18 March 2014 - In observance of the International Women’s Month globally celebrated in the month of March, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh conducted a lecture for its personnel on Human Trafficking and Saudi Arabia’s initiatives on women’s rights on March 13. All personnel of the Philippine Embassy, the attached services, and their spouses attended the program.

Social Service Attaché Ms. Perlita V. Panganiban of the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) gave a lecture on the salient features of Republic Act No. 9208/10364, otherwise known as the Anti-Human Trafficking Law. The Act, which was signed into law on 26 May 2003 and expanded/amended on 6 February 2013, is a comprehensive Philippine law on human trafficking that institutes policies to eliminate and punish human trafficking and establish mechanisms for the protection and support to trafficked persons, especially women and children.


The Embassy’s focal person for “Gender and Development, Lilian M. Adiong, presented an overview of Saudi Arabia’s initiatives on human rights, specifically those concerning women and children. It has been noted that the Kingdom has been taking measures in promoting human/women rights in recent months. The Kingdom has passed laws and adopted mechanisms in support of international agreements and conventions on human rights. One example was the advertising campaign against domestic abuse, and a related law in August 2013 criminalizing abusive acts against women and children.

The program is one of the series of activities that the Philippine Embassy plans to conduct this year in promoting greater awareness and consciousness on human rights and other gender-related concerns among Embassy officers and staff. END