SALUTE TO WOMEN SOLDIERS
HOUSE Deputy Speaker Las Piñas City Representative Camille Villar has cited women soldiers for playing a role in keeping peace and order and defending democracy amid the challenge of gender equality.
In her speech during the opening ceremony of the National Women’s Month Celebration of the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, Villar pointed out how women soldiers had to work extra double to prove that “they are capable of standing and fighting side by side with men.”
“What makes the achievements of women soldiers more impressive is the pressure they experience as they are immersed in the Armed Forces which has been considered for a long time as an only-male profession. It is not just about individual accomplishments but a reflection on the capabilities of women as a sector,” the lawmaker said.
“I hope that as you embark on the activities you have organized for this year’s women’s month, you find the time and resources to pay it forward by encouraging girls to follow your path, guiding other women who are afraid and who face uncertainties, to shatter their own ceilings… This is your challenge. This is your vocation as women warriors. To continue the fight for gender equality,” she added.
Women were first admitted to the AFP when Republic Act 3835 was enacted in 1963, but their role was limited to non-combat and administrative duties. In 1993, Congress passed RA 7192 which allowed women to become trained combat soldiers in the military.
Villar said the contribution of women soldiers are not only limited to combat duties.
“Aside from combat duties, women have been invaluable in the security and development sector as well as in peace building activities of the government. They have contributed in making government policies more responsive to issues and concerns of women, thereby strengthening the role of women in nation-building,” she said.
Villar also lauded the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division under the leadership of Maj. Gen. Roberto S. Capulong for recognizing the vital role of Filipino women in the military and in our nation.
As of 2020, the Army has six female officers assigned as battalion commanders, 795 female officers, and 3,777 women-soldiers.
