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Woman to Woman
Her Story Series: Giving Her Story for History
"When I dare to be powerful to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid." --Audrey Lorde
Philippine Congresswoman Liza Maza of Bayan Muna party also served as the Secretary General of GABRIELA, a national alliance of women's organizations. The photo above was taken at the launching of the School on Wheels program, an informal educational program for women in the Philippines.
Congresswoman Liza Maza of Bayan Muna party is a member of the Philippine
House of Representatives. Congresswoman Maza is also a crusader and
a steadfast advocate for women and people’s rights. Her legislative
work includes advocating for women’s issues, increasing the Philippines'
national hourly wage, and improving worker’s benefits. Liza Maza
also served as the Secretary General of GABRIELA, a national alliance
of women’s organizations, which spearheaded the global Purple Rose
Campaign, a campaign to expose and fight the trafficking of Filipina
women and children. JNA: Hello Liza. Good afternoon. It’s so wonderful to have you back in Seattle. It’s great to see you again since the last time we saw each other at the 2001 North American Consultation for Women of Philippine Ancestry Conference. Seattle welcomes you on this third visit, the first one during the WTO, then last year at the Women of Philippine Ancestry conference, and this time for the University of Washington Women's Center Trafficking of Women and Children Conference. Welcome. LM: Hello again and thank you. LM: I think first we have to understand that women leaders are not only those who are elected into government positions or those who are appointed into various government units. When I talk about women leaders, I’m also talking about women leaders at the grassroots level. Women leaders who are leaders of the women’s movement and from the women’s organizations. I think women have achieved a lot in terms of leadership. First of all, we have already placed women in various positions in government. We have also sustained a very dynamic women’s movement, especially in Asia and especially in the Philippines. For example, I’m now a parliamentarian, and it is true that the women’s movement and together with other people’s organizations, that our party Bayan Muna was able to win the elections under the party list system and we were able to sit three of our representatives there. JNA: I think that is just remarkable because it gives a voice to the people and for grassroots organizing efforts. LM: Yes, that’s right. I think that it is also because of this movement. If you talk about installing women to the top positions of governance in the Philippine experience, it is the People Power, it’s the mass movement where it was also women who installed these women into power, and that is something that we can appreciate. JNA: And even if Philippines is not in essence a democratic country and yet have a lot to learn about democracy, the People Power movement has proven that mass movement and the people will be heard. LM: We can say that we have this formal democratic institution, but really it is not democratic. The democratic institution that Philippines have is patterned after the Western democracy, specifically the United States type of democracy. When you talk about real democracy, I believe that it also starts with democratizing wealth, democratizing economic power, and democratizing political power. And because of that, I can say then that we do not have such democracy in the country. JNA: Just in general, the more we elect leaders and legislators based from the community organizing, then we also have more voice by the people and for the people within the government. I also believe that we need to place more of our peers from the community organizing level into the decision making and policy making level in the government, so we can have a voice inside and be visible. It’s probably one of the most important influences we can give to our community having a presence in behalf of them. LM: Yes, that is right. That is our role inside the parliament, but unfortunately there are so few of us who have these politics. There are so few of us who are elected into position because of our principles and our vision of governance. If you talk about the names in politics in the Philippines and in the electoral politics, then I think it is right to say that it is still very much the same. The Philippine Congress is still very much dominated by the elite. JNA: So basically the ones with the power, political and decision-wise, are the individuals with the most money. LM: Yes. And that is why they are the ones who dictate and they are the ones who decide the output in the Philippine Congress. JNA: How can that change then? How can we elect and put the individuals in the office for the people, to represent the people? LM: There are a lot of things to be done. In the first place, if we want real changes then we need to begin with our electoral process. Though I am not very optimistic. But what I’m very optimistic of is that in spite of difficulties, in spite of repression, in spite the fact that each one-- especially the poor who has to work basically 24 hours in order to survive, in spite of that, there are a growing number of Filipinos, especially the poor and the marginalized and those in the grassroots, who are organizing and who are working towards change. I think