Philippines President Benigno Aquino lauds party’s role in women’s suffrage

Manila: President Benigno Aquino expressed pride on the ruling party in the ratification of women’s suffrage 76 years ago, paving the way for the election of women in government posts, a spokesperson said, adding that Aquino has continued promoting women’s rights in politics by appointing them in cabinet and endorsing their election to government posts.

“In the Aquino administration, women have been appointed to key positions in the president’s official family,” deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a statement.

To commemorate the country’s ratification of women’s suffrage on April 30, 1937 and the first time they started running for government posts on December 30, 1937, the president’s information office launched a website dedicated to highlight these historical events, said Valte.

On April 30, 1937, the Philippines became the fifth state in the world that ratified women’s suffrage, said Valte. The United Kingdom ratified women’s suffrage in 1918; the United States of America in 1920; Thailand, in 1932; and Myanmar, in 1935.

The Philippines was likewise ahead of other developed countries in this exercise, such as France, where the ratification of women’s suffrage occurred in 1944; Italy and Japan, in 1945; Vietnam in 1946; and Mexico in 1947.

Also featured in the government website was the speech of former President Manuel Roxas of the Liberal Party (LP) on women suffrage, and the success story of LP senatorial candidate Geronima Pecson, who became the country’s first woman senator, said Valte.

The government website highlighted the historic results in 1937 which saw the election of women in government posts, said Valte, referring to two municipal mayors, two provincial board members, 10 municipal vice mayors, one city councillor in Manila, and 264 municipal councillors nationwide.

Since then, women have occupied positions of responsibility in local, provincial, and national government, said Valte, adding the government’s website also used pictures to highlight the golden era of women’s participation in politics.

The website was a project of Aquino’s Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO).