Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Malaya Joins PH Embassy in The Hague’s National Women's Month Celebration

 Philippine officials led by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Administration J. Eduardo Malaya (third from the left) and Philippine Ambassador to The Netherlands Jaime Victor B. Ledda (leftmost) with Embassy personnel during the flag-raising ceremony. (A. Estanislao photo)

THE HAGUE 12 March 2020 -  The Philippine Embassy in The Hague launched its celebration on 02 March 2020 of National Women's Month with a flag-raising ceremony in the presence of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Administration J. Eduardo Malaya.

The Embassy played the Philippine Commission on Women's (PCW) all-women cast of the Philippine national anthem, featuring the remarkable Filipino women across history.

Undersecretary Malaya, who is also the Chairperson of the Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System Executive Committee, joined the rest of the nation and the world in celebrating women and their role in society and nation-building.

He announced that for the first time since the passage of the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710), the Department of Foreign Affairs has reached five percent budget utilization rate based on the consolidated submission of the 2019 GAD Accomplishment Reports of all Foreign Service Posts, Consular Offices, and Offices in the Home Office and acknowledged the efforts of all GAD Focal Point Officers for making this a reality.

This year's theme "We Make Change Work for Women", he encouraged everyone to continue working towards the achievement of gender equality and women's empowerment, not just this month of March, but every day of the year.

As part of the Embassy’s celebration for National Women's Month in March 2020, the Development GAD Section distributed RA 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women and RA 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women (VAWC) Act of 2004 flyers to consular clients for the whole month of March.

In support to PCW, #SerbisyoParaKayJuana, The  Embassy gave candies as freebies in the consular areas to all consular clients, regardless of gender for the entire month of March 2020. Embassy personnel are also enjoined to wear "anything purple" on all Fridays of March.

The Embassy personnel warmly welcomed Undersecretary Malaya, Office of the Undersecretry for Administration Special Assistant Andrei Estanislao, and Atty. Jilliane De Dumo-Cornista of the Office of Treaties and Legal Affairs (OTLA) who were in town for an administrative inspection and meetings with International Legal Organizations in The Hague. END

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Administration J. Eduardo Malaya delivers his remarks for the Embassy personnel for the 2020 National Women's Month Celebration. (The Hague PE photo)

Philippine Ambassador to The Netherlands Jaime Victor B. Ledda delivers his remarks for the 2020 National Women's Month. (The Hague PE photo)

The Enbassy personnel Maria Helen Operio (leftmost) distributes RA 9710 or the  Magna Carta of Women and RA 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women (VAWC) Act 0f 2004 flyers to consular clients (The Hague PE photo).

For more information, visit https://www.thehaguepe.dfa.gov.ph or  https://www.facebook.com/PHinTheNetherlands/.