that is a very hopeful and positive factor that we can maximize and that is the motor that can bring real change to our country. JNA: That’s great. That is positive news and encouraging to hear. What do you think are the challenges women in the Philippines are facing today? For instance, this weekend, we will be discussing the issue of trafficking of women and children in various parts of the world, including the Philippines. What other difficulties do you feel many women in the Philippines are facing? LM: The biggest challenge is the problem of poverty. Also unemployment, high cost of living in the Philippines, and the policies of globalization has intensified the hardships of our people, especially the women and children. JNA: They are always the first to be affected. In most countries, the women and children are hit first with the issues, then it’s a domino effect from there. LM: Yes. So that is something we have to confront with. We also have to confront this war, this rise in militarism all over the world, and also this direction towards authoritarianism that the present Philippine administration is heading to. That is also a big problem. Our political party has been a direct target of political oppression by the military and the police. There are already twenty-six of our members who were murdered by military police and para-military police. Of course, that affects the viability of our political party. I supposed that the intentions of this political oppression are in order for us not to run anymore for the next election. Because there are those spreading black propaganda linking our party with armed revolutionary organizations. When in fact, we are an unarmed party. We are working and pursuing the electoral front. But the objective of linking us up with armed revolutionary organizations is to illegalize our political party, so that we would be disqualified for the next elections. JNA: Your current term right now as a Congresswoman is until 2004. Let’s hope for the best, so that your voice continues to be inside the Philippine Congress. We definitely need more progressive women and men inside the government. Liza, as a Congresswoman what are the top issues you are advocating for? LM: Of course, I am focusing on issues affecting women. I am also taking up issues on youth and the gay and lesbian rights. We also have amongst the three of us, the Bayan Muna representatives in the Philippine Congress, to divide the concerns amongst us. So aside from these sectoral issues and also tackling the issues of social services, the issues of teachers, education, the elderly are my concerns. But I am focusing on the issues of women and education. For women, I’ve also already filed several bills, one of which is the anti-trafficking of persons that is already approved in the Lower House and consolidated with other similar other bills. So we were able to pass our version in the Lower House and we are waiting the Senate version, and I hope that it will pass in this Congress. Of course, there are also other types of legislation that are connected to equality of women before the law. For example, in terms of maternity benefits for women who are in the public service but are unmarried. Because right now, the unmarried pregnant women in the public service are not allowed maternity benefits because of some morality questions since the pregnant woman is not married. Therefore, they right now are not entitled for any maternity benefits. So, I have filed a bill for that. JNA: Certainly, the issues you just spoke about requiring the law to provide maternity benefits to unmarried pregnant women in public service is something that we here in America do not hear often because of the existence of equal rights. Yet, having that privilege in this country is something that we do need to acknowledge and not take for granted, for sure. I do hope that bill pushes through, so that maternity benefits for women in public service will not be disproportionate. As a Congresswoman, what are the obstacles that challenge you to push these issues forward? LM: One obstacle in relation to women’s issues is that there is a great need to educate and to increase the awareness of the members of Congress with these issues. We are now in the process of crafting the anti-abuse of women in relationships into law in the Philippines. JNA: Anti-abuse of women in relationships also referring to domestic violence. LM: Yes, that is correct. JNA: A legislative bill for women such as that is something that is just crucial to exist into law. It is terrific that there is now a proposed bill for domestic violence in the Philippines. LM: I am one of the co-sponsors of this anti-abuse of women in relationships bill, but there’s been a lot of debate. There are many, and some are even women, who do not think that a legislation should be just specific to women. Some were saying that a law should apply to all, so they said, “why would you make a legislation that only applies for one sector?” JNA: Meaning they were questioning the anti-abuse of women bill because it was a preference for women. LM: Yes. Well, that just means that there are those not conscious that a law can be proactive. That a law can address and should be able to correct an irregularity and inequality in this case. JNA: Definitely, domestic violence is a significant issue and it’s also a serious and rising problem within our culture. LM: And for a large part, it is specific to women, and there is a need