6972 to provide immense support for working mothers by establishing daycare centers in every barangay.

Enacted on April 10, 1990, RA6949 institutionalized National Women’s Day as a working special holiday, aligning it with International Women’s Day to honor the invaluable contributions of women in all sectors of society.

Here’s what I told my fellow senators in my sponsorship speech: “In approving this measure, we are symbolically affirming for our nation and the nations of the world that we honor and respect our women. Our women nurture our children. They are the keepers and transmitters of our valued traditions and culture. They are the heart of our homes. We need them as builders of our nation. We need them as partners in development. We love them for the beauty, love and care they bring to all of us.”

I would have wanted it to be a non-working holiday as wished by the late Senator Santanina Rasul, the law’s principal author, who also had wanted to specifically declare the day asan “official holiday for women,” but then it became obvious that majority of my colleagues wanted it a working holiday, and a holiday for all — to also include men.