for women-specific legislations. JNA: Certainly. The victims of abuse need protection, and we need also need more legislations, programs, and services to help survivors of abuse and domestic violence on women. LM: Another big hurdle is also that when you want to push for a legislation that really impacts a greater majority, it’s very hard. For example, the Bayan Muna Representatives’ proposal for wage hike. Another hurdle also is the character of Congress itself, because it’s dominated by the elite. Most members of the Philippine Congress are wealthy and have big businesses. So it’s very hard to pass pro-people legislations. JNA: That is a barrier that the Philippines has to overcome, and something that is long overdue. As a Congresswoman, what do you think are some of the progresses made in terms of assisting the people in the Philippines? LM: I think that the new politics that Bayan Muna carries should not be judged from the standards of traditional politics. For a large part, we are there to advocate inside the Congress, to advocate the issues of the people like for wage hike and other issues, and the desire of the people to question the globalization policies that are only exacerbating the poverty and hardships of the people. So I think if we judge our performance instead based on these new politics that we carry, I think we’ve done well. I think this is also the reason why we are being harassed right now and why the Bayan Muna members are being killed, because we have effectively performed our roles as the voice of the people in our country. JNA: And many people saw that as a threat. LM: Yes, precisely. In the Philippines, for elected officials, even though you are a member of Congress and even if your main work is as a legislator, your work is always into two. You are a legislator and at the same time, you do the work amongst the constituents, which is not necessarily legislative work. So we do set up projects that would be a direct service for our constituents. For example, Bayan Muna Representatives in Congress have put up from our own development funds that the government gives to each members of Congress, which is towards the projects and programs for the people. We have set up our scholarship programs, and the School on Wheels program, which is an informal educational program for women. In the next months, we’ll also be starting the conception of the folk school for women. JNA: Yes, that is so wonderful to hear. The educational programs for women are something that is extremely needed in the Philippines. I received your e-mails and photos about the launching of the School on Wheels program for women. I am so amazed with that. Thank you for helping make that happen. So the School on Wheels is a government-funded program? LM: Yes, it is. Each member of Congress is given a priority development assistance fund. And well, they say that it is also where corruption within the government is committed when officials would not spend these funds for their constituents’ needs and instead just pocket the money. And that is just corruption. With our party’s new politics, our principle is that this is government money, and the government is supposed to be for the people, by the people, of the people. And this government money should go back to the people. We also really need to get recommendations of our constituents on how we should allocate this money. JNA: Going back to your party Bayan Muna, previously you mentioned that your members are being killed. Is there any accountability on who is responsible for these murders? LM: Right now there is an investigation because we filed for a resolution to investigate these killings, and whether there is a national policy of political repression against Bayan Muna. Many people are constantly linking us up with the armed revolutionary groups, when I have to say again, we are not an armed organization, we are unarmed. Our networks, like Gabriela, Bayan, KMU, these are mass organizations of different sectors, and these are operating within the legal structures and what is provided by law and the constitution and what is possible in our so called democratic system. JNA: In the past, the people’s movements have shown strength in numbers and strength with substantial mass visibility and with the roar of voices. Revolution starts amongst people and by the people. And many may be threatened by the movement. Some may also fear the power shift. What do you think needs to change for additional progress? LM: I think more consciousness educating needs to happen. Although the people’s movement in the Philippines is a very dynamic movement, and even though there are many many organizations there that will do more consciousness educating work, we still haven’t reached the majority of the Filipinos in the Philippines. I think there’s still a lot of sectors and a lot of areas that we should reach in our public education campaign, especially on various issues that may hurt the people in our country. We also need to expand our organizing, consolidate our organizing, and strengthen our organizations. Another thing also is in relation to parliament for example, there’s still a lot to be done. There should be an electoral reform in our country and it should start from how the campaigns are being held. Because right now someone who wants to run for the Senatorial seat has to have about 50 million. So how can someone who does not have that kind of money run for the Philippine government? JNA: I believe that to each within, many individuals are striving for growth and in quest for room for improvement. I have seen many people evolve dramatically. I, myself, am in the process of really evolving to be the person that I am, and merging that with my vision and calling in life. I am also witnessing this whole world evolve and shift considerably. So I am quite optimistic that overtime, we will see a dramatic change happen. How do you think the Philippines, the country and the people, have evolved over the years? LM: There are many positive things, in spite of poverty, in spite all these things that are happening now, the culture of struggle is very much alive in the country and in the Filipino people. The people have struggled through many stages, our struggles through a dictatorship, we’ve had People Power I and People Power II, and that shows that Filipinos have a deep well of courage and this courage is expressed through the people’s movements in our desire to change and have changes in our country. But on the other hand, there are of course other factors that need to change such as the structures within leadership. We have not really changed the structures in our society. Our problems are deep-rooted. If we just remove the branches of the tree and the leaves of the tree, but we don’t really uproot the tree, then it will still be the same. JNA: In parallel to life’s problems, if we don’t go back to the root of the problem and we continuously just look at the cause of it from the surface, then we will not get anywhere. How can the people in America support people in the Philippines and work together to strive for a change? LM: There’s already been a historical relationship between the people in America and the Philippines working together, but I think that this relationship should develop more in the sense of realizing that whatever is happening here in America, it impacts the people in the Philippines. The people in America should also be more critical of the policies in the United States and realize how these affect the rest of the world, especially the Third World countries such as the Philippines. JNA: The impact is undoubtedly a domino effect to all people and to all countries around the world. Unquestionably, the repercussions are huge that whatever decisions are made, the effects are magnified even more in Third World countries that have disproportionate resources. How about women helping women? How can we Filipinas here support the Filipinas in the Philippines? What are your recommendations? LM: Well, for example, we are talking about trafficking in this conference. I think it’s a good thing that women here in America know that trafficking of women and children is a growing problem. It would be good to have other women be involved with learning about the issues and how to find ways to prevent and protect victims of trafficking. It would also be good to understand the root of why there is an issue of trafficking, such as how globalization causes trafficking. It is important to look at the big picture. It would be good to have exchanges on a deeper level between women in America and women in the Philippines to assess all aspects of the problem. JNA: Outreach, dialogues, and resources and information exchange certainly will be beneficial for all us, especially the victims and survivors of trafficking, in regards to working together with the issues we want to see progress on. What are your goals after finishing the Trafficking of Women and Children Conference in the U.S.? Where do you go from here? LM: As a legislator, I am still going to push for the enactment of this anti-trafficking bill in the Philippines. Nevertheless, I will still continue my work outside of the Congress in relation to our campaign to end trafficking of women. JNA: Which is the Purple Rose Campaign. LM: Yes, the Purple Rose Campaign, which has really generated a lot of attention not only in the Philippines, but also in the international level. So my work there will continue. We also are setting up programs from my funds; I have allocated some money to set up a center for battered women and I’m thinking that we can also expand this to victims of trafficking, since many cases of women that have been trafficked are battered. JNA: Domestic violence is an incessantly escalating problem in all countries, and unfortunately, it is an issue that our culture often does not recognize in the capacity and with the seriousness that it really is. LM: Yes, that is right. I will also continue to link up and really maximize my opportunity in parliament to fight for these issues. I will also try to link up with other parliamentarians in order for us to work out bilateral relations that will strengthen the mechanisms to prevent trafficking and to protect the victims of trafficking. JNA: Liza, please let us know how we can support you. Thank you so much for your time. We are very grateful for the work that you are doing. Please continue to do the wonderful advocacy work that you do for the people and for the women in the Philippines. We appreciate you. Best wishes on this upcoming session in the Philippine Congress, and take care.
(Republished with permission from the author and editor-in-chief of Filipino American Herald. Article originally published at Filipino American Herald on November 2002.) _____________________ ©Copyright 2002. Joann Natalia Garcia Aquino. All rights reserved.